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Mehbooba takes a dig at govt for Hepatitis-C outbreak
PIL seeks reinvestigation of 1991 ‘mass rape’ incident
Traffic, anti-encroachment drives conclude
Hoteliers denounce proposed hike in power tariffs
Official apathy puts Kupwara student’s career at stake
If governed properly, J&K can have a bright future: Mufti
KU entrepreneurship cell head demands space to run programmes
Cross-country run held for students
Students and teachers of government schools falling in Nishat Zone on Sunday.
Tribune photo: AMin War
J&K Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra sign MoU
Two, including a 75-year-old man, drown
Students to present play against ragging
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Leopards on the prowl in Kupwara villages
Kupwara, April 28 Yesterday evening around 7.40 pm, a leopard attacked and injured Shabir Ahmad Bhat of Warpora Rajwar. The animal killed four goats near his cow shed before wounding Shabir. He was hospitalised in a Handwara hospital and later shifted to the SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar. Residents of many villages, including Zachaldara, Ahgam, Rajpora, Sultanpora, Yamrad and Satkochi said leopards were on the prowl and posing a threat to their lives. “The animals are on a killing spree and the department is watching as a mute spectator. Dozens of livestock have been devoured and we are facing threats to our lives,” said Ghulam Nabi, a resident of Warpora. Locals said at least eight to 10 leopards were roaming in the village, making their movement difficult. They said wild animals in their village were posing a threat to their lives
and cattle. Residents of many other villages in Lolab said leopards were on the prowl and especially children were vulnerable to attacks. “Wild animals come down to the village even during the day time. We are forced to accompany children to schools due to fear of attacks. Livestock is also increasing falling prey to attacks by wild animals,” said Javid Ahmad of
Darpora in Lolab. Reports from other villages, including Karihama and Deedikote, said leopards were on the prowl. “At least three to four leopards are roaming in the village during the night hours. The animals have devoured six cattle, including two cows, since Friday. Despite repeated representations to the wildlife officials, nothing has been done to prevent such attacks,” said Shamim Ahmad of Deedikote, Kupwara. The inhabitants of some other villages, including Ashpora, Kodi, Muqam and Chowkibal, said wild animals were posing a threat to human lives and cattle. Following increasing attacks by the wild animals, the Wildlife Department has set up cages in Deedikote, Warpora and Karihama to trap the animals. “We are planning to lay a few more traps to catch the animals as they keep on changing locations after attacking their prey at a particular place,” said an official of the department. Due to increasing human interference in their natural habitat, the animals have intensified movement into human habitations,”
said an official. |
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Mehbooba takes a dig at govt for Hepatitis-C outbreak
Srinagar, April 28 Mehbooba, along with senior PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra, visited the affected villages yesterday. In a statement, Mehbooba said according to local residents, since the outbreak of the disease in December 2012, around 1,700 persons out of a population of 4,000 souls in the two villages have tested positive for the virus. “Given the huge costs involved in the treatment of the disease, it is almost impossible for the poor people of the area to get adequate healthcare facilities,” she said and added even after being fully aware of the plight of the affected people in these villages, the state government seemed to be least bothered about reaching out to them with proper medicare facilities. The PDP president has urged the Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to personally intervene into the matter and depute a team of specialist doctors to the affected villages with medicines and other equipment as it is impossible for the patients from such a remote area to arrive at the SKIMS, Srinagar, frequently for treatment. “As the state government is in a complete slumber and the Union Health Ministry has already intervened in the spurious drug scam, I urge Azad Saheb to provide the much-needed medicare facilities to the hapless residents of Takia Magam and Sundbrari affected by Hepatitis-C, as one precious life has already been lost to the fatal disease,” she said. |
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PIL seeks reinvestigation of 1991 ‘mass rape’ incident
Srinagar, April 28 The matter is listed for consideration before a division Bench of the High Court, comprising Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey, for Monday. The incident involved the alleged rape of 32 village women by Army personnel in remote Kupwara village Kunan Poshpora on February 23 in 1991. In October 2011, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had passed a judgment on the incident, demanding re-opening of the case and filing a case against the then Director Prosecutions for “deliberately scuttling” the investigation into the matter. The commission had recommended the state to prosecute the then Director Prosecution who had sought closure of the case as the perpetrators were “untraceable”. “In fact, no investigation was conducted and the matter was hushed up by the government even as medical examination of 32 victims by the police had confirmed that the women had abrasions on their chest and abdomens and were raped by Army personnel,” states the PIL filed by a group of students and teachers through their counsel advocate Parvez Imroz Submi. Following the incident, the PIL says, the then District Magistrate, Kupwara, in his report had revealed the “grotesque” incident. “He was advised to visit Kunan Poshpora by his superiors, which he did a day or two later and gave a detailed account of what had transpired in the village,” states the PIL. “Later, the Magistrate filed a confidential report to then Divisional Commissioner (Wajahat Habibullah), with copies to seven others and FIR No 10/1991 was registered a month later in the Trehgam police station on March 18, 1991,” reads the PIL. It states that the then Divisional Commissioner had later conducted an “inconclusive” enquiry into the incident but had suggested a “criminal enquiry” by a senior gazetted officer, which was never conducted. In the PIL titled Uzma Qureshi and others versus the state government and others, the petitioners have sought initiation of legal proceedings against National Commission on Minorities chairperson Wajahat Habibullah (who was then the Kahmir Divisional Commissioner), Indian Federation of Working Journalists (IFWJ) president K Vikram Rao and New Delhi Centre for Police Research visiting professor BG Verghese for “covering up” the incident. Following the incident, members of the Press Council of India and the IFWJ had visited the village and submitted reports regarding the matter.
