Mehbooba Mufti demands Rs 50 lakh compensation, jobs for kin of civilians killed in Poonch
Poonch/Jammu (PTI): PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti Sunday demanded a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job and a residential plot for the families of three civilians who were found dead a day after being picked by the security forces following a terrorist ambush on two Army vehicles.
Mufti alleged that despite visits by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande no action has been taken to deliver justice to the victims.
"I urge the Lieutenant Governor to ask the defence minister to provide a compensation of Rs 50 lakh, a government job, and a roadside plot to the next of kin of the slain civilians. Injured individuals should be given Rs 5 lakh compensation," Mufti told reporters.
She demanded a judicial probe into the incident.
The three civilians picked up by the Army for questioning after the terrorist ambushed two Army vehicles on December 21 in Poonch were found dead Friday last week.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced monetary compensation and jobs to the families. It said the medico-legal formalities were conducted and legal action on the matter has been initiated.
The Army has ordered a thorough internal investigation into the civilian deaths and said it is committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of the investigation.
Mufti questioned the ongoing inquiry. "We have seen the fate of probe reports in past incidents. Following the inquiry report of three youths killed by the Army in Rajouri, the officers admitted to fake killings but were let off. What probe will you do in this?" she questioned.
Mufti pointed out that an FIR was lodged against unknown persons in the latest case. "People are identifying police and army personnel, so how can they be unknown? If you don't punish the culprits, you are promoting the criminalisation of the system. How can justice be served?" she alleged.
Mufti also said she was disallowed from meeting the affected families and the injured people, despite attempts.
"I tried to visit them. I was put under house arrest. Later, I was told you can go, as BJP J&K chief Ravinder Raina and NC leadership were allowed to the area. But they prevented me from going there. They wanted to hide atrocities committed on them. I wanted to visit hospital to meet the injured. Then I wanted to visit Bangie from where these people were picked up. I was prevented from moving forward on the pretext of search operation," she said.
She stressed the need for empathetic engagement with the affected families and open dialogue to effectively resolve grievances.
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AI chatbot 'MahaChatur' to offer skills, jobs, entrepreneurship support on 1 platform: Fadnavis
Mumbai (PTI): An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot developed by a Maharashtra government department will provide skill training, employment avenues, entrepreneurship support and guidance to youth on a single platform, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday.
He called the AI chatbot, 'MahaChatur', a "transformative initiative" and noted it will make the transition from education to employment easier for young people while helping industries access skilled manpower quickly.
The chatbot, developed by the Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department, is the first such initiative by any state government in the country, the CM said.
Fadnavis was speaking at the launch of the chatbot and the signing of multiple MoUs here.
Skill Development Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha, senior officials, diplomats and representatives from industry and academic institutions were present at the event, an official release said.
Highlighting India's demographic advantage, Fadnavis said nearly 65 per cent of the population is below 35 years of age, and equipping this workforce with relevant skills is critical to economic growth.
He said the MahaChatur chatbot, a digital assistant built to converse with users, will act as a bridge between job-seeking youth and industry requirements.
The AI-based platform will function as a one-stop solution, offering information on skill training, job opportunities, entrepreneurship guidance, application processes, assessments and market linkages. It will be easily accessible through WhatsApp, enabling wider outreach, he stated.
The chief minister emphasised the initiative will be particularly useful for employment-oriented youth seeking guidance.
He said efforts such as setting up centres of excellence, modernisation of ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes), increased participation of women in skill programmes and global partnerships will help strengthen the skill ecosystem.
Speaking on the occasion, Lodha said the state government aims to bring together the unorganised skill sector on a single platform to strengthen Maharashtra's growth.
He noted that while AI may disrupt some jobs, it will also create new employment opportunities, and the Skill, Employment, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Department is working to connect youth from the state to global job markets.
The department has also launched the chatbot to streamline apprenticeship processes under the National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) and the Maharashtra Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (MAPS). The platform enables registration in about 15 minutes, significantly reducing the earlier time of two to three days, Lodha maintained.
Developed in partnership with the Right Walk Foundation, 'MahaChatur' operates on government servers using open-source AI and ensures data security. It will provide end-to-end information -- from training to placement -- for both rural and urban youth, officials said.
In the CM's presence, MoUs were signed with several organisations, including IPE Global Ltd, National Skill Training Institute, Mumbai, Shrimad Rajchandra Educational Trust, Shri Shri Rural Development Programme Trust and UN Women for collaboration in areas such as women's skill training, data security, prison skill development and youth employment initiatives, the release said.
Representatives of several industry partners, including Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, Bajaj Auto Ltd, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and others, were felicitated for their contribution to skill development.
Six ITI students selected for apprenticeships in Germany were also honoured and presented offer letters at the event.
Panel discussions on "Industry Leadership Dialogue" and "AI for Public Service Delivery" were held, focusing on emerging opportunities in skill development and AI-driven services.
The initiative is expected to significantly improve transparency, grievance redressal and access to employment-linked services, the release said.
