Srinagar, December 29
The state government is conducting social auditing in two districts of the state. The move aims to bring transparency and accountability in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNERGA), the flagship rural development scheme.

While the social auditing was conducted in a Kashmir village recently, the government plans to conduct another audit in a village in Jammu village soon.

“The social audit is a process of cross-verification of the works done under the MGNREGA in the village to find out the ground realities. During these audits we create a platform for every stakeholder even the most disempowered to take part in governance,” said director for Social Audits, MGNREGA, Abdul Gani Sofi.

The government had appointed Sofi as the first director for Social Audit in the state in September. “Under the MGNREGA Act a regular social audit is to be conducted in the gram sabhas at least once every six months to ensure accountability,” he added.

The state government had conducted the first social auditing at Panchayat Halqa Buchroo in Chadoora Tehsil of Budgam district in central Kashmir on December 25.

“The first social auditing proved helpful for every stakeholder. The officials, panchayat members had to answer the queries of the common people on the spot about various developmental works,” said the Director. He said the social auditing would be implemented in the state fully after some time. “After learning from the social auditing of the two villages, the project will be implemented in the state,” Sofi added.

According to the Rural Development officials, social auditing would ensure that the direct benefits of MGNREGA reach those who deserve in a transparent manner.

The Union Rural Development department had earlier this year sought Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s support to facilitate social audit for MGNREGA.

Anantnag, December 29
Fresh snow fall in the upper reaches of the Valley has added to the woes of the Pahalgam inferno victims. More than 13 official quarters of the employees of the Municipal Committee, Pahalgam, were gutted in a deadly inferno early Friday morning. More than 20 families were rendered shelter-less in this cold weather.

Reports said property worth more than 76 lakh was damaged in the blaze caused due to short circuit in Sheikh Colony of Pahalgam.

"At least 13 out of 26 one-room tenements were razed to ground. There was heavy loss to the belongings of the residents of the tenements due to the fire on Friday," reports said.

An official of the Fire and Emergency Services said even though the local unit of the Fire and Emergency services is located 500 meters away there had been a delay due to the lack of timely information.

"The local unit received the information about the fire at 6-15 am, even as the fire had started much earlier, causing a lot of damage in the area," said the official.

The victims of the inferno say they are worried because of the harsh weather conditions as they have nothing to shelter them. "We expect the district administration and the government to come forward and help us in the time of distress. We are all Class IV employees of the Municipal Committee, Pahalgam, and with no other source of income or a place to live, we are facing a very tough time," the victims say.

The district administration claims of having taken steps to help the victims. “They were given some money yesterday and more relief will follow hopefully,” a senior official of the district administration said.

Srinagar, December 29
Warning of a fresh avalanche has been issued for parts of north and central Kashmir with heavy snowfall in the region over the past two days.

Warning of a medium danger level avalanche has been issued for the second consecutive day for Chowkibal, Tangdar, Keran, Machil, Gurez and Tuliel areas of the north Kashmir's Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Similar warning has also been issued for Gulmarg resort and Uri of north Kashmir's Baramulla district, an official of the state Disaster Management Cell said.

These areas are located close to the Line of Control. The avalanche warning has also been issued for Sonamarg resort in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district and for Drass town in remote Ladakh region, the official said. The authorities have advised people living in the higher reaches of these areas not to venture into avalanche-prone areas over the next 24 hours. Residents of these areas have also been advised to keep clearing the snow from their roofs to prevent roof collapse. Last Sunday, a massive avalanche had hit an Army post on the southern edge of Siachen glacier in which six soldiers were killed and one went missing.

Remote parts of the region were hit by several avalanches last winter in resulting in the loss of lives. The latest warning of avalanche has been issued after parts of Kashmir region received moderate to heavy snowfall with Gulmarg resort recording fresh snowfall up to one foot. Tangmarg township, located close to Gulmarg, received up to half foot of snow while Rafiabad area - on the other side of the Baramulla district - also recorded up to half-a-foot of snow.

