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Rain lashes Valley, temp drops
College students walk amid rain on the Residency Road in Srinagar on Friday. Tribune Photo: Amin War
Tourism Dept violates ban on re-employment
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Tulip Garden to shut down from Sunday
Day 5: traffic awareness drive
Commuters suffer due to lack of coordination
Adventure sports in Valley kick off with dist mountain running contest
Travel company visits KU for job placements
Municipal Corporation starts anti-encroachment drive
Mehbooba for returns to tourism stake holders
Moral education vital for personality
development: Expert
5 stone throwers surrender
Kargil Boys Hostel inaugurated
Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC, Kargil Ahmad Ali Khan inaugurates Kargil Boys Hostel at Channi Rama, Jammu, on Friday. A Tribune photograph
Teacher among 3 held for crime against women
Jammu varsity hosts Afghan cricket team
Six hurt, one missing as avalanche hits road
Mirwaiz calls for troop withdrawal
Yasin Malik detained on way to Sopore
Four injured in two separate road accidents
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Rain lashes Valley, temp drops
Srinagar, April 26 Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded the maximum temperature at 16.3 degrees Celsius, while ski resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir saw a high of 11.6 degrees Celsius. Similarly, tourist resort Pahalgam in south Kashmir and border town Kupwara recorded the maximum temperature at 12.6 and 16.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. Qazigund, Kupwara and Pahalgam received 1.4 mm, 3.0 mm and 1.4 mm rainfall, respectively. The minimum temperature at Qazigund, Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Kupwara was recorded at 8.8, 4.0, 6.0 and 9.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. The weatherman has forecast more rain across the Valley during the next 24 hours. “Rainfall and thundershowers are expected at many places,” MeT official said. Meanwhile, Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region recorded the maximum temperature at 18.2 and 18.4 degrees Celsius, respectively. The minimum temperature at
Leh and Kargil was 2.8 and 4.0 degrees Celsius, respectively. |
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Tourism Dept violates ban on re-employment
Srinagar, April 26 The Tourism and Culture Department has re-employed SKA Qadri as consultant in the same department for a period of one year with effect from May 1, 2013, reveal the official documents lying with The Tribune. Qadri, who retired as Director General in Archives, Archeology and Museums Department of the state government, has been given fourth extension by way of the orders passed by Atul Duloo, Commissioner/Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department. The State Cabinet, which met under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu on Wednesday, had banned re-employment of officials and officers in different departments. The decision was taken as some ministers of both the Congress and the National Conference had opposed the move to re-engage retired officers who were close to some politicians. However, the violation has come to the fore barely a day after the Cabinet passed this order on April 24. “Sanction is hereby accorded to the re- employment of SKA Qadri, former Director General, Archives, Archeology and Museums as consultant in the Tourism and Culture Department, for a period of one year with effect from May 1, 2013", reads the order passed by the Commissioner/Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department, issued on April 23, 2013. "Before the current extension, Qadri served on the same post" sources told The Tribune, adding, "This is his fourth consecutive re-employment in the department since February 2010." His first re-employment, sources said, was ordered on February 26, 2010, for a period of one year as consultant to the department. The official was then granted another extension for one more year on February 25, 2011, against the same post". "This order was to expire in February, 2012, but he was again continued for one more year before the expiry of this order, and granted extension on February 27, 2012," sources revealed.
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Tulip Garden to shut down from Sunday
Srinagar, April 26 After being thrown open on March 27 this year, the Tulip Garden besides welcoming tourists and locals in record numbers this year attracted several shooting crews from all over the country. Tulip Garden in charge Javed Ahmad said over 1.5 lakh visitors had already come to the garden as compared to 1.4 lakh last year. Even though tulips can be seen in full bloom for around a month only, the garden has been credited with having extended the tourist season in the Valley as the prime season would usually start by April end. "This year, we welcomed more visitors than before and since several crews shot here, we are hopeful that the Tulip Garden will attract more visitors next year," Shah told The Tribune. While a crew had shot for a television serial 'Mahabharat' at the garden yesterday, veteran Bollywood star Farooq Sheikh too had been spotted shooting for another serial 'Ada' earlier this month. Popular stars of the Kannada film industry Aditya and Radhika too were seen shooting for a song sequence of a movie 'Sweety' at the Tulip Garden this year. Shah said the shooting crews were getting attracted to the garden because tulip beds at the garden this year had been laid on "Silsila" pattern. He said visitors to the garden expected to see tulips just like they were seen in the famous Bollywood song - "Dekha ek khwab" of Amitabh Bachan-Rekha starrer Silsila fame. The Tulip Garden was formerly known as Siraj Bagh and it had been first opened for the public in 2008. Around 90 varieties of tulips have been put on display at the garden this year.
