The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Cops clueless about missing student
The 15-year-old went missing from near his house in Batpora last Thursday
Our Correspondent

Handwara, December 25
The police is still clueless about the whereabouts of Class X student from Batpora in Handwara who went missing on Thursday last week. Ibrahim Hassan Sheikh (15) had gone missing from a playing field near his house. The family members had lodged a missing report at the Magam police station.

Ibrahim is a student of Batpora High School in Handwara.

“We are worried about his safety and security. He went missing under mysterious circumstances on Thursday evening. His friends said he went back home as usual after seeing them off,” said the victim’s father Ghulam Hassan Sheikh.

The victim’s family members searched for him at their relatives and friends’ places but they are still clueless.

“We visited each and every possible place where he could be in Handwara and other places as well but did not get any clue about him. We contacted all his friends but nobody has seen him since Thursday,” said a grieved Sheikh.

“I am worried about his safety. He has no enmity with anyone. He is an obedient and sober boy. I fail to understand how he went missing,” said his mother.

The police has launched a manhunt to trace the missing boy but there is no clue about him, a police officer said.

“We have constituted special teams to trace him. All the police stations across the Valley have been alerted and teams have been sent to various places in the district to look for the boy,” the officer said.

A relative of the missing boy said that he was not carrying a mobile phone and hence they were facing difficulty in tracing him.

“Had he been carrying a cell phone, it would have been easier to trace him,” he said.

Family worried

We are worried about his safety and security. He went missing under mysterious circumstances. His friends said he went back home as usual after seeing them off. We visited each and every possible place where he could be...but did not get any clue

— Ghulam Hassan Sheikh, victim’s father

Officialspeak

We have constituted special teams to trace him. All the police stations across Kashmir valley have been alerted and teams have been sent to various places in the district to look out for the boy

— A police official

Dropped out candidates decry Class IV posts selection list of education dept
Amin Masoodi

Kupwara, December 25
Alleging favouritism, dropped out candidates from the selection list of Class IV posts in the J&K Education Department said the waiting list was not issued by the department, thus violating the guidelines.

The Education Department had issued a selection list of 80 candidates for Class IV posts in Kupwara district on September 9 this year.

After the dropped out candidates decried the move alleging irregularities, the department was forced to issue a revised list four days after the first list was issued. The revised list, however, did not satisfy the dropped out candidates who claimed that the revised list was mere eyewash.

“The department did not issue a waiting list even in the revised list, which in itself is an open violation of the rules and regulations. The selection committee largely ignored the merit of candidates and adjusted some blue-eyed ones,” Mohd Shafi, a dropped out candidate, said.

Sources said five candidates of total 80 selected ones were not allowed to join by the department following the complaint that they had appeared in interview on the basis of fake mark certificates.

“The department is ascertaining whether the certificates issued by the candidates at the time of interview were genuine or not. Since the verification process has not been completed, the candidates have not been allowed to join,” sources said.

Earlier, the candidates had alleged discrepancies in shortlist of Class IV posts issued by the Education Department.

On August 23 this year, the department had issued shortlist of 240 candidates in general category, 40 in Scheduled Tribe (ST), 10 in Scheduled Caste (SC), 81 in RBA and 15 in ALC.

Sajad Anwar, who had applied for the post under the handicapped category, said, “Despite having 31 points combined in matriculation examination and Class XII, I was not shortlisted for the interview. A candidate with a cut-off of 22 points in the handicapped category was shortlisted.”

Chief Education Officer (CEO), Kupwara, Ghulam Rasool Lone said, “I was not here when interviews were for the posts were held. We will look into the complaints we have received.”

Bone of contention

The Education Department issued selection list of 80 candidates for Class IV posts in Kupwara district on September 9

After the dropped out candidates decried the move, the department issued a revised list four days after

The revised list failed to satisfy the dropped out candidates calling it “mere eyewash”

Khaniyar residents demand compensation for land
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
Dozens of residents of Khaniyar in the old city today staged a protest against the administration for its alleged failure to compensate those families whose land was acquired for road widening.

The protesters said the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, had been unable to implement the Cabinet order through which they were entitled to receive Rs 10 lakh for each household.

“The 88 affected families from Nowpora to Khaniyar have been paid less money. We are waiting for full payments for the past one year,” said Manzoor Ahmed, a local resident.

