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Shia Muslims take out ‘Alam’ processions
Pampore DIET asks ‘preraks’ to buy teaching material
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2 man-eater bears killed in Handwara
Class XII students protest against education board
Minister reviews winter preparedness
Hoteliers seek implementation of JNNURM scheme
Nehru remembered on birth anniversary
Two labourers found dead in Pulwama
Illicit timber worth lakhs seized
2 education officials suspended
PDP flays Omar on grim power situation
Youth Cricket Club register win
1,100 smokers fined
Celebrations at Ghanta Ghar
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Shia Muslims take out ‘Alam’ processions
Srinagar, November 14 “While we will continue to press for lifting of the ban, we have been holding our religious functions just like before from the first day of Muharram,” said Nasir Hussain, who along with other mourners took out an ‘Alam’ procession at Mir Behri area. Similar processions were also taken out at Maisuma and old city areas like Hawal. In view of the procession, traffic movement in downtown from Nowhatta and Khanyar had been diverted and no vehicles were allowed to ply from Hawal to Nowshara via Alamgari Bazar during the Muharram procession. Sahil Hussain, a devotee, said they would be holding ‘Sham-e-Gariban’ tonight and ‘Zuljinah’ processions will be taken out tomorrow on Ashura, the 10th of Muharram month. Traditionally on Muharram 8, Shia Muslims in large numbers used to march from Guru Bazar and proceed through Lal Chowk before the grand procession culminated at Dalgate. A ban also remains in place after the eruption of militancy on the main ‘Zuljinah’ procession that used to be taken out on Ashura from Abiguzar near city centre Lal Chowk While curbs were placed on the movement of public at several places yesterday to disallow taking out of Muharram 8 procession causing traffic jams, similar restrictions will be in place tomorrow especially around Lal Chowk and old city areas. The government had earlier stated that the ban on main processions was in place to prevent any law and order problem. However, ‘Zuljinah’ processions, which are also marked by flagellation by mourners, elsewhere are allowed. An official said 60 mobile first-aid vans will be placed during processions in the Shia dominated areas. |
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Pampore DIET asks ‘preraks’ to buy teaching material
Pulwama, November 14 The preraks alleged that the approach of the DIET officials was discouraging. “It has been a year since we joined as ‘preraks’ and till now we have not been paid a rupee and it is ironic that the DIET authorities are asking us to buy teaching material from our own pockets,” said a panchayat coordinator. The panchayat coordinators also alleged that the DIET authorities attached them to schools affiliated to Jammu and Kashmir Board of Schools Education (JKBOSE) where they were exploited by the senior faculty members. “We have already been exploited by the schools and now the DIET authorities are trying to fleece us by asking to buy teaching material,” he added. While admitting that the panchayat coordinators have not been paid any wages since they joined the service, DIET officials said the wages had reached to an amount of Rs 90 lakh. DIET principal Soni Sonam said she had directed the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Pulwama, to provide required facilities to the panchayat coordinators. The ‘preraks’ denied having received any facilities. The opening of AECs was taken up in a meeting in Srinagar on October 9 for Ramban, Anantnag, Srinager, Ganderbal, Pulwama and Budgam districts of Kashmir. DIET, Pampore, had recruited 372 ‘preraks’ in Pulwama district under Centrally sponsored scheme ‘Sakshar Bharat’ including one male and female from each panchayat constituencies in November last year. The scheme is bound to provide education to dropouts, illiterates and neo-literates and including those persons who know the alphabets only. |
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Srinagar shivers at –1.5°C, Leh freezes at –11.2°C
An official of the state Meteorological department here said the temperature overnight in Srinagar city was recorded at a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius. It was the coldest night of the season in the city so far with a departure of two degrees from the normal. The weather department said mercury was likely to drop to minus 2.0 degrees Celsius in the city tonight. In Leh town of remote Ladakh region, the minimum temperature overnight was recorded at minus 11.2 degrees Celsius while its neighbouring Kargil town recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius. The remote region remains cut-off from rest of the state for most of the winter as a wall of snow at Zojilla pass blocks the road connectivity between Kashmir valley and Ladakh. In Kashmir valley, the Gulmarg skiing resort remained the coldest place with mercury plunging to a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, the official said. The minimum temperature in Pahalgam resort of south Kashmir was recorded at minus 3.6 degrees Celsius. In Qazigund town of south Kashmir, mercury overnight fell to a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius while temperature dropped to a minimum of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara town. |
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2 man-eater bears killed in Handwara
Handwara, November 14 Wildlife Warden, north Kashmir, Rouf Zargar said professional hunters assisted by the Forest Protection Force, Handwara, killed the bears at two different places in the tehsil. “The wildlife team was fully equipped with tranquilising guns, cages, nets and sharpshooters. The animal was spotted at Pazalpora and killed around 4.15 pm. The animal had turned man-eater and injured many humans in the recent past besides killing dozens of livestock,” said Zargar. Another bear was killed at remote Badrikal village in Handwara tehsil. “We had laid an ambush near forests and spotted the bear around 5 pm on Tuesday. The hunters killed the animal turned man-eater on the spot. The bear had killed two children and seriously injured about dozen persons. In the past three months, the animal had devoured dozens of livestock mostly the sheep,” added Zargar. Residents of Badrikal and its adjoining areas said now they could breathe easy following killing of the man-eater. “Children were scared to venture out of homes as man-eater was on the prowl in the village. We are thankful to the wildlife staff who have finally killed the animal,” said Anees Ahmad from Badrikal. Residents of many other villages including Maidanpora, Khurhama, Gulgam, Tangchak, Gund Villgam, Dardpora, Bakiakar and Wadipora said they were reeling under intense scare of wild animals. They said leopards and bears had devoured dozens of livestock and were posing increasing dangers to humans. |
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Class XII students protest against education board
Srinagar, November 14 Students of Class XII today protested against a question on the border skirmishes between India and Pakistan at the LoC during the first week of January, 2013, in the political science paper, the examination for which was held yesterday. The question marked at number 5 in the Q-series of the paper read: “Discuss Indo-Pak relations in the light of recent skirmishes at the LoC during first week of Jan 2013.” The students described the question as completely out of sync with the syllabi of the Class XII. Teachers said the question had a faint relationship with the International Relations studies which form a part of the political science studies, but it was a graduate or postgraduate level. “Normally, one doesn’t expect a Class 12th student to write in detail about how ceasefire violations and Indo-Pak relations are inter-related. Such questions are usually asked at the competitive service examination level or even postgraduate level. So, this is completely unjustified on part of the paper setters to have asked such questions,” Arifa Jabeen, a political science lecturer, said. Parents of the students have also written an open letter to BoSE Secretary Renu Goswami urging her to take cognisance of the matter and allow them the compensatory marks for the question. Renu Goswami said she would look into the issue and the matter of providing compensatory marks would be considered. Regarding the mathematics paper, Renu made it clear that no re-examination would be conducted and the committee set up to discuss the issue had said the paper was not out of the syllabus. “There is consensus in the board that nothing in the maths paper was out of the syllabus. We have taken the decision of providing the students grace marks though,” Goswami said. |
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Minister reviews winter preparedness
Srinagar, November 14 The meeting was attended by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shalindra Kumar, IGP, Kashmir, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Director, CA&PD, Chief Conservator of Forests, Chief Engineer, Mechanical Division, Kashmir, Regional Transport Officer, Kashmir, Chief Engineer, PDD, Superintendent of Police, Traffic, General Manager, SRTC, General State Forest Corporation and other officers concerned. “Taking stock of the stock and supply position of the essentials in the Valley, the Minister was informed that 3 lakh quintals of rice, 9,510 quintals of floor, 1,40,000 quintals of wheat, 5,273 kilo litres of kerosene oil and 3.20 lakh LPG cylinders are available in the godowns of the CA&PD and various oil companies operating in the Valley,” an official spokesman said. While reviewing the distribution of firewood among the Valley consumers, Ramzan was told that 18,000 quintals of firewood was distributed to the Valley consumers besides 43,000 quintals of firewood was provided to various mosques of Srinagar city. “The minister was told that the Forest department has fixed a target of providing 14.99 lakh cft of timber to Valley consumers during current fiscal and the department has dumped 13.69 lakh cft of timber for this purpose so far. He was also informed that the department has provided 10.40 lakh cft of timber to Valley consumers during the current fiscal so far,” the spokesman said. The minister also reviewed snow preparedness arrangements. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation authorities informed the meeting that the measures had been taken to streamline the streetlights in Srinagar city. He said 600 streetlights were installed in the Shia-dominated areas of the city while damaged streetlights were being repaired. |
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Doctors raise alarm over rise in diabetic cases in Valley
Our Correspondent
Srinagar, November 14 According to endocrinologists, there has been an increase in the number of diabetic cases among young people in the last two decades. “The age graph of diabetic patients has increased in the past two decades. What we used to see in 80’s is not the case now,” said endocrinologist Dr Abdul Hameed Zargar. He said clashes, protests and strikes were also one of the main contributors of diabetes in Kashmir. “Confinement to homes leads to stress and depression among people, which ultimately leads to increased sugar level. Due to this situation, we are unable to perform outdoor activities and remained confined indoors,” he said. The other factor doctors say is the change in lifestyle and food habits. “In recent times, wazwan is easily available to us and eating it has become a norm. Usually, people would eat it only at functions but now they eat non-vegetarian food everyday, this is also one of the causes,” he said. Experts also said diabetes had become a huge healthcare issue in Kashmir. They say most of the people are unaware of the disease as it doesn't have any visible symptoms. “Earlier, people would get this disease after the age of 45. But now, it can be seen among young children, who remain unaware about it as they don’t go for regular tests and it doesn't have any visible symptoms,” said another endocrinologist. The doctor said, “When a person is affected by diabetes, it has an impact on his whole body which leads to heart and kidney diseases as well. In Kashmir, 8 per cent adults suffer from diabetes and 27 per cent from pre-diabetes and it has an impact on the whole body,” the doctor added. There has also been an increase in diabetic cases among pregnant women. The doctor said currently 5 per cent of the pregnant women suffered from diabetes. “Even if it is 5 per cent only, it will get worst in coming times. Among pregnant women, the reason seen is late marriages,” Zargar added. Experts suggest that people should frequently check their weight and get sugar tested once in a while. Recently, noted endocrinologist Dr Shariq Masoodi from Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, conducted a study and revealed that Kashmir has more than two lakh diabetic patients and the disease is increasing every day.
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Hoteliers seek implementation of JNNURM scheme
Srinagar, November 14 Stating that the hoteliers were equally concerned about the safety measures for prevention of deterioration of the water bodies, JKHC secretary general Musadiq A Shah in a statement urged the government to set up common Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) under the JNNURM scheme. “From day one, the hoteliers club made every effort to convince the policymakers at the helm of affairs that merely installation of STPs by the hotel owners was not going to solve the problem confronting the healthy environment of the state when the effluent of the huge populace of the Valley would still go untreated to the water bodies directly thereby negating the purpose of installation of individual STPs by the hotels,” Shah added. Pertinently, the hoteliers have been objecting the directive to install individual STPs. The JKHC also questioned why the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) and the Housing Department had not expedited the proposal to install common STPs. |
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Nehru remembered on birth anniversary
Srinagar, November 14 Addressing a function at Nihalpora Pattan in Baramulla district, JKPCC vice-president Ghulam Nabi Monga termed Nehru as the best politician and an able administrator, who gave a new direction to the country during his prime ministership and laid the foundation of great and strong India. All India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Moinul Haque was the chief guest at the function. JKPCC senior vice-president Mohammad Muzaffar Parray presided over another function held at the JKPCC headquarters. Parray said, “If India is strong today, it is because of the sacrifices of Pandit Nehru and his family. His famous Five-Year Plan made the country vibrant and developing,” he said. |
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Two labourers found dead in Pulwama
