Srinagar, October 4
The two-day employee lockout which is a part of the week-long state government employee stir against the government began today which paralysed the work across public department offices, government schools and even essential services.

At some offices in summer capital Srinagar, the members of Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), an amalgam of various employee factions ensured the lockout.

Prominent leaders of the Joint Consultative Committee and Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) have either been arrested or have remained underground for making the employee protest programme successful.

Sources said the Jammu and Kashmir Teachers’ Forum which is also a part of EJAC visited many government schools in the Srinagar and Budgam districts of valley earlier in the morning to ensure the lockout.

“The attendance registers of the teachers and other staffers at schools were seized by JKTF members and hence the schools were closed,” a government school teacher posted at Kanipora area of uptown Srinagar, wishing anonymity, told The Tribune.

Pertinently, a majority of the government and private schools along with State Board of School Education(BoSE) are currently conducting annual examinations which also remained affected due to the employee strike.

The lockout strike is supposed to conclude tomorrow and the employees will also plan secretariat gherao tomorrow.

“Despite the inconsiderate state government and the little interest shown by the legislators in the ongoing Assembly session, we are firm that we will continue our protests. The government issuing orders of strict action to be taken against the protesting employees is not going to deter us,” Nissar Ahmad, EJAC spokesperson said.

The employees' demands include release of arrears recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies and regularisation of daily wagers and casual workers working in various government departments.

The other Joint Consultative Committee demands are inclusion of five years of contractual service of Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers in the service book and regularisation of education volunteers after seven years of service.

Srinagar, October 4
The five-day protest programme of state government employees today rocked Legislative Assembly.

Raising the issue in the Legislative Assembly today, Tarigami expressed his concern over use of force against the employees and demanded that the House be taken into confidence, wondering why talks between employees and the government failed. He said it does not augur well for the government to invoke draconian laws like Essential Services Maintenance Act against its own employees. He demanded that there should be no more crackdowns against employees and their leaders.

BJP MLA Chaman Lal Gupta expressed similar views and demanded that the House be taken into confidence on the issue. — TNS

Srinagar, October 4
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has appealed to the parents and the civil society to play their role in ensuring the use of crash helmets by youth driving two-wheelers to ensure their safety while driving on the roads.

He said this while intervening during the Question Hour in the State Legislative Council on the question of traffic rules violations by the youth, particularly those driving two-wheelers. The question was raised by Congress member Ghulam Nabi Monga, saying that a majority of the youth were driving scooters without wearing helmets alongwith two other associates. The Chief Minister said this should be discouraged as it was for the safety of the youth on the roads, while he ruled out the suggestion of a member to arrest such youth. “We are already facing a lot of criticism on the arrest of youth - If we start arresting the traffic violating youth, there will be a lot of criticism,” said the Chief Minister.

“We will do all that which is possible for checking this menace,” Omar 
maintained.

Earlier, the House was informed through a written reply on the question that the traffic police had enhanced the regulation system and surprise checks were being carried out by the special squads so as to exercise strict vigil on each route and vulnerable areas to act as deterrents for the violators. Giving details, the House was informed that 59,391 challans were issued against the motorcyclists till August this year. At least 350 motorbikes have been seized till August this year, the reply stated.

It was also informed that the field staff of traffic police has been directed to ensure effectiveness in checking of visible offences in their respective jurisdictions. It added that to curb the menace of driving of scooters without wearing helmets by young boys along with their associates, traffic campaigns, seminar, debates, road shows are being regularly held in the educational institutions for spreading awareness among the youth.

The House was informed that traffic weeks are also being organised in which the young students of schools and colleges are also being involved for spreading traffic awareness among them.

Srinagar, October 4
Following High Court orders, the sealing drive of illegal structures by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) ended today amid continued resentment expressed by the affected businessmen.

Srinagar Municipal Corporation Media Relations Officer Masrat Yousuf said the corporation today sealed eight illegal structures set up at Shalteng HMT. She said the Srinagar Municipal Corporation enforcement team headed by Hakeem Aijaz that conducted the drive for the last three days had to put up with strong resentment from those affected.

Masrat said protests as also stone-pelting incidents were witnessed today as well. "The drive had to be called off more than three times to maintain law and order at the site. However, the team, with the assistance of SHO Parimpora, succeeded in sealing all the eight master plan violating structures, of which, five were commercial complexes," she said.

