Anantnag, October 28
At least four masked gunmen today robbed Rs 7 lakh from the Rohmoo branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Sources said three of the miscreants were in security guard uniform and another was in Army fatigues. They barged into the bank at 1.15pm.

“Two of the miscreants held bank employees hostage at gunpoint, while the remaining two took away the cash from the counters of the branch,” said Muzaffar Ahmad Mir, the branch in charge, while talking to mediapersons after the robbery.

He said the miscreants escaped after getting hold of the cash.

“Some people tried to chase them but they backed off after the robbers fired some warning shots,” said a senior police official.

The police official said a case had been registered in this regard.

Following the robbery, state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel cordoned off the area and launched a massive manhunt to nab the culprits.

The incident has exposed the vulnerability of bank branches in Kashmir, particularly in the far-flung areas.

“Most of the branches in Kashmir have a single guard and that he too can be seen doing odd jobs inside the branch,” said a senior official of the J&K Bank.

“This practice leaves branches vulnerable to such incidents,” the official said.

Srinagar, October 28
The state government is planning to set up mobile veterinary centres. This was disclosed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah while addressing a two-day national-level conference on “CVE Microbiology/ Endocrinology Update” here.

The conference was being organised by the J&K Veterinary Doctors Association in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry.

In his address, the Chief Minister also called for unified approach by the medical and veterinary fraternities to focus on restricting transmission of diseases from animals to human beings.

“Ensuring rearing of disease-free and healthy livestock and studying the effects of antibiotics on animals would help in a bigger way to check the transmission of diseases,” he said. “There is an urgent need to make sure that livestock population is healthy and fit for human consumption,” Omar added.

Describing animal rearing most important economic activity, Omar said a huge chunk of population in Jammu and Kashmir derives livelihood and sustenance from this sector by way of producing meat, eggs, milk, wool and other products.

He said veterinary doctors and other staff associated with sheep and animal rearing had a vital role and responsibility in strengthening and upgrading this sector by ensuring health care coverage of the livestock population of the state.

“It is easy to visit an ailing animal at its place than to carry it to the veterinary centre,” Omar said, adding that the state government, while recognising this fact, had approved launch of mobile veterinary centres on the pattern of mobile schools in the state. Omar said these mobile veterinary centres would be well-equipped with all required men and medicine to cater to the needs of livestock population especially in far-flung and remote areas.

He said the movement of these centres would be on dedicated routes providing a time-bound calendar to the villagers and animal rearers about their movement and hours of stay in the particular village. “This would enable the animal rearers to get medical treatment of the livestock at their doorstep,” he said.

Pinpointing out the potential of animal rearing in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister said it was the only sector which could generate sufficient raw material locally and possesses readymade market. “Presently, we are importing mutton, milk, eggs and other animal products from other states in a huge quantity when we can produce these in abundance,” he said and emphasised the need of focusing on this area to reduce the dependence on outside markets.

Srinagar, October 28
The Army will hold a five-day recruitment rally for general duty soldiers, clerk and soldier (nursing assistant) in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district from November 6.

The recruitment rally will be conducted at Pattan for the candidates hailing from all districts of the Valley and Leh divisions.

“Aspirants for all categories, meeting the eligibility criteria and hailing from Shopian, Kulgam and Ganderbal districts have been asked to report at the rally site on November 6. Similarly, candidates from Bandipora, Budgam and Anantnag districts have been called the next day. Aspirants from Kupwara, Pulwama and Srinagar districts have been told to attend the rally on November 8. On November 9, candidates from Baramulla, Leh and Kargil will attend the rally,” a defence spokesman said in Srinagar.

“The screening will include physical fitness and physical measurement tests, documents check and medical examination,” he said.

The spokesman said the selected candidates would not only get a lifetime opportunity to serve in various arms and services of the Army but would also be able to serve the nation with honour and dignity.

Srinagar, October 28
A minor boy was killed and another critically wounded in separate attacks by wild animals in north Kashmir.

A leopard attacked and killed seven-year-old Faheem Ahmad Lone, a resident of Ucharhal-Magam village, at the village near Handwara town in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, a police spokesman said.

In a separate incident, a bear attacked a teenaged boy in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district. The boy, identified as 13-year-old Manzoor Ahmad Gojjar of Hapatnar village, was critically injured in the attack, the spokesman said. Manzoor was admitted to a hospital for treatment, the spokesman added.

