Jammu, June 15
The redemption process started by the National Conference and the Congress after the General Election debacle in the form of populist policies is set to plunge the state into a serious financial crisis in the future.

Despite severe financial constraints, the state government recently announced creation of 659 new administrative units and formation of an expert panel to explore the possibility of creating more administrative units in areas left out, enhancement by two years of retirement age of over 4.5 lakh government employees, dumping of new recruitment policy that made newly hired government employees work on half salary for five years and making temporary positions permanent, setting the process of regularisation of nearly 60,000 daily wage and casual workers and inclusion into service of five-year stipend period of over 55,000 Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers.

The government is seriously contemplating a merger of 50 per cent dearness allowance into basic pay, enhancement in medical allowance, benefits of Sixth Pay Commission with arrears and enhancement of retirement age of university and medical faculty ahead of Assembly elections, scheduled later this year.

These policy decisions followed election results that humbled the National Conference. The government decisions, with financial implications, seem to be in contrast to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s concern for the deteriorating financial condition of the state, which he had repeatedly spoken about in the legislature and at public rallies.

Addressing a public rally in the Challana area of Nagrota Assembly segment on November 25 last, Omar disclosed the total income of the state from all resources was Rs 6,500 crore while the annual salary of government employees had gone up to Rs 13,500 crore. He said the state had been spending Rs 2,000 crore on pension of employees annually and suffering electricity losses to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore a year.

Official sources said the total liability of Jammu and Kashmir was around Rs 44,000 crore during the last financial year. The total liability for 2012-13 was Rs 40,248 crore.

The sources said the report of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, constituted to recommend new administrative units in the state, had tentatively put financial implications of the new units at Rs 1510.22 crore, adding that the enhancement of retirement age would put an additional burden of around Rs 27,000 crore (without inflation) on the state exchequer.

A senior official of the Finance Department said on the condition of anonymity that the government would save nearly Rs 2,000 crore in the next two years. He said the state government’s dependence on the Centre vis-à-vis meeting its expenses would go up after such decisions in the coming years.

Dipankar Sengupta, Senior Professor at the department of economics in the University of Jammu, said the decisions of the state government were “like handing over a time bomb to the next government”. “By enhancing the retirement age, the state government has postponed the huge financial burden on the state exchequer in the form of gratuity for the next two years. It will be a big challenge for the next government to pay gratuity to employees on their retirement as the state government is facing a cash crunch,” he said.

He said the decisions with financial implications were, no doubt, being taken with an eye on the upcoming Aassembly elections. Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Finance, was unavailable for comment.

Srinagar, June 15
The presence of non-local beggars in Kashmir, especially at shopping and tourist places, has irked people for long. They have also been found carrying health risks.

As per official estimates, around 15,000 beggars have entered into the Valley and will now be deported.

“Around 10,000 to 15,000 non-local beggars have come here and they pose some health risks. Not only do they carry diseases, they also lack hygiene. Moreover, they live illegally at places that are close to water bodies where they defecate that again is a health hazard,” said Shafqat Khan, Health Officer of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).

Khan said the SMC had started a drive against the beggars and in the first instance, they would be disallowed from gathering at public places.

The SMC Health Officer said beggars were also bothering tourists, besides being a nuisance at shrines, traffic signals and marketplaces.

“Previously, only locals would come up with complaints of non-local beggars harassing them, but now they can also be found troubling tourists at spots such as Dal Lake, frequented by visitors,” he said.

Khan said they would be seeking police assistance for deporting the non-local beggars. He said their presence was a ‘serious public health issue’. The locals have for long been demanding action against the non-local beggars. Drives launched in the past by the government against the non-local beggars had lost momentum.

“The drive should be a sustained one and shouldn’t fizzle out. As the tourist season is at its peak and with Ramadan round the corner, the menace is bound to increase,” said a local.

Srinagar, June 15
The first sign of a feared spillover from Af-Pak has appeared with a message from Al-Qaida in which it vows to fight for Kashmir and warns about continuing the war. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, who is in the region on a two-day visit, sounded a note of caution at the development.

The video statement was released on Shamikh, a top-tier Al-Qaida web forum, where its various affiliates issue statements. The message was read out by Maulana Asim Umar, a key preacher of Al-Qaida’s South Asia unit.

For the first time since the Al-Qaida came into existence in the mid-1990s, the group has issued a call to arms in Kashmir and is extending its influence to the region.