While several traders' bodies on Wednesday held a demonstration at the Press Enclave, protests were also staged yesterday by the affected businessmen when illegal structures set up at Karan Nagar were being sealed. Eyewitnesses said minor incidents of stone pelting also took place at Karan Nagar during yesterday's drive. The protesters have been alleging that the illegal structures raised by the "influential have been let off".

Besides sealing eight illegal structures today, 18 structures including hotels and commercial complexes at Jawahar Nagar, Gogji Bagh, nine at Karanagar and Shaheed Gunj areas, one at Malla Bagh and one at Hyderpora were sealed during the last two days.

Masrat said a total of 37 structures out of 39 were sealed by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation during the drive. "Whereas two structures - one at Jawahar Nagar and another at Hyderpora had to be left unsealed due to the stay order passed by the High Court in the said cases," she added.

Pertinently, the High Court had, on September 30, directed the government to seal all illegal structures in Srinagar city within three days against whom demolition orders and show-cause notices have already been issued by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

Srinagar, October 14
Although the Department of Floriculture has developed eight new parks in the Pahalgam tourist resort of south Kashmir, the parks are suffering due to poor maintenance and inadequate staff.

In a written reply to a question during the ongoing state Legislative Assembly session today, the Department of Floriculture stated that there is a requirement of 84 casual workers in the eight parks of the Pahalgam resort and that currently, only 38 casual labourers have been employed for maintenance of these parks. According to official estimates, a total of 684 kanals of land (covered by eight parks) are under the supervision of Floriculture Department.

These parks include Poshwan Park (360 kanals), Club Park (90 kanals), Nehru Park (30 kanals), Laidderview Park (150 kanals), Masjid Parks (18 kanals), Island Park (8 kanals), BobyHut (8 kanals) and Tawaza Hut (8 kanals).

In addition to the currently working 38 casual workers, there are 38 permanent employees working in these parks who are mostly gardeners as per Department of Floriculture report. Despite development of new parks in the world-famous tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, the maintenance and hygiene of these parks has come under strong criticism from various environmental groups and activists. The state government, in its written reply, has not mentioned how soon it is planning to fill these vacancies.

Srinagar, October 4
A report on 700 cases of disappeared persons in the valley during the turmoil period is hanging in the balance for past one and a half year due to one of the project sponsors, Action Aid International, Srinagar having not made a crucial document public.

Bashir Ahmad Dabla, Head, Department of Sociology, Kashmir University under whose aegis the study was conducted by students of Sociology at KU during 2010- 2011 in 700 cases of disappearances from various districts of Kashmir said that study conducted is the first of its kind which needs to be brought into the public domain.

"There has not been a study conducted yet which researches the psychological, health, social and economic conditions of the victims of the disappearance cases - kith and kin of those who have disappeared," said Dabla.

"We prepared the report by the end of 2011, but it has not yet been made public," Dabla told The Tribune, adding that the report is the first of its kind in terms of an exhaustive study done on the people who disappeared during the turmoil in the Valley after onset of militancy from late 1980s onwards.

He added that the students went to various villages, from where the disappearance cases were tracked down. Relatives of those who had disappeared were spoken to and verification done through overseeing of legal documents, and FIRs registered.

The Valley's sociologist Dabla, who has conducted surveys on widows, orphans and other victims of Kashmir conflict, said he is planning to write to the Delhi unit of Action Aid International and seek their intervention.

Dabla said he would even go to the court if this crucial document is kept under wraps.

"Under the Right To Information Act, people are entitled to get informed on issues and hence, such documents need to be made public," Dabla stated.

Action Aid International supposedly furnishes studies, surveys and reports related to public issues on its website, but the report on Kashmir's 700 disappearance cases done in association with Kashmir University is yet to appear on the site.

Srinagar, October 4
Days after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah announced a judicial probe into the recent Shopian killings, the government today said Justice (retd) ML Koul will head the inquiry commission in this regard.

During the Zero Hour in the Legislative Assembly, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah informed the House that the government had appointed Justice (retd) Koul as the inquiry commission head to look into the recent Shopian incidents.

He said this after the issue was raised by Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Mehbooba Mufti. The minister said the process of shifting the CRPF camp from Gagran, Shopian had already begun and it would be completely removed by October 10.

Mehbooba urged the government to ensure that the deadline was met as resentment over the killings among the locals of Shopian in south Kashmir was growing.

