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Soz finding it tough to pacify miffed loyalists
Panchayat members pin hopes on meeting with Governor
Swine flu scare in hospital as
patient not put in quarantine
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Govt mulls ban on gutkha, pan masala
Centre’s reaction to Verma panel regrettable: Mufti
Gulmarg to host ski championship from Feb 11
CRPF to vacate more hotels to make room for tourists in Valley
15 automatic weather stations help in early forecast
Arms, ammunition seized in Ramban
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Fallout of Cabinet reshuffle
Jammu, February 3 Soz, who came to Jammu today for the first time after the Cabinet reshuffle on January 15, tried to contact some “miffed” leaders but they did not turn up to meet him to register their protest. Sources said some of Soz’s loyalists were angry about the change in their portfolios while others were annoyed about not getting ministerial berths during the reshuffle. The sources said Soz after reaching Jammu contacted a minister, who is his staunch supporter, and fixed a meeting with him. “The minister, registering his protest, however did not turn up to meet the JKPCC chief. He gave the excuse that he was already preoccupied with programmes in his constituency”, a source said, adding that Soz made an attempt to meet other “annoyed” leaders but failed. The sources said after the Cabinet reshuffle some of the Soz loyalists established contact with the rival faction headed by loyalists of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as they felt that their mentor had failed to assert himself during the reshuffle. In the recent Cabinet reshuffle, three Congress legislators Ghulam Ahmed Mir, Abdul Wajid Wani and Vakar Rasool were given ministerial berths. Wani and Rasool are staunch supporters of Azad while Mir has “good links” with the party high command. The sources said Soz supporters have a reason to express their resentment as the names of some of the loyalists were dropped at the eleventh hour while some of the ministers in his camp were shifted from high-profile ministries to low-key ones. A few Soz loyalists, who have been eyeing the elections of the Legislative Council in March, have opened channels of communication with the Azad camp. “Some of the Soz loyalists are in constant touch with us because they have realised that Ghulam Nabi Azad would play a decisive role in coming elections of the Legislative Council,” a leader of Azad faction said on condition of anonymity. Soz Loyalists eye Azad camp Sources said after the Cabinet reshuffle some of the loyalists of JKPCC chief Saifuddin Soz established contact with the rival faction headed by loyalists of Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad as they felt that their mentor had failed to assert himself during the reshuffle |
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Panchayat members pin hopes on meeting with Governor
Srinagar, February 3 “We are planning a march towards the secretariat in Jammu on February 28 when the budget session will begin. We are being forced to resort to the path of agitation as our demands are not being looked into,” said the AJKPC spokesman Ghulam Hassan
Punzoo. Stating that the state government had been giving “only assurances” to them, he said the panchayat members had now pinned their hopes on their scheduled meeting with Governor NN
Vohra. “We are planning to meet the Governor later this week and we are hopeful that something positive will come out of the meeting. We intend to meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Union ministers to remind them of our issues. If the meetings fail to bear any fruit, we would have no alternative but to start the protests from February 28,” Punzoo said. He regretted that the authorities had failed to fully empower them and provide them security following the recent militant attacks on panchayat members. “We had even said we should be provided security wherever necessary …. we are under threat and our security can be ensured only through empowerment,” he said. The AJKPC also flayed the government for delay in holding the block development council
(BDC) elections, which were supposed to be held at the end of the last year. The elections had been postponed after the Congress had expressed reservation that the electoral process was futile without the extension of the provisions of the 73rd Amendment to the state. The demands of the AJKPC include the extension of the 73rd Amendment to the state, grant of monthly honorarium and security cover to the panchayat members. The conglomerate had called off its earlier protest programme where it had announced to sit on an indefinite strike outside Jantar Mantar in New Delhi after Republic Day. |
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Swine flu scare in hospital as
patient not put in quarantine