In response to a question on the Al-Qaida statement, Arun Jaitley told mediapersons here that “there are forces which are inimical to India, which would not like peace to continue … but I am reasonably confident the strength of India as a state not to allow such elements to create trouble in India is considerable.”

“Even when I am optimistic, there is an element of caution in my optimism as people inimical to India will try to foment trouble,” he said.

Jaitley said the country would have to wait and watch how the situation would unfold after the withdrawal of the US forces from Afghanistan. “We have to watch the situation how it progresses…. But I am confident our security forces would be in a position to repudiate any such attempts they are making,” the Defence Minister said.

The Al-Qaida statement said the Kashmir militancy, which had diminished in the past decade after Pakistan made a U-turn on militants after the 9/11 attacks, would continue as it offered a base for region’s militants in Pakistan’s tribal areas and promised a “caravan” of militants from Afghanistan who would join the battle for Kashmir’s “azadi”.

“This war will continue and we will fulfil the promises made to our martyrs,” Umar said while criticising the region’s separatists for shunning arms and resorting to peaceful protests.

Security experts and senior Army commanders in recent years have warned of a “spillover” of militants from Afghanistan and Pakistan into Kashmir once the US withdraws from the region.

The global Islamic militant group also indicts “Pakistani establishment” of reneging on the “promise of liberating Kashmir”. “Everything was murdered, everything was sold,” Umar said blaming the Pakistani establishment for turning “Kashmir jihad into a past memory”.

The Al-Qaida statement is produced by As Sahab production, the media wing of its central command that is led by Osama bin Laden’s successor Ayman al Zawahiri. The video is part of a series of statements issued since last year when Al-Qaida chief Ayman al Zawahiri authorised the fight for “liberation” of Kashmir.

Srinagar, June 15
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today sought Union Defence Minister Arun Jaitley’s intervention to ensure speedy disposal of land compensation and rental cases pertaining to the assets under the use of the Army in Kashmir.

“There are hundreds of cases where the compensation and rentals for the land under the Army use have been settled, but the money is not being disbursed among the people due to procedural delays,” senior PDP leader and Member of Parliament Tariq Hameed Karra said while addressing people in Ganderbal Assembly segment.

He said the Union Defence Minister should take a call on the matter and order speedy disbursement of the land compensation/rent as for most of the people this was the only source of income.

Karra also expressed dismay over the curtailment of flight timings at the Srinagar International Airport.

Jammu, June 15
The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has submitted a proposal to the administrative department of the state government for its restructuring. This has been revealed in the Rapid Baseline Assessment Report prepared by the Union Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).

The report claimed that the state government was considering a case of forming a municipal cadre within the state and had already submitted relevant information to the Central ministry, the acceptance of which is still awaited.

The report added that the JMC had also submitted a detailed proposal on capacity-building of its staff to the administrative department. After the completion of administrative restructuring, training, need assessment and its implementation for enhancing the working capacity and efficiency of the staff will be carried out.

The Central ministry report observed that the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) is not applicable to the state. It stated that only a few functions mentioned in the CAA had been transferred to the JMC despite the JMC Act.

"While discussing it with key officials in the Corporation, it was brought to our notice that the state Cabinet has approved the transfer of 18 mandatory functions on March 18, 2013, to the JMC. It will also depend on how quickly the various agencies involved in urban services hand over their charge to the JMC. Nevertheless, what is visible on ground is that the JMC has very limited authority in the process of urban governance. Further, there is a considerable amount of overlap amongst agencies entrusted with urban services," the report claimed.

The report further stated that the JMC had a small role to play in the delivery of urban services. "There is a considerable amount of overlap of functions between the JMC and state government bodies. For instance, the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in Jammu comes under the purview of the JMC."

"However, the JMC only deals with the maintenance, alteration and improvement of public streets. Other types of roads within the Municipal corporation area are being dealt by the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and also by the Economic Reconstruction agency (ERA)."

"Similarly, although sewerage services are currently being dealt with by the state govenment's Urban Environmental Engineering Department (UEED), ERA has also taken up projects related to the setting up of the sewerage network within the city of Jammu, with the help of external aid," the report maintained.

Jammu, June 15
To make pashmina and the handloom sector more comprehensive and profitable in Leh, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council held a meeting with Union Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Zohra Chatterji and top-level officials of the Central Wool Development Board in Leh on Saturday.

