Srinagar, July 4
Observing that the houseboats on the Dal Lake should soon be shifted to the Doldrum area, which is another area inside the Dal Lake, the High Court today asked the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) to file a comprehensive relocation plan before the Bench within two weeks.

These directions were passed by a division Bench comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Mohammad Yaqoob Mir.

The High Court has been hearing a public interest litigation plea calling for the conservation of the Dal Lake and monitoring the efforts of the government in this regard for the past many years.

Earlier during a hearing on May 9, while observing that the ‘undertaking’ given by the houseboat owners to the court about shifting of the houseboats, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had directed the government to give ‘effect’ to the plan developed by the LAWDA about the shifting of houseboats on the Dal Lake from their present position.

LAWDA vice-president Irfan Yasin today at the hearing sought time to file the comprehensive relocation plan.

Subsequently, the Bench in its orders directed the LAWDA authorities to file the comprehensive relocation plan within two weeks with an advance copy to the amicus curie. The Bench also observed that shifting of the houseboats to the Doldrum area should be done as soon as possible.

In a bid to prevent pollution in the lake and to supervise the efforts of the government to conserve it, the HC had on October 29, 2011 directed the houseboat owners to shift their anchored houseboats from their existing position at the lake by 300 feet from the Boulevard Road, which forms the outer periphery of the lake.

The High Court had ordered that the retrieval process of 230 houseboats should be carried out within 10 days. These orders were passed by the court following an undertaking given by the House Boat Owners Association (HBOA), wherein they had submitted a counter-proposal and volunteered to relocate the anchored boats backwards, around 300 feet.

However, since then the boat owners had shown non-compliance of the court directions, which had on May 9, 2013 prompted the Bench to pass strong observations against the houseboat owners.

Srinagar, July 4
The Jammu and Kashmir government has appealed against the acquittal of three persons, Syed Shabir Bukhari, Shakil Ahmed Sofi and Mushtaq Ahmed Akhoon, accused of conspiring with militants in killing the former J&K education minister, Ghulam Nabi Lone, in 2005.

Lone was killed in a fidayeen (suicide) attack at his official residence in Tulsibagh area of Srinagar on October 18, 2005, in which two militants, three security men and a civilian were also killed.

The division Bench of the court, which admitted the appeal today after condoning the delay in filing the appeal, issued notices to the three respondents asking them to file their objections within four weeks time.

They were accused of hatching a conspiracy with Pakistan-based militants and killing the then junior education minister Ghulam Nabi Lone. They were, however, acquitted by the then Additional Sessions Judge Srinagar RK Watal on October 10, 2012 on the ground that the “prosecution” had failed to “build a chain of circumstantial evidence” against the accused.

However, their acquittal has now been challenged by the government before the High Court on the ground that “the trail court had erroneously held in the impugned judgment that the prosecution was under legal obligation to prove the conspiracy.”

“The prosecution at the most is expected to establish some points from which inference can be drawn that the accused seated in covert,” it has been submitted in the appeal before the High Court filed through additional advocate general Riyaz Ahmad Khan.

“The occurrence in question, which resulted in the death of the minister and security officials amply establishes that the accused hatched the conspiracy in a concrete order to carry out the deadly act,” it has been further submitted in the grounds of the appeal.

Soon after the killing of the minister, the trio was picked by the police and charged of hatching a conspiracy with Pakistani militants in eliminating the minister.

The fourth accused in the case, Pakistan-based militant Abu Osama, is already dead.

The other accused in the case include Bashir Ahmad Sheikh, hailing from Sopore, Salah-ud-Din and Abdul Rehman, both hailing from Pakistan. All these three persons have not been acquitted by the trial court as they did not appear before it and subsequently have been declared as absconders by the court.

Srinagar, July 4
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) will set up 299 bus shelters through a public-private partnership (PPP) mode to streamline traffic in the summer capital. SMC commissioner GN Qasba said the corporation had decided to rope in corporate houses in setting up these shelters that would be made of stainless steel.

“We will be setting up bus shelters at 299 spots across the city through the PPP mode,” the SMC commissioner said. He said the civic body would soon float tenders in this regard. Private players would have advertising rights but they have to share the revenue earned through advertisements with the government.

Private buses stop almost anywhere to board passengers, leading to traffic jams in the city. Residents have been demanding setting-up of designated bus stops with proper shelters to streamline the vehicular movement.

Meanwhile, the SMC media relations officer said Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Shailendra Kumar had already approved the SMC proposal of setting up the bus shelters.

