Baramulla, February 2
A bear mauled a 12-year-old boy in remote Daulatpora village of Baramulla district this morning. The animal attacked Irfan Ahmad Ganie, on outskirts of the village, killing him on the spot when he was playing cricket with some other boys.

“The bear attacked the victim from behind and killed him, reports said. The bear pounced on him from behind while he was standing in the playing field near the forest. The attack from the animal was so horrible that the little boy could not even scream. The bear ate his throat as he died on the spot,” said Waqar Ahmad, one among many boys, who witnessed the attack from a short distance.

Fear-stricken, the boys managed to flee the spot. The news of killing of the boy by the wild animal set off panic among the locals as they rushed to the spot only to find the brutally chopped body of the boy lying in a pool of blood.

“The animal had brutally chopped his throat and head. The face of the boy was bruised beyond recognition,” said a local. The residents said the wildlife department had miserably failed to deal with the increasing movement of wild animals posing serious threat to human lives and livestock. They said dozens of livestock including poultry had already been devoured by the wild animals.

“We are living amid growing danger from wild animals to our lives and livestock. The animals, mostly leopards and bear, are on the prowl in the village. We appeal to the authorities concerned to take measures to protect us from attacks by the wild animals,” said Shafiq Ahmad of Daulatabad.

A police team from police station Kreeri and officials of wildlife department rushed to the spot. A senior wildlife official said two cages had been set up at two different places to catch the man-eater. “Traps have been laid and our field staff is on the lookout for the animal,” he said.

Meanwhile, wildlife officials caught a leopard alive in a cage at Bakiakar village in Handwara tehsil today. Following increasing attacks by wild animals in the village, the officials had laid a trap some days back to catch the animal.

Srinagar, February 2
Jammu and Kashmir health department has sought more information on Tuberculosis (TB) patients in the state to reduce its transmission and ensure proper treatment.

The health department issued a notification recently to all government and private healthcare services providers in the state to furnish complete information about Tuberculosis patients, admitted to their hospitals.

“The healthcare providers shall notify every TB cases to the local authorities which include district health officer and municipal health officer every month,” read the notification issued by Secretary to Government Health and Medical Education, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi.

The exercise would help in finding correct figures about the total number of TB patients in the state.

The health official in the state said these steps were also aimed at ensuring proper Tuberculosis diagnosis, reduce the Tuberculosis transmission and address the problems of emergence and spread of drug-resistant Tuberculosis.

"We need to have all information about a TB patient as it is required for proper diagnosis,” said an officer associated with Tuberculosis control programme in Srinagar.

“The exercise will help in ensuring proper treatment and we will be able to provide free drugs and diagnosis to each patient,” he added.

In 2012, as per the data collected by the health officials, over 13,000 Tuberculosis cases were reported from the state.

“In Jammu region, over 8,000 Tuberculosis cases were reported,” said state Tuberculosis officer Ved Prakash.

In Jammu and Kashmir, like in most parts in India, TB, which is a deadly disease, has a social stigma attached to it.

Anantnag, February 2
The new Drug De-Addiction Centre (DDC), here in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, has been witnessing a steady trickle of patients ever since its inauguration a month back.

Sources said the DDC had been established in extension to the main centre at Srinagar and caters to the need of all the four districts of south Kashmir with an aim to provide convenience to the people and ease off some burden from the main centre.

The officials said more than 20 patients had so far got themselves registered with the centre and more were expected to visit in the coming days.

“No awareness camps about the de-addiction centres have been organised so far. Despite, we have got a good response in just a month,” said Mudassir Aziz, clinical psychologist.

She said the addicts, who got registered, were well on the path of rehabilitation and were doing really good.

“Most of them have already passed the detoxification phase and are well on the way to recovery,” said Aziz.

However, she maintains that speedy actions have to be taken to create awareness of dug-menace.

“We are waiting for the educational as well as other institutions to open so that we can hold awareness camp throughout the area. We have to target the youth and make them understand the repercussions of getting into this menace,” Aziz said.

She, however, stressed that families need to play a bigger role while dealing with their children, who are addicts. “Often I get to see that addicts seek acceptance and recognition on part of their families and provided that, their journey to recovery can be really smooth,” she said.