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Day 5: traffic awareness drive Tribune News Service
Srinagar, April 26 The plan states that one-way traffic would remain enforced on the Residency Road and no vehicle will ply from Regal Chowk towards Residency Road. All the shopkeepers and employees in the offices located in the vicinity of Polo View, Regal Chowk, Gantaghar and HSH Street have been advised to park their vehicles in the designated parking lots. Only one lane parking would be allowed for customers that too within yellow line on the roadside and anyone found violating these norms would be dealt under law, the communiqué states. It adds that there would be one-way traffic from HSHS (Hari Singh High Street) towards Maharaja Bazar and one-way traffic movement from Hanuman Mandir Gali towards HSH Street. Some drivers of transport vehicles were seen picking and dropping passengers on the main road especially on bridges and corners thereby creating inconvenience in free flow of traffic. Any vehicle violating these norms would be seized and they are directed to board and de-board the passengers at the designated bus bays, it states. The shopkeepers and customers from Sonwar Bazar up to Dalgate are found parking their vehicles on the main road and they are directed to park their vehicles on the designated parking places, the plan states. Besides, a large number of vehicles is found parked on the roadside particularly from Badyari Chowk upto Grand Palace crossing, thereby creating hindrance in free flow of traffic. They are advised to keep the road through; otherwise their vehicles will be towed away. The vehicle dealers and the shopkeepers from old PHQ and Police Station, Shaheed Gunj upto Watali Gali are parking their vehicles on the main road thereby creating traffic congestion to the vehicles particularly ambulance bound for SMHS/SKIMS etc. They are warned to avoid such wrong parking and no violation will be allowed. A large number of Awara Sumos has been found operating at different location in the city particularly at Lal Chowk, Dalgate, Batamaloo, Karanagar, Iqbal Park etc and such Awara Sumos shall not be allowed to operate particularly in the city. Traffic police would be launching special drives in this regard in the coming days to streamline the traffic in the city, the communiqué stated.
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Commuters suffer due to lack of coordination
Srinagar, April 26 Departmental wings of the R&B start digging roads for construction or repair of which the traffic police department rarely has any information of, hence traffic jams become the order of the day during summers. Residents say there is a lack of coordination between the two departments for which they have to pay a heavy price. “The onus of the heavy traffic jams during summers lies on both the R&B and the traffic police. Traffic policemen seem to be clueless about the road repair work and it eventually becomes troublesome for the residents. The traffic department could create alternate traffic diversions when the repair work is going on, which could save people’s time and avoid inconvenience,” said Muhammad Zahid, a city-based government employee. The R&B Department maintains that they aren't the lone department which carries out the work. “Sometimes, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) also carry out the work of laying down water pipes and repairing sewerage links for which road digging is required. We do issue public notices for our road repair projects of which the police should take cognisance,” a senior official of R&B Department said. R&B officials say that the road repair work cannot be possible during winter time in Kashmir due to extreme cold and usual precipitation; therefore the police and other allied departments should be more alert during summers when the traffic rush also increases. “There is certainly a need of more coordination among various public departments so that appropriate plans for traffic movement could be chalked out. Why should people suffer if authorities fail to coordinate among themselves?” asked Tanveer Ahmad Beigh, a sumo driver. |
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Adventure sports in Valley kick off with dist mountain running contest
Srinagar, April 26 The competition was organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Mountain Running Association (JKMRA) and was flagged off by Senior Superintendent Police (SSP), Budgam, Uttam