A SMC official said Qasba made a power presentation focusing on the concept of developing stainless steel shelters for the public convenience and to improve upon the development of the city at a meeting with the Divisional Commissioner, Srinagar Development Authority (SDA), Traffic Police and Roads and Buildings Department officials.

“The Divisional Commissioner directed the authorities concerned to proceed ahead with the proposal,” the SMC official said.

Kupwara, July 4
A part of Kupwara town, near the bus stand, is without power for the past five days. Locals and Shopkeepers complained that a transformer installed 
near the bus stand developed a snag on Sunday. They said the power department had not lifted the transformer for repair so far forcing them to grope into darkness.

“As many as 40 families and many shops located near the bus stand are without power. Despite some pleas to the officials of the power division, Kupwara, the transformer has not been lifted for the repair work so far,” said Riyaz Ahmad, local resident.

“If the power was not restored before Friday, we will be forced to take to streets in protest against the power division. We are made to pay tariff for the whole month even if the supply is snapped for some time,” said Iqbal Ahmad, another resident.

“During the past six months, the transformer developed sang twice. In March, we remained without power for 10 days due to a snag in the transformer,” said Abdul Rashid, a trader.

Hoteliers and traders are the worst sufferers as their business had been hit due to non-availability of electricity. “Refrigerators are not working due to non-availability of electricity and we are unable to sell juices and other beverages to the customers. We appeal to the power division to restore the power supply at the earliest,” said Muneer Ahmad.

Students said their studies were badly hit. “In the absence of power, we are forced to study under candle lights. The power facility ensured long hours of study during nights. We make a fervent appeal to the executive engineer power division, Kupwara, to ensure that supply is restored without delay,” said Wasim Imran, a class XII student.

A middle-rung official of the power department said the transformer would be lifted tomorrow and installed soon. “Before Monday, the transformer will be installed after repairs and the electricity supply will be restored,” he said. 

Srinagar, July 4
Various facilities are in place for Amarnath pilgrims at the base camps and transit points in Anantnag district of south Kashmir and Baltal in Ganderbal district. The base camps have the capacity of accommodating 6,000-7,000 persons at one time with food, drinking water and toilet facilities.

The authorities have been strictly adhering to the limit of 15,000 pilgrims on the two tracks each day to maintain the flow of pilgrims and tackle any situation arising out of bad weather conditions.

In all there are more than 50 langars set up for the yatris from Qazigund, gateway to Kashmir on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, to Pajtarni, the last halting station, six km short of the holy cave. Similar arrangements are in place along the 14-km-long Baltal to the holy cave track in Sonmarg area of Ganderbal.

The two camps set up near Qazigund have the capacity of accommodating at least 5,000 persons at a time. The base camp at Nunwan (Pahalgam), where the pilgrims’ movement is regulated, has the capacity of accommodating 7,000 persons and all yatris arriving in convoys from Jammu have a night stay at the camp before moving on to the holy cave every morning. As many as 14 langars had been set-up near the camps and enough eatables have been stored for the entire yatra period, officials said.

Srinagar, July 4
Life limped back to normalcy in north Kashmir’s Bandipore district after witnessing a four-day shutdown and protests over the killing of two youth allegedly in the Army firing.

Shops, business establishments, private and government offices and educational institutions resumed their work in Bandipore, about 57 km from Srinagar, Hajin, Sumbal and other localities of the district after remaining shut for four days. The transport that had remained affected due to the strike and restrictions imposed by the authorities also returned on roads.

Government offices, educational institutions, banks and courts also functioned normally.

Two civilians - Irfan Ahmad Ganai (17) of Markundal village of Bandipora district and Tariq Ahmad of Kondbal village of Ganderbal district-were allegedly shot by the Army soldiers during a counter-insurgency operation at Markundal village on Sunday morning. The police has already registered a murder case and has started the investigations into the killings.

The Army had denied shooting Ganai and said it shot Ahmad in self-defense when protesters agitating against Ganai’s killing, tried to attack an Army ambulance. The killing had sparked a series of protests in Bandipore and neighbouring Ganderbal. 

Srinagar, July 4
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today inaugurated the Drungi Micro Hydel Power Project at Tangmarg in north Kashmir.

The project, which is located on Ferozpur Nallah, had been set up under the independent power producers (IPP) mode, an official said, adding that it had been financed by the J&K Bank and completed at a cost of Rs 90 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, Omar said the project would provide electricity to the local areas of Tangmarg and Gulmarg and prove highly beneficial for the area, especially during the winters.