Meanwhile, the drug-addicts, who were undergoing treatment at the DDC, Anantnag, said their lives had changed for better.

“I am feeling confident these days. I used to stammer and my hands shook while doing some work. I have been coming here for a month now and not only me but my whole family is really happy,” said a 20-year-old boy, who is undergoing treatment at the centre.

The other patients, at the centre, too expressed happiness and their gratitude to their psychologist. All of them were very hopeful that they would never return to drugs. 

Srinagar, February 2
A group of government school teachers under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) today took out a protest rally at Lal Chowk, Srinagar against the authorities owing to non-payment of their salaries.

Teachers said they hadn’t been paid their salaries for the last five months now despite repeated assurances by the authorities and had now threatened valley- wide protests in case their salaries were not disbursed immediately.

“We have continuously presented our work before the higher officials from time to time, but we don’t know the reason why we are being asked for the same,” said J&K Teachers Forum chairman Showkat Ahmad Bhat.

The protesting teachers also claimed support of various other government school teacher factions for the alleged injustice being meted out to SSA teachers.

“We have support from Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum too and we are strongly against the negative approach of the Education Department & SSA wing for not releasing pay which has been pending for the last six months. The government had released Rs 9598.28 lakh to the SSA under order number 22 of Edu 2013 dated 10/1/2013 and Rs 3633.27 lakh to RMSA scheme which has unfortunately not been released till date by the departments concerned,” the leaders averred.

Srinagar, February 2
A policeman died and eight other persons were injured in various road accidents across the Kashmir valley, the police today said.

A vehicle belonging to the CRPF hit and injured a pedestrian, identified as Ravinder Singh, a resident of Nanner village near Tral, who was working as a follower in the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP). He was hit near the gas plant in Pampore town of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

The injured was shifted to the Srinagar hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries, the police said.

In north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, a passenger vehicle collided with a load carrier on the national highway near Kanispora resulting in injuries to three passengers, including the driver. The injured were shifted to hospital for treatment, the police said.

In the city here, a passenger cab hit and injured a nine-year-old boy Suhail Ahmad Hajam at Parimpora. The boy has been shifted to hospital for treatment.

In south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a passenger vehicle turned turtle at Kharpora resulting in injuries to four people, identified as Aijaz Ahmad Shah, Manzoor Ahmad Malik, Muneef Ahmad Bhat and Muneera Akhter. All the injured were shifted to hospital for treatment, the police said.

The police has registered separate cases of all the four accidents.

Srinagar, February 2
Minister of State for Road and Buildings, Home and Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo today met BEACON chief engineer TPS Rawat and discussed the status of BEACON roads and projects in the state.

An official spokesman said during the meeting, the minister discussed the status of all ongoing projects in the state. “He was given a detailed presentation about approach roads in either side of Sopore bridge as well as four lanning of Parimpora road. The minister was also updated on the status of Singhpora-Vailo tunnel, Sinthan-Kishtwar Road, Batote-Kishtwar and Kishtwar-Galhaar-Sansari road,” the spokesman said.

Chief Engineer assured the minister that work on all the BEACON roads in the state had been fast tracked.

“However, he made pointed references to some technical difficulties being faced with certain departments in execution of the projects,” the spokesman added.

The minister assured that he would take up the issues flagged by the BEACON with line departments and talk to the ministers' incharge so that hassle-free working atmosphere was created for smooth functioning of the organisation.

Kichloo said he would take up issues pertaining to all important roads being constructed by the BEACON with the union ministry so that the projects were expedited on priority.

"I will be visiting Delhi shortly to discuss the issue of fast-tracking road and tunnel projects, especially the Singhpora-Vailo tunnel, which is a pending demand of the people," he said. 

Kupwara, February 2
Brigadier Ram Niwas, VSM, Commander, Hajipir Brigade today flagged in the National Integration Tour of 13 soldiers and their families of Kupwara Home & Hearth battalion.

Besides Commander, Mohd Ashraf Mir, Block Medical Officer, Trehgam, Showket Ahmad Mir, SHO Trehgam, Col Chaand Saroha, commanding officer Kupwara Home and Hearth Battalion and other civil and police officers welcomed the soldiers and their families on their arrival.