Chand. In the senior category, Muzaffar Maqbool of Sheikh ul Alam Sports Club secured the first place while Ishtiyaq Ismail and Mudasir of Higher Secondary School, Magam, got the second and the third place respectively. In junior section, Adil Farooq, Salim Wani and Zubair Wani of Chinar Club won the first, second and third place respectively. Riffat Abdullah, Secretary General of the Mountain Running Federation of India, was the Chief Guest on the occasion and gave away the prizes and medals to the winners. Besides, Mohammad Amin, President of the Kargil District Association, Riyaz Ahmad Wani, General Secretary of the JKMRA, Farooq Ahmad Warsi and Mehfooz Aslam, Principal of Delhi Public School, were also present. After Budgam district, the JKMRA will host another mountain running competition in Srinagar district on Shankracharya Hills, beginning May 4, in which adventure sports enthusiasts from Srinagar will participate. “The district competitions will also be held in Kargil (Leh), Baramulla, Bandipora, Pulwama and Anantnag districts,” President of the JKMRA, Muhammad
Yusuf, said. He added that a summer calendar for the State Mountain Running Championship would be chalked out soon, in which the ten best mountain runners from the district competitions would participate. |
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Travel company visits KU for job placements
Srinagar, April 26 LIGARE Voyages Limited is a leading company for integrated aviation and travel businesses. It is a part of an integrated transnational promoter group
Religare, offering financial services, diagnostics, health & wellness
(Fortis & SRL Labs), Training & IT services globally. The company intends to train graduates in the areas of Hospitality, Aviation and Retail, for a period of ninety days and based on their performance the trained graduates will be considered for placements. Prof Talat Ahmad, Vice-Chancellor, KU, said Hospitality, Retail and Aviation sectors were developing fast and had great potential of absorbing a huge number of talented graduates. He welcomed the company team for initiating the process of training and recruiting the youth of the state. He urged the youth to actively participate in these training and recruitment drives being organised by the university in collaboration with various top industrial houses of the country. “We look forward to working in close collaboration with the company to train and recruit the students for Travel and Hospitality Management,” Prof Talat added. Prof Shabir Ahmad, Director, Centre for Career Planning and
Counselling, said a number of initiatives were being taken by the university to enhance the employability of the graduates. He said leading companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Infosys and Wipro were scheduled to visit the University campus for recruitment and training of youth. |
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Municipal Corporation starts anti-encroachment drive
Srinagar, April 26 “We have started the drive by removing encroachments by roadside vendors and cart-wallas at the busy Amira Kadal, Hari Singh High Street and Jehangir Chowk areas,” Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Haseeb-ur-Rehman told The Tribune. The decision to remove encroachments in phases had been taken during a joint meeting of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), the police and the traffic police held here yesterday. The SMC media relations officer said in the first phase, encroachments would be removed from southeastern parts of the city from the airport route to Harwan via Jahangir Chowk, Amira Kadal, Dalgate, including Hari Singh High Street, Mahraja Bazaar and LD route. “It was decided that keeping in view the strong public concern henceforth there shall be no encroachments on footpaths and roads by the vendors and there shall be complete coordination between officials of the SMC and the police,” the official added. It was also decided that no parking of vehicles would be allowed at the busy Hari Singh High Street area that connects Jehangir Chowk with Lal
Chowk. The anti-encroachment team of the SMC would also be given the police protection as it
has been noticed that sometimes they face stiff resistance from offenders. The drive is also
being held at the Boulevard Road on the banks of Dal Lake that is frequented by both locals and tourists. After a nearly
