Srinagar, August 31
The "Jail Bharo Andolan" of Urban Local Bodies' employees of Kashmir today concluded amid protests followed by lathicharge and use of water cannons by the police to disperse the protesters. Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) leaders Abdul Qayum Wani, Farooq Ahmad Trali and Nissar Ahmad led the protests.

The employees took out a procession from Khalsa School here, which was later foiled by the police. They said they would hold a torchlight procession to the Chief Minister’s residence if their demands were not immediately met by the state government.

The employees have been demanding release of their salaries for the past six months. They are also waiting their arrears, Gratuity Provident Fund and other benefits for many months.

The protesters said in order to solve their problems, the state government had recently constituted a commission which had approved of eight recommendations aimed at meeting their demands.

“Till now, only one recommendation has been met by the state government. We have been forced to take to the streets as we don't have other avenues to sustain our families,” said Nissar Ahmad, spokesperson, EJAC and urban local bodies.

He said the state government should not take the conclusion of the Jail Bharo Andholan as the end of the employees' movement.

“The movement is still very strong. Our demands haven’t been met despite assurances. We are keeping a close watch on the cabinet decisions being taken and will intensify our agitation during the upcoming Legislative Assembly sessions,” Nissar said.

Kupwara, August 31
Despite the ban on extraction of stones, boulders and sand from streams in this frontier district, the illegal practice is going on unabated at various spots in Kupwara, Lolab, Kehmil and Mawar streams disturbing the ecology of the area.

Residents said the practice was affecting agricultural activities as the water level in these streams was decreasing, leading to shortage of irrigation and drinking water.

"Some years ago, there were dozens of springs and streams flowing through this area. Now the water level is decreasing in these streams due to illegal extraction of sand and boulders," said Javid Ahmad, a local resident.

"Besides, this indiscriminate extraction is disintegrating rocks in the nullahs, making the low-lying residential areas more prone to floods," he added.

Reports said following incessant rains last week, heavy extraction of sand and boulders was going on in streams, a few of which are famous for the trout fish. The Lolab stream is worst hit by extraction near Malik Mohalla, Gir-Hatti, Zangli, Goose, Khumriyal, Shatmuqam, Warnow, Khurhama, Brunut, Sharanth, Batnard and Gratnard villages.

Heavy vehicles, including tippers, tractors and JCB machines, are mainly used by contractors for extraction of sand and boulders from the streams and transportation to other areas in the district. In Vijh and Mawar nullahs in Handwara, stones and boulders are being indiscriminately extracted, which is affecting the ecology of the area.

Moreover, in a brazen violation of rules governing environmental protection, a dozen stone crusher units are causing high levels of air, noise and water pollution in many villages of Handwara tehsil. Villagers have demanded closure of these units saying that the operators of these units were not taking measures to check pollution.

Residents of villages such as Langate, Shanu, Galoora, Pohru, Badgund, Maratgam, Chak, Kalamabad, Kutlan and Talwari said they were suffering from diseases such as jaundice and gastroenteritis due to consumption of contaminated water from the Mawar nullah.

The stone crusher units operate on the banks of the nullah for about six to eight hours daily, extracting tonnes of stones and sand.

Srinagar, August 31
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has claimed that around 1,000-km-long roads were "constructed, upgraded and improved" and 40 new bridges have been constructed during his tenure in Baramulla district.

He said this while while addressing public at Pattan in north Kashmir's Baramulla district.

The Chief Minister presented his resume of "achievements registered by his government" in the past four-and-a-half years "despite difficulties and hiccups" on the law and order front, an official spokesman said in a statement here.

"The CM said his government delivered on the development front meritoriously and made new strides in good governance to people and making the administration transparent," the spokesman said.

Omar said in Baramulla district alone, some 1,000-km-long roads had been constructed, upgraded and improved and 40 bridges had been constructed during this period, the spokesman said.

"He said in Pattan constituency, Rs 15.50 crore had been spent on the development of roads, four new bridges and 70-km-long roads were constructed. He added that a modern hospital worth Rs 7.17 crore was coming up in the area," the spokesman quoted the CM.

