Srinagar, July 14
Massive protests broke out in various parts of Kashmir today against Israel’s consistent attacks on Gaza.

College students hold placards and shout anti-Israeli slogans during a protest against Israeli military operations in Gaza, in Srinagar on Monday

Students from Srinagar-based schools and colleges took out a rally from Lal Chowk to the United Nations office at Sonawar here and staged a sit-in, urging the UN to intervene in the Israeli aggression on residents of Gaza.

College students from the Valley called for an end to war crimes by Israel on Palestinians.

At Press Enclave in Srinagar, the police used force to disperse the protesting students who raised slogans “save Gaza” and “down down Israel”.

The students upon reaching the historic ‘Ghanta Ghar’ (clock tower) at Lal Chowk climbed the tower and placed placards of “save Gaza” on it.

Students of the degree colleges in Bandipora and Sopore districts in north Kashmir and Pulwama district in south Kashmir held protests on their respective campuses and marched through the main towns, calling for an end to the Israeli aggression on Palestine.

Students questioned the silence of the international community over the violence inflicted by Israel on Palestinian civilians and said the world should boycott Israel in one voice.

“Israel has broken international peace treaties many times by attacking unarmed Palestinian people which goes unquestioned by the world’s biggest democracies such as the United States. In fact, the US is working hand in glove with Israel to see an end to the Palestinian community. They do not even spare women and children in Ramadan. If this does not call for condemnation, I don’t know what will?” asked Shakir Ahmad, a BA final year student at Amar Singh College in Srinagar.

Government employees also staged a protest at Lal Chowk, urging the international human rights watchdogs to intervene and end the war on humanity.

Chairman of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for Valley-wide protests tomorrow in solidarity with Gaza victims, raising voice against continued Israeli aggression.

Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, while condemning Israel’s brazen attacks, has also called for boycotting widely used Israeli products such as mobile phones, food items and beverage brands.

The Grand Mufti of Kashmir, Mufti Bashiruddin, has appealed to the Kashmiris to stop using products being imported from Israel as a mark of protest.

Srinagar, July 14
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today staged a walkout from the Lok Sabha protesting the Israeli aggression in Gaza.

The PDP urged the Centre to use its influence in stopping the continuing bloodbath of Palestinians.

As the Lok Sabha convened this morning, PDP members Mehbooba Mufti and Tariq Hameed Karra got up from their seats urging the Speaker that the House unanimously condemn the Israeli aggression in Gaza, continuing since July 8.

The party MPs said as the largest democracy of the world, India couldn’t remain a mute spectator to this aggression by Israel that has consumed around 170 innocent Palestinian lives, with hundreds being injured and thousands fleeing their homes.

“A massive humanitarian crisis has erupted in Gaza. As a regional power, India has to use its influence to safeguard the lives and property of the innocent Palestinians,” Mehbooba told the House.

She said India had a history of standing by the Palestinians and in the prevailing crisis also the country’s leaders should raise their voice, cutting across the political divide, against the atrocities being committed by Israel in Gaza.

“We don’t expect the country of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to watch this naked aggression by Israel against hapless Palestinians. We should rise to the occasion and speak for the suffering Gazans,” she said and added that the Centre should try to do all it could to prevent further attacks in Gaza.

The PDP has decided to move a call attention motion in the Lok Sabha to seek a discussion on the situation in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the ruling National Conference (NC) has also condemned, in the strongest of terms, the atrocities and war crimes being committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

The party convened a meeting at the NC Headquarters in Srinagar to express solidarity with innocent victims of violence and bloodshed in Palestine.

”The Muslim countries of the world should put up a strong and united face and mount pressure on Israel and its allies to immediately stop this aggression in Gaza. Internal bickering and divisions have made the voice of the Muslim world weak and this has emboldened Israel to engage in wanton bloodshed and genocide in Gaza,” said provincial president of the NC Nasir Aslam Wani.

Jammu, July 14
With the Planning Commission of India (PCI) yet to be reconstituted, Jammu and Kashmir is facing a severe financial crisis as its annual plan is yet to be approved by the Central government.

Sources said as there was every possibility of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government revamping the commission or coming up with a new mechanism in place of the PCI, J&K was looking to the Centre as development works had stopped due to shortage of funds.