month-long roadside awareness campaign involving university students, the traffic police had launched
a drive to implement traffic rules on large scale from Monday last. |
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Mehbooba for returns to tourism stake holders
Srinagar, April 26 She was talking to a delegation of the representatives of tour and
travel industry of Kashmir here today. In a statement, Mehbooba said Amarnath pilgrimage had been a part of the social fabric of Kashmir and it was important that its economic benefits reached the local travel industry and the population in the concerned areas. Another delegation of young people called on Mehbooba and apprised her that their services as daily-rated employees in the Tourism Department had been arbitrarily discontinued. She urged the government to re-engage the young people, numbering 150. "It was ironical that on one hand the state government was claiming to be making fresh recruitments and on the other it was throwing out those who have been working for it for many years,” she said. |
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Moral education vital for personality
development: Expert
Srinagar, April 26 Prof Haq highlighted the need and importance of moral education in the curriculum for personality development and character building. He emphasized inculcation of spiritual dimension in the education system to combat the current crisis in the society. Registrar
IUST, Prof Abdul Gani Rather presided over the function and stressed upon imparting moral education for the prosperous future of the students. The function was organised by the International Centre for Spiritual Studies, wherein Head of the Centre Dr S Iqbal Quraishi highlighted the spiritual and moral needs in the student fraternity and society. Dean, School of Business Studies, Prof Aijaz Rasool Mattoo and Head Department of Arabic Language & Literature, Syed Majeed Andrabi who were the guests of honour also expressed their thoughts regarding personality development and character building amongst the students. |
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5 stone throwers surrender
Srinagar, April 26 “We recently handed over the list of over 200 trouble makers in the town to the council, they assured us that they will counsel them and their parents. Today, five stone throwers came to the Baramulla police station and surrendered,” said Deputy Inspector General, north Kashmir, J P Singh. “It is very unique thing that happened today and the police will be lenient against those who will surrender,” he added. The police said it would encourage other youth who were involved in stone-pelting in the town. The police said many cases were registered at the Baramulla police station against youngsters who were involved in stone-pelting in the
town after the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9. The town witnessed many violent protests
in recent weeks and forcible shutdowns. The frequent shutdowns forced the police and locals to join hands. |
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Kargil Boys Hostel inaugurated
Jammu, April 26 Feroz said the hostel facility would help the students of Kargil pursuing their studies in Jammu and stressed on protecting this vital asset which will help many generations in future. He also gave a patient hearing to other demands raised by students on the occasion. The minister said Rs 6.60 crore had been spent on the hostel building out of Rs 7.84 crore released for the purpose. The construction of hostel building was started in 2009 by the PWD. It has a capacity to house 200 students. He thanked the PWD authorities for completion of the project and hoped that the remaining works would also be completed in due course of time. Kacho exhorted the students to put in their best efforts to achieve success in their life. He hoped that the students provided accommodation in the hostel would crack prestigious exams like IAS and KAS and bring laurels to the state and home district. President, Kargil Students Union, Asgar Ali Yaskin thanked the authorities for the construction of the hostel and hoped that other demands of the students would also be met. Executive Councillor, Kargil, GR Nagvi also spoke on the occasion. Earlier, the function started with a cultural programme featuring folk songs, skits and dances. Kargil Deputy Commissioner Fida Hussain, district officers from Kargil and a large number of students from Kargil also attended the function.