Deliberating on the potential of pashmina in Ladakh, Chief Executive Councillor Rigzin Spalbar said the pashmina wool development schemes under the Integrated Wool Improvement and Development Scheme of the Central Wool Development Board (CWDB) had proved beneficial for Leh.

He said the scheme, in a short period, had encouraged the migrated nomads of the Changthang area of Leh district to return to their homeland.

Advocating various promotional and development schemes under the CWDB, the Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) requested the union secretary to provide more assistance, focusing on value addition of the pashmina products, which will not only boost the economy of the Changthang area but also of the entire Ladakh region.

A powerpoint presentation was given by District Sheep Husbandry Officer Mohammad Sharif on snow crisis in Changthang last year and the progress report of pashmina wool development schemes for 2013-14.

In her address, the Union Secretary directed the Sheep Husbandry Department to prepare a revised proposal and estimates of the CWDB scheme, with proposal of additional budget by incorporating components such as testing labs, common facility centres for spinning of pashmina and promotion of small spinning machines to the nomads, additional dehiring plant considering production of 45,000 tons of pashmina.

“The Union Ministry of Textiles will consider setting up an Italian dehiring plant at Leh for which additional Rs 3 crore is required,” the Union Secretary said.

Jammu, June 15
There is widespread panic among industrialists in Jammu as the Directorate of Industries is headless for the past 15 days. This has left hundreds of crucial files pending for clearance, affecting the manufacturing sector.

The Federation of Industries Jammu (FOIJ) has alleged that the industrial sector is on the verge of collapse due to the callous approach of the government at a time when the annual assessment for toll exemption is done and forwarded to the Excise Department. The industrialists are expecting toll exemption for their units.

"The slow pace at the government level has left us high and dry and the Directorate of Industries, Jammu, has been headless for the last 15 days. The 25-per cent quota of many units has since exhausted and they are forced to pay the tax on the import and export of goods, resulting in a huge financial loss," said Anil Suri, president, FOIJ.

The previous director, Gulzar Qureshi, attained superannuation on May 31 and so far no one has been appointed to the chair.

"The government should treat this matter as urgent and appoint the Director of Industries on a priority basis. Till then, the power should be delegated to the any senior officer of the Industries Department so that the day-to-day work may not suffer," said Virendra Jain, secretary general, FOIJ.

Moreover, the industry sector is facing huge electricity crisis despite paying nearly Rs 100 crore annually as power tariff to the Power Development Department. The poor condition of electricity infrastructure is affecting the production at the Bari Brahmana industrial estate on the outskirts of the city.

Manufacturers say that unscheduled power cuts in the industrial estate, which have been metered by the department, is causing them losses in form of wages to staff, repayment of loans to banks, depreciation of machinery and above all minimal productivity.

"The poor power scenario has hit the industry across the Jammu region, mainly industries at Samba, Bari-Brahmana, Digiana, Gangyal and Udhampur. It has affected the production and in turn the confidence of investors," said an industrialist.

Jammu, June 15
The centenary celebrations of Pandit Janki Nath Kaul "Kamal', a well-known scholar of Kashmir Shaivism and Vedanta philosophy, were held at the Lal Ded Centre in New Delhi.

Tributes being paid to Pandit Janki Nath Kaul ‘Kamal’ in New Delhi. A Tribune photograph

A music album consisting of religious songs written by Pandit Janki Nath Kaul, composed by Padma Shri Bhajan Sopori, a renowned santoor maestro, was launched on the occasion. MK Kaw, former secretary, Human Resource Development Ministry, was the chief guest.

Sudhir Kumar Sopory, Neelam Katara, Rajender Kachroo, Sushil Pandit and Prof CL Sapru were among those who participated in the programme.

Rich tributes were paid to the scholar from Kashmir who passed away in an accident in Jammu in 1997.

A book titled "The awakening of Supreme Consciousness - Teachings of Swami Lakshman Joo" was released. An exhibition showcasing his journey was also on display, curated by Virendra Bangroo.

Jammu, June 15
The state Home Department has recently directed all the concerned officials to follow the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) guidelines in “true spirit” to ensure proper post mortem and video filming of cases of custodial and encounter deaths in the state.

“It is impressed upon the concerned officers/officials to strictly adhere to these guidelines,” a circular issued by the Home Department on April 9 stated.

It also mentioned that a copy of NHRC guidelines has been uploaded on the official website of the department — www.jkhome.nic.in.