Jammu and Kashmir, which falls in the “special category state”, is dependent on Central government for carrying out 80 per cent of its urban and infrastructure development activities. State Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather presented the annual budget in February and since then J&K is awaiting the Centre’s approval for its budget.

“Not a word has come from New Delhi that when the meeting will be held to finalise the annual plan. The Planning Commission remains headless even as Finance Minister Arun Jaitley presented the Budget on July 10,” said an official source from the state Planning Department.

According to the earlier procedure, administrative heads of various government departments used to take part in Working Group (WG) meeting to present sector-wise requirements of states before the Planning Commission at the start of the financial year. The exercise used to conclude by May-end with wrap-up meetings with Chief Ministers before the funds distribution began.

This year the added worry is that the Assembly elections are likely to be held in November-December and the Election Commission will impose the Model Code of Conduct possibly in mid-October, further stalling the development projects in the state. The sources said a large number of bills were pending in government treasuries across the state due to paucity of funds.

“The PCI is yet to be reconstituted. We don’t know what the new government has in mind and what will be the future role of the commission. We are also concerned as our annual plan needs approval of the Centre so that the allocation of funds can begin,” said Minister for Planning and Development Ajay Sadhotra.

The state government in its budget for 2014-15 projected the plan size of Rs 11,900 crore, including Rs 7,300 crore as the main plan, Rs 4,000 crore as assistance under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and Rs 600 crore as assistance under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP).

Principal Secretary (Planning) B.R Sharma said the state had no option but to wait for decision of the Central government. “We have done our work and whatever directions the government issues, J&K will have to follow,” Sharma maintained.

Incidentally, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather had met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on June 9. Rather has demanded that states should have greater flexibility in execution of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

“The deadlines of almost all works will increase, affecting the future projects. This is not in the interest of the state, which is already facing major infrastructural shortcoming and slow completion of approved works,” said an official source.

Srinagar, July 14
Hawkers and shopkeepers continue to occupy footpaths and roads at the city centre, Lal Chowk, and its adjoining areas making it difficult for pedestrians and vehicles to even move.

In the Amira Kadal and Koker Bazar areas, footpaths have been occupied by vendors creating traffic chaos on the bridge, which is the way for many local buses.

However, despite acknowledging the problem the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has done nothing concrete so far.

Vendors on the either side of the road selling textile items, cosmetics, vegetables and fruits have occupied footpaths and also extended their carts on the road creating traffic chaos and narrowing the space.

“Amira Kadal has turned into a big nuisance. It seems all the hawkers have gathered at this place. It takes 30 minutes for a bus to cross this small distance,” said Jahangir Ahmad, a resident of Pampore.

Footpaths in the adjoining areas like Amira Kadal, Goni Khan and Hari Singh High Street are often occupied by vendors who sell their merchandise from there. However, when the police removed them from the site, they were again seen at the place the next day with people blaming the SMC for the failure to shift them permanently.

There are presently more than 1,000 vendors occupying the footpaths. The situation is worse in Amira Kadal and Koker Bazar where there is hardly any space for vehicles to even move.

Though the place is manned by the police and officials of the SMC are also aware of the encroachments, no permanent action is being taken against the offenders. The officials associated with the Traffic Department, while acknowledging that vendors create traffic problems in the city, said it was the work of the SMC Department to clear footpaths. “We don’t let them occupy the footpaths. We continuously take action,” said a senior official of the SMC.

Srinagar, July 14
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is going to launch a two-week-long intensive sanitation campaign ahead of Eid and other important days of religious significance. An SMC official said the campaign would commence from July 17 with special focus on Jumat-ul-Vida, Shab-e-Qadar and Eid-ul-Fitr.

During a meeting with the senior municipal officials, SMC Commissioner GN Qasba passed directions to launch continuous upgraded sanitation drives at various shrines and mosques, including Peer Dastagear Sahib, Jamia Masjid, Shah-e-Hamdaan, Nakshband Sahib and Hazratbal.

“The adjoining areas lanes, bylanes connecting to these religious places shall qualitatively be sanitised,” said Qasba, adding that all the machinery, including hopper vehicles, sweeping machines and robots, would be pressed into service.

“These places shall be thoroughly cleaned up with lime powder, fumigation and other disinfectants and other necessary arrangements to be looked into for the upcoming festival of Eid-ul-Fitr,” he added.

Directions were also passed on to set up municipal camps at various shrines and mosques for the convenience of public during Shab-e-Qadar and Jumat-ul-Vida for the convenience of the devotees.