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Traffic, anti-encroachment drives conclude
Srinagar, April 28 The eviction drive, which was carried out by the Srinagar Traffic Police Department in conjunction with the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), during the week-long exercise resulted in clearance of the footpaths by vendors and make-shift stalls. The footpaths, which are essentially pedestrians’ terrain were choked in the city, making it difficult for the people to walk on roads. People heaved a sigh of relief with the footpath encroachments having been removed during the drive. However, there are apprehensions that the encroachers may return to these footpaths after some days. “It has been observed that whenever the eviction drives were carried out by the administration, they proved to be a failure. The vendors and beggars usually return to footpaths after a few days of the drive and sometimes they allege that there is a nexus operating between them and the authorities,” said Imran Shafi, a Hari Singh High Street-based businessman. The footpath encroachments usually force the people to walk in the middle of the road which restricts traffic movement, leading to chaotic jams. “Encroachment is a big problem and it has led to congestion in the city, troubling pedestrians and transporters alike. I don’t think a total eviction drive, which displaces these small-time vendors and poor beggars, will be fair as they have no other source of source. A good rehabilitation policy should be instead prepared by the administration for these vendors,” said Muhammad Saqlain, a college lecturer. Although an immediate rehabilitation plan for the displaced footpath encroachers has been dismissed by the city administration, the displaced vendors say they will protest against the high-handedness of the authorities. “We are poor and sole bread earners for our families. We have been selling fish here on Amira Kadal bridge pavements for decades and even various political parties, including the PDP, had supported us. The state government can’t snatch our livelihood from us without providing us with sufficient remuneration,” said Maroofa, a displaced fisherwoman.
We are poor and sole bread earners for our families. We have been selling fish here on Amira Kadal bridge pavements for decades and even various political parties, including the PDP, had supported us. The state government can’t snatch our livelihood from us without providing us with sufficient remuneration~ — Maroofa, displaced fisherwoman |
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Hoteliers denounce proposed hike in power tariffs
Srinagar, April 28 Stating that during its hearing at Srinagar, the SERC had acknowledged that the issues raised by the hoteliers over power tariffs were ‘genuine’, KHAROF president Faiz Bakshi said: “It is ironic that despite presenting the case of hotel industry before the SERC, demanding to be treated on a par with small-scale industries for the application of power tariff in view of the fact that tourism has been declared as an industry in the year 1995, our plea has not been accepted…the hike in tariff is unfortunate.” Bakshi said there was a ‘need to protect’ the tourism industry ‘instead of crippling it by burdening it with more charges’. “Hotels and restaurants are being charged commercial tariff, which is one of the highest in the country despite the fact that tourism is the only industry which has a potential of contributing significantly to the state Gross Domestic Product. The industry gives direct employment to about 3.5 lakh persons and indirect employment to around 15 lakh in the state,” he said. |
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Official apathy puts Kupwara student’s career at stake
Kupwara, April 28 What followed was a traumatic experience for the poor candidate. After several representations, his case was finally taken up for a review by the unfair means committee of the BOSE. After issuance of a few notifications, finally on April 27, the BOSE issued a marks certificate to him, showing above 80 per cent marks in all subjects but only 14 marks in education. “The committee members followed every self-made procedure to satisfy them but never provided me a Xerox copy of the education paper, which they were bound to provide under rules. The committee forcibly thrust ‘unfair means’ decision on me without having sufficient enough evidence,” said Showkat. The BOSE’s unfair means committee also examined the candidate’s handwriting and was satisfied that all papers were written in his own handwriting. “The committee showed me the answer sheet of history examination but did not provide me the Xerox copy of education. I was made to make several visits to the office in pursuance of declaration of result and finally the BOSE held on to its unfair means decision without any concrete evidence in support of harsh decision,” he said. The candidate alleged that about four months delay in the declaration of unsatisfactory result has put his career at stake. “I fail to understand why the BOSE took such a long time in declaring my result. What is even more frustrating is the fact that the BOSE did not satisfy me with its decision as it didn’t follow the proper procedure,” he added. Showkat said Fayaz Ahmad, another candidate bearing Roll No 519279, had mistakenly or deliberately mentioned my Roll No on his answer sheet but the same was properly ascertained by the committee to their satisfaction. “On their directions I brought Principal of the mt institution before the committee also but l never understood what made the BOSE to stick to its decision. Even if I am failing in education paper, the BOSE should have provided me the Xerox copy,” said Showkat. BOSE secretary Renu Goswami said there was definitely a provision to provide a Xerox copy of an answer sheet in question even in unfair means cases. “I will look into the matter and recommend his case for a review if necessary,” she said. Joint Secretary, Secrecy, Rouf Ahmad said, “I will personally look into the matter. The candidate should appear before me in person at the earliest.”