The instructions were issued to the Director General of Police, Jammu; Director General of Prisons; Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and other officers concerned.

Sources said the initiative was taken by the Home Department after Justice KG Balakrishnan, former Chief Justice of India and chairperson of the NHRC wrote a letter to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on March 19 emphasising the reports of custodial deaths in the state.

“The Commission has been receiving reports of custodial deaths and deaths in police action. Whenever such report is received, the Commission holds an enquiry to find out if there was any violation of human rights. Post mortem report is a vital piece of evidence in such enquiry,” the letters stated.

The letter also highlighted communication dated 10-8-1995, addressed to various Chief Ministers of the country, which pointed out that all post mortem examinations done in cases of custodial deaths or in encounter deaths should be video-filmed and cassette sent to the Commission along with post mortem report.

Sources said the Commission also invited suggestions from experts to ensure proper post mortem and video filming of such incidents. On the basis of suggestions received from the experts the Commission has formulated fresh guidelines for video filming and post mortem examination in cases of custodial deaths and encounter deaths so as to help in better analysis of cases, sources said.

Jammu, June 15
The Army has nabbed two nationals of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) from the Mankote sector of Poonch district and the Jhangar area of Rajouri district.

One of the PoJK nationals is suspected to be a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) guide. He was nabbed by the Army around 8 pm yesterday.

The other PoJK national was caught around 9.30 am today. The two men were being grilled by the Army’s Intelligence officers.

The suspected LeT guide was handed over to the Mendhar police in the evening today. He has been identified as Mohammed Hussain, a resident of Naderi village in Kotli district of PoJK.

Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Mendhar, Surinder Choudhary said, “This evening, the Army handed over to us a suspected guide of a militant outfit. He might have been a guide or had entered for spying activities. A case under relevant sections has been registered against him.” “We strongly suspect that the guide, who knows several LeT commanders, was conducting a recce to help a group of militants to infiltrate,” said an Army source.

Akhnoor, June 15
The Uttarakhand Government might have once again started the Badrinath-Kedarnath yatra, but the family members of three missing persons from Jammu and Kashmir are still awaiting the official confirmation of their deaths.

Sham Lal Gupta, Neelam Gupta and Ramesh Chand, who were on a trip to Badrinath-Kedarnath, were reported missing in the natural calamity that struck the region last year.

However, the family members of the victims have neither received their death certificates nor the ex gratia.

After a nearly year-long search for their relatives, the family members finally conceded to the fate and performed last rites of their loved ones. But still the government has not issued the death certificates of the victims.

“I can’t even narrate what exactly happened to us after that horrific incident, in which we lost the head of our family,” said Kapil Gupta, elder son of Ramesh Chand.

Gupta rued the government apathy saying the family members of victims belonging to other states got death certificates and ex gratia amount of Rs 3 lakh in November last year but our state has neither helped us in tracing our parents nor have they helped us to get their death certificate.

“We are not in need of money, but the death certificate should have been issued to us on time,” he said.

Anil Gupta, the only son of Sham Lal and Neelam Gupta, said, “The District Magistrate of Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand informed me that the death certificates and the ex-gratia amount was sent to Chief Secretary, J&K, Iqbal Khanday in November 2013, but no one from the administration has informed us till now.”

“I lost my parents in that disaster… I am ashamed of our state government which did not help us at any point of time,” he said.

Despite of repeated calls Chief Secretary was unavailable on phone.

Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu said, “Nothing has come to my knowledge about the death certificates or ex gratia. But I will check it in the secretariat if they have received something related to this.”

Baramulla, June 15
Hundreds of candidates who had applied for various Class IV posts some eight years ago in Baramulla district have said the district administration was causing inordinate delay in filling the vacancies.

Candidates said the Baramulla district administration had advertised the posts in 2006 and even after eight years, the authorities had not filled the vacancies.

They said the district administration had conducted the interview of some candidates in 2008-2009 but no interviews were held of the remaining job aspirants.

Mushtaq Ahmad, one of the candidates, said the district administration had told them to submit fresh Class IX certificates in 2013 and assured them that the posts would be filled within days.

Mushtaq said most of the candidates, who had applied for the posts, had become overage.

However, sources said, “The authorities could not conduct the interview of some candidates due to mass uprising in 2008 and 2010 in the Valley.”

At least four deputy commissioners were transferred by the government since the posts were advertised in the district.