Qasba said all defunct streetlights would be made functional with the installation of more streetlight as required at these places so that the public did not face any inconvenience during the worship hours. The SMC official said instructions were also passed in the meeting to keep active sanitation staff on the eve of Eid and that saffaiwallas would be given bonus for conducting sanitation on the festive occasion.

Jammu, July 14
The Municipal Corporation (MC) is unable to collect 100 per cent waste generated in the city due to lack of door-to-door collection.

The overall door-to-door collection of waste is only 20 per cent. This has been revealed in a report of the Ministry of Urban Development.

The report claimed that there is no awareness among citizens on segregation of waste at source. Further, there is no treatment facility for solid waste collected in the city and the waste collected is dumped at a landfill site.

“As a result, the MC is unable to reuse the waste and losing the potential revenue from the waste. Overall, the MC has not complied with the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Rules-2000. People’s willingness to pay user charges is low. No technical training in the new methods of collection and disposal of waste has been given to the staff,” the report claimed.

As per the data available, the total amount of solid waste generated in the town is around 600 metric tonne per day, of which only 400 metric tonne waste is being collected. Of the total waste collected, roughly 130 metric tonne waste comes from domestic sources, 20 metric tonne comes from commercial establishments, 50 metric tonne comes from markets, 40 metric tonne comes from hotels/restaurants, 50 metric tonne comes from street sweeping and roughly 110 metric tonne comes from other sources.

The major source of income of the MC is revenue grants from the state government. The grant comprises almost 84 per cent of the total income of the corporation. The corporation’s own source revenue contributes to almost 15.8 per cent of its total income. The annual income for the year 2012 stood at Rs 712.54 lakh and the expenditure stood at Rs 556.70 lakh.

“Discussions with a key official highlighted an acute shortage of human capital within and outside the department. There is a requirement of 27 posts within the department, however, there are only 16 positions filled currently. Overall, the MC is understaffed with a current strength of 1,542 personnel as against the sanctioned strength of 1,709 personnel,” the report maintained.

The report claimed that the MC had planned to take up a project on solid waste treatment plants for scientific disposal of solid waste, but the lack of political will is responsible for not non-execution of the project.

It added that another key challenge faced by the MC is that of resistance from the community about the location of the solid waste disposal sites.

Kupwara, July 14
Three families in Kupwara district have occupied government buildings for which they had donated land against the promise of job from various departments.

Naseer Ahmad Sheikh from Tarathpora village occupied the panchayat ghar in 2011 after the Block Development Department allegedly denied engaging him as a Class IV employee in the panchayat ghar raised on his land. He is living in the building since 2011 and refuses to vacate it unless the department issues order of his engagement as an employee.

“I provided about two kanals for construction of the panchayat ghar after the department promised to engage me as a Class IV employee. For several years, I was made to run from pillar to post for the job but to no avail. Finally, I occupied the building and am living here for the past three years,” said Naseer.

Naseer said the construction of the panchayat ghar was completed in 2003. “I am a poor man and in the absence of a proper source of income, my family is facing starvation like conditions. In the hope of employment, I agreed to donate the land to the department but it ditched me,” he added.

Since 2010, Ghulam Mohammad Bhat from Chumpora village in Kupwara has occupied a building, which was raised for a health sub-centre. “I was left with no option but to occupy the building. The building was completed in 2005 and never made functional. I made repeated rounds to the officials of the Health Department to engage me as a Class IV employee but they paid a deaf ear to my pleas, forcing me to occupy the building,” said Bhat.

In one more case, Mohammad Jamal of Kulmoona village in 2012 occupied the panchayat ghar raised by the authorities on his land. “Official apathy forced me to occupy the building for residential purposes. I had only two kanals which I donated to the department in 2007 in the hope of a job. However, the department denied me the job, forcing me to occupy the building,” said Jamal.

“The building was completed in 2010 but never made functional. I was told by officials to wait for the job till the building was made functional. I will not vacate the building unless the department issues an order of my engagement as a Class IV employee,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Itrat Hussian Rafique said, “I will ask the Assistant Commissioner, Development, to visit the areas and ascertain the facts of the matter.”

Srinagar, July 14
The police have launched a manhunt to nab two persons allegedly involved in an IED blast in border Poonch district last month.