Srinagar, February 3 Kashmir’s only tertiary care hospital Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has been treating a resident of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district at its surgical intensive care unit for the last five days. A hospital staff member told The Tribune the paramedic and other staff members are scared since the patient affected with H1N1 virus is being treated in a common room. “The patients suffering from H1N1 are to be treated separately and the SKIMS had a separate ward constructed two years ago for such patients but they (doctors) are treating him in a common ward and there is a danger that the virus can spread,” said president of the SKIMS Non-Gazetted Employees Welfare Federation Ghulam Mohammad Pandit. Pandit said the doctors who are posted in the surgical intensive care unit have vaccinated themselves against the possible H1N1 viral attack. “But what will the attendants and nurses do,” he said. Another hospital staff member, while requesting anonymity, said the cause of the patient’s illness was blacked out for four days. “We didn’t know for four days, but yesterday we got to know that it is a case of positive influenza, it is H1N1 case,” the staff member said. A senior doctor, who knows the case details of the patient, said the patient’s condition is yet to stabilise. “He is not well. He has suffered a respiratory failure and is on ventilator,” the doctor said, requesting anonymity. The doctor said guidelines for treatment “keep changing” and the necessary precautions were being taken. “The guidelines change; the present guidelines are that attendants and staff should wear masks and wash their hands regularly,” he said. Director, SKIMS, Showkat Zargar, who is the administrative in charge of the hospital, confirmed that one patient suffering from swine flu was admitted in the hospital. Zargar, however, said there was no need for quarantine. |
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J-K youth has suffered due to petty politicking: Mir
Jammu, February 3 Mir, who has been vociferously pleading for the redressal of aspirations of the youth, suggested that if politicians could not stop “politicking” then they should defer it for the time being because it was creating obstacles for the overall development of the state. In his first interview after the major Cabinet reshuffle on January 15, Mir said: “The need of the hour is to address our youth who have great aspirations. Their future or target must be worked at large. They have to acquire the mindset that they have to be people of excellence not only in their county but also at the international level.” For that purpose, all political parties -- with whatever shades or thoughts they are -- will have to come forward and stop politicking, he said. “Because of petty politicking, the youth have suffered a lot and their future has become bleak. We have to show them that their future is bright and we should give them the hope that their future is protected,” Mir said. On the growing unemployment, the minister said unemployment was a serious problem because the state didn’t have big industries and hasn’t been able to invite investments. “As compared to other states, the state has had little investment, especially in Kashmir. Local investors didn’t make any investment because the atmosphere was not conducive. Big houses which have substantial resources should start investing in Kashmir so that employment is generated. “For the last three years, peace has returned to Kashmir and it has given a fillip to the tourism sector. Now, the politicians have a great role in restoring peace, which will in turn attract investment. Peace is not only in the interest of the country but also in the interest of the people of the state,” he said. On a query about his department’s efforts to generate employment through the agriculture sector, Mir said the agriculture sector involved “hard labour component” and the department had been laying thrust on making agriculture a “glamorous and profitable” sector to attract unemployed youth. “We have introduced high quality hybrid seeds which will increase the production of farmers. The state varsities are engaged in developing high yielding hybrid seeds, while the basmati has been grown in Kashmir for the first time. Though we have made a humble start in organic agriculture, yet the work is on. The state will be able to come out with organic products in the next three years,” the minister said. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, while recently suggesting Rs 10,000-crore financial assistance per annum for five years to Jammu and Kashmir from the Central government, had laid stress on organic form of agriculture to arrest the growing problem of unemployment. “We have also started the national saffron mission in Jammu and Kashmir which has otherwise become extinct. Now, we are rejuvenating it and have launched a project of Rs 374 crore which will not only enhance the production and productivity but also improve the quality. Saffron growers will also get proper marketing facilities,” Mir said. He also announced that the department was in a process of establishing “mandis”, where farmers could sell their produce and get a suitable market price for their crop. On a query regarding allegations of shortage of fertilisers and seeds, the minister said there was no slackness as far as the availability of seeds and fertilisers was concerned. “We have devised a mechanism by which fertilisers are available to farmers in advance. We are also planning to introduce private players so that farmers don’t face any difficulty in getting fertilisers,” Mir said. Ministerspeak
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Govt mulls ban on gutkha, pan masala