The authorities have not taken a final call on the recruitments.

A senior official of the district administration said a proper notification would soon be issued in this regard.

“Our efforts are on and we will finalise it (recruitment process) soon. Candidates will be informed accordingly about the development,” the official said.

Srinagar, June 15
The biggest tourism extravaganza of Kashmir, Summer Festival, will begin in the Valley from June 21.

It is being organised by the Department of Tourism in association with the Adventure Calls Tours and Travels, an adventure sports and travel company based in Kashmir.

Although the theme of this year’s festival revolves around adventure sports, the Department of Tourism has added an entertainment factor to it and is organising the first-ever “Kashmiri Idol”, a singing talent competition for budding singers of the Valley.

Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans and Kashmir’s classical Sufi singer Dhanenjay Kaul will be among the panel of judges on the talent show.

The auditions for the singing competition will begin tomorrow at three degree colleges in Srinagar.

Radio jockeys of the Valley’s only private radio channel, Big FM, will select the participants for the Kashmiri Idol.

The Department of Tourism has decided to promote adventure sports by holding flat and white water rafting, mountain running, paragliding, trekking, shikarathon (shikara racing) and water sports championships.

Director, Tourism, Talat Pervez said water rafting championships, which are part of the festival, would particularly educate people on restoring the pristine glory of Valley’s water bodies.

“Through these championships, we will raise awareness on saving Srinagar’s lifeline, Jhelum, from pollution,” said the Director, Tourism.

Ten teams have registered for the rafting championship to be held on the Jhelum.

“The mountain running championship will be held in Srinagar and Dodripathri on June 22 and 26, respectively. A total of 200 athletes from the Valley are participating,” said Muhammad Yusuf, director (Operations), Adventure Calls Tours and Travels.

Leh, June 15
Ladakh will soon offer ‘home-prepared’ delicious cheese made from milk of yaks to foreigners visiting the arid region every year.

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, which is politically governing the district, is working on a mega project to encourage people for raising yaks for milk production there.

The LAHDC has decided to send a high-level team comprising executive councillors of the council and veterinary doctors to the Netherlands to have an in-depth knowledge about the project and an interaction with experts there.

At present, yak cheese is either imported from Nepal or is prepared in small quantities at the local level there.

“The demand for yak cheese has gone up in the region over the years. We have already started a project of yak conservation in Leh district. At the same time, we are sending a team of councillors and veterinary officials to the Netherlands and they will interact with experts and get on-the-spot knowledge about the project so that we start the production of yak cheese,” Gurmet Dorje, executive councillor, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, LAHDC, Leh, told The Tribune.

Ladakh, also known as cold desert of the country and land of high passes, has always been a favourite tourist destination for foreigners, mainly from Europe, Israel and Austria since 1974, when the frontier region of Jammu and Kashmir was opened to them.

A total of 69,496 foreigners visited Ladakh region during the last two years. During 2012, a total of 38,510 foreigners visited Ladakh, while the number of foreign tourists in the region was 30,596 in 2013.

Dorje said there was a great potential of raising yaks for milk production in the Khaltsi, Nimu, Changthang in Nyoma divisions and other parts of Leh district. “Presently, yak cheese available in Leh is being brought from Nepal,” the executive councillor said.

He said they took a cue from a local youth in the Nyoma area where he had raised 15 to 20 yaks for cheese production and he was earning Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh annually. “The upcoming project will also help us in generating local employment for the youth of the region,” he said, adding that yak cheese made from milk of yaks grazing on highlands have certain nutritional advantage for foreign tourists who come here for trekking purpose.

Handwara, June 15
The stink emanating from defunct public toilets in Hadwara town of Kupwara district is causing immense inconvenience to the residents.

People alleged that the Municipal Committee, Handawara, has failed to make toilets properly functional and most of them were lacking water facility.

“The Handwara Municipal Committee last year claimed to have spent lakhs of rupees on construction of lavatory blocks at different places, but none is of use to people due to shortage of water,” said a Handawara resident.

“The municipality did not bother to maintain these blocks and just after few weeks of their use the toilets started stinking,” he said.

The toilet block near Government Girls Higher Secondary School and Handwara bus stand are particularly causing lot of trouble to the passersby.

“What is the point of constructing public toilets if they are of no use to anybody. Instead it is causing inconvenience to people and visitors. These toilets should be either made functional or closed,” said Mohammad Sayeed Shah.