The duo, Irfan Ahmed Khan of Poonch and Abdul Majeed of frontier Kupwara district, escaped on Saturday when a Scorpio vehicle carrying policemen and the two accused was attacked by locals in the old city.

Police sources said an alert had been sounded to nab the accused.

“We have registered a case and started investigations to trace the duo who escaped from custody,” said a police officer.

A police team from Poonch, investigating the IED explosion inside the office of the Naib Tehsildar in the Balakote area of Poonch on June 25, had arrived in Srinagar after one of the accused, Khan, revealed that he received the explosive material from Majeed, a resident of Kupwara.

When the police team from Poonch reached Kashmir, they got a tip off about Majeed’s presence in Srinagar.

“The police team headed by an officer of the Gursai police station in Poonch, in civvies, picked up Majeed from Ikhwan Chowk in Srinagar on Saturday. When the vehicle was leaving the area, one of the accused shouted from the window that he was being kidnapped. The locals and the pedestrians later surrounded the vehicle and smashed its windows. Three policemen were injured and the two accused escaped,” said a police officer. The injured policemen were shifted to hospital.

The IED blast had destroyed the government office building. No one was, however, injured in the blast.

Srinagar, July 14
With soaring temperature giving a tough time to the people in Srinagar in the month of Ramadan, the J&K government has finally relieved students by announcing a 15-day summer break from July 15.

The Director, School Education, Tariq Ali said the summer break would start from July 15 to July 31. “The summer break will start from tomorrow till July 31,” the official said.

Parents of students had made repeated appeals to the authorities for the vacation as they said it had become difficult for students to go to schools while they were fasting.

Despite the rise in the temperature and inadequate facilities at government schools, the decision over the summer break had made it difficult for students, mostly young ones going to kindergartens and middle schools. “The temperature is raising everyday and there are no good facilities at place in schools to give some relief to our children from heat. It is good that the government has finally decided to give them a summer break,” said Madina Javid, a student’s mother.

Many parents said their wards had already finished their mid-term exams and it was the right time for the authorities to give a 10-day summer break as they had to leave school early in the morning.

“Also during off time, there are mostly traffic jams on the roads and it had become difficult for children to wait in the jam when they are fasting. This is a good time for the break,” said Muhammad Younus, another parent.

Bassi Kalan (Bishnah), July 14
A day after violent protests over a ‘dangal’ (wrestling contest) venue on ‘disputed’ land, an uneasy calm prevailed in Bassi Kalan village of Bishnah tehsil on Monday.

Police and paramilitary personnel were maintaining a tight vigil in the village while the disputed land was turned into a fortress. Senior officers of the police and the district administration held meetings with local residents to restore peace in the area.

The Bari Brahmana area, five kilometres from the village, limped back to normalcy. The area witnessed violent clashes on Sunday. Bassi Kalan village falls in Jammu district while Bari Brahmana is a part of Samba district.

Members of a particular community said the disputed land where the ‘dangal’ was scheduled belonged to priests managing the affairs of Baba Prayag Nath shrine there and the event was being organised regularly for decades.

Members of another community had been staking claim to the land and the matter was sub judice. “Two days before the ‘dangal’, the district administration allowed levelling of the field with a tractor,” said a local youth standing near the disputed land.

“On Saturday, the administration cancelled the permission without citing any reason and deployed a large number of security personnel to prevent the ‘dangal’. The decision was surprising as the event was being organised on the spot for several decades,” he said. He said local vendors who used to set up kiosks during the ‘dangal’ suffered huge losses.

Ramesh Kumar of Palli Morh in Bishnah said, “The incident was the handiwork of miscreants encouraged by a political leader who wanted to create a communal wedge to derive benefit during the upcoming assembly poll. People are wise enough and will not allow such anti-social elements to succeed.”

The Bharatiya Gujjar Mahasabha appealed to the people of both communities to maintain peace and communal harmony in the area. Its state president Eshfaq-ur-Rehman Poswal said Gujjars were peace-loving people and had been living peacefully with their Hindu brethren since for years.

He said Gujjars had respect for the culture and traditions of Hindus and other religions. “Unnecessary tension was sparked by some vested interests to create a wedge between two communities,” he added.

Jammu, July 14
Broken dividers on the national highway are becoming a major threat for the drivers, particularly during the evening hours. Several vehicles have been hit by construction debris. Illegal parking on the national highway is also dangerous for the fast-moving vehicles.