The protesters assembled at the Khaniyar market this morning and staged protest demonstration. They also blocked the road which hampered the traffic movement in the area.

Civil and police officials reached the spot and assured the protesters that their issue would be solved soon.

The protesters later dispersed peacefully.

”If we are not fully compensated, we will come on the streets to seek justice,” said Manzoor.

6 budding cricketers from Valley to train at Sehwag Int’l School

Srinagar, December 25
Six budding cricketers from Kashmir have been selected to undergo coaching at the Virender Sehwag International School (SIS) in Delhi to hone their skills. These cricketers were shortlisted during a cricket coaching camp held in Srinagar recently.

The 13-day camp was held between December 10 and December 23 during which 25 budding players selected from various regions of the Valley participated.

“During the camp, which was organised by Srinagar-based Chinar Corpse of Army, players in Under-19 and Under-14 age categories were shortlisted from across the Valley for training,” an Army Spokesman said.

The young cricketers were provided coaching tips during the camp by local coaches and eminent coach Pranab Nandi from the Cricket Association of Bengal, in Kolkata, he said. The coaching of the selected candidates, he said, would be sponsored by the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps.

The selected candidates are Mudassir Ahmad from Shopian, Ajaz Ahmad from Ganderbal, Aman Yousuf from Kulgam, Tehseen Ahmad Dar from Srinagar, Haseeb Zahoor from Srinagar and Tazeem Younis Tak from Anantnag.

At the SIS, these young players will get an opportunity to develop their athletic and artistic talents alongside receiving formal education, the spokesman said.

Later, these players may also get chance to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL), he added.

The closing ceremony of the cricket camp was organised at the Old Airfield Military Station in Srinagar presided over by J&K Minister for Youth Services and Sports RS Chib. — TNS

Snowfall likely this weekend in Valley
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
Minimum temperature in the Kashmir region fell below the freezing point overnight as the weather department said rain and snow are likely to occur this weekend for a couple of days.

Mercury around Srinagar city fell to a minimum of minus 1.8 degree Celsius, an official of the Meteorological Department said. The maximum daytime temperature in the city was recorded at 11.6 degree Celsius.

The weather will remain dry in the region for next 24 hours, the MeT department said adding there were chances of rain and snowfall for some days this weekend.

“From the evening of December 27 onwards, there will be rain and snow across the region and weather will improve around the morning of December 30,” an official said.

The Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir recorded a cold night with mercury falling to a low of minus 7.0 degree Celsius. At Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, the night temperature fell to minus 4.4 degree Celsius.

Leh town in remote the Ladakh region also recorded a cold night with the mercury falling to minus 9.6 degree Celsius while the adjoining Kargil district recorded a low of minus 9.4 degree Celsius, the official said.

The day temperature in both Kargil and Leh districts could only go to a high of minus 1.0 degree Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Ladakh region usually plummets down to as low as minus 20 degree Celsius. The Ladakh region remains cut off from rest of the state for most of the winter due to heavy snowfall.

Qazigund, the southern gateway town to Kashmir valley, recorded a minimum of minus 2.2 degree Celsius while in the frontier Kupwara town of north Kashmir the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 2.8 degree Celsius.

Post LPG crisis, sale of induction cooking heaters picks up in Valley
M Aamir Khan
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
With the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders in place, induction cooking heaters have fast picked up sale in Kashmir Valley. “After the LPG cap, the sale of induction cooking heaters has picked up. Their sale has gone up by over 50 per cent this time,” Tariq Bazaz, owner of a showroom selling cooking appliances at Jawahar Nagar area, said. He said the demand for induction cooking heaters increased as it saved power.

“Now, people are preferring appliances that consume less power,” Bazaz said. He said induction cooking heaters- priced between Rs 3,500-Rs 4,500- were preferred as there is an option of setting cooking temperature also.

“They have the option of slow and fast cooking speeds ranging from 100 to 2,000 watts,” he says.

Arif Ahmad, a customer, said induction cooking heaters were best suited for Kashmir in winter months.

“In case of power shortage, especially during snowfall, the option of fast cooking comes very handy,” he said.

