Srinagar, October 21
Observing that it has been informed that over 3,000 violations of the Srinagar Master Plan have been noted, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court today asked the government to come clean on the issue and state whether it intends to take any policy decision with regard to these violations.

The government has been asked to state its "thinking" on this by Thursday.

These directions were issued today by a division bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice AM Magray in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

In the PIL, the petitioners had prayed that the High Court take "strong note" of the constructions made illegally without permission from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and in violation of the Master Plan in Srinagar city and pass directions to the authorities concerned for demolishing such structures in the interests of the public.

''During the course of arguments, we have been told that there is a large number of building violations — over 3000,'' the High Court bench observed in its orders today.

"Keeping in view the provisions of Srinagar Municipal Corporation Act and the Developmental Act, we have requested the Advocate General to apprise us as to whether there is any possibility of taking a policy decision with regard to the violations which have taken place,'' the High Court said in the orders, adding that the Advocate General, who was present during the hearing today, had "promised" to place the '' thinking of the government'' before the bench by Thursday, October 24.

The High Court had, on September 30, asked the authorities to seal within three days all illegal structures in Srinagar city against whom demolition orders and show cause notices had already been issued by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).

The bench had also observed that only those residential areas would be permitted for use which are conforming to the Master Plan and will not cause disturbance.

Before passing its orders today, the High Court bench also observed that Court is "bound by the law which you (government) have framed and now, if you (government) frame a policy, let us see whether it will be true on touchstone of Article 14".

The bench also observed that the government cannot keep quiet if there are huge violations, adding that the state government has to do something.

The bench said that the government cannot remain mute spectators in this situation, adding that it even has powers to suspend the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, under whose nose the violations of Srinagar Master Plan have taken place over the years.

"The government cannot keep quiet over whatever has been allowed to happen by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation," the bench said.

"Until and unless the government steps in, these sealings and demolitions have to continue," it further observed while asking the government to not to spare the SMC authorities who have acted as culprits by allowing these violations.

Anantnag, October 21
BSNL broadband users in south Kashmir rue they have to put up with poor connectivity and slow speed, particularly in rural areas.

The consumers say the service provider has been taking them for a ride while as repeated complaints to the department go unheard.

“The connection works for not more than 20 days a month and even during those days, the connectivity is poor and the speed no better than that of old dial-up connections,” said Sajad Ahmad, a Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited consumer from Anantnag town.

Users rue that despite paying hefty amounts as fee for internet, they have to keep other connections as standbies, given that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited is getting all the more unreliable.

“They have recently hiked their internet charges. I was paying Rs 850 per month and now I’m being charged an extra Rs 50,” said Reyaz Ahmad, a user from Pahalgam area of Anantnag.

“With the charges hiked, the services have gone from bad to worse,” said Reyaz.

Over the last month or so, the consumers say it has become well nigh impossible to get one's work done using Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited broadband services.

“The connectivity has been so poor that in a matter of 10 minutes, the connection disconnects more than 10 times,” said Azhar Dar, a consumer from Kulgam district.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited officials however maintain that the problem is pan-Kashmir and is not limited to the south Kashmir region.

“I admit that the speed has been slow over a month, but the fault lies somewhere in Punjab,” said a senior official of the service provider in Anantnag.

He said connectivity has been affected due to some maintenance work being carried out in Chandigarh.

“The snag will soon be rectified, I have been told by officials in Chandigarh,” he said.

Srinagar, October 21
The first batch of Haj pilgrims of the state arrived at the Srinagar International Airport today after performing the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

The pilgrims were scheduled to arrive in the morning but the two Haj flights got delayed and finally landed in the evening.

The Hajis were received by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who incidentally had also seen off the first batch of pilgrims on September 7 last month.

Exchanging wishes with them and inquiring about the holy journey, the Chief Minister greeted them for successfully performing their religious duties.

The Haj pilgrims, while interacting with the Chief Minister, thanked him for receiving them and prayed for his good health and success and peace and prosperity in the state. Minister of State for Animal Husbandry Nazir Ahmed Gurezi was also present on the occasion.

An official said 500 to 600 pilgrims would be arriving on a daily basis till the last batch that is expected to arrive on November 6. A total of 8,683 pilgrims of the state had left for Mecca this year for performing the annual pilgrimage.

Srinagar, October 21
Two moderate intensity earthquakes jolted Kashmir early Monday, setting off panic and forcing people to leave their homes.