The Chief Minister had, on Tuesday last, announced a judicial probe into the Shopian killings. The probe was announced after varying claims of the CRPF and police over the killings of five persons amid days of shutdown in Shopian.

Even as another person killed was earlier claimed to be a Bihari labourer, Omar said no one had so far come forward from within the state or outside from the family of the deceased. 

Srinagar, October 4
J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages on Friday gave away the 2nd Best Film Competition Award recognising quality work in fiction and non-fiction categories by local filmmakers and artists today.

The entries for competition, invited earlier, were judged by a committee of experts. In all, nine awards were given, including best film, second best film and the third best film in both fiction and non-fiction 
categories, best director, best actor (male) and best actor (female).

The awards were given away by Minister for Housing, Horticulture & Culture, Raman Bhalla, at a function held at the Institute of Hotel Management auditorium here. Prominent artists, writers, students and people in large numbers were present.

The best film award in the non-fiction category went to "Quality of Life" produced by Big Fun Productions. The second and third awards in the category were bagged by "Five Chirus Flat" produced by Public Service Broadcasting Trust and "Caliemondy Revisited" produced by Tricorn Odeon, respectively.

In the fiction category the first, second and third awards were bagged by films "Auqat" produced by Krishna Productions, "Purana Ghar" produced by Debonair Film and Video Communications and "Hatchu Ichdar" produced by Nanak Video Communications, respectively.

Rahul Sharma bagged the best director award for his "Auqat". The best actor (male) was won by Pankaj Khajuria for his role in Auqat while Neelam bagged the best actor (female) award for her performance in Hatchu Ichdar.

Alongside the award ceremony, a two-day festival of the awarded films was also inaugurated at the venue. On the inaugural day, the best films in both fiction and non-fiction category were screened. The remaining four films would be screened on Saturday, the concluding day of the event. The festival was kick-started by the minister.

The award in both fiction and non-fiction categories carries a cash prize of Rs 25,000 for the best film, Rs 20,000 for the seond best film and Rs 15, 000 for the third best film. The award for the best director and best actor (male and female) carries cash prize of Rs 20,000 each. Besides, a memento, certificate and a shawl is given to each awardee.

In his address, Minister for Housing, Horticulture and Culture, Raman Bhalla, said Jammu and Kashmir had no dearth of talent in visual arts and the state government was committed to promote this talent. He said avenues would be explored to harness the talent of our artists so that they could compete with the best in the country.

The minister said that the best film competition started by the academy was an important step aimed at promotion of visual art in the state. He said artists and other persons related with the production of films had worked hard and genuinely earned awards for their work. He congratulated them for their achievement and hoped they would do better in the coming years.

Earlier in his welcome address, secretary academy, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, said the award was aimed at recognising and honouring creativity in the visual media. He said the academy provides platform to artists both in visual and performing arts to showcase their talent and also awards best works in art and literature. The best film competition award, he said, could be seen as an effort to encourage and groom local talent in film-making.

Khalid said 16 films were received for the competition, including nine in fiction and seven in non-fiction categories. He hoped that the competition would encourage local filmmakers to participate in large numbers in the future and make it more competitive. He thanked the participating productions houses and artists for making the competition a success.

The entries were evaluated and recommended for awards by a committee comprising, among others, Kuldeep Sinha, former Director General, Films Division, Government of India and SL Balmike prominent film expert.

The best film in non-fiction category, Quality of Life, directed by Aakash Shakeel, deals with people suffering from mental ailment and highlights factors responsible for the increase in the number of people with mental illness and the healthcare infrastructure available in Kashmir.

Katra, October 4
The District Development Commissioner, Reasi, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, today reviewed the progress of various developmental works under the RMSA and SSA in the district and expressed concern over the delay in the construction of school building in the remote areas.

He issued directions to the Chief Education Officer (CEO) for compiling details of all 532 under progress cases for registering FIRs against defaulters and members of the Village Education Committees (VECs) as well as contractors.

The PWD is constructing 23 schools under the RMSA out of which 13 in the Reasi division and 10 in the Mahore division have been taken up in the current financial year. It was informed that nine schools would be completed in Reasi and eight in Mahore before March as the tendering process was nearing completion and works had been taken up in many cases.