Despite demands from various quarters that the authorities should not keep regions like Kashmir and Ladakh at par with other parts due to extreme weather conditions here, the state government has already expressed its inability in increasing the cap on subsidised LPG refills.

Finance Minister AR Rather had earlier said the state government would lose Rs 260 crore annually if it announced subsidy on its own for three additional cylinders.

The state government had also sent a delegation to New Delhi where it had sought special concession for the state on account of the harsh winter conditions here. However, the appeal has failed to evoke a positive response from the Centre so far.

Woman dies, 3 hurt in road accidents
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
A 60-year-old woman died and three other people were injured in two road accidents in the Valley, the police said. The woman identified as Hajra Begum, a resident of Kakapora village of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, was hit by a vehicle near her residence, sources said.

She was shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment where she succumbed to her injuries. The police has registered a case in this regard.

Yesterday, 80-year-old Fatima, a resident of Kripalpora village near Pattan town in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was hit by a passenger cab resulting in her death.

Three people were injured when a passenger bus turned turtle at Tarigam village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

All the three injured were shifted to a hospital for treatment, the police said.

Thousands attend funeral of militants
Our Correspondent

Anantnag, December 25
Thousands of people today took part in the funeral procession of two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, who were killed in an encounter at Dodhipora village in Kulgam district.

The funeral of the slain militants was held in Yamrach village of the Yaripora area in Kulgam district, which was the hometown of one of the militants, Mudassir Ahmad Sheikh.

Sheikh, a district commander of the LeT, along with Pakistani militant Tamim were killed in an encounter with a joint party of the police, 9 Rashtriya Rifles and 18 CRPF in Dodhipora village of the district.

The last rites of the militants took place amid anti-India and pro-freedom slogans. “Thousands of people attended the funeral and chanted anti-India slogans. The funeral was also attended by some lower rung separatist leaders, who addressed the gathering,” said a local of Yamrach.

Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani addressed the gathering over telephone from New Delhi. “We tend to forget the sacrifices of these young boys once the funerals are over. We should always keep their sacrifices in our minds and not deviate from the goal,” he said.

The slain militants, according to the police, were involved in the shootout at hotel Silver Star in Srinagar on October 19, which resulted in the death of a youth working at the hotel. Sheikh is the second militant from the village who has been killed in over past one month. Earlier, Omar was killed in an encounter in the Sopore area of north Kashmir.

PDP patron Mufti the biggest turncoat: NC
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
The ruling National Conference today attacked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by calling its patron and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed the “biggest turncoat”.

National Conference additional general secretary Mustafa Kamal while addressing a gathering near north Kashmir’s Pattan town also termed the PDP as the “enemy number one of the people”.

“Mufti is the biggest turncoat. From one party to another, he keeps changing faces, agendas and polices to divide people,” Kamal said.

Kamal termed the PDP's self-rule formula as “an illusionary document”. “Mufti and Mehbooba today talk about this illusionary document called self rule. I want to ask him, what is this self rule? Where was the self rule when he was the

Home Minister?” Kamal questioned.

“They should feel ashamed that with every new party, they come out with new slogans to hoodwink the people,” the NC leader said.

“In the brief period of less than three years, from 2000 to 2005, when the PDP was in power, the state saw misrule of the worst kind with corruption taking the state to the second position (on the list of corrupt states) after Bihar, sex scandal, forest scam, Amarnath land row, weakening of democratic institutions and the killing of scores of innocent people.”

Senior NC leader and Member of Parliament Sharif-u-din Shariq, while addressing the gathering, said the NC had been at the forefront in espousing the cause of the people.

NC begins membership drive in south Kashmir
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
The ruling National Conference (NC) party today launched a membership drive in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. It was inaugurated by party’s general secretary Sheikh Nazir at the NC headquarters at Nawai-e-Subh complex in Srinagar.

Khurporu, Dachnipora, Dooru-Shahabad, Kokernag, Shangus and Anantnag blocks of the south Kashmir district were to be focused on in the first phase of the membership drive, NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said.

Nazir while inaugurating the drive said through this drive the message of the party should spread to each and every corner of the state. He said the drive was a way to establish contact with maximum number of people and to apprise them about the policies and programmes of the party.

“It is the duty of the party workers to properly educate the people about the visionary policies and programmes of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and the party,” Nazir said.