A moderate intensity earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale jolted Kashmir region early Monday with its epicentre in the Kashmir-Xinjiang border region of India and China.

"The quake occurred at 7.57 am at a focal depth of 12 km," a Meteorological Department official said. Earlier, a quake of magnitude 5.5 on the Richter scale rocked the border region between J&K and China. The quake occurred at 1.15 am at a depth of 80 km, said Met Department. — TNS

Srinagar, October 21
Seeking to know the whereabouts of their loved ones, the families of those who disappeared in Kashmir over the years, today observed a day-long hunger strike in Srinagar.

Displaying utensils and other items used by the missing, kith and kin of the disappeared today held a hunger strike in the Press Enclave area of Srinagar.

They were seeking to know whereabouts of their loved ones, who are alleged to have disappeared over the years at the hands of different security agencies and militants.

The hunger strike and the protest demonstration was organised by Forum For Justice To Enforced Disappeared Persons Of Jammu and Kashmir (FJEDP), said its member Zahoor Ahmad Mir, whose father Ali Mohammad Mir disappeared in 1996.

Srinagar, October 21
Police today said it had arrested a local maulvi in the city here for murdering a man in the wake of illicit relations with the latter’s wife.

Amin Naik of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, who led prayers at a mosque in city's Qamarwari locality, was arrested on Sunday as he was suspected of murdering Shahnawaz Dar, a resident of Budgam district who was living at his in-laws' residence in Qamarwari. SSP Ashiq Bukhari said Dar was reported missing on September 30 and later, his body found from river Jhelum near the city's outskirts on October 3. The police officer said Dar’s relation with his wife had remained strained and he would frequently visit the maulvi, seeking talismans and amulets to help with his strained marriage.

Naik, under a “conspiracy”, had asked Dar to go to a river bank and perform a “sacred ritual”. Naik placed three conditions: Dar's hands should remain hidden from the sunlight, he should keep his sight stuck on the river and no one should see him performing the ritual.

When Dar went to the river bank and was reading out supplications, Naik pushed him into the river, resulting in his drowning, Bukhari said.

During the course of investigation, police found that Dar was wearing Naik’s pheran, a long cloak worn in winters, to shield himself from the cold.

Police checked his Call Detail Record and found he had been in contact with Dar’s wife during “odd hours of the night for long hours”, said Bukhari. Police claimed Naik confessed to having “illicit relations” with Dar's wife. — TNS

Srinagar, October 21
A woman died while six other persons were injured in different road accidents in the Valley, the police said today.

The woman, identified as Zareena, was hit by a truck near Amargarh in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district while she was walking, said a police spokesman. The woman died on the spot.

A tipper hit and injured a pedestrian Nusrat Akhter, a resident of Kalshepora village, near her home in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. The injured was admitted in SMHS Hospital in the city here where she is being treated, said the spokesman.

In another accident, five persons were injured when a bus and a cab collided at Nadihal in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. All the injured have been admitted in hospital for treatment, said the spokesman.

Srinagar, October 21
A three-day International Conference on “Operations Research for Data Analytics and Decision Analysis” in conjunction with the 46th annual convention of the Operational Research Society of India (ORSI) started at the University of Kashmir today.

The conference has been organised by the Department of Statistics, University of Kashmir, in collaboration with the Operational Research Society of India (ORSI) to promote and propagate the application of operational research in various sphere of life.

ORSI president PR Reddy said operations research had developed into a multi-disciplinary research now and has paved way for great innovations and ideas.

Addressing the delegates of the three-day conference, University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Talat Ahmad said conferences of such nature provide rich experience to the participants and help them in understanding and realising the importance of operations research for data analytics and decision analysis in research and other academic pursuits.

Talat said due to frequent changes happening around the world every now and then, it was imperative for the academics to remain in touch with the latest developments in their respective areas of specialisation so that research on pressing issues was done and thought-provoking recommendations were forwarded to the policy makers for bettering policy planning and decision-making.

Tracing the history of the operational research and its evolution, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Vice-Chancellor AR Trag, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said, “Operational research analysis became popular at the time of World War-II when UK and USA got involved in inter-disciplinary research to ensure optimal use of limited and scarce military resources to get better and effective results on ground.”

He said, “In modern times, impact of operational research is everywhere. Operational research is used as a tool for managerial decision and almost every corporate house depends on it, including the financial institutions, hospitals and universities to get cost-effective results.”

