Srinagar, August 30
The J&K Government today accorded sanction to the creation of nearly 1,300 posts in various departments.

The state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, approved the creation of 1,083 posts of village-level workers in the Rural Development Department and 214 posts in the animal and sheep husbandry departments.

An official spokesperson said the Cabinet also gave its nod to the setting up of 71 mobile veterinary centres.

“Of these, 26 mobile veterinary centres are in the Animal Husbandry Department, Jammu, while 26 are in Kashmir. Also, nine centres have been earmarked for Sheep Husbandry Department, Jammu, and 10 for Kashmir,” the spokesperson added.

The Cabinet also approved the setting up treasuries at Manjakote (Rajouri), Assar (Doda), Ramsoo (Ramban), Kahara (Doda), Warwan (Kishtwar), Awantipora (Pulwama) and Achabal (Anantnag) and creation of posts for the these treasuries.

The spokesperson said the Cabinet also accorded sanction to the upgrade of sub-centres of Trigam and Madwa in Bandipora district to the level of primary health centres (PHCs) and creation of posts for medical and paramedical staff.

“The Health Department was also instructed to make an assessment of the medical facilities in the state using geo-mapping techniques,” he added.

The Cabinet also accorded sanction to the construction of a 18-hole golf course at Sidhra, Jammu, at a cost of Rs 37.39 crore through the Directorate of Tourism, Jammu.

The Cabinet approved the payment of compensation of Rs 14.71 crore for state land measuring 23 kanals and 14 marlas for the construction of a flyover from Bikram Chowk to Government Women College, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, and its transfer to the PW (R&B) Department through the ERA.

The Cabinet approved the promotion of officers (in-charge directors) as director (prosecution). The officers whose promotion was approved were: Gurdev Kour, Fazal Karim and Mushtaq Ahmad Zaroo.

“Sanction was also accorded to the setting up of a state transmission company (Transco) and two state distribution companies (Discoms) — one each for Kashmir and Jammu divisions — and one Tradeco (holding company) under the companies Act, 1956,” the spokesperson added.

Srinagar, August 30
In a bid to find their loved ones, the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) submitted a list of 507 cases of alleged forced or involuntary disappearances from Baramulla and Bandipora districts in north Kashmir to the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) today.

In a petition filed by lawyer Parevez Imroz, Khurram Parvez and others on behalf of the APDP, the commission has been requested to “conduct a thorough investigation to know the whereabouts of all cases” of disappearance.

The APDP and other rights groups working in Kashmir claim more than 8,000 persons in Jammu and Kashmir were subjected to involuntary or forced disappearance by different agencies, including both security forces and militants.

On December 10, the APDP had submitted a similar list of 132 cases of forced disappearance from the Banihal area, which included around 40 cases of disappearance alleged to have been carried out by militants. The SHRC is investigating this list.

“Out of the fresh 507 cases submitted to the SHRC today, 369 cases pertain to Baramulla district, whereas 138 cases of alleged disappearance are from Bandipora district,” said APDP spokeswoman Tahira Begum, while giving details of the petition.

The family members of the disappeared want to know whether their loved ones are dead or alive.

“If the disappeared persons are still alive, their families want the government to divulge their whereabouts .If they are dead, the families want the government to identify the graves of these persons,” said Tahira.

Of the 369 documented cases of forced disappearance in Baramulla district, families in 76 cases claim their loved ones disappeared after being abducted by unidentified gunmen.

Also, of the 138 cases from Bandipora district, affected families in 45 cases have claimed that their loved ones disappeared after being abducted by unidentified gunmen.

Besides identification of the graves, the APDP has demanded that those involved in the “heinous crime” should be prosecuted.

Kupwara, August 30
In a major embarrassment to the forest department, a range officer, a forester and a range clerk in Kupwara have been arrested by the police for illegally selling timber worth lakhs of rupees.

Two others, a forest guard and a forester, involved in the illegal trade were still at large and the police has launched a manhunt to nab them.

The police arrested the officials for illegally selling timber and running a band saw machine in the range office of Ramhal, falling under the Kehmil forest division.

Sources said the officials were running the illegal trade in a well-organised manner from the office of the accused range officer.

“A band saw was seized by the forest department in April this year and the same was installed to run the illegal trade in the forest office. The accused officials have been arrested and the machine seized,” a source said.

The police has recovered logs of wood worth lakhs of rupees from the possession of the accused officials.

“On the basis of information provided by the accused, the police has recovered logs of illicit timber worth lakhs of rupees,” he said.

Sources said logs of timber were recovered from compartment No. 45 of the forest division.

“The accused had dumped 27 logs under a bridge in a remote area,” a source said.