Students of various educational institutions also complained of inconvenience. “In the absence of proper toilets, we are forced to visit restaurants to attend nature’s call. We appeal the municipal authorities to make these toilets functional at the earliest,” said a student of Girls Higher Secondary School, Handwara.

There are 14 municipality wards in Handwara town, consisting over 20,300 shops, educational institutions, revenue and other government offices, but not even a single lavatory is functional in the area, alleged a local.

Executive Officer of the Handwara Municipal Committee Habibullah Darzi said: “Last week we made some toilet blocks functional, rest of the blocks will also be made functional in a few days.

Kupwara, June 15
Residents of New Colony Goose, 3 km from Kupwara town, are facing shortage of potable water.

People of the area said two months ago, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department had laid down water pipes but work was suspended due to unknown reasons.

“There is not a drop of water. Women have to travel a kilometre to fetch water from a nullah. We approached the minister concerned as well but received hollow assurances that water supply will be provided to the village soon,” said Abdul Jabbar, a colony resident.

The locals said the use of contaminated water from an open source may lead to an outbreak of water-borne diseases such as jaundice and cholera.

“Some people have already taken ill due to constant use of contaminated water from the nullah. What is the point of laying down pipes in villages when there is no water,” said sarpanch Alif Din.

“We met many senior officials of the department with a plea to complete the work and provide water supply to the village but nothing has been done to address the problem,” the sarpanch said.

Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering, Kupwara, Ghulam Qadir Bhat said the situation would be assessed on the ground.

“It is a newly developed habitation. We have laid pipes and water supply will be provided to the village at the earliest,” he said.

Srinagar, June 15
The increase in incidents of eve-teasing outside schools and tuition centres in the city has become a cause of concern for parents of girls.

They have appealed to the authorities to deploy police personnel around educational institutions. After complaints from parents of girl students, the police has warned eve-teasers, but incidents still continue at some places.

The police in Srinagar district have warned eve-teasers to refrain from such activities following reports of growing incidents, mostly near busy tuition centres around the Parraypora Baghat area, where the incidents are frequent.

Officials said the police had received several complaints from parents of girls that some youths were indulging eve-teasing.

“After we received complaints from parents, we deployed police personnel near higher secondary schools from 9 am to 10:30 am and at the time of closing,” said a senior police official.

“The process will continue. We warn eve-teasers not to indulge in the activity and stop creating trouble. Action will be taken against them if they continue,” he said.

The parents appealed to the government to depute flying squads and police personnel at every tuition centre to stop eve-teasing and unwelcome comments and gestures.

“The government should deploy police officers in areas where such things happen,” said Dilshaha, a mother of a girl student.

“It should devise and implement strict laws to save women from harassment. Those found guilty should be put behind bars for years,” she said.

A social activist said the government alone could not eliminate eve-teasing and other sections of society had to play a role. He termed it as a critical responsibility of teachers as well.

“Teachers play a critical role in developing good manners in students, particularly in a time when cases of immoral activities are high,” he said.

“The objective of a teacher should not be academics alone, but education as whole. If we do this, we will be able to reduce the problem of eve-teasing to large extent,” he said.

There had been an increase in cases of violence against women in Kashmir. There had been an increase in cases of eve-teasing from 347 in 2012 to 354 in 2013.

Srinagar, June 15
With traffic mess becoming frequent in Srinagar and on its outskirts, people prefer two-wheelers, mostly Scooties, to avoid chaos on roads.

People in the city are opting for two-wheelers for travelling to save their time and make the journey easy. The sale of Scooties has gone up in the Valley, with people preferring those to public transport and cars.

Easy financing schemes for purchase has encouraged office-goers and students to go in for Scooties. Local dealers say the sale of Scooties is sometimes more than the sale of motorcycles.

“We sell more than 100 Scooties a month. We have seen the change that not only women, but men prefer Scooties because those are less expensive and easy to ride. Even the elderly go in for Scooties,” said a dealer at the Residency Road in Srinagar.

The trend of driving Scooties started in the city in 2010, with the start of new student schemes, which were affordable to girls. After frequent traffic jams, people had another reason to ride Scooties.

To make the ride more comfortable for people, dealers had been offering driving courses. “To encourage people, we teach women and the elderly how to drive Scooties,” said a distributor.

