x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Article 370 restoration important than statehood: Ruhullah to Omar | Centre should restore statehood soon: CM Omar Abdullah | ‘Dual power centres not helping anyone’ | ‘J&K to speed up metering’ | New Year celebrations turn ugly, 3 friends found dead | Amit Shah highlights India’s unique ‘geo-cultural’ identity at book launch | Sun plays hide and seek amidst dense fog in Jammu | Kashmir gets fresh snowfall | ‘Will implement recommendations of expert panel’ | Mughal Road remains closed | 4 AGMUT cadre officers promoted | ACB’s laudable initiative | All arrangements put in place to face winter vagaries in Srinagar | Traffic Diversions Announced for Nagar Kirtan Procession | DC Pulwama chairs meeting on Road Safety | Kathua Admin launches free Hearse Van service | Muskan Rana declared best gymnast of Country | CJ asks lawyers to file physical letters for urgent listings | Div Com, ADGP Jammu review arrangements for celebration of Republic Day-2025 | DC reviews establishment, working of Kisan Khidmat Ghars | PM to inaugurate Veer Savarkar College, several projects in Delhi today | CS reviews progress on construction of highways across J&K | Ambulance crosses speed-breaker and 'dead' man jolts to life | Empty gas cylinder found near rail tack in Kanpur, probe on | Dual control on governance detrimental to interests of J&K: Sadhotra | People rejected misleading, false propaganda of BJP in J&K: Rattan Lal | Indian man crosses over illegally into Pakistan to marry Facebook friend, lands in jail | EPFO Jammu issues 22 new Pension Payment Orders in December 2024 | Jal Shakti Minister inspects Rangil WTP; reviews functioning | Police attach property of drug peddler under NDPS Act | Modi Govt resolute in making Bharat terror-free: Kavinder | STD conducts enforcement drive to address GST violations in Jammu division | UP secures top spot in domestic tourist arrivals for 3rd year in a row | Director Agriculture Jammu inaugurates first harvest of Shiitake Mushrooms | Notorious bovine smuggler booked under PSA in Nagrota | DC conducts surprise inspection of PHC Kallar Chatyar | Drug peddler arrested with heroin like substance in Udhampur | Doda police solve theft case within 24 hours | Vision document @2047: Action plan reviewed in Srinagar | 933 vehicles involved in illegal mining seized in Jammu | BMS launched cover page of Shram Samarika | Medical Cum awareness camp organized by MVD in Samba | Samba police reunites 2 missing ladies with families | Bovine smuggling bid foiled in Nagrota | Police Hospital Jammu conducts normal delivery in labour room | J&K Fencers Shine at 35th Senior National Fencing Championship | Desh Bhagat University has organized free Medical & Dental Checkup Camp | J&K Archery Team Selected for Sub-Junior National Championship | Indian Army conducted electrician cadre | Split Wide Open: Gambhir, Rohit ignore each other on match eve | Won't be surprised if Rohit retires from Test cricket: Shastri | LPU conducts freshmen induction programs for distance and online students | 11th Shaheed Memorial Cricket Tournament Inaugurated at UPES | Marsh dropped, Starc declared fit for BGT finale | BGT Finale: Rohit to be dropped? Bumrah set for leadership | Back Issues  
 
news details
5 years of Global tendering, Govt fails to award contract of Sapphire extraction
Is BJP-PDP Govt serious in exploring Padder Sapphire Mines?
3/5/2018 10:21:18 PM
Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report

Jammu, Mar 5: The non serious approach of the successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir could be gauged from the fact that even after floating the global tenders for exploration of Sapphire mines situated in Suncham Padder in Kishtwar District, they failed to allot the tender among the five short listed bidders as a result of which the precious Sapphire mines of Padder are vulnerable to smugglers who openly robbed these mines with the help of some locals and even police for decades.
As per the details available with "Early Times" after assuming the charge of Ministry of Industries and Commerce Chander Prakash Ganga visited the Suncham Sapphire mines on 2-9-2015 along with the Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir Minerals Limited and MoS Sunil Sharma raising hopes among the locals, but even after two and half year since the concern minister visited the Suncham Sapphire mines, nothing was done so far by the PDP-BJP government .
Speaking to "Early Times" several local people slammed the government for its failure in finalizing the tenders of extraction of Sapphire from the Padder mines they reiterated that besides assuring jobs to local unemployed youths, the government must fulfill the long pending demand of people of Padder with regard to the establishment of Sapphire refinery plant at Gulabgard or Atholi.
Even former Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo on 1-1-2014 had said that the global tenders for extraction of Sapphire from famous Sapphire mines have already been floated adding that the extraction of the Sapphire from these mines will start shortly and since then nearly five years has passed and same is still a distant dream for the locals of Padder.
"The government must assure the reservation of 10% royalty for developmental activities out of the income generated from the extraction of Sapphire" said Shakir Siddiqui, President Public Awareness Front Kishtwar.
It is worthwhile to mention that the fraudster and fugitive Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi managed to rob the state of its precious Sapphire minerals worth billions of rupees through a well planned nexus of Sapphire Smugglers and police officials.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti being as the Home Minister is under tremendous pressure to order probe after the surfacing of Nirav Modi connection to smuggling of Padder Sapphire mines and reinvestigation into the cases related to Sapphire smuggling registered in various Police Stations of the state so that those police officers could be punished who successfully managed to allegedly replace the precious Sapphire stones with inferior quality of stones helping the looters.
The sources said that some officers even reportedly sold the recovered Sapphire pieces to Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi outlets at Udhampur or in Jaipur which needs to be looked into as well.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU