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Rahul: Centre, state working to empower panchayats
Panches meet Rahul, submit memo
Lashkar commander again escapes security net
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Breast cancer found more in urban women in Valley: Doctors
Mirwaiz’s statement on poll boycott welcomed
Understand teachers’ training needs: Review body
State karateka to compete in int'l championship
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Rahul: Centre, state working to empower panchayats
Budgam, November 7 “We are going to try and resolve this problem… there are some issues… these things take time, but there is a strong intention to resolve the same. We will make sure the third tier of the government gets the power it deserves,” Rahul told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. Rahul was responding to a question on whether the Centre and the state had evolved a consensus over panchayat empowerment as the Congress has been strongly advocating implementing provisions of the 73rd Amendment in the state. Rahul said his focus was on providing a three-pronged strategy for the state, which included empowering women, providing employment and strengthening panchayats. He said he will endeavour to bring women under the banking system and said he was satisfied over the implementation of various Central schemes -- such as Himayat and Udaan -- aimed at providing jobs to the youth. He said around 15,000 state youth had been provided jobs in this regard, adding that another one lakh youth would benefit from these schemes in the next few years. When asked whether he would campaign for Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for next year’s Assembly polls, Rahul said: “I am a supporter of Omar. I am a friend of Omar’s. Absolutely, we have a government here together.” While there was no categorical reply, both Rahul and Omar hinted that the NC-Congress alliance would continue. To the same question, Omar said his party National Conference was a “committed partner” of the UPA and they had a good relationship. “We see no reason why that should change. It is as simple as that,” Omar added. However, he said a final decision in this regard would be taken by NC president Farooq Abdullah after consultation with his party and coalition partners. Earlier, addressing the beneficiaries of the ‘Umeed’ scheme, Rahul urged the women to take active part in politics for their empowerment. “I want you to contest the panchayat elections, the MLA (Assembly) elections as well as the MP (Parliament) elections,” he said. He also accepted the invitation of Omar and Umeed beneficiaries to address similar functions at Lar, Basholi and Chenani. Also present at the function were Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh, congress general secretary Ambika Soni and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Saif-ud-Din Soz among others. Before concluding his two-day visit, Rahul also addressed a gathering at the PCC headquarters in Srinagar. Warning to ministers
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Panches meet Rahul, submit memo
Jammu, November 7 The AJKPC leaders met Rahul soon after he concluded his speech during a panchayat conference at the MA Stadium yesterday. They apprised him of the ruling National Conference’s alleged stiff opposition to the incorporation of the 73rd Amendment to the state law to give powers to more than 33,000 grass-roots level representatives of the people. They demanded that the Congress high command should take a serious note of its ruling coalition partner in the state over its “dilly dallying tactics” to grant powers to panchayat members. They said the Congress should pressurise the ruling party for complete empowerment of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The leaders also raised the issue of security to panchayat members in view of life threats to them from various terror groups operating in the state. They demanded that panches and sarpanches should be given proper security by the Union Government as the state government “failed” to protect their lives so far. During the meeting, AJKPC president Anil Sharma demanded adequate compensation from the Union Government for all panches and sarpanches, who had been killed by militants in the state. He said members of panchayati courts should be provided proper training, adequate monthly honorarium and proper accommodation so that they could discharge their duties in a better way. The AICC vice-president gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that all necessary steps would be taken to address their issues. |
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Lashkar commander again escapes security net
Srinagar, November 7 Police sources said information was received about the presence of Pakistani LeT militant Abu Huraira in Chanakhan locality of Sopore town, 50 km from here. A joint cordon and search operation was launched by the Special Operation Group of J&K Police and Army’s 52 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) yesterday evening. “During the house-to-house search that continued on Thursday afternoon, the Pakistani militant could not be traced. However, arms and ammunition was recovered from one house where he was suspected to be hiding,” the police sources said. “The search operation was called off on Thursday afternoon in the area,” they added. A senior police officer said the Pakistani militant had entered Sopore town some days back and they were able to generate information about his presence in the area after which the operation was launched. “But we suspect that before the cordon was being laid, the militant managed to escape along with a local Over Ground Worker (OGW) of the LeT,” he said. The police sources said securitymen have stepped up vigil in and around Sopore after the militant escaped. In the past, Abu Huraira has escaped the security net twice from Srinagar. On the evening of October 2, an operation was launched by the police but he managed to escape after an overnight encounter in Ahmad Nagar locality, some 10 km from the city centre, in which five policemen — including an assistant sub inspector —were injured. The militant had again given the slip to the police on the night of October 11 from the same area. |
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Jammu-Srinagar highway still being manned by Army, CRPF
Jammu, November 7 Following Union Defence Minister AK Antony’s request in 2010, the Union Home Ministry had asked the CRPF to take over the responsibility of the entire highway from the Army but due to infrastructural constraints, the CRPF has not been able to accomplish the task so far. “From Jammu to KM 145 (Chenab river in Ramban), the CRPF has been performing the road opening duties since 2010. The CRPF has put over 2,000 men on the job,” said a CRPF source. An Army source said the stretch between KM 145 to Jawahar Tunnel in Banihal was being guarded by the Delta Force of the Army. “And, then from Jawahar Tunnel to Hyderpora Bypass Chowk in Srinagar, the stretch is again with the CRPF. From Hyderpora to Uri in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, the highway is largely guarded by the Army,” said another Army officer from Srinagar-based 15 Corps. The highway, the only surface link to the Kashmir valley, has always remained under the terror radar of militant outfits. “The Army and the CRPF have been performing road opening duties to keep the highway safe before allowing the movement of convoys. It’s an onerous task but it has to be done with utmost seriousness,” said the officer. The terrorists, during the peak of militancy, had used timers, remote controls and pressure-operated improvised explosive devices to target convoys of security forces on the highway. The road distance between Jammu and Uri is 399 km while between Jammu and Srinagar, it is 293 km. Sources in the CRPF cited two problems — infrastructural constraints along the highway and manpower crunch — in fully taking over the highway from the Army. “The process had to be done in a phased manner but paucity of accommodation along the highway and manpower crunch hampered it,” a CRPF source said. The CRPF has been exploring all possible means to find accommodation for officers and personnel on the highway, the sources added. They said the state government was also approached in this regard to help the paramilitary force. “In the last few years, we also shifted some of our battalions to the red-corridor, particularly in states such as Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to combat the Naxal movement. So, we are also facing manpower crunch,” the source said. |
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Inadequate, defunct fire-fighting systems ail hospitals in state
Jammu, November 7 The recommendations of a fire safety audit, conducted by the Fire and Emergency Services, after a major fire at Kolkata’s AMRI Hospital left at least 84 dead in December 2011, have not been adhered to by the Health Department. Most of the hospitals have “defunct” fire-fighting equipment while all other in-house facilities which are mandatory to control fire are “inadequate and non-functional”, thereby putting the lives of patients and attendants at risk. “The fire in Kashmir’s sole maternity hospital, Lal Ded Hospital, on November 5 once again exposed the preparedness of the Health Department in dealing with fire incidents. We had conducted the fire safety audit and accordingly submitted the report to the Home Department within stipulated time,” a senior officer of the Fire and Emergency Services said on the condition of anonymity. The officer said the government was yet to put in place an effective mechanism to control major fire incidents in hospitals. “We don’t know what happened to the fire safety audit recommendations as most of the hospitals still have defunct fire-fighting equipment. Importantly, all in-house facilities to control fire incidents are either not adequate or non-functional which is a matter of concern,” the officer said. He said the emergency response by the staff at these hospitals was also not "up to the mark" and it was the sole reason behind the huge loss to human lives and property in such cases. “Though we cannot stop fire incidents from occurring, we can minimise the loss to humans and property,” the officer said. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had ordered a fire safety audit of all major hospitals in the state after Kolkata’s AMRI Hospital tragedy. “Have instructed the Home Department to order a fire safety audit of all our major hospitals. Lesson learnt from #AMRI tragedy,” Omar had written on micro-blogging site Twitter at that time. Accordingly, the Home Department had issued instructions to the Fire and Emergency services to immediately carry out an audit of all government and associated hospitals and private nursing homes in the state vis-à-vis general preparedness to prevent fire incidents and other emergencies. Sources said the fire safety audit had nailed the authorities for poor fire safety facilities in the hospitals. “It came to the fore that the hospitals were found using the underground storage tanks (constructed for fire protection) for secondary purposes. Besides, the automatic alarm system in most of the hospitals was not working while the automatic fire sprinkler system was also found defunct. The fire escape routes in some private hospitals were found blocked,” a source said. Shabir Ahmad Khan, Minister for Health (in charge), admitted there were several lacunas in the existing fire safety mechanism. “After the fire in Lal Ded Hospital, I have directed all hospital managements to keep fire safety on priority. We have also made provisions for better fire safety system in all new hospital buildings while efforts are being made to improve fire-fighting mechanism in old buildings,” he said. |
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MHA official discusses security scenario with Guv
Jammu, November 7 Issues relating to recent attempts at infiltration from across the Line of Control were also discussed during the meeting. This year, Pakistan broke all previous records of ceasefire violations on the frontiers of the state. The Pakistan army and Pakistan Rangers have so far violated the truce deal over 236 times on the 744-km-long LoC and the 198-km-long international border. The international border witnessed a flare-up for over 10 days since October 17 that ended after a sector-level flag meeting between the Rangers and the BSF at the octroi border outpost in the Suchetgarh area of the RS Pura sector on October 29. BSF jawan ML Meena was killed and 31 others, including some women and children, were injured in the intense shelling. SS Bloeria, Vice Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu, also called on the Governor at Raj Bhawan here today. The Governor, who is the Chancellor of the Central University of Jammu, discussed with Bloeria various matters relating to the development of the university. The Vice Chancellor briefed the Governor about the to-date status of the teaching and research facilities and those to be put in place at the upcoming campus of the university. |
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Parliament panel apprised of West Pakistan refugees’ plight
Jammu, November 7 The sub-committee headed by Rajiv Partap Singh Rudy arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit. On the first day of their visit, the panel held discussions with the representatives of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and today they interacted with various delegations of other refugees. Issues of displaced persons of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and refugees of 1965 and 1971 of the Chamb area were also discussed before the visiting panel. Some NGOs sought to draw the attention of the sub-committee towards the plight of the West Pakistan refugees, who had been struggling since 1947 to get citizenship rights. A delegation of the West Pakistan refugees under the leadership of Labha Ram Gandhi submitted a memorandum to the visiting delegation. In the memorandum, the delegation alleged discrimination against West Pakistan refugees. “In 1951, due to the onset of communism in China, a large number of people from the Xinxiang province of China had migrated to Kashmir. The J&K Constitution was amended to grant Permanent Resident Certificate (PRCs) to these residents, who have been settled in the Eidgah area of Srinagar city. Similarly, due to the Chinese aggression of Tibet, a number of people migrated to Kashmir. For them, the J&K Constitution was amended, but for the West Pakistan refugees, the government is not ready to take any step,” the delegation told the panel. Universal Foundation, an NGO, also drew the attention of the panel towards the plight of the West Pakistan refugees. The delegation demanded citizenship rights to these refugees. Today, a two-member delegation of the Universal Foundation comprising Dineshwar Singh Jamwal and Mahesh Kaul met the panel and highlighted the demands of these people, who had migrated to J&K after 1947 and had settled in the border belts of the Jammu region. A BJP delegation, which met the visiting panel under the leadership of state president Jugal Kishore Sharma, urged the visiting MPs to recommend immediate redress of long-pending grievances of refugees, disbanding of the Custodian Department and granting all the benefits and rights, which were being enjoyed by other citizens of the country. A delegation of SOS International under the leadership of Rajiv Chuni highlighted the demands of displaced persons from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir
(PoK). |