Omar said the Sub-District Hospital, Sopore, had been constructed at a cost of Rs 60 crore; Primary Health Centre (PHC), Sheeri, at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore; the PHC, Hardshiva, at Rs 1.48 crore; and the PHC, Delina, at a cost of Rs 1.18 crore and the Rs 1.19-crore PHC, Singhpora, project was under way, the statement read.

"The Chief Minister said 670 new schools had been opened in Baramulla district, out of which 100 were in Pattan constituency. He said 569 primary schools had been upgraded to middle schools in Baramulla, out of which 51 are in Pattan constituency," the statement said.

Omar added that out of the 50 middle schools upgraded in Baramulla, eight were in Pattan.

"The Chief Minister said his government had started 115 water supply schemes in Baramulla district at a cost of Rs 291.91 crore, out of which 12 schemes worth Rs 30.58 crore were in Pattan," the statement said.

The state government has also established a State Rehabilitation Council for providing relief to victims of militancy-related incidents.

The Jammu & Kashmir Juvenile Justice Act, 1997, for care, protection, treatment, development and rehabilitation of neglected or delinquent juveniles and for the adjudication of certain matters related to the disposition of delinquent juveniles is also in force in the state.

Srinagar, August 31
A group of Kashmiri civil society members, which had opposed the Zubin Mehta concert scheduled on September 7, today announced that it would hold a parallel event on the same day to present the "real picture" of the region.

The civil society members said they would hold "Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir" (reality of Kashmir) at a park in the city here on September 7, when the Bombay-born internationally acclaimed conductor of western classical music will hold his grand concert "Ehsaas-e-Kashmir" at Shalimar Garden.

The two venues are 12 km from each other.

"We are trying to rope in more and more people because it will be a people's cultural event. It is not sponsored by any political party or any government. It is a response to the government-sponsored event Ehsaas-e-Kashmir," said Khurram Parvez, a human rights activist, and the spokesperson for Haqeeqat-e-Kashmir.

He said the event would feature local singers, poets and artists. An exhibition of photographs of the past 23 years would also be held.

"We feel that you cannot have the ehsaas (feel) of Kashmir till you know the reality and when you deliberately don't want to know the reality, a cultural event such as Ehsaas-e-Kashmir is only to obfuscate the truth and whitewash the crimes of the Government of India," Parvez said.

He said their event would be a tribute to the "resilience and struggle" of people of Kashmir where artists will highlight the "sufferings" of the people.

The civil society members, including doctors, academicians and human rights activists, had earlier opposed Mehta's concert in Kashmir saying it could be used to "further an occupying state's narrative".

Ambassadors of European nations, industrialists and heads of international corporate houses will be among the 1,500 guests attending the concert, he said.

Srinagar, August 31
People today beat a personal security officer (PSO) of counter insurgent Papa Kishtwari's wife in Sadder court complex in Srinagar.

Witnesses said the said PSO tried to meet Kishtawari while in judicial lockup in the court complex soon after Kishtwari attended the scheduled case hearing involving the custodial killing and disappearance of a Nishat-based contractor, Ali Mohammad Mir.

Ali Muhammad Mir, a resident of Brein Nishat, was allegedly kidnapped and subsequently killed on June 26, 1996, by a counter-insurgency group, led by Ghulam Muhammad Lone, alias Papa Kishtwari, who is currently in the judicial custody and facing trial in the case pertaining to the contractor’s murder.

“As soon as Kishtwari entered the judicial lockup inside the court complex after attending today’s trial proceedings, his wife’s personal escort (PSO) was already present there. The presence of the PSO was objected to the public and he was dragged out of the judicial lockup room and thrashed outside by the people,” witnesses said.

However, the PSO was saved from further thrashing by the police personnel present on the occasion and taken to safety, witnesses added.

“After coming out from the court room, undertrial Kishtwari threatened me that I won’t get any justice for perusing the cause of disappeared persons. He told that I may grow old, but won’t be able to get justice,” Zahoor alleged.

Srinagar, August 31
In a case involving the detention of Srinagar-based journalist and Tribune staffer, the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Right Commission (SHRC) has asked the said mediapersons to submit a statement of facts by or before next hearing.