The arrested range officer running the illegal trade has been identified as Mohd Afzal Khan.

DP Singh, DFO, Kehmil forest division, said the police had been misled by false information of misuse of band saw machine.

“But we will cooperate with the police as the investigations are still on. They have recovered a timber-planner and not the band saw machine that we had seized in April,” he said, while hoping that the department officials would get a clean chit.

The police has registered two cases against the accused.

Srinagar, August 30
Senior J&K High Court lawyer Zaffar Qureshi was elected the new president of the Kashmir Bar Association today. Ajaz Bedar was elected vice-president and Ashraf Bhat general secretary.

The results of the newly elected Bar executive were declared in the evening after the Bar Election Commission completed the counting of votes polled by around 780 lawyers during the day.

The commission also declared Shabbir Ahmad Bhat as the new joint secretary and Bilal Ahmad Bhat as the treasurer of the association.

Zaffar Qureshi polled 338 votes, whereas his rival Nazir Ronga got 234 votes for the post of president. For the post of vice-president, Ajaz Bedar polled 337 votes, while his rival Bashir Dar got 234 votes.

Newly elected general secretary M Ashraf Bhat mustered 308 votes, while his rival and incumbent former general secretary GN Shaheen got only 180 votes.

Further Shabbir Bhat, contesting for the post of joint secretary, secured 290 votes, defeating his rival Javed Samad by just 10 votes.

For the post of treasurer, Bilal Ahmad polled 330 votes, while his rival got 230 votes.

Earlier, polling for the new Bar executive committee was held in which 780 lawyers were eligible to cast their ballot.

The canvassing for the election ended on Tuesday. A total of 11 candidates were in the fray for election to different posts of the Bar executive.

Srinagar, August 30
One person was killed and 10 others, including five police constables, were injured in different road accidents across the Valley since last evening.

The police said a load carrier hit and injured Ghulam Qadir Bhat (60) of Ragipora, Laserpora, near Manzgam, Kulgam, in south Kashmir last evening. The victim succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital. A case has been registered.

In another accident, a Sumo collided with an Army vehicle near Puthkhah, Sopore, in Baramulla district, resulting in injuries to two passengers. Both were shifted to the Sub-District Hospital, Sopore, for treatment. A case has been registered.

Five policemen were injured when a police vehicle on way from Baramulla to Srinagar skidded off the road into the nearby paddy field near a petrol pump at Puthkhah. The injured were shifted to a hospital.

Further, a speeding Tavera coming from Jammu to Srinagar hit and injured Aamira (13), a resident of Panthachowk, Srinagar. The injured was shifted to a hospital.

In yet another case, a bus rammed into a bakery shop of Mohammad Amin Sheer Gojri, a resident of Chamgund, in Kulgam, resulting in injuries to the shopkeeper and damages to the shop. A case has been registered.

Also, a Wagon-R car hit and injured Aarifa Gulzar, a resident of Shoganpora, near JK Bank at Kadder in Kulgam. The injured was shifted to a hospital.

Kupwara, August 30
The future of at least 63 students of class X is at stake due to highhandedness of the authorities of Government High School, Batpora, Kupwara. These students have been barred by the school authorities from attending classes for the past three weeks for fairing poorly in golden test. They have further been barred from appearing in the annual examination.

Aggrieved at the harsh punishment inflicted on them, at least six students have reportedly gone missing from their homes and their parents fear they may take some extreme step. “Due to the harsh punishment, the future of students is at stake. Some students have gone missing from their homes and if something happens to them, the school administration will be responsible for that,” said Bashir Ahmad Khan, father of a student.

The students and parents have resented the move and threatened to lodge protests if the decision is not revoked.

Another parent said: “The teachers are adamant that we should admit the children to private schools. We are poor and cannot afford to give them education in private schools.” He said they would lodge protests if the students were not called back by the school authorities.

The school authorities have not allowed students to submit their annual examination forms despite requests by their parents.

Of the 73 students, the school authorities have allowed only 10 to appear in the annual examination ahead.

In yet another case of violation of norms, the Government Higher Secondary School, Taratpora, has barred 30 students from appearing in the annual examination and issued discharge certificates to five others on similar grounds.

The locals have apprised the Kupwara Deputy Commissioner of the issue.

“We have submitted an application to the DC to seek his in intervention. He has assured us of taking necessary action,” a parent said. Kupwara CEO Muzzafar Ahmad said: “Such an attitude on part of the school authorities is intolerable. No one has informed me about imposing such a punishment. I will take action against the erring teachers.”