Close to the Line of Control in the north Kashmir's Bandipora district, Gurez region received up to half-a-foot of fresh snowfall. The area received up to two feet of snowfall on Friday, the official said.

South Kashmir's Shoipan district also received fresh snowfall with one foot of snow in the town and its adjoining areas received more than two feet of snow.

In central Kashmir's Budgam district, several areas recorded heavy snowfall up to two feet.

Srinagar city also received mild snowfall in the wee hours today. The state weather department has forecast light snow and rain at a few places in the state over the next 24 hours.

Deterioration in the weather conditions also affected air traffic as five flights were cancelled due to poor visibility and several other flights got delayed.

The Srinagar-Jammu highway, a vital route for supplies into the Kashmir Valley, was also blocked at night due to heavy snowfall but reopened later. Only stranded vehicles were allowed to go forward.

Anantnag, December 29
The year has been a mixed bag for the people of the Valley and particularly South Kashmir. With many religious and health resorts, this part of the state attracts a majority of tourists every year.

The south Kashmir comprising four districts of Anantnag, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian, is rightfully known as the gateway to Kashmir, through Qazigund. A number of tourist spots like Pahalgam, Verinag, Kokernag and Achchabal and shrines like Amarnath cave shrine in the upper reaches of Pahalgam, Sufi shrines of Zain Shah at Aishmuqam and Resh Moll in Anantnag town are some of the important places.

It has been a year of hectic activities on various fronts, including the arrival of a large number of pilgrims to Amarnath as well as tourists to the four districts. While more than 6 lakh Amarnath Yatris paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine, the ponywallahs catering to them suffered a tragedy when one of their villages, Frislan, was gutted in a major inferno devastating dozens of houses and rendering the residents homeless. The first inferno was reported from Frislan village of the area where 46 structures, most of them residential, were razed to the ground in a deadly blaze in November and then another one recently on December 28 in Sheikh Colony of the area destroying 13 houses.

However, the South Kashmir region, apart from the scenic Pahalgam, remained more or less devoid of the benefits the huge tourist influx brings in.

The people associated with the tourism industry say the drawback has been the government apathy towards the betterment of the tourism industry, particularly in South Kashmir. "The South Kashmir is bestowed with all the natural beauty and all we need is attention of the authorities. The government has been saying that new tourist destinations will be identified; however, the condition of the existing ones is pathetic," says Reyaz Ahmad, a hotelier.

Apart from the tourist inflow to Pahalgam, the only high point has been the visit of Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan, to Pahalgam which experts say means Kashmir is becoming a favoured shooting destination for Bollywood.

South Kashmir region witnessed a more than 90 per cent voter turnout in panchayat polls, conducted after a gap of more than three decades.

The panchayat members rue that they are not empowered and they face threats as posters threatening them as well as women surfaced at many places across the south Kashmir region.

The Shopian district and its adjoining Kulgam district saw an upsurge in the sale of their apple produce with buyers from different parts of the country flocking the fruit mandis in the two towns.

The fruit mandis, according to the middle men and the buyers, remain devoid of the basic infrastructure like roads, electricity and water supply.

The official apathy is not limited to the fruit mandis in South Kashmir where work on most of the new projects lingers on at a snail's pace.

A number of new colleges were sanctioned for the region over the past four to five years; however, the colleges are operating from dingy rented accommodations while their under-construction buildings miss one deadline after another.

"The government degree colleges in Pampore, Bijbehara, Kokernag and Shangus are some of the colleges wherein the construction is moving at a snail's pace," sources say.

The health sector is also neglected with hospitals and health centres running short of supply as well as manpower. "Most of the PHC's remain closed most of the time due to shortage of man-power and the hospitals too are gaping," sources said.

Work on the new hospitals is moving at a very slow pace-while the construction on new block at the District Hospital, Anantnag, has been delayed by a couple of years, the new district hospital in Shopian will take another four to five years for completion-sources say.