Srinagar, November 14 “They were shifted to the District Hospital, Pulwama, where Shabu Mian and Rupan, both residents of West Bengal, were declared brought dead, while Habib Mian and Anaee Gul, also residents of West Bengal, were referred to SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, for further treatment,” the police spokesman said. The police has started an inquest proceedings to ascertain the cause of their
death. — TNS |
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Illicit timber worth lakhs seized
Kupwara, November 14 A team of officials led by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Langate, Irfan Rasool seized about 280 cubic feet (cft) of illicit timber amounting to Rs 3 lakh. The timber was seized from forests compartment 65, 63 and 67, officials said. However, smugglers could not be arrested. “We have identified the smugglers and they would be arrested soon. Following specific information, raids were conducted at different places during night hours. The smugglers had mostly collected deodar and readying for transportation of the illicit timber to other places,” said an official. |
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2 education officials suspended
Srinagar, November 14 “The two were suspended to ensure better management of service records and leave accounts of the officials,” an official spokesman said. The suspended officials have been attached with the office of the Chief Education Officer, Anantnag. Meanwhile, the Chief Education Officer, Anantnag, has been appointed as the inquiry officer who will submit the report to the Director, School Education, Kashmir, within
15 days. |
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PDP flays Omar on grim power situation
Srinagar, November 14 In a statement many party legislatures said, though the harsh wintery conditions were yet to start, the power situation had deteriorated considerably and besides paying hefty power bills, even in Srinagar people had to face pitiful power cuts for hours together. “The situation is grimmer in the rural areas, where load-shedding can go for 20 hours together in a day thus forcing people to innumerable hardships,” the statement said. The PDP leaders said the Chief Minister’s tall claims about the increase in power generation, squarely fall flat when related to the actual ground realities. “If the CM’s announcements have been carrying any weight, power should not have been elusive then! Instead of giving people any relief, the only thing the present dispensation could do is to increase the power tariff more than four folds, without bothering about its own duties of providing better services to the people,” the legislatures said. — TNS |
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Youth Cricket Club register win
Srinagar, November 14 In the first match, Amjad Club defeated Shankar Nagar Club by 6 wickets. Shankar Nagar scored 61 runs in 10.1 overs. In reply, Amjad Club overhauled the target in 9.2 overs at the loss of 3 wickets. Arif scalped 4 wickets while Nawaz Rather contributed 24 runs for Amjad Club. In another match, YCC overcame the challenge of Power House Club (PHC) by a margin of 56 runs. Bating first, YCC accumulated 92 runs with Amandep a top scorer with 42 runs. In reply, PHC was bundled out for 37 runs in 8.3 overs. Shahnawaz and Rupinder claimed 2 wickets each for YCC. In the third match, Purani Poonch drubbed Star XI by 54 runs in a one-sided contest. The matches were officiated by RS Toofan, Narinder Singh, Puran, Sachin, Vijay Kumar and Suhail. |
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1,100 smokers fined
Srinagar, November 14 “During the drive, Rs 95,000 as fine was recovered from about 1,100 offenders who were found smoking and use of tobacco products at public places. The drive was launched against smokers at public places like bus stops, offices, hospitals and educational institutions,” a police spokesman said. On Wednesday, Station House Officer (SHO), Pattan Police Station in Baramulla district, had also recovered Rs 10,000 as fine under the Act from offenders who were found smoking and use of tobacco products at public places in Pattan. The police spokesman said general masses had appreciated the efforts of the police to make the society smoking-free. |
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Celebrations at Ghanta Ghar
Srinagar, November 14 A DHSK official said the function was held to create awareness about diabetes among the masses. Pamphlets on diabetes care were distributed among the people. Various speakers, including the Srinagar DC, laid thrust on the awareness and prevention of the disease. Over 500 persons were also screened for diabetes at the event. The official said the DHSK had been conducting free diabetes screening camps across the Valley. He said more than 5.7 lakh people had been screened since 2012 and nearly six per cent of them were found suspected diabetics. “This day is celebrated worldwide in order to raise awareness of this chronic, and costly disease among children, adults, and professionals,” he said.
— TNS |
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Srinagar, November 14