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Riot of colour, fragrance in Kashmir’s saffron fields
Pampore, November 7 Saffron is a royal spice not just because of its high price but also because local folklore associates its blooming with romance. The last king of Kashmir, Yusuf Shah, is believed to have visited the saffron fields on a moonlit night to see the magic of the purple flowers in 16th century when he was mesmerised by a lone female voice singing in the wilderness of the vast saffron fields. The king's heart was smitten by the voice and he sent his courtiers to find out who the singer was. It turned out to be a village woman named Zoon. Yusuf Shah then married Zoon after she divorced her previous husband. She was christened Habba Khatoun, the queen. Like Noor Jahan was to Mughal emperor Jahangir, Habba Khatoun is believed to have been the most powerful influence in her husband's life. "Watching the saffron bloom during moonlit nights in early November is something nature lovers never miss. But, for us, the story is not as fortunate as that of either Habba Khatoun or her husband," said saffron farmer Ghulam Muhammad, 59. "The crop yield has been decreasing each year despite the National Saffron Mission announced by the government. Adulterated saffron from other places and the monopoly of the middlemen have made our lives miserable," Muhammad rued. The Central Government announced the National Saffron Mission in 2010, earmarking Rs 373 crore to be spent on the development and improvement of the crop till 2014. "At the beginning of the mission, Rs 9.50 crore was distributed among saffron growers. Another Rs 8.90 crore has been earmarked for setting up a testing lab for quality control," said a field officer of the state government. Abdul Majid Wani, general secretary of the local saffron growers association, told IANS that eight tonnes of saffron was produced in the Valley last year. He was hopeful the yields would increase manifold if the entire 72,000 kanals of land under saffron cultivation in the Valley are brought under the National Saffron Mission (eight kanals make up an acre.) "So far, just 6,500 kanals have been brought under the Mission. Crop yields have definitely improved in these fields," he said. "But, there are some unseen players who are working against the interests of the growers. Last month, 10 grams saffron was priced at Rs 1,500. Today the price has fallen to Rs 1,020 per 10 grams.” "Further, the main problem with saffron fields is availability of irrigation. Seventy-two bore wells have been identified under the mission, but so far just one is functional. I am sure when all the required bore wells become functional and the entire cultivable area is brought under the Mission, our production would surpass that of Iran," Wani said. State Director (Agriculture) Mushtaq Peerzada said 50 borewells will be activated during 2013-14. "The directorate of agriculture is duty-bound to facilitate and support the saffron growers by addressing their problems. Many steps will be taken to benefit our farmers," he said. Despite the problems faced by the saffron growers, the magic and mystery of the royal spice is something that has become synonymous with the beauty and grandeur of Kashmir. The fragrance and colour of the vast saffron fields have over the years fired the imagination of kings, poets and lovers alike. It is a heritage crop Kashmiris have always prided themselves about.
— IANS THE ROYAL SPICE
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Breast cancer found more in urban women in Valley: Doctors
Srinagar, November 7 Doctors at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura in Srinagar, say the incidences of breast cancer have been reported more among urban women than in rural women of the Valley and that the patriarchal ideology is the biggest obstacle in its treatment. “Women are afraid of coming out and reporting these problems to doctors. Surprisingly, breast cancer cases have been found more in urban Kashmir due to reasons such as late marriages, delayed child birth and less physical activity,” said oncologist Shaqul Qamar at SKIMS. Qamar screened 50 women during the first pink ribbon movement workshop at Shah Anwar Kashmiri Memorial School in Kupwara. The movement has been initiated by the Cancer Society of Kashmir in collaboration with the Mariam Wellness Centre, a mental health counselling centre. Experts said breast cancer was now counted among the top five commonly found cancers in the Valley. Studies and researches conducted on breast cancer remain low. “Women with breast cancer are now coming forward. Earlier, they would feel uncomfortable in explaining their breast health problems to doctors, especially men, as the diagnosis of the disease requires a thorough physical medical examination. Breast cancer detected at a later stage like most cancers can be fatal. Hence, we are taking the initiative of psychologically preparing women to come forward and share their breast health problems. These patients also have to deal with trauma and mental illness once they undergo mastectomy,” said Arif Maghribi Khan, a clinical psychologist, who participated in the workshop. In the 15th Annual National Conference on Breast Cancer, which was held in Srinagar recently, leading oncologists from the country emphasised on the need to strengthen the treatment facilities and spreading awareness about the disease among Valley women. “Sedentary lifestyles are proving to be the biggest cause of breast cancer among Valley women. The symptoms of breast cancer in women, including oozing of water or blood from nipples, lump or swelling in breasts, soreness in and around the nipple or underarms, are easily detectable. Women should shun shyness and report their problem,” Khan said. |