Anantnag, August 30
Despite the fact that the Anantnag district produces more than 1.25 lakh metric tonnes of fresh fruit and around 60,000 tonnes of dry fruit a year, it remains devoid of a dedicated fruit market, unlike any other district in Kashmir.

Anantnag has at least 18,000 fruit growers and more than 1,100 traders are forced to explore other places to get their products sold, making them all the more vulnerable to cheating and losses.

“The growers of the district have to run around to sell their produce. Some growers are forced to go to other districts or even Delhi. This is why they don’t get decent rates for their cultivation,” said Asif Ahmad, a fruit grower.

The growers and the traders rue that even though a fruit market was constructed in the Batengoo area of the district along the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, an altercation between the Fruit Association of the district and the Planning and Marketing (P&M) wing of the Horticulture Department is keeping it away from getting functional, almost four years after its completion.

The members of the Fruit Association of Anantnag said the land on which the market has been constructed was purchased by them in the year 1981 and later following a cabinet decision number 1059 (dated 14.12.1982), the land was transferred to the department concerned in the year 1991 for the development purposes and was to be handed over back to the Fruit Association once the development work was over.

“No development was witnessed in last seventeen years on the land and that’s when we decided to take the land back. Afterwards our association constructed some 100 shops using our own money,” said a member of the Fruit Association.

He said the Fruit Association is now asking the department to bear the cost of the remaining developmental work, including the fencing, sanitation, electrification and some minor things, which even the director of the department directed.

“The department is again asking us to hand over the land to them for development. We are not going to repeat the mistake,” said the member.

The authorities said that all issues have been resolved with the Fruit Association and by this fruit season the market would be functional.

“Apart from this market we are developing another satellite market with world class facilities in Jablipora village of Bijbehara. Land acquisition for the same is going on,” said Qazi Ijaz Rashid, deputy director, planning and marketing wing, Horticulture Department.

Srinagar, August 30
Observing a laxity in regulating the private coaching institutions, the committee on subordinate legislation of the Legislative Assembly today directed the education department to regulate the private coaching institutions by a possible amendment in the Education Act 2002.

Currently the private coaching centres in the state do not come under the ambit of the act.

The legislative panel headed by the Professor Chaman Lal Gupta said the department should come up with the legislation to regulate the private coaching institutions to be taken up during ensuing assembly session.

In order to improve the functioning of the education department, the panel also suggested revision of SRO 123 of March 18, 2010 to make it more comprehensive and student friendly.

The committee urged the authorities concerned to frame rules for regulating the functioning of the private coaching institutions being run in the state.

Education Secretary Farooq Ahmad Fakhtoo; J&K State Board of School Education (JKSBOSE) Secretary; Director School Education Kashmir Mohammad Shafi Rather; Director School Education Jammu Gulzar Ahmad Qureshi briefed the Committee about the measures taken by the department of education for regulating the functioning of the private coaching institutions.

Srinagar, August 30
The Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP) organised a seminar on the international convention for the protection of all persons from forced or involuntary disappearances and institutional violence to mark International Day of Disappeared today.

Different civil society groups pledged their support to the aggrieved parents in their efforts to know the whereabouts of their loved ones.

“All civil society groups should come forward and support the ADPD in their cause. Let us make it clear to the world that the authorities in Kashmir should be asked to reveal the whereabouts of the 8,000 persons who have disappeared,” said Shakeel Qalandar of Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS), a civil society group.

Sanjay Tickoo, president, Kashmiri Pandit Sangharsh Simiti (KPSS), said the Hindus, the Muslims and the Sikhs in Kashmir should forge unity to ask Parliament for justice, particularly with regard to cases of disappearance.

He said in the early 90s, eight Kashmiri Pandits had been subjected to forced disappearance and their whereabouts were still not known.

Srinagar, August 30
The Pradesh Youth Congress (PYC) organised a rally in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district today as part of its state-wide demonstrations seeking extension of the 73rd and 74th amendment to the Panchayati Raj Act in the state.

The rally led by PYC president Shahnawaz Choudhary was taken out from Town Hall, Kulgam, to the deputy commissioner’s office. The PYC has been holding a series of rallies across the districts of the state besides submitting memorandums at the offices of the respective deputy commissioners in support of their demands.

Choudhary said their movement will not stop till the state government implements the 73rd and 74th amendments in the Panchayti Raj Act.

The protestors presented a memorandum at the deputy commissioner’s office in Kulgam. Choudhary said they were assured that the memorandum would be forwarded to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.

Srinagar, August 30
The three-day centenary celebrations of Mallinson, oldest girls’ school in Kashmir, will begin at Sheikh Bagh tomorrow.

Tyndale Biscoe and Mallinson Society (TBMS) director Parwez Samuel Kaul, while addressing mediapersons, said the celebrations would begin on the school premises with the unveiling of the centenary memorial in memory of Ms Mallinson, who founded the school.