Srinagar, February 3 This has been indicated by the government in its response to a public interest litigation before the J-K High Court which has sought a ban on the manufacture and sale of gutkha and other smokeless tobacco products in the state. Acting on the PIL, the high court had issued a notice to the government on January 1, asking it to file its response within three weeks’ time. The PIL was filed by advocate Sajjad Gilani on behalf of the Jammu and Kashmir Voluntary Health and Development Association. “The government is considering banning the use of the gutkha, pan masala and other forms of chewing tobacco in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” said Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi in his written repose to the court. Dwivedi also holds additional charge of Commissioner, Food Safety. The government, he said, was already conscious of the fact that the use of gutkha, pan masala and other forms of chewing tobacco containing tobacco and nicotine as ingredients are harmful to health. “However, before approaching the competent authority to put a ban on these products, the views of the Finance Department are required to be obtained in the matter as it involves financial implications,” Dwivedi submitted, adding that the Finance Department was currently examining the issue. With the state exchequer earning a lot of revenue from the sale of cigarettes, gutkha and other tobacco products in J&K, it has been showing reluctance to altogether ban the use of these products. But, the clamour for banning these products is growing as the health hazards of these products far outweigh the financial gains. The Global Adult Tobacco Survey — India Report 2009-10 says among the 26.6 per cent adult tobacco users in J-K, 8% exclusively use the smokeless form of tobacco. “The court should ban these (tobacco) products by whatsoever name they are available in the market. They must be banned as per the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, in the interest of public health,” the PIL submitted. Even though smoking at all the public places in the state was banned by the High Court in June 2011, there is no ban on the sale of gutkha and other tobacco products in JK. Considering the health hazards of these smokeless tobacco products, 14 states in India, including Delhi, have banned gutkha sale. The PIL says that smokeless tobacco products contain chemicals which could cause mouth and throat cancer. Even children and young adolescents have access to these products as they are freely available at every nook and corner. What PIL seeks
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Suggestions on AFSPA
Jammu, February 3 Mufti was addressing a public meeting at the Marh Assembly segment near here today. “This is clearly a case of double standards and reflects poorly on our national resolve to uphold women’s dignity and rights without discrimination,” he said. Mufti said Justice Verma’s recommendations on bringing crimes against women universally under the jurisdiction of the civil courts was welcomed and it could become the first step towards the revocation of the AFSPA which was introduced in totally different circumstances. He said it was unfortunate that the Union Cabinet did not even discuss the recommendations which sent out a negative signal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the states covered by it. Stressing that the AFSPA could not be a permanent feature of governance, Mufti said such laws were meant only for exceptional situations which no more existed in J&K. Denial of the right to legal redress is the antithesis of our Constitution and the people of J&K, who have been participating in all democratic processes, cannot be marginalised anymore for any reason. He said institutional redress was the best antidote to alienation and having suffered a big deficit on this account in the past, the state needed fast-tracking of the political process to bring it on a par with the rest of the country. “The decision to ignore the Verma panel’s recommendations could prove counter-productive,” he said. He took a dig at the National Conference-led coalition government for its failure to fulfill its promise of revoking the AFSPA and said the PDP had never compromised on its agenda for the sake of power. |
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Gulmarg to host ski championship from Feb 11
Srinagar, February 3 The championship will be organised by the Winter Games Association of India in collaboration with the Winter Games Association, J&K, at three different venues of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, including Slalom, Giant Slalom and Kongdori. “The participating boys and girls have been divided into four categories as per their age and gender,” said spokesperson of the Winter Games Association, J&K, Muhammad Yusuf. Yusuf said all participants were professional skiers who had undergone training in various ski coaching camps of the country last year. Jammu and Kashmir is fielding its 40 skiers into the competition (20 girls and 20 boys). They have been divided into four categories. “Our skiers have been trained at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM), Gulmarg, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Winter Sports, Pahalgam. We are especially banking on our first five merit-holders who graduated in ski courses from the IISM last year,” said Yusuf. A coaching camp for the J&K team is currently being held at Kongdori. About 45 skiers are participating in it. The coaching is being imparted by coach Santosh of Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir-based Gul Mustafa Dev. “The Department of Tourism has agreed to provide logistic and financial support. The Gondola Cable Car Corporation and hoteliers at Gulmarg have tied up with hosts and will pay the rent and provide transport facilities to the participants from within and outside the state,” he said. |