Banks had also come up with specially designed financing schemes for women for the purchase of Scooties. “There are different schemes available for the people. Even 100 per cent financing schemes are available for Scooties. The processing is done in a few days,” said a dealer.

The easy acceptance of the trend had helped in the growth of Scooties. “With the availability of financing schemes, Scooties have created a good market in Kashmir. Women and girls buy two-wheelers with a bank loan of Rs 50,000, to be paid in 60 monthly instalments,” the dealer added.

There were interest-free two-wheeler schemes for office-goers as well. “They need to make a down payment of 50 per cent of the amount. The rest can be paid in 11 instalments without interest,” said a dealer in Srinagar.

Many people said they felt free on Scooties and could easily move in lanes and bylanes during traffic jams in any part of the city. They also said the expenditure of a two-wheeler was less than that of a four-wheeler.

“I think people have to take steps in getting away from traffic jams, I have got a new Scooty for going to office and it has saved my time. I used to get stuck in traffic jams for hours together,” said Samir Ahmed, a travel operator in Srinagar.

Encouraging people to opt for two-wheelers, officials of the Traffic Department said it would help in reducing traffic congestion on city roads.

Jammu, June 15
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Shantmanu on Saturday launched Enquirer Today — a monthly magazine dedicated to heritage, folk culture, leisure, tourism and socio-cultural issues of Jammu and Kashmir.

Shantmanu appreciated the efforts of the Enquirer Today team in showcasing the rich diversity of all the three regions of the state in terms of culture, heritage and bounties of nature.

“The state of Jammu and Kashmir is on back foot in terms of economic and infrastructural development. People have been kept away from economic benefits in spite of having rich cultural and heritage potential that can act as value for the tourism of the state,” said the editor of the magazine Mahesh Kaul.

Sarfraz Ahmed is the editor-in-chief of the magazine, while Mohammad Shahid Khan is the managing editor. VK Sehgal holds the post of consulting editor.

Srinagar, June 15
The drug de-addiction centre of the state police held a mental health programme at Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Kothi Bagh in the city on Sunday as part of its initiative to prevent drug abuse.

It was the 46th mental health programme organised by the centre, in which more than 300 students and staff members participated, a police spokesman said.

The spokesman said group interaction with students of the school was held, during which drug abuse and stress management was discussed in detail.

The teaching staff of the school acknowledged the initiative of the police drug se-addiction centre and requested for further programmes, the police spokesman said.

Experts of the drug de-addiction centre highlighted the alarming scenario of drug abuse across the state by quoting different studies conducted on the subject.

The experts urged the youth to join hands with the de-addiction centre in order to make society free of drugs,” the spokesman said.

Jammu, June 15
A summer camp started at Country Kids Playway School, Subash Nagar, in Jammu. Grandmothers of all the children were invited.

During the camp, children were asked to seek the blessings of their grandmothers by touching their feet. Gifts were distributed to grandmothers through children to infuse in them a sense of gratitude towards their elders.

The participants will be imparted training in art, craft, painting, sketching, aerobics, dance, splash pool, skating, language skills, music and fun race.

Srinagar, June 15
A tele-mentoring session from Gem Hospital, Coimbatore, on laparoscopic surgery was organised by the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir.

A spokesman said the event, the first of its kind, was held at Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial Hospital and surgeons from various parts of the state, especially laparoscopic surgeons, attended the session.

He stated that tele-mentoring was a recent concept which had made it possible to provide the best possible treatment to patients.

The spokesman said the session would be of immense help to practising laparoscopic surgeons for upgrading their operating skills and learning newer techniques.

“Experts can be consulted online for patient management even if they are not present by the side of the patient,” he said.

“They can be seen performing surgery even in other continents and professionals can interact with them in real time,” he added.

“This helps in the dissemination of skills and knowledge to professionals working far away, even in remote places,” he further said.

Jammu, June 15
The Dogra College of Education organised a state-level seminar on the topic "Quality sustenance in teacher education a great challenge".

Gulchain Singh Charak, former Minister for Higher Education, was the chief guest on the occasion. In his address, he said the purpose of education was not just making a student literate but to inculcate rational thinking and self-sufficiency.

The keynote address was presented by Prof NR Sharma, head, Department of Educational Studies, and Dean Students Welfare, Central University of Jammu.

He said teacher education was ultimately connected with society and is conditioned by the ethos, culture and character of a nation and so, teachers must be provided with the best possible professional education in order raise the standards of education.