He said the party represented the aspiration of all the sections of society. “The NC is the only party which can and will safeguard the interests of the people and ensure that our special status is never diluted,” he said.

Among those present on the occasion were party’s provincial president Ali Muhammad Dar, Sheikh Abdullah Rehman and Muhammad Akbar Ganie.

Vajpayee’s birthday celebrated as ‘Good Governance Day’
Remembered for his Indo-Pak friendship efforts
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
The Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) celebrated the 88th birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee here today. A function in this regard was organised at the party headquarters located in the Raj Bagh area.

The general secretary of the BJP’s Kashmir unit, Mohammad Altaf Thakur, said the birthday was observed as the ‘Good Governance Day’. Several party leaders spoke on the occasion about Vajpayee’s contribution towards the development of the country.

Thakur said Vajpayee was remembered for his endeavours to boost Indo-Pak friendship. “He extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan from Kashmir saying friends could be changed but not neighbours. He knew that peace in the subcontinent depended on Indo-Pak friendship,” he said.

Thakur was referring to Vajpayee’s visit here in 2003. He said the former Prime Minister was also remembered for his statement that the Centre would resolve the Kashmir issue within the ambit of humanity.

BJP leaders Dr Ali Mohammad Mir, Manzoor Ahmad Parray, Ghulam Nabi Dar, Gulzar Ahmad Nengroo, Nazir Ahmad Khan, and Arif Raja were also present on the occasion.

Ski-patrol rescuers get avalanche preparedness training at Gulmarg
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
A specialised avalanche preparedness training programme was held for the joint ski-patrol rescuers at Gulmarg in north Kashmir as the ski resort is all set to host adventure sports activities this winter season.

The training camp was organised by the Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA), an official said today.

He said the joint search and rescue ski patrol teams comprising the J&K Police, Tourism Department, GDA and the Youth Services and Sports (YSS) had been formed and they would be stationed in Gulmarg and Kongdoori round the clock.

The official said the rescue teams, having well-trained skiers, were capable of dealing with any emergency, including avalanches. Various adventure sports such as heli-skiing, ice-skating, snow-cycling, free-style ski, ski-touring and Gulmarg Global Derby run have been lined-up at Gulmarg, in collaboration with the Pine Palace Resorts, GDA and the Tourism Department. The training was imparted by senior scientist SC Bhan with the support of Aamir Ali, coordinator, Disaster Management, Kashmir. GDA CEO Mahmood Ahmed Shah was the chief guest on the occasion.

IISM begins skiing courses at Gulmarg resort
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
The Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) authorities today said they had begun training courses for skiing enthusiasts at the Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir.

The institute would conduct six ski courses of two weeks each which will continue till mid March, an IISM official said.

He said more than 80 students from across the country had joined the basic, intermediate and advance courses.

The Gulmarg resort, located on the edge of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, has several feet deep snow these days and more snowfall is expected in coming days. The resort, which has been developed into a modern skiing resort in recent years, attracts skiers from across the country and abroad during the winter months.

Gulmarg’s ‘powdery’ snow is considered to be perfect for skiing. The IISM official said the institute was providing advance training to four boys from Kashmir’s Lolab area and three boys from Leh and Kargil districts in Alpine skiing which would enable them to compete in national and international competitions.

“A reasonably fair snowfall this month has enabled us to start the training courses on time,” the official said.

The booking for the courses, which is done on first-come-first-serve basis, had begun in October and almost all the seats were filled within days.

30 Ganderbal farmers flagged off on study tour
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, December 25
With a view to update the farming community about the latest technology and mechanisation in agriculture and allied sectors, the Department of Agriculture, Kashmir, today flagged off 30 farmers on a study tour outside the state.

An official spokesman said that Chief Agriculture Officer Ganderbal Sajad Ahmad Shah flagged off the group from Lal Mandi in Srinagar under Centrally-sponsored schemes Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) and Rashtria Kissan Vikas Yojna (RKVY).

"During the study tour, the farmers will be visiting Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana, National Diary Research Institute in Karnal, Indo-Israel Vegetable Project, Karnal, Wheat Research Institute, Karnal, Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi, and other various agriculture farms and institutions," he said.

Shah said the touring farmers were enthusiastic about their trip as some unemployed youths were interested to look into self-employment schemes.