According to a press release, they were on all-India tour from 22 January to date. The Kupwara Terriers and their families visited the historical places including Bagh-e-Bahu Garden and Raghunath Bazar in Jammu, India Gate, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Lotus Temple in Delhi, Taj Mahal, Red Fort in Agra, Dargah Khoaja Mohi-U-Din Chisti in Ajmer, Golden Temple, Jalianwala Bagh and Wagha Border in Amritsar and Dal Lake, Mughul gardens Hazaratbal in Srinagar. They also witnessed and experienced the magnificent Republic Day Parade 2013 at Rajpath, New Delhi.

“It was a landmark tour wherein soldiers and families of a Home & Hearth Territorial Army unit, had an insight into life outside the Valley. The tour will go a long way in widening the social, cultural and religious horizons of the soldiers and families of Kupwara Terriers and will have positive impact on the society as a whole,” an Army spokesman said.

Srinagar, February 2
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti has blamed the coalition government for dismal performance, saying that corruption has become the symbol of its ministers and top leaders.

Addressing party workers in Pahalgam today, Mehbooba Mufti said the government had dismantled all institutions of vigilance and only promoted favourites for partisan purposes. She said hundreds of retired bureaucrats had been re-employed while the number of unemployed youth was increasing. The delay in making appointments to vacant posts in the government was deliberate to fill them when elections are approaching as the NC has always considered government jobs as a commodity to be sold for money or political favour.

She regretted that clean and transparent system established by the previous coalition had been completely subverted by the government in pursuit of short-term gains but expressed confidence that people would punish them for this subversion.

Mehbooba said the people of the state alone could bring in a change in the system of governance and their lives through the process of public accountability. She said the change would start with the first vote cast in right direction that could make all political parties accountable to people for whatever good or bad they do. "The PDP is an important instrument in this process as it has provided the people with a credible alternative first time in our history," she added.

Mehbooba said the governance had been made hostage to vested interests of a single party in the state that corrupted both the system as well as those, who ran it without challenge. She said democracy was meaningless without a competition and for the last 65 years, the National Conference stifled all opposition to ensure a monopoly for itself. She said this had resulted in a situation in which the people became mere pawns in power game that the NC had manipulated to its benefit through u-turns, sell-outs, bartering away of water and power and humiliating compromises at all crucial stages of our history.

Mehbooba said the objective of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was only to change this environment of exploitation and that was the only reason for him to have given up the assured comforts of being in a national party like the Congress and float a regional party. She said the party had showed during its brief tenure in power how relief could actually come to people and their lives could change. 

Jammu, February 2
In a bid to revive shattered confidence of the party cadre, the state unit of the BJP has decided to organise a state-level Karyakarta Sammelan (workers’ convention) at Jammu on February 17.

The decision in this regard was taken in a meeting of party senior leaders, state office bearers, MLAs, district and morcha presidents, which was held under the leadership of state president Jugal Kishore Sharma.

All the participants were tasked with the responsibility of ensuring the presence of the workers of their respective areas in large numbers.

The discussions were also held about the membership drive that concluded here recently. Sharma said we as the senior, veteran and responsible party activists must remain sensitive to the importance of proper and appropriate method of communication with every party worker.

While impressing upon the party workers to participate and attend the proposed ‘Karyakarta Sammelan’ at Jammu, it was imperative that they were appropriately invited and asked to avail of this opportunity of strengthening the party whose agenda remains nationalistic and developmental.

He said national general secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda would be present at the convention. Former president Nirmal Singh appealed for sincere efforts on the part of senior activists of the party.

Srinagar, February 2
As a part of the World Wetland Day Celebrations here at Hokersar, Srinagar, a Special Cover was released by Department of Posts, J&K Circle today. The cover was released by Eijaz Iqbal, Commissioner Secretary, Forests, and AK Singh, Chief Wildlife Warden, J&K Division.

The function was attended by a large number of people and children. Speaking on the occasion, AK Singh highlighted the works undertaken by the Wildlife department for conservation and upliftment of Wetlands in J&K.