Trag, while maintaining that the basic challenge for Asian and African countries today is to alleviate poverty and address the growing problem of shortage of foodgrains, proper hygiene and health care and availability of water, said such issues and problems could be addressed by using the tools of operational research and putting modern-day techniques of data analytics and decision-analysis into practice.

International Federation of Operations Research Societies former vice-president SP Mukherjee said economic development was the bedrock of any inclusive development and constraint optimisation needs to be negotiated at all levels to ensure maximisation of profits and minimisation of losses by utilising cost-effective tools which consume less energy and puts less burden on the available natural resources.

University of Kashmir Registrar Zaffar A Reishi said research in frontier areas should be on priority of any research institution, adding that such conferences provide food-for-thought to the policy planners and decision makers to arrive at better conclusions while drafting or devising new policy plans for the development of the nation.

Head, Department of Statistics, KU, and General Chair ICORDADA-13, Aquil Ahmad said the purpose of workshop and conference was to bring together researchers and practitioners interested in the advances and applications in the field of operations research for data analytics and decision analysis.

Besides Dean Academic Affairs, KU, AM Shah, and Dean College Development Council (DCDC), KU, Ghulam Mustafa, Deans of various faculties, Heads of various teaching departments, students, scholars and faculty members from the Department of statistics and other departments of KU were also present on the occasion.

Srinagar, October 21
A two-day international seminar on gender justice is being organised by the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) from October 23.

The School of Legal Studies, Central University of Kashmir (CUK), in collaboration with The Indian Institute of Public Administration (J&K Branch), is organising a two-day international seminar on "Gender Justice: A Way Forward" at Gandhi Bhawan, Kashmir University, from October 23, a PRO of the university said.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah, will be the chief guest on the occasion while as CUK Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdul Wahid will preside over the function.

The valedictory address would be delivered by former High Court judge Justice Bashir Kirmani on Thursday, he added.

"The seminar provides a platform for discussion and deliberation and to cater to the limitless scope of the subject," he added.

Srinagar, October 21
As many as 13 teams from across the country are participating in the inaugural All India Postal Cricket Tournament, which got underway at the Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium here today.

The tournament, which is being organised by the Department of Posts, Jammu & Kashmir, was inaugurated by Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports Taj Mohiuddin.

Addressing the inaugural function, the Minister appreciated the J&K Postal Circle for organising the event and said cricket had a passionate appeal among youth and the game was very popular among the masses.

Taj said the state government had taken up a massive programme of upgrading sports infrastructure in the state.

He said under the programme, sports complexes and stadiums will be raised at every block and the facilities would also be strengthened.

Urging the participants to see for themselves the changed situation on the ground, the Minister told them to act as ambassadors of peace for Jammu & Kashmir and carry a positive message to their respective states.

He said J&K was very eager to host all such events in future also, keeping in line with its highest tradition of hospitality.

Meanwhile, the matches will be played across Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, Kashmir University Cricket Stadium and Islamia College Cricket Stadium in the city.

The five-day-long tournament will witness a total of 19 matches with teams from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Odhisa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and host Jammu & Kashmir Postal Circles competing for the top honours.

More than 220 players and officials will be part of the tournament.

Srinagar, October 21
Yet another thrilling football match was played between the J&KPDC and J&K Bank XI in the ongoing J&K Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) Football Tournament League-2013.

Both teams battled out it for a goal to secure till the very end of the mtach. However, none of them could find the net till the final whistle was blown. The match ended in a draw. 

Srinagar, October 21
The state government has announced sops for the tourists ahead of the three-day-long Kashmir Saffron festival scheduled to commence from October 29 at Visoo, Pampore, in Pulwama district.

The Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) will provide 50 per cent rebate on lodging and transport charges to the tourists visiting Kashmir, besides private tourism players are also going to give concessions in boarding and lodging on Saffron and Divali festivals.

This announcement was made by Minister for Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir while chairing a high-level meeting here today to review arrangement for the festival.

Mir said the tour and travel operators of Katra would organise a fame tour to encourage Vaishno Devi pilgrims to participate in the saffron festival. He said during the festival days, several tourist attractions would be showcased, including saffron run, cultural programmes, laughter shows, flower plucking, painting competition, besides setting up different stalls of agro-based products and traditional dresses for photography.

The minister said the main objective of organising the festival was not only to promote the rare and world-famous Saffron of Kashmir, but also to encourage and support the educated youth in taking tourism-related entrepreneurial activities.