J and K Govt seeks Center’s clearance to construct concrete huts along LAC

Srinagar, Sep 16 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir Government has sought clearance from the Ministry of Defence to construct huts like along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) bordering China.

According to sources the State Government forwarded this proposal with the aim of strengthening the Indian presence along the LAC.

State Revenue Minister Raman Bhalla, said concrete huts would also help the nomadic shepherds to stay.

Nomadic shepherds are currently using mobile tents.

Recently Leh’s Deputy Commissioner Ajit Kumar Sahu said, the Chinese had threatened some shepherds in the remote regions of the district.

The State Government is also reportedly planning to house revenue officials and guards to monitor Chinese activities along the Pangong Lake, sources said.

Meanwhile, National Security Advisor M.K.Narayanan has called a meeting of the China Study Group of the Union Government on Wednesday, to discuss the situation along Indo-China border.

Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar, Home Secretary G. K. Pillai, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, Senior officials of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, officials from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) would also attend the meeting. (ANI)

Nomadic settlements discovered in western Iran

London, March 19 (ANI): An archaeological team has discovered architectural remains and earthenware dating back to Parthian and Sasanian dynasties in western Iran.

The findings are part of the first season of archaeological research in Lusteh and Hadi-Abad, according to the Persian service of the Aryan Heritage News Agency (Aria).

“The archaeological research revealed that there are nomadic settlements during the Parthian and Sasanian dynastic eras in the area near the Azad Dam”, announced Leila Khosravi, the head of the archaeological research team.

“To this date, no research has ever carried out about the Iranian nomads in this part of the country during the Partho-Sasanian period,” she added.

According to Khosravi, “Jelingi ware, an engraved Parthian pottery which is typically produced in the West of Iran was discovered here for the first time.”

“Jelingi-ware has never been found in the Kordestan province that was used by nomads during the Middle and Early Parthian eras, since nomads preferred inexpensive and rustic potteries,” she added.

Along with the jelingi-ware, archaeologists have also discovered crocksand saucepans with some containing burnt materials, as well as animal bones that were sent to a lab for further examinations.

With regard to the architectural remains, Khosravi said, “Ashlars were used in the foundations and walls were erected on the top using mudbricks. We have also found some sections of walls in both sites.”

“Stratigraphical study shows the population was on the increase in this area during the Parthian dynastic era. This could be explained as the result of the lack of security in the western edges of the empire, especially near the Euphrates. Therefore, people may have decided to move to safer areas and towards the empire’s heartland,” she said.

“We also have identified Parthian settlements in the mountainous and impassable areas of the province,” she added. (ANI)