He thanked the Postal Department for issuing a Special Cover on the Wetlands. He said the Wildlife Department has previously worked with Department of Posts and is looking forward to working with the department in future.

Eijaz Iqbal, stressed on the need for all the people to play their part in the conservation of wildlife and wetlands. —TNS

Srinagar, February 2
Around 39,000 students, who passed their Class XII examinations, the results of which were declared on January 23 and were aspiring to be college-goers, would have to complete their admission formalities before February 20 as per the fresh Kashmir University notification.

The admission process to various degree colleges of the Valley for the courses of BA, BSc, BCom, BBA (Ist year) would be overseen by the Directorate of Colleges. The colleges have started accepting admission forms from the students for these courses.

A majority of the selections to various undergraduate courses would be based on their scoring percentage in Class XII whereas for selective courses like Management, Mass Communication, the selections would be done through entrance test and group discussions.

Students, meanwhile, hope that post applying for admissions, the classes would be held as per the scheduled time so that the academics do not suffer.

“Unlike last few years, this year it is expected that the academic session in colleges will start in the first week of March so that the annual examinations are conducted by October. This ensures timely completion of academic syllabus too,” Prof Nyla, an educationist at the Kashmir University said.

Students claim out-of-syllabus question papers

Students appearing in BA/ BSc IInd year examinations have claimed that the Mathematics (B) and Education (B) question papers were not set as per the contents of their academic syllabus.

Students said almost the entire question paper from each of the subjects had no concern with their syllabus, which could prove detrimental to the overall performance in the examinations.

“Faring poor in one paper could cost us dearly in the examinations and we may not be able to even pass examinations as paper checking is done strictly by the examiners. We urge the Kashmir University authorities to either allocate us compensatory marks or conduct the re-examination of these papers,” a protesting BA student wishing anonymity said.

Students have also demanded strict action against those teachers, who set papers, which are totally out of syllabus.

Admission to management courses gets tough

Kashmir University has for the first time started the admissions to the Post Graduate Course in Management (MBA) through the Common Management Admission Test (CMAT) which is a national-level aptitude test.

Earlier, KU was conducting its own examinations for admission to the courses. The CMAT score has been stated to be the foremost requirement for appearance in the test.

However, a majority of students, who were unaware of this criterion and had already passed their graduation examinations are due to miss the admission to MBA course this year, since applications for the CMAT examination were to be filed by December.

“The university should have highlighted this decision. Since, we were unaware of the same, we will have to wait for one more year for admission to the university,” Bakir , an MBA aspirant said. 

Jammu, February 2
The Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) has instructed its officials to prepare a schedule of activities keeping in mind that it will not clash with the academic calendar.

The decision was taken after the parents of sportspersons had allegedly complained that their wards were able to fully concentrate on their studies owing to unscheduled activities.

The department had recently issued directions to all the officers concerned that they should consult with the heads of educational institutions before finalising the schedule of sports activities so that there shall be no confusion in future.

Sources said the divisional-level swimming competitions conducted by the DYSS was allegedly criticised by the parents of the sportspersons saying that an inordinate delay in conducting competitions had left their children in lurch.

The competitions-cum-selection trials were organised by the department at Heritage School, Sainik Colony, to select the state contingent for the National School Games Swimming Championship.

Sources said though the selected students had left for participation in the championship but they could not able to cover the syllabus.

Sources said the parents of the children had expressed concern over this and appealed the Sports Department to maintain a balance while preparing sports schedule.

Jai Pal Singh, director, Youth Services and Sports, while justifying the decision told The Tribune, “Due to examinations in the Valley, the department has no option but to delay the dates for holding competitions because it was not possible for the 
swimmers hailing from Kashmir to compete during that period.”

“This is not for the first time that the academic schedule of the students is being disrupted due to lack of planning while finalising the schedule to conduct activities throughout the year.

The department has finally realised the importance of conducting the activities in time,” sources said.

Sources said the parents had criticised the department for the alleged step-motherly treatment with the sportspersons of Jammu province.

They said the DYSS was least bothered about the concerns of players of this region claiming that had this situation arrived in case of students from the Kashmir province, the department would have made significant changes while preparing the 
sports schedule.