The school was founded by the Church Mission Societies (CMS) 100 years ago when girl education was a taboo in the Valley. Besides Mallinson, the TBMS also runs Tyndale Biscoe, which happens to be the oldest boys’ school in the Valley, established way back in 1880.

“Education of women was unheard of those days and any attempts to educate women in the society were resisted by the people,” Kaul added. The school management has decided to observe the entire year as ‘centenary year’ and all regular activities will be conducted as part of centennial celebrations.

The TBMS-run schools are among the best in Kashmir and are particularly known for a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including camping, swimming, mountaineering and cross-country runs. The school now has a full-fledged Information Technology (IT) and human resource (HR) department.

The four school branches run by the TBMS has a staff strength of 500 with around 8,000 students.

Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, who is a Tyndale Biscoe School pass-out, along with several other dignitaries, including Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other other Cabinet ministers, are expected to join the centenary celebrations.

Bollywood and TV actor and director Prikshit Balraj Sahni, who also has been a student of Tyndale Biscoe School, is also scheduled to attend the functions.

Srinagar, August 30
Around 300 school students from 35 educational institutions of the Valley today participated in a painting competition held at Government Arts Emporium Garden, Srinagar, to raise awareness about the impact of natural disasters on Kashmir.

The competition was organized by the Department of Youth Services and Sports in collaboration with the Divisional Disaster Management Authority.

Some paintings depicted various kinds of natural disasters like earthquakes, landslides and windstorms which threaten the Valley while others painted a sorry picture of the ecological imbalance being brought by the these disasters.

The disaster management awareness drive has been going on for some time now; only 8 lakh students in various educational institutions of the Valley are being provided preliminary disaster management education.

Asgar Samoon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, who was also the chief guest on the occasion stressed for adopting the measures for better management and preparedness during the disasters.

Regarding the preparedness for disaster management, the Kashmir Divisional Commissioner said the disaster management authorities have already been established in all the districts, headed by the deputy commissioners concerned.

He also emphasised for making the school children aware about various techniques to be adopted for mitigating the impact of natural disasters.

“As a result of man led actions, the probability of natural disasters also increases. So I think we should stop cutting trees first, which could also be an initial step to cope up with natural disasters,” said Sameena, a sixth class student from Green Valley School, Srinagar.

Anantnag, August 30
The Bijbehara Bar Association conducted polls to elect their new representatives. Advocate Muhammad Iqbal Jan was elected the president of the association while election for the post of secretary was won by Waheed Ali Bhat.

Out of the total 22 votes, the elected president Muhammad Iqbal Jan bagged 13 votes while his opponents Muhammad Amin Dar and Khurshid Ahmad Imam managed to get 5 and 4 votes, respectively.

Advocate Iqbal Jan has been serving as the secretary of the Bijebhara Bar Association for a long time now and is presently the executive member of the District Bar Association, Anantnag.

Advocate Waheed Ali Bhat, who has been elected as the secretary defeated his only opponent Sarfaraz Maqbool by 4 votes.

The members of the Anantnag Bar Association and the Bijbehara Bar Association have expressed happiness over the free and fair elections.

Srinagar, August 30
The Srinagar National Conference, district working committee, met last evening at the party headquarters under Srinagar district president and MLA Zadibal Peer Afaq Ahmed after a gap of 12 years.

Peer Afaq said the party workers must strengthen the party’s apparatus in the city and ensure that people’s problems and issues are resolved on priority.

Later, an Eid milan was organised for all the halqa presidents and workers of the city who interacted with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. — TNS

Srinagar, August 30
Shems Cricket Club, Nowgam, Srinagar, defeated Star-XI, Handwara, by 11 runs to win the Shaheed Asfaq Ullah Khan Memorial T-20 Cricket tournament’s Super League-2012 title which was organised by Central Reserve Police Force.

Shems Cricket Club won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 132 runs in 20 over. Chasing the target, Star-XI scored 121 runs and lost the match by 11 runs.

The Super League matches were played at Shaukat Ali Stadium, Baramulla, from August 27 to 29.

Total five league winner teams participated in the Super League tournament. The league tournament was organised by five different Battalions of the CRPF at various places in North Kashmir.

“The teams that participated in the super league were DC-XI, Baramulla; City Club, Kupwara; Sopore Sports Club, Sopore; Star-XI, Handwara and Shems Cricket Club, Nowgam, Srinagar,” said the spokesman of the CRPF in Srinagar

Sudhir Kumar said, “The tournament was organised by the North Kashmir Operational Range of the CRPF.” — TNS