There have been regular incidents of man-animal conflict in the region which experts blame on the shrinking forest area for the wild animals and growing intrusion of humans into the animal habitats. In the mountainous and forested areas, residents venturing out to collect firewood sometimes trespass into the space of wild animals leading to a bloody and violent confrontation.

Many of the attacks have led to fatalities or severe injuries. The Himalayan black bear and leopards, found across this mountainous region, are involved in most of these incidents of man-animal conflicts.

Srinagar, October 28
Several hotel and restaurant owners observed strike today to protest the directive for installation of individual Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) on their premises.

The hotels and restaurants had displayed banners reading “Sorry, we are closed” while the hoteliers also staged a protest at the Press Enclave in support of their demands.

Faiz Bakshi, convener, coordination committee, Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF), Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) and Pahalgam Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association (PHAROA), said the strike was a 'complete success across the Valley'.

He said the co-ordination committee had called for a shutdown to express solidarity with those hotels that had been sealed by the State Pollution Control Board, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Pahalgam Development Authority for want of STPs.

“The co-ordination committee has all along opposed the idea of construction of individual STPs by hotel industry as it believes that doing so will not serve any purpose if the waste water/effluent of hotels alone is treated. It would be realistic if waste water/effluent from residential areas, commercial establishments and related sources in the Valley and tourist destinations is treated by common STPs before being discharged into water bodies,” said Bakshi. “It is the only guarantee for preventing our environment and water bodies from getting polluted. It is, therefore, absolutely necessary that common STPs are constructed across the Valley to preserve environment and safeguard water bodies,” he added.

The co-ordination committee also urged the government to accelerate the pace of work on projects under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission for laying of sewer lines and construction of STPs in Srinagar and Jammu cities.

Even as the hoteliers had earlier called for a two-day strike, they have now decided to resume business from tomorrow. Bakshi said they called off tomorrow’s strike after assurance from the authorities that their proposal for setting up common STPs and sealing was ‘under serious consideration of the government’.

Srinagar, October 28
The strike call given by the Kashmir Hotels and Restaurants Association has disappointed foodies and tourists in the Valley since yesterday.

Although the strike lasted for two days, the tourists and locals were seen devoid of choices for eating at hotels and restaurants across the Valley. The strike affected 90 per cent of the hotels and restaurants, café outlets and almost all eating joints displayed black banners saying “We are closed”.

This is also a period of weddings, engagements and family functions in the Valley due to which the hotels and restaurants remain in demand.

People described the strike as unjustified which caused great inconvenience to them especially due to increased demand in current season.

“The hoteliers are well aware that this is a peak wedding season in the Valley and still they went ahead with the strike. They could have delayed their programme in public interest. A two-day closure has affected a lot of family functions which are being held or were scheduled for these two days,” said Tanveer Ahmad, a Srinagar resident.

The tourists faced a lot of problems since most of them eat in hotels and restaurants. To add to their inconvenience, some major café outlets of the city, including Café Coffee Day, Café Arabica and Café Robusta were also closed down.

“We have been moving from one place to another in the city in search of reasonable food. But except for small street food vendors, nothing was available. This seems to be a very hard decision by the hoteliers who have ignored the sufferings of the tourists,” said Neha Tandon, a tourist from Delhi.

Handwara, October 28
Demanding power supply according to the curtailment schedule, residents of Wadipora and a few adjoining villages in Handwara tehsil yesterday protested against the power department.

They said for the past two weeks, they were subjected to erratic power supply. The protesters, including women and children, blocked the Wadipora-Handwara road and raised slogans against the department demanding normal power supply.

“Although we are made to pay power tariff according to the curtailment schedule, but power is never supplied according to the schedule. For the past one week, power is playing hide and seek and often goes off for hours from evening onwards,” said Shabir Ahmad, a local resident.

Residents of adjoining villages, including Bakikar, Shailhal, Sudal and Devaspora, also complained of erratic power supply. They threatened not to pay the bills if power was not restore to normal. “What is the point in paying the tariff when the supply is so erratic. If the power division, Handwara, did not improve the power supply, we would be forced not to pay the tariff for August,” said Gulshan Iqbal, a resident of Shailhal.

An official of the power department said: “I appeal the consumers not to use broilers and heaters to avoid load shedding. The supply would be restored to normal in a few days.”