Srinagar, December 29
To boost Kashmir's carpet industry, the Indian Institute of Carpet Technology (IICT), Srinagar, plans to impart special training to 4,000 carpet makers during the next three years.

“Around 4,000 carpet makers from Srinagar shall be trained over a period of three years. The artisans will be educated about the quality of raw materials, yarn dyeing, carpet designing (traditional/ modern), carpet finishing, quality control and its importance, marketing techniques,” an IICT official said.

He said the institute has also introduced two short and long-term courses for the youth under the Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) of the Union Ministry of Textiles. Under the programme, an additional 4,000 persons would be trained in five years, the official added.

After an extensive research for more than four years between 2005 and 2008, the institute had conceived the design of 'Modern Carpet Loom'. The move aimed to improve the working conditions of the carpet makers.

The IICT official said the loom is the first of its kind in the country and after trial runs in more than 100 carpet training centres, the looms were approved.

"The Office of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, has earmarked funds to the tune of Rs 32 crore for the introduction of 8,000 such looms in the carpet industry under the Mega Carpet Cluster Project. The institute has already distributed the first consignment of 500 Modern Carpet Looms in 10 districts of the Kashmir division (50 looms per district)," the official added.

The institute has also set up a design studio with the latest digital equipments wherein 561 carpet and 107 'Kani Shawl' designs in the digital form were developed with the application of carpet design software.

Srinagar, December 29
The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has sought central assistance to the tune of Rs 100 crore for providing honorarium and insurance cover to sarpanches and panches in the state.

Prof Saifuddin Soz met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Friday and sought support for the proposal, a JKPCC spokesman said in a statement issued here.

Soz, as per the statement, brought to the notice of Dr Singh, that people of J&K had fully appreciated the imperative to empower Panchyati Raj Institution so that democratisation at the grass roots was ensured on expected lines, besides making the developmental process fully participative.

“He proposed to Dr Singh that it was an opportune time for a re-look at the economic policy in J&K, keeping in view the structural reform in the state, with a special focus on infrastructural development and employment generation in the private sector,” the spokesman added.

Several other proposals of socio-economic viability in the state came under discussion, the spokesman said.

Srinagar, December 29
The Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and the Kashmir High Court Bar Association, have condemned the Pulwama incident, in which many civilians were injured when they were fired at by security forces.

They have called for an independent probe into the incident to ascertain the facts.

Farooq said the conference demanded an impartial and independent probe into the firing incident, adding “India is using force to suppress the aspirations of Kashmiris”.

“This incident clearly shows the ground situation in Kashmir, where human rights are being abused by the Indian armed forces, who have been given sweeping powers under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA)”.

In a separate statement, the Kashmir Bar Association, while condemning the incident said it would abstain from work on Monday to register its protest.

Bhatt added that the association had appreciated the statement given by the formal bureaucrat of J&K and then Advisor of Governor, Wajahat Habibullah.

Bar secretary said people of the state feel saddened for the Delhi gang rape victim, who had lost her life to sexual violence.

Srinagar, December 29
Hardliner Hurriyat Conference, led by Syed Ali Geelani, has called for a shutdown on Monday, against ‘indiscriminate firing’ on civilians in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, terming it ‘state terrorism’.

“The firing on unarmed civilians was an attempt to massacre people and we appeal for a Kashmir bandh on December 31 (Monday) against it,” Geelani said in a statement.

He appealed to the business community, transporters, employees and shopkeepers to extend their support to the shutdown call.

Seven people were injured when they were fired at on Friday. Police said the firing was a ‘retaliatory action’ when a mob attacked an ambulance carrying an injured Army Major for treatment.

However, the Army distanced itself from the incident, saying its personnel did not open the fire as the ambulance was being escorted by a police vehicle.

The state government has initiated a formal investigation into the incident.

The shut down on Monday was a mark of protest and also token of solidarity with detainees who have been awarded the life sentences, Geelani said.

