Varanasi, Sep 13: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday addressed the ‘Bhartiya Bhasha Samagam’, organised by Hindusthan Samachar Group, at Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi, where he said that “in rapidly changing world where new technologies and innovations are shaping the lives, we must present our cultural treasures in a way that is engaging to youth.”

In his keynote address, the Lieutenant Governor spoke on the linguistic harmony and mutual respect and understanding of diverse languages and dialects to foster national unity and inclusive growth.

“A linguistically harmonious society lays the foundation for rapid socio-economic growth, strengthens the social bonds and promotes social equality. Linguistic diversity preserves cultural heritage and enables people to contribute to nation-building,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor observed that under the leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is not only rising as a major economic power but is also reclaiming its past glory.

The Lieutenant Governor called upon the linguistic scholars, researchers and writers to develop a system that makes India’s vast ancient knowledge accessible in all mother tongues in school curriculum and libraries enabling the youth to gain a deeper understanding of their glorious heritage.

“National Education Policy-2020 promotes multilingualism by emphasizing the use of mother tongue or regional languages as the medium of instruction, especially in early years of school education. The policy encourages cultural preservation. Our effort should be that all languages of India achieve their full potential. By weaving the country’s diverse linguistic fabric together through coordination, these languages can help create a developed India.”

Ramban, Sep 13: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained partially open on Saturday, but vehicular movement continued to remain slow due to the poor condition of a single-lane road stretch at Tharad in Udhampur district.

Traffic officials said the existing road condition from Samroli to Tharad cannot cater to the heavy volume of traffic.

“We are managing traffic and repair works simultaneously to improve the road conditions and dimensions between Jakhani and Samroli, especially at Tharad and Balli Nullah, through the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI),” an officer said.

Authorities said traffic is being regulated by enforcing cut-off timings at different locations, including Nashri, Chenani, Chanderkote, Ramban, and other vulnerable stretches.

Officials said that until additional men and machinery are deployed by NHAI, the road between Jakhani and Chenani would remain unable to handle the existing traffic load.

At Tharad, a 250 to 300-meter damaged, uneven, and unpaved road stretch is forcing authorities to manage movement on a rotational basis.

A Traffic Police official said that the single-lane bottleneck was disrupting the smooth flow of vehicles.

The highway had earlier remained blocked for eight consecutive days before being partially restored on September 10.

Currently, traffic movement between Udhampur and Nashri is being managed on a one-way basis, with priority given to vehicles carrying essential supplies and passenger traffic bound for Kashmir.

However, fruit-laden trucks from Qazigund were seen halted in long queues at Ramban, Chanderkote, and Nashri on Saturday.

Traffic authorities said, despite the “pathetic” condition of the road at Tharad, movement was being regulated one way.

Traffic between Chenani and Udhampur is also being managed on a rotational basis.

Meanwhile, prolonged closure and restricted movement on the highway caused severe inconvenience to people, including students and patients from Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and Kashmir, who rely on the road to reach Srinagar and Jammu.

The business community has also been hit hard as the highway disruption has severely affected trade and the supply chain of essential commodities.

Drivers and vehicle operators remain among the worst sufferers, many of them stranded for days at different locations until partial restoration was achieved at Tharad on Wednesday.

Despite partial reopening, slow traffic movement at Tharad has left hundreds of trucks still waiting to cross the landslide-affected area, highlighting the urgent need for expedited restoration works.

Jammu, Sep 13: Union Minister Nimuben Jayantibhai Bambhaniya on Saturday said the Narendra Modi-led government stands steadfast with the flood-hit people of Jammu and Kashmir and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring their relief and rehabilitation.

The minister of state for consumer affairs, food and public distribution visited the flood-hit parts of Nai Basti on the second day of her two-day visit to Jammu division to assess the damage caused by the recent heavy rainfall.

She also visited the border areas of Pargwal in Akhnoor to inspect the damage caused to public property and commercial establishments.

“The Modi government is cognizant of the sufferings of people due to the recent floods and the loss of life and property. The government stands with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in this time of crisis,” the minister said.

Bambhaniya said it is Prime Minister Modi’s endeavour to reach out to the victims and, as per his guidance, Union ministers are visiting each and every corner of the flood-affected areas to understand the ground reality and ensure rehabilitation of the affected people.

She said people have expectations and confidence in the Modi Government, and it will leave no stone unturned in providing timely relief and rehabilitation to the victims.

While appreciating the courage and grit of the people of Pargwal, Bambhaniya said the people of this border region face the dual problem of cross-border shelling and frequent floods brought in by the Chenab river.

“But, it is the determination of the people and their faith in the government that they brave such challenges,” she said, expressing her gratitude to the BSF jawans who are on duty round-the-clock, and are instrumental in bringing normalcy to the region despite such challenges.

Jammu, Sep 13: An alleged criminal was detained under stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) here on Saturday, police said.

Arjun Kumar alias “Billu”, a resident of Kalyana village of Arnia, is a hardcore criminal with a history of involvement in violent and heinous offences, a police spokesman said.

He said despite multiple arrests and legal actions, he has consistently shown a blatant disregard for the law and continued his involvement in criminal activities, posing a serious threat to public peace and security.

“Routine legal measures having failed to deter his unlawful conduct, his preventive detention under PSA was deemed necessary to protect public order and prevent further criminal acts,” the spokesman said.

Following his repeated engagement in criminal activities, the spokesperson said multiple FIRs have been registered against the accused for indulging in such criminal activities.