He urged the local entrepreneurs to come forward and take up the projects reserved for the locals under the new hydel policy.

Stating that the Jammu and Kashmir Bank had been asked to provide finances liberally to the local entrepreneurs in this regard, Omar said investment in the power sector would always be a gainful economic activity for the entrepreneurs.

Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir, MoS Power Viqar Rasool and MoS Animal Husbandry Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, MLA and provincial president Kashmir, National Conference, Nasir Aslam Wani, principal secretary, Power, AK Mehta, chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, Mushtaq Ahmad and managing director, State Power Development Corporation, Basharat Ahmad Dhar were also present on the occasion. 

Srinagar, July 4
Kashmiri students studying in various parts of the country are safe and will not face any harassment outside the state. This was stated by National Commission for Minorities (NCM) chairman Wajahat Habibullah at a seminar here today.

Wajahat Habibullah said, “If there is any problem, the students can approach us.”

He said he had taken up this issue with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had given him an assurance that Kashmiri students would not face any harassment outside the state. The one-day seminar on “Aspirations of Kashmiri youth and their accommodation”, organised by the J&K Youth Development Forum was held at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC).

He said in a democratic country like India, there was a solution to every problem. “The youth should stand up and deliver as they are the future of the nation,” he said. The NCM chairman said Kashmiri students would be given a due consideration to take coaching in the civil services in other state institutes.

Srinagar, July 4
CPM state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has demanded a thorough probe into the alleged paper leakage of Common Entrance Test (CET). Expressing surprise over the government’s casual approach on the CET paper leakage, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said weeks have passed and authorities were yet to come out with facts behind the awful incident.

In a statement issued here today, Tarigami, while expressing concern over the leakage of question papers in the CET conducted by the Board of Professional Entrance Examination (BOPEE), demanded a thorough probe into functioning of the institution.

“An impartial probe would fix the responsibility,” Tarigami said, adding that the leakage of question papers had exposed the integrity of the transparent institutions of the state like BOPEE.

“Such casual approach has marred the future of thousands of talented and deserving students, and will definitely affect the future of our state by promoting undeserving candidates through illegal means,” he added.

“This has not happened for the first time, but the administration has failed to take any action against those entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining secrecy. The government must come clean on the issue as soon as possible and a time-bound inquiry should be ordered in this regard,” he demanded.

On Wednesday, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court had taken suo moto cognisance of the CET paper leak and issued notices to the chief secretary and secretary, BOPEE, asking them to file reply within two weeks. 

Srinagar, July 4
A police-public meeting was held at Panzath, Qazigund, in south Kashmir on Thursday. More than 200 persons, including panches and sarpanches of the area participated in the meeting.

Station House Officer, Qazigund, Ashfaq Alam chaired the meeting, besides DySP probation also attended the meeting.

“Participants highlighted various grievances in the meeting. Most of the grievances were with regard to civic amenities and other facilities in the area,” a police spokesman said.

The SHO also conducted another meeting at the police station with civil society members. “The participants highlighted the grievances like overloading of passengers vehicles, operation of the SRTC buses to hilly areas, proper supply of ration as per fixed scale of the state government,” the spokesman said.

The SHO assured the participants that their demands would be taken with the authorities concerned for immediate redressal. 

Srinagar, July 4
Ambassador of Switzerland in India Dr Linus Von Castelmur called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah here on Thursday and discussed various matters of mutual interest with him. An official spokesman said matters pertaining to new tourism development initiatives put in place by the state government to rope in high end tourists from across the globe also came up for discussion in the meeting.

“The Chief Minister apprised the visiting Diplomat about the huge tourist potential of Jammu and Kashmir and its diversity in the three different regions of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said, adding that matters relating to general development of the state and welfare of the people also came up in the meeting. 

Srinagar, July 4
The House committee of the state Legislative Council, constituted to look into alleged embezzlement of public money in Jammu and Kashmir Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (JAKFED), today appealed to the public to provide information in this regard.

The appeal was issued in an official statement after the committee held a meeting under the chairmanship of MLC Khalid Najeeb Sawarwardhy, here today.

“Discussions on the issue were held threadbare and members gave their valuable suggestions in this regard,” the statement added.

Legislators Naresh Kumar Gupta, Ravinder Kumar Sharma, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Ali Mohammad Dar and Mohammad Muzaffar Paray were also present at the meeting.