Prof BD Damral, Director-cum-Principal, Dogra College of Education, gave the welcome address.

The programme was divided into two technical sessions wherein professors, students and research scholars from across the state presented their papers on various themes.

These included Inclusiveness in the Teacher Education, Overcoming Challenges in Teacher Education, Curriculum Transactional Strategies and Evaluation Techniques in Teacher Education, Need of Integrated Teacher Education Curriculum in changing and Transforming the society, Quality versus Quantity in Teacher Education and Uses of Innovative practices in Teacher Education.

The Dogra News Letter was released on the occasion. Certificates and mementoes were presented to dignitaries and the participants.

Jammu, June 15
A meeting of the alumni association of the Ramisht College of Education was held under the chairmanship of the Principal.

About 50 alumni took part in the meeting and shared their experiences and knowledge gained in the college during their study. They advised students to take the maximum advantage of experience and expertise of the college faculty.

The alumni thanked the management, Principal and faculty for their guidance and cooperation for instilling confidence. Meanwhile, a new alumni association was framed for 2014-15. Sudesh Kumari, Lecturer in Education, was unanimously elected as the convenor while Mahan Singh, Parveen Singh Neelam Jasrotia, Shallu Sharma, Seema Basotra and Shakila Akhter were elected as members.

The college management presented mementos to the last year toppers and to the alumni.

Srinagar, June 15
Three persons were killed and 12 others received injuries in separate road accidents across the Valley, the police stated on Sunday.

A car collided with a truck at Chachkoot in Awantipora in south Kashmir on Saturday, resulting in the death of car driver Shabir Ahmad Khankashi of Nigeen Bagh in Srinagar on the spot and injuries to four others.

The injured were taken to the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar, where Mohammad Ashraf Khankashi of Nigeen Bagh in Srinagar succumbed to his injuries.

In another accident, a car hit a SUV on the national highway at Halmullah in Bijbehara, resulting in the death of car driver Mukhtar Ahmed Sheikh of Rawalpora in Srinagar on the spot and injuries to seven others. The injured were taken to the SKIMS in Soura.

A Sumo hit a motorcycle at Danwatpora village in Kokernag in Anantnag. Motorcyclist Umer Rashid Teli and pillion rider Bilal Ahmad Shah of Ladhoo in Pampore were injured in the accident.

The injured were taken to the District Hospital in Anantnag. The police registered separate cases in this connection.

Bijbehara, Jun 15
Parvez Rasool’s family and friends here in South Kashmir’s Bijebhara town were jubilant as he made his international debut against Bangladesh today.

More than 10 months after being first picked up for the national team, Parvez finally got his India cap at the Sher-i-Bangla stadium in Mirpur, Bangladesh.

Parvez is the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India.

“He had a long wait, but it was worth it,” said Asif Rasool, Parvez’s brother and a state-level cricketer. “It’s a proud moment for not only us, but for all of Kashmir.”

Asif said his family was ecstatic over the feat and wished his brother all the luck.

A bowling all-rounder, Parvez did fairly well in his debut match claiming wickets of well-set Anamul Haque (44) and skipper Mushfiqur Rahim (59).

People here were glued to their television sets as they watched each and every delivery being bowled by the off spinner.

“This is just the beginning. We believe in his abilities. He will make it big,” said Danish Vaid, Parvez’s former teammate at a local club.

Youngsters in Kashmir took to the social media to express their elation over Parvez’s inclusion in the playing XI and his performance.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah as well seemed to have been following the match very closely.

As soon as Parvez clinched his first ODI wicket, Omar took to the micro blogging site Twitter to congratulate him.

“So very happy for Parvez Rasool, he’s got his 1st ODI wicket. Let’s hope this is the first of many, well done,” Omar tweeted.

Srinagar, June 15
The apex committee of the Schools Games Federation of India (SGFI), which finalised the calendar for 2014-15 here today, said Jammu and Kashmir would host the National Inter-school Roll Ball and Badminton championships during the period.

The committee, however, did not announce the dates of the championships.

The executive committee meeting of the SGFI, headed by federation president Mahabali Satpal, was held at the Banquet Hall, Srinagar.

Director General, Youth Services and Sports, Navin Aggarwal was the chief guest.

“The SGFI serves to nurture talent and acts as its source for India to strengthen its position in events like Olympics, Common Wealth Games and at other levels,” Aggarwal said. — TNS