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If governed properly, J&K can have a bright future: Mufti
Srinagar, April 28 Addressing a public meeting at Srigufwara in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Mufti said the state had suffered due to governance deficit and educated youth were either unemployed or had jobs which were below their potential. Mufti said the break between 2002 and 2008 of the NC domination on the political and government scene had established clearly that the standard of life of people in the state could be drastically improved. “It was not only the security scenario, which had improved during that period but the development process had also invigorated. If that process had continued, the state would have changed beyond recognition. The impression that ‘all governments are alike’ is a deliberate attempt by non-performers to dilute the achievements of the PDP in its brief tenure,” Mufti said. The former CM said there were instances within the country in which the development scenario had been changed perceptibly by a new government. He said, “Bihar was considered the worst governed state and was cited as an example of backwardness but it is now the fastest growing state in the country. Similarly, Jammu & Kashmir had experienced an unprecedented activity on all fronts under the previous coalition.” “We had been able to change the discourse from conflict to resolution and from personal safety concerns to demands for speedier development and from a status of siege to the freedom of travel across borders, across LoC and even internally between the regions,” he said. Senior party leader and former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussein Baig said the NC had sold out vital resources of development for its own power. He said the party handed over the most feasible power projects to the NHPC just for securing a junior ministry for Omar Abdullah when it had aligned with the BJP. He said the darkness in the state was the result of the NC’s lust for power. |
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KU entrepreneurship cell head demands space to run programmes
Srinagar, April 28 This came to light in a review meeting of the KU authorities on Saturday, where EDC director Prof GM Bhat apprised KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad and Registrar Prof Zaffar Ahmad of various programmes undertaken by the EDC. Bhat said the problem of inadequate space for the department was hampering its work and therefore, the authorities should look into the matter with a sense of urgency. “I think concrete measures should be taken in the best interest of the centre, which can act as a good source of employment generation for youth of the state,” said Prof Bhat. The Vice-Chancellor assured Bhat that funds would be provided to the centre and that the university was contemplating entering into an agreement with Tata industries to help entrepreneurs find a platform. He added that the university was trying to enter into a number of collaborations with different corporations and financial centres. The EDC was established five years ago with the support of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. |
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Cross-country run held for students
Srinagar, April 28 In the senior boys’ category, Riyaz Hussain of Government Middle School, Dalka Pora, secured the first position, Muzamil Ali Sultan of the same school bagged the second position and Mudassir Hussain of Boys High School, Nand Pora, secured the third position. In the senior girls’ category, Dalka Pora Government Middle School’s students Hafeeza Hassan, Fatima Jan and Shabnam Rasool secured the first , second and third positions, respectively. In the junior boys’ category, Yawar Abass of Primary School, Kani Kachi, won the first position, Imdad Ali of Primary School, Roni Mohalla Dal, and Mohd Abass of Midlle School, Kand Mohalla, secured the third position. In the junior girls’ category, the first position was secured by Fatima of Primary School, Roni Mohalla, second position was secured by Nargis of Primary School, Lati Mohalla, and the third position was secured by Waheeda of Primary School, Kani Kachi Dal. The headmasters of the participating schools thanked the zonal president of the teachers’ forum, Ashiq Hussain, for organising the event. |
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J&K Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra sign MoU
Srinagar, April 28 The MOU was signed by Pushap Kumar Tickoo, president, J&K Bank, and Arun Malhotra, chief sales & customer care officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd in the presence of Abdul Hamid Banday, executive president of the bank, and Jyoti Malhotra, senior general manager, sales (north zone), M&M. “The tie-up will enable both J&K Bank and M&M to leverage on the inherent strengths of each other’s network of 685 business units and over 250 dealer outlets, respectively, across India. In the state, the bank has 577 business units and M&M is having a network of six dealers,” said J&K Bank spokesman in a statement issued here today. Abdul Hamid Banday said, “J&K Bank is expanding its operations in commercial and passenger vehicle financing. It has been making niche offerings to its customers and this arrangement with M&M will be one such special initiative. Customers of J&K Bank will benefit from this tie-up since they will have access to specialised services of M&M.” |
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Two, including a 75-year-old man, drown
Srinagar, April 28 Khatana’s body was later fished out and handed over to his family. Another man, identified as 40-year-old Ghulam Mohammad Khan of Naibasti Banjar Wussan, died when he fell into a stream at Badamarg Nakwan near Gutlibagh in the district, the spokesman said. The body was retrieved and later handed over to his family, the spokesman said. |
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Students to present play against ragging
Srinagar, April 28 The play has been timed in such a way so as to coincide it with the admission process, which is currently under way in Kashmir University for all the regular courses. The street play titled ‘Speak Up’ is being produced by students of the third semester students of Media Education Research Centre under the guidance of its coordinator Faruq Masudi. |
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Srinagar, April 28
Srinagar, April 28