“State terrorism is prevailing here for the last 65 years and there seems to be no one to inquire about it,” Geelani said.

He termed the present situation in Kashmir as ‘graveyard silence’ and said the rulers had not learnt any lessons from history.

Srinagar, December 29
A farewell function was organised on Friday by Cluster Office-III, Kashmir Central, in acknowledgement of the contribution of its head Mohammad Amin Khan, who is retiring from the services of the Bank on December 31.

Zonal Head and Vice-President, Kashmir Central, were also present on the occasion and appreciated the role of Khan.

Speaking on the occasion, Khan advised the staff of the cluster to work with dedication.

On behalf of the office, Zonal Head Bashir Ahmad Lone presented a memento and Vice-President Vakar-ul-Mulk Nazki presented a shawl to the retiring officer.

A similar function was organised by the Officer Association, J&K Bank Ltd, wherein a momentum was presented to Khan by the president of the association.

Srinagar, December 29
A record number of 11, 350 students will appear in the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET) examinations to be held on December 30. This is the highest number of such candidates from the Valley having appeared in the UGC-NET examination so far.

The examinations are being conducted by the Kashmir University. The examination centres are the various departments of Kashmir University, the National Institute of Technology, Hazratbal, SP College, the Government College for Women, MA Road, Amar Singh College, Government Women’s College, Nawa Kadal. Students will appear in the examinations in 93 subjects in the humanities, social sciences, arts and allied streams.

Last year, 11,000 students of the Valley had appeared in the examinations out of which 400 students qualified, making them eligible for the posts of Assistant Professors in the government colleges and Universities in the country.

The subject of education has been the most popular choice of the aspirants as 1,700 aspirants have opted for the subject to appear in the examination. “The choice for the subject of education by the students is natural as these students usually go for the posts of teaching in colleges, and the subject helps them do the same,” Dr Amin Shah, a lecturer at SP College, Srinagar said.

Jammu, December 29
Shining Star Cricket Club (SSCC), Kathua, and Sandhu Cricket Club (SCC), Ludhiana, have stormed into the next round by defeating their respective opponents today, in the ongoing 3rd Police Martyrs' Memorial North Zone T20 Cricket Championship, being organised by the J&K Police at Sports Stadium, Kathua.

Earlier, in the first match played, SSCC notched up an emphatic win over Poonch XI by 8 wickets. Batting first, Poonch XI bundled out for 85 runs in 17.4 overs. SSCC overhauled the target with utmost ease in 11 overs by losing 2 wickets.

Chander Paul of SSCC was the pick of the bowlers with three important wickets and was also adjudged the man of the match.

He was awarded a cash prize of Rs 1,500 and a trophy.

In another match, SCC trounced Stadium XI, Senior, Kathua, by 9 wickets in an easy contest. Batting first, Stadium XI posted a modest total of 108 runs in the stipulated 20 overs by losing 6 wickets. SCC, in reply, chased it in 15 overs by losing just one wicket. Prince was declared man of the match for his swashbuckling knock of 64 runs.

He was awarded a cash prize of Rs 1,500 besides a trophy on the occasion.

Srinagar, December 29
One person was killed and six others were injured in accidents across the Kashmir Valley.

The police said Ajaz Ahmed Pandith, 22, son of Nazir Ahmad resident of Zawoora, the driver of a Tata Sumo was killed on the spot after his vehicle hit an electric pole at Zawoora Crossing, Srinagar, on the outskirts of Srinagar on Saturday.

In another accident, a bus on way from Baramulla to Boniyar collided with an Alto-make car near the forest check post Gantmulla, Baramulla, on the National Highway leaving three persons injured.

The police said a car on way from Anantnag to Srinagar collided with a Load Carrier at Uranhall, Anantnag, leaving two persons traveling in the car injured.

In another accident, a Tavera-make vehicle driven by Waseem Ahmed Padder, a resident of Bohgund, Kulgam skidded off the National Highway, Wangund, Kulgam, leaving the driver of the vehicle injured.