The rights' body has acted after a complainant was made to it by Rajya Sabha member Avinash Raj Khanna, wherein he had approached the rights' body against the detention of the said journalist by the police last year in Srinagar.

Azhar Qadri, a Srinagar-based journalist and staffer with The Tribune, was assaulted by an IPS officer and later detained for more than an hour at a police station while he was covering a student protest in the city on September 26 last year.

Taking a note of the incident, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had subsequently assured a probe into the assault on the journalist.

"In connection with complaint filed by Avinash Raj Khanna, MP (Rajya Sabha) versus state, I am requesting you to inform Azhar Qadri, staff correspondent of The Tribune, Srinagar, to file the statement of facts or the rejoinder to the report furnished by the SDPO Shaheed Gung, Srinagar," the administrative officer of the SHRC said.

He has been asked to file the same rejoinder by or before September 9, the next date of hearing fixed by the commission.

On the other hand, SDPO Shaheed Gung, Srinagar, in his report to the commission has alleged that during the dispersal of one protesting paramedic group along with some unidentified youth, the protesters allegedly threw stones on the police.

"During the course of events some unknown youth, who were palpably anchoring and arousing the protesters, were detained. In this regard, a case FIR (79/2012) dated September 29, 2012, under Sections 147,148 and 336 of the RPC has been registered," the SDPO has stated in his report to the commission.

Srinagar, August 31
An ex-servicemen rally was organised by the Army at Baramulla on August 24.

A Defence spokesman said pension and welfare-related issues of ex-servicemen and the widows of martyrs (veer naris) were addressed. “The audience was made aware about the latest health-related schemes and recruitment opportunities for their wards in the Army as also in the civil sector,” he said. The rally was inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Dagger Division, Major Gen VG Khandare.

The GOC highlighted the contribution of the gallant ex-servicemen in the service to the nation.

“The GOC assured the ex-servicemen and veer naris of all possible aid and assistance for their welfare,” the spokesman said .

A large number of ex-servicemen and veer naris attended the event.

“The rally encompassed activities of interaction with pension and recruitment officials concerned, health schemes and bank loans for pensioners. Zila Sainik Board Welfare Officer was also present to attend to welfare related problems. Free medical camp was well attended. The J&K Bank came forward to provide blankets to ex-servicemen and families.

Srinagar, August 31
The three-day long celebrations from August 29 to August 31 were held on the eve of the National Sports Day in Srinagar under the aegies of the J&K National Sports Club and the J&K Ball Hockey Association. The celebrations started on August 29 and continued for three days.

During the three-day celebrations, seminars, sports quiz and debates on various sports activities were held in which hundreds of sportspersons participated. Experts shared their experiences with the youth.

During the celebrations, importance of sports were explained and highlighted by some of the prominent sports personalities of the state.

Some prominent sportspersons of the Valley stressed on the need for providing adequate infrastructure and other sports facilities for the youth of Kashmir so that their sports talent is exhibited at the national and international levels.

MLA, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Mustafa Kamal, was the chief guest on the concluding function.

While stressing on the need for promotion of sports infrastructure in the Valley, Mustafa Kamal congratulated various sportspersons who have brought laurels to the state during the past few years in different fields of sports.

Mustafa Kamal stressed that time has come that we should revive the hockey sports in the state as hockey is our national game.

He said hockey has been neglected inthis part of the country. He added that all necessary steps would be initiated for the revival of hockey in J&K. Kamal also distributed prizes among some of the outstanding sportspersons of the Valley.

He distributed prizes among sportspersons who participated in various debates, seminars and quiz during the said National Sports Day celebrations.

Indian National Ball Hockey Federation secretary general Wasim Raja was also present on the occasion. 

Srinagar, August 31
Two persons were killed in separate road accidents in the Valley, the police today said.

Bilal Ahmad Shah of Ashmuqam died after he fell from a tractor and was overrun by the vehicle.

A five-year-old girl identified as Mantaha of Mujgund village died after she was she was hit by a bus near her home in the city, a police spokesman said. — TNS