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CRPF to vacate more hotels to make room for tourists in Valley
Srinagar, February 3 The government, which is gearing up for the arrival of tourists, had come under flak last year as many tourists could not find accommodation in Srinagar and other tourist resorts of the Valley. Last year, Kashmir witnessed the highest number of tourists in the past 25 years. The government had claimed that more than 12 lakh tourists and over 6 lakh Amarnath pilgrims visited Kashmir in 2012. “There is a dearth of infrastructure and I have sought a report on hotels and guest houses occupied by the CRPF. Before the tourists start arriving, we will ensure that the CRPF vacates more hotels and more rooms are available to them,” said Minister for Home and Tourism Sajad Ahmad Kichloo. “We will ensure that tourists do not face problems this year due to the lack of accommodation. We have prepared a master plan for hosting the tourists,” said Kichloo. The minister said the state government would provide alternate accommodation to the CRPF when it vacates the hotels. Sources said nearly 40 hotels were occupied by security forces in Srinagar. “The government should get these hotels vacated as soon as possible,” said Mushtaq Ahmed, a representative of the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation. CRPF spokesman in Srinagar Sudhir Kumar said they had vacated many hotels in Srinagar in the past few years. “We recently vacated Hotel Nedous in the heart of Srinagar city. Once we get alternate accommodation, we will vacate more hotels,” said the CRPF spokesman. The sources said the government was trying hard to ensure that the CRPF vacated more hotels as
the tourism season in the Valley would start from mid-April. After militancy erupted in the Valley in 1990, over 70 hotels and guest houses were occupied by the Border Security Force (BSF). In 2005, when the
responsibility of the internal security of Srinagar city was taken over by
the CRPF, they stationed themselves in hotels, which were occupied by the BSF. In 2003, the paramilitary forces started vacating hotels to accommodate tourists as the state witnessed a dip in militancy. |
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15 automatic weather stations help in early forecast
Jammu, February 3 The automatic weather stations were created by the Central government after the snow tsunami in 2005. Fifteen sophisticated automatic weather stations, which are interlinked with each other, allow scientists to make weather predictions a week in advance and enable the administration to prepare a contingency plan. The IMD had about three days ago issued an advisory that the state would face three days of rough weather. Though scientists maintain that there is no way to stall destruction caused by the nature, in the past four years the automatic weather stations have helped in issuing avalanche warnings in advance, which has helped save many human lives. In the Jammu region, these stations have been installed at Doda, Kishtwar, Samba, Ramban, Kathua, Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch. “They have helped the administration in dealing with the heavy snowfall and rain and its aftermath, which was not possible earlier. It provided the authorities an early warning mechanism,” said an official of the IMD. Most of these stations have been installed in snow-bound areas of the Jammu region and Kashmir province. These machines provide hourly data and have been designed to disseminate information about snowfall, inclement weather, avalanche threats and heavy or scant rainfall. “When the snow tsunami hit the state in 2005, we were caught by surprise. But now we are better prepared with these AWSs and other gadgets installed by the Central government. The data taken from these stations and other instruments, which are interlinked, has allowed a early warning system,” said Regional Director of the IMD Sonum Lotus. Until 2005, the administration was dependent on two stations based in Jammu and Srinagar and agro-met stations of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology in Jammu and Srinagar for the weather forecast. Officials said a project of the Indian Space Research Organisation, which was in its planning stage, would link these sophisticated weather stations to a satellite so that entire information could be dispatched to a central grid, allowing officials to take decisions to avoid disasters. |
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Arms, ammunition seized in Ramban
Jammu, February 3 An Army spokesperson said, Rashtriya Rifles and the state police launched a search operation in the general area of Chhachhwa. The arms and ammunition included a .303 rifle, one Chinese pistol, one pistol magazine, seven .303 ammunition, seven hand grenades and about 2 kg explosive material. — TNS |
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Jammu, February 3
The J&K Government has said that it is considering banning the use of gutkha, pan masala and tobacco products in the state. The views of the Finance Department are being sought as the ban involves huge financial implications.