At time drivers had a close shave while overtaking vehicles as they suddenly find a truck, two-wheelers or cars parked on the sides of the highway.

This is a problem right from Channi Himmat, Kunjwani up to Samba, but no step has been taken to discourage people from parking their vehicles on the road.

Further adding to the chaos, automobile companies have opened showrooms on the national highway and several vehicles remain parked outside their premises.

“I had a close shave with death a few days back while overtaking a bus near the Narwal bypass. People should be discouraged from parking their vehicles on roadsides, particularly on a national highway,” said Gopal Sharma, a transporter.

With the Kunjwani-Sidhra highway becoming an alternative road to reach the Kashmir valley and the holy town of Katra, the bypass area is emerging as a new commercial hub in the city.

Jammu, July 14
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) celebrated its foundation day today. The bank completed its 32 years of service to the nation and in particular to the rural populace.

Today the organisation has emerged as a vibrant and key national institution with a strong commitment to agriculture and rural development in the country.

The chief guest was Agriculture Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir. KK Saraf, Regional Director, Reserve Bank of India, was the guest of honour.

Shankar A Pande, Chief General Manager, NABARD, in his welcome address highlighted the various activities undertaken by the bank in the state, which has benefited thousands of farmers.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir appreciated the role of the bank and said it has remained pro-active in financing agriculture projects in the state. — TNS

Jammu, July 14
Saraswati Sangeet Kala Mandir (SSKM) organised the second programme of the “Chaand-Sitare Chhoone Do” series at Government Women College (GCW), Parade.

Director, Doordarshan Kendra (DDK), Jammu, Anjali Sharma was the chief guest, while Balwant Thakur presided over the function.

The Director, DDK, in her address said the play series would provide suitable platform to budding artistes to display their creative pursuits and hoped that lesser-known artistes of today would definitely touch new horizons tomorrow.

Thakur appreciated the endeavour of the SSKM of initiating the series. Paying tribute to late Dr JR Sharma, founder of the institution and doyen of Indian classical music, he said under his stewardship the SSKM produced a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed artistes and his legacy was being carried on by his family. Ravi Sharma conceived and designed the programme.

Jammu, July 14
A day-long training programme was organised for farmers at the Directorate of Agriculture here under the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA).

Addressing the farmers on the occasion, Director, Agriculture, Jammu, Dr SS Jamwal called upon them to avail themselves of the benefits of different Centrally/state sponsored schemes and also adopt the latest technology to diversify farming.

The Director said the district has a great scope and feasibility for the conservation of soil moisture through the construction of check dams. He stressed that farmers should judiciously harness the available water resources for irrigation through installation of bore wells, pump sets and micro irrigation devices.

Earlier, AK Malhotra Joint Director, Agriculture, said there is a great potential for production of many specialties like rajmah, basmati, desi mah, mustard oil, turmeric, garlic and many other seasonal vegetables in the Jammu region. About 60 farmers, including women, participated in the training programme. They were also shown documentaries on mushroom cultivation and use of improved machinery in agriculture. — TNS

Jammu, July 14
A four-week-long general orientation course of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for university and college teachers, organised by Academic Staff College, University of Jammu, in collaboration with the Department of History, concluded here today.

Around 35 university and college teachers, both from within and outside the state, participated in the course.

In her address, Prof Posh Charak, Dean, Research Studies, who was the chief guest, complimented Academic Staff College for the successful completion of the course and appreciated it for providing all necessary facilities to the participants for undergoing the course.

Earlier, Prof Rajender Gupta, Director, Academic Staff College, in his welcome address spoke about resource persons and the various areas of study and that were covered in the one month-long course.

Prof Shalendra Singh Jamwal, Head, Department of History, and course in charge, presented a brief report about the proceedings.

In the concluding session, participants shared their experiences and gave their remarks on various sessions of the orientation course.

Ranjeet Kalra, Assistant Director, Academic Staff College, University of Jammu, presented formal vote of thanks.

Among others present on the occasion included Dr Sham Narayan Lal, faculty and staff of the History Department and Academic Staff College, University of Jammu.

Jammu, July 14
A delegation of the Consumer Welfare Association (CWA), led by its president Vikram Gour, met the General Manager (GM) of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

The delegation discussed problems arising out of poor signal causing a lot of inconvenience to mobile phone users, poor network of landline and mobile service, including the broadband, which has become a cause of anxiety for the customers.