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Fresh snow in higher reaches of Gulmarg
Srinagar, November 7 Gulmarg received fresh snowfall this morning. The resort registered a minimum temperature of minus
0.7 degree Celsius as compared to the previous night's 1.2 degree Celsius,
a MeT Department official said. The south Kashmir tourist resort of Pahalgam recorded a temperature of 2.8 degrees Celsius and received 11.6 mm rain, the official said. The mercury in Srinagar settled at 6.7 degree Celsius, three notches above the normal during this part of the season, he said, adding the summer capital of the state received 3.1 mm rain. The official said rain also lashed other parts of
the Valley following which the mercury remained several degrees above freezing point. Kargil in the Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state, with a minimum temperature of minus 2.0 degree Celsius, while the mercury settled at a low of minus 1.5 degree Celsius in nearby Leh town.
— PTI |
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Mirwaiz’s statement on poll boycott welcomed
Srinagar, November 7 Leaders, however, added that the importance of the electoral process could not be undermined as it had never diluted the importance of the Kashmir issue. While speaking at a seminar here on Wednesday, Mirwaiz said it was “premature to say anything” on the boycott of the Assembly and parliamentary elections scheduled for 2014. He, however, cleared that “the elections in J&K were held to serve local administrative purposes and were not to be mistaken as a political solution” of the Kashmir issue. He added, “The elections have never been able to change the disputed state of Kashmir and nor it will happen in the future.” “The remarks of the Hurriyat chairman are welcome and a step ahead but the solution to any issue lies in a democratic process and the same gets substantiated by the global experiences,” Awami Mutahida Mahaz (AMM) said in a statement here. The AMM is a newly formed political alliance of several mainstream political leaders, including communist leader and state CPM secretary MY Tarigami, Peoples Democratic Front leader and MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Abdul Rashid Kabuli (former MP) and Sanjay Saraf of the Lok Janshakti Party. The remarks by Mirwaiz have come at a time when hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has embarked on a Valley wide poll boycott campaign. “There can be ideological differences and different political viewpoints, but history bears testimony to the fact that the importance of the electoral process cannot be undermined as it has never diluted the importance of the Kashmir problem,” the AMM said. “The need of the hour is that both mainstream and the voices of dissent should identify commonalities and common meeting grounds while respecting and accommodating each others political point of view,” the AMM said. |
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Understand teachers’ training needs: Review body
Jammu, November 7 It claimed that there were no institutional structures in place which could make the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) accessible to teachers and students in a more informal manner. “There is no academic understanding of the performance, challenges or profile of schools. In terms of tracking issues related to quality, needs of teachers and their blind spots, there exists no monitoring tool or guideline that has been developed for recording or observing what is taking place in schools. The monitoring tool used by cluster resource persons (CRPs), who work with teachers and schools on the most sustained basis, is more of a procedural record of the CRPs activities rather than of the teacher,” the JRM report maintained. The report claimed that there was nothing on the nature of understanding, challenges faced by the teacher or the response of learners. It added that there was also no common agreed upon framework of thinking around what constitutes quality, what could be termed as gaps, no vision to serve as guidelines and no basis to even check if some progress had been made. The report stated that in spite of monthly meeting of all DIET principals in the SIEs, no conscious effort had been made yet for streamlining and coordinating efforts. |
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State karateka to compete in int'l championship
Jammu, November 7 He would compete in the below 55 kg weight category in the Junior Kumite event. He is the fifth player to represent the state at the International level. He has been trained by coach Ambedkar Gupta, who is also the president of the J&K Amateur Karate Do Association.
— TNS
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