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Teacher among 3 held for crime against women
Jammu, April 26 “Just three months after my marriage, my husband and mother-in-law started harassing me for dowry and both of them used to beat me up several times,” the victim said in her complaint. The arrested persons were remanded in five-day police custody. In another case, a student lodged a complaint at Ramnagar police station on April 24 that when she was taken her Class XI examination at Government Higher Secondary School, Ramnagar, Surinder Kumar Sharma, a government teacher of Thaplal in Ramnagar, who was on duty in the examination centre, offered her help in the paper. “After few minutes, when she was doing her paper, the teacher tried to outrage her modesty. The girl created hue and cry and managed to escape,” the spokesperson said. A case was registered and investigation started. Subsequently, the police conducted raids at several areas and arrested the accused. He is remanded in police custody for three days. |
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Jammu varsity hosts Afghan cricket team
Jammu, April 26 Welcoming the team Professor Ishar hoped that the visit of the team would provide an opportunity to the people and especially the players to understand each other better. He said India and Afghanistan had much in common and such kind of initiatives needs to be encouraged. He also wished the cricketers the best of stay in the state and hoped that the ensuing cricket matches being organised by Young Star Cricket Club (YSCC) at Doda would be played in the spirit of Camaraderie, brotherhood and sportsmanship. Speaking on the occasion, captain of Afghanistan Youth Cricket Association team, Khalid Noori said they were happy to be in the state. He also introduced his team to the Jammu University faculty and staff. He said the team brings along a message of
peace, friendship and goodwill for the people of the state. He thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the honour that University bestowed upon him and his team members. |
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Six hurt, one missing as avalanche hits road
Srinagar, April 26 The spokesman said a vehicle rolled down a gorge near when it came under the avalanche. Gulzar Ahmad Kaloo, a resident of Sumbal Sonarwari area of Bandipora district, who was travelling in the vehicle, was reported to be missing, the spokesman said. Two other persons travelling in the vehicle, Javid Ahmad Malik and Abdul Haleem Wani, residents of Sumbal, received minor injuries and were shifted to a nearby hospital. The spokesman said two trucks were also hit by the avalanche. Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar’s Chatabal locality, Sameer Ahmad Khan, a resident of Srinagar’s Lal Mandi locality, Sameer Ahmad Khan of Srinagar’s Batamaloo, Mohammad Rafiq Sheikh of Srinagar’s Bemina locality received minor injuries. |
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Mirwaiz calls for troop withdrawal
Srinagar, April 26 “The government’s claim that the situation in Kashmir has improved is baseless and opposite to the ground reality. Instead of decrease in the number of troops, it is increasing daily,” he said. Mirwaiz said the protests at Wuyan, near south Kashmir’s Pampore town, against the construction of an army camp were justified. |
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Yasin Malik detained on way to Sopore
Srinagar, April 26 Those detained include JKLF’s deputy chairman Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Liberation Front (H) chairman Javed Ahmad Mir, Muslim Conference chairman Shabir Ahmad Dar, and JKLF leaders Noor Mohammad Kalwal, Shaukat Ahmad Bakshi, Javed Ahmed Zargar, Mushtaq Ajmal, Zahoor Ahmed Butt, Mohammad Yasin Butt, Mir Siraj-ud-Din, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, Sheikh Khalid Mubarak, Mohammad Siddique Shah and Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, the spokesman said. |
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Four injured in two separate road accidents
Srinagar, April 26 A car collided with a mini-bus near Sunset Point at Ishbar Nishat
in the city resulting in minor injuries to three persons, the police spokesman said. All the injured were shifted to a hospital for treatment. A cab hit and injured a pedestrian identified as 35-year-old
Fatima, a resident of Sogam in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The injured
was shifted to the sub-district hospital, Kupwara, for treatment, the spokesman added. The police has
registered cases in both the accidents. |
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Day temperature dipped by a few notches after rain lashed the Kashmir valley today.
Srinagar city recorded the maximum temperature at 17.2 degrees Celsius as
compared to 21.3 degrees yesterday.
If you have missed catching the beauty of colourful flowers at the Tulip Garden, largest of its kind in Asia, then there are just two more days left. The garden, which is located on the foothills of the Zabarwan Range, has been drawing a large number of visitors this season, is closing its doors on the coming Sunday.
After being thrown open on March 27 this year, the Tulip Garden besides welcoming tourists and locals in record numbers this year attracted several shooting crews from all over the country.
The arrival of spring in Kashmir has signalled the initiation of a thrilling adventure sports season too. The adventure sports trail has kick-started with District Mountain Running Competitions, which began on Thursday in
Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), LAHDC, Kargil Ahmad Ali Khan Kacho today inaugurated Kargil Boys Hostel here at Channi Rama in the presence of Minister of State for School Education, Science and Information Technology Feroz Ahmed Khan.
While the minimum temperature in the summer capital fell to 11.1 degrees Celsius, people were seen wearing woollens and other winter clothing yet again. Rainfall throughout the course of the day also led to a dip in temperature at other parts of the Valley.