The GM was informed that during the last meeting with his predecessor the CWA was assured that a technical team would survey various locations pointed out by the CWA for ascertaining the situation and based on its recommendation more BTS towers (where ever necessary) would be installed. But unfortunately nothing had been done so far.

The delegation requested the GM to look into the matter immediately and provide relief to the customers.

The other problems discussed were “call dropping”, unwanted and unnecessary commercial SMSes and improving the broadband system in respect of speed and connectivity.

While the GM admitted that most of the problems of the users were genuine, he assured the delegation that he would try to address the grievances.

Other members of the delegation were SK Gupta, vice-president of the CWA, BM Kohli, general secretary of the CWA, RN Kaw, Chander Udey Sharma, Rajinder Kakkar and Chander Prakash.

Srinagar, July 14
The Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, has established a SKIMS Endowment Fund approved by the governing body of SKIMS, under which financial assistance will be provided to poor patients who are suffering from life-threatening diseases such as cancer, advance heart problems, kidney, liver transplantation.

The SKIMS authorities have urged people to donate generously towards the fund, especially in the month of Ramadan.

As per the official handout of SKIMS, 116 patients received financial assistance under this fund.

“We request all to contribute generously towards this fund to help poor patients, who are suffering from life-threatening diseases and support us to save precious life. Interested people may deposit/credit the money (Zakat, Sadqat) in the account number SB-15060, J&K Bank, SKIMS, Soura,” the SKIMS handout read.

“Although the Jammu & Kashmir government has facilitated funds for carrying out smooth patient-care services, still there is over 50 per cent of the population in the state below poverty line and are unable to manage specialised treatment. To provide financial assistance to such people living below poverty line and falling under the low income group, SKIMS has created this fund to help the poor and needy,” the handout said.

Srinagar, July 14
The Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries - Kashmir (CCIK) today urged the government to extend the date for filing quarterly returns and depositing of value added tax (VAT).

They said the dates should be extended because of five consecutive holidays falling by the month-end.

“From July 25 to 30 are state as well as bank holidays…so keeping this fact in mind, it is requested that the Commissioner, sales taxes, issues order to extend the date for filling quarterly returns and depositing of VAT for previous quarter for at least 10 days so that the trade commerce and industries do not taste panel action and panel interest,” a Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries - Kashmir statement said.

Srinagar, July 14
A two-day workshop on finalisation of the J&K State Disaster Management Plan (JKSDMP) started today at the Sheri KASHMIR International Convention Centre (SKICC). The inaugural session was chaired by Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey.

A brief overview highlighting the main features of the draft of the J&K State Disaster “Management Plan was presented and suggestions from participants were solicited for incorporation in the final draft so that an efficient, effective and comprehensive disaster management plan is formulated for the state incorporating all aspects,” the official said.

Emphasis was laid on incorporating in the plan- aspects to strengthen inter-agency coordination, early warning systems, emergency management exercises, including classroom type training, real life simulation exercises and capacity-building to ensure effective and quick human resource response to any disaster.

During discussions on various features of the plan, it was highlighted that besides having disaster management plan to deal with natural calamities like earthquakes, cloudburst, flashfloods, avalanche and landslides, snow blizzards, wind storms, fire and drought, the phenomena of urban flooding like the one recently witnessed in Srinagar city and road safety and traffic management should also find due place in the plan.

Stress was also laid on need to carry out audit of safety standards of all lifeline buildings of various essential and emergency services in the state.

The discussion and interactions with departments and other stake holders will continue on Tuesday July 15 also.

Srinagar, July 14
A TADA court in Srinagar on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which probed the 1993 Sopore massacre, to file the complete case record by the next hearing. The directions were passed after the CBI investigating officer appeared in court along with the counsel.

On January 6, 1993, personnel of the 94th Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) reportedly killed more than 50 civilians in retaliation, besides injuring around 20 others.

More than 500 shops and around 25 houses were destroyed in fire. The incident was preceded by an alleged militant attack on a BSF patrol in the town the same day, in which a BSF personnel was killed.

DSP Vijay Kumar Shukla, the CBI investigating officer, appeared in the court as the matter came up on Monday. During the brief hearing, the court directed Shukla to provide the full case record by the next hearing on September 4.