The DDC has directed the CEO to withdraw the funds in respect of all 274 SSA schools, 40 primary schools, 10 headmaster rooms, 474 girls toilets and 15 friendly toilets for differently-abled persons and keep at the disposal of the assistant commissioner development for the construction of schools under convergence for which a proposal had already been submitted to the Chief Secretary and administrative secretary of the Education Department. He also issued instructions for lodging FIR against all such VECs who have failed to take up construction after entering into agreement with the ZEO.

The Chief Education Officer has been asked to furnish details of the teachers responsible for delayed constructions so that losses could be recovered from their salaries. Show-cause notices are also being issued to all ZEOs and VECs for explaining reasons for the delay in constructions and not signing agreements on time.

In order to ensure that no land disputes casts shadow on the construction of schools, CEO and ACR have been asked to complete the revenue papers of land before the construction job is assigned to PWD or RDD.

Fortnightly reviews shall be held for expediting construction works. On the issue of delayed funding under the state sector for various schools, the DDC assured of taking up the matter with the School Education Secretary.

The meeting was attended by ACD Jogindr Rai, ACR Tilak Raj Shastri, CPO Girdhari Lal, SE PWD PS Sehgal, XEn PWD Mahore and Reasi, CEO, ZEOs, AD P&S and other officers. 

Defaulters to face action

y The PWD is constructing 23 schools under the RMSA out of which 13 in the Reasi division and 10 in the Mahore division have been taken up in the current financial year.

y The DDC has directed the CEO to withdraw the funds in respect of all 274 SSA schools, 40 primary schools, 10 headmaster rooms, 474 girls toilets and 15 friendly toilets for differently-abled persons

y The CEO has been asked to furnish details of the teachers responsible for delayed constructions so that losses could be recovered from their salaries. Show-cause notices are also being issued to all ZEOs and VECs for explaining reasons for the delay in constructions and not signing agreements on time.

Rajouri, October 4
A meeting of the National Conference (NC) workers was held at Kotranka (Bokhori), Rajouri district today in which a large number of workers participated and discussed various problems being faced by the people.

Senior vice-president Chaudhary Mohammed Shaffi, who chaired the meeting, discussed various problems being faced by the people in the block. Another problem which came under discussion was the bad condition of the Rajouri-Budhal road which was not even fit for pedestrians. The transporters are the worst sufferers due to the bad condition of the road. Workers demanded that the department concerned should immediately take up the road and necessary improvement works. The workers hailed the decision of the party for the nomination of Shafayat Ahmad Khan as the district secretary, Rajouri, in place of Lt Raja Parveez Ahmad (Advocate) who died due to prolonged illness recently. 

Jammu, October 4
A newly-formed youth group, Jammu and Kashmir Unity Foundation (JKUF), has urged people to observe October 22, as the Black Day, to mark the day when the Pakistan army and tribal hordes attacked J&K in 1947, which led to the occupation of several areas of the state.

The foundation said the emerging scenario indicated that growing radicalisation and terrorist activities in J&K were not mere apprehensions but a grim reality which needs be resisted with united face. "We appeal to the people to observe October 22 as the Black Day as it marks the day in 1947 when the Pakistan army launched an attack on the state. Thousands of persons were massacred by the tribal hordes and lakhs were displaced," said Ajaat Jamwal, convenor. — TNS

Jammu, October 4
The Kashmiri Migrants Relief Holders and overaged youth today alleged that the Centre and state government was totally apathetic towards the over-aged youth belonging to the displaced community, who are totally dependent on the relief assistance, as nothing has been done to give them employment under the central package.

A protest march was organised outside the relief commissioner's office. They said the state government had assured of increasing the relief assistance, but Rs 400 have been enhanced per person.

They alleged that under the rehabilitation scheme, the government had assured of providing soft loans to set up small businesses, but nothing has been done in this regard. 

Jammu, October 4
An amount of Rs 937.35 crore has been released under the NABARD to the Public Works Department(R&B) for taking up 563 schemes in the Jammu Division against a project cost of Rs 1441.29 crore.

As per the data, given by Minister for Tourism GA Mir, the construction of roads from Salalpur to Chaby Chak, Tengdevpur road, estimated to cost Rs 160 lakh was recommended for the NABARD funding under RIDF-XVIII during 2012-13 which could not mature.

He said the project appraisal report for Rahi to Baba Gourian Road has been formulated at an estimated cost of Rs 1,032 lakh. He said the work could not be taken in hand due to paucity of funds.