The TADA court, one of the two designated CBI courts in Kashmir, had summoned the investigating officer as it was not satisfied with the final report of the CBI.

The counsel for the survivors of the 1993 Sopore massacre had said, “It is condemnable that the CBI has taken 20 years to file an incomplete closure report without supporting documents.”

Contesting the final closure report of the CBI during the previous hearing on June 28, the survivors filed a protest petition, seeking further investigation into the incident.

In its closure report filed in the TADA court on December 4, 2013, the had sought closure of the case on the grounds that no case had been made out against the accused BSF personnel.

It pointed out that more than 20 years had passed and “the accused have been tried for and convicted of the offences under Sections 302, 307 and 436 of the RPC”.

Contesting the grounds in the closure report, the survivors had submitted that “it appears that the statements of only 11 civilian witnesses have been taken by the investigating officer”.

Srinagar, July 14
Miffed with the recent “discriminatory” Budget, non-migrant Pandits are starting a series of protests from Sunday. They said they would continue to agitate till the government changed its “biased” attitude. The non-migrant Pandits had earlier threatened that they would not allow the migrants to return in case the Centre ignored the non-migrants.

“When the new Central government had last month stated that it would announce a comprehensive package, we knew that we will again be left out. Just like the previous Budgets, the recent Budget too has shown apathy towards us,” said Chunni Lal, spokesman of the Hindu Welfare Society Kashmir (HWSK).

He was referring to Rs 500-crore package for the displaced Kashmir Pandits. The non-migrant Pandits, who stayed back in Kashmir after the eruption of militancy, had threatened that they would not allow the migrants to return if they did not get their due.

“We reiterate that we will allow them to return. If the government cannot rehabilitate us, how can they bring back the migrants? We will now start a series of protests from Sunday till the government realises that we too exist and includes us in the packages to be announced for Pandits,” Lal said.

A K Bhat, a non-migrant from Pulwama, said: “The state government is aware of our problems but has maintained criminal silence. The Chief Minister should personally intervene and take up the matter with the Centre instead of issuing statements to score political points,” Bhat said.

Jammu, July 14
For the first time, two gymnasts from Jammu will represent India at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Mitali and Palak will be part of the three-member rhythmic gymnastics team. Prabhjot from Punjab is the third member of the team.

Both gymnasts from Jammu are preparing for the event so that they can make a mark. They have reached this level even though the state does not have facilities like a separate hall, matting and world-class equipment.

“We have been working hard with coach Krupali Singh, who has been an inspiration for us. We get only between four and five hours to practise as we are trying to strike a balance between studies and practice,” said Palak.

Mitali had won gold medals at the National Games and represented India at the World Championship. She had failed to qualify for the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in 2010 and was on standby. She had been practising to make it among the top three in the country.

“It has been a dream come true. We will cherish this dream. We will put in our best efforts to win a medal, but the competition is very tough,” said Mitali. Palak and Mitali had represented India in the World Championship earlier.

The gymnasts will leave for Glasgow on July 17. The opening ceremony is scheduled for on July 23.Mitali and Palak are working hard at the gymnasium hall of the BSF Jammu frontier headquarters at Paloura.

The gymnasium hall of Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council in Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu is in a bad shape. There has been no support from the state government and the gymnasts have been practising on their own.

The Punjab gymnast, Prabhjot, was sponsored by Punjabi University, Patiala. She was paid Rs 1.8 lakh to attend a coaching camp in the United States.

“Qualifying for the Commonwealth Games is a big achievement. We are looking forward to the event and hope that the girls will work wonders,” said Krupali.

“Whether or not they are able to win a medal is unimportant. Their participation in the prestigious event means a lot,” the Arjuna awardee coach said.

Although the Commonwealth has 53 members, 70 teams participate in the Games as a number of overseas territories, dependencies and island states compete under their own flags.

The four nations comprising the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — send separate teams.

Jammu, July 14
The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report for 2013 has revealed that the number of serious crimes, including murders, rape, riots and arson, registered a significant rise as compared to 2012.

“In 2013, there was a 21 per cent increase in the number of murders that took place in Jammu and Kashmir. At least 150 murders took place last year. The number of murders in 2012 was 124,” the NCRB report said, adding that 510 attempts to commit murder cases under Section 307 of the RPC were reported in 2013 while the number of such cases in 2012 was 511.

Despite stringent laws enacted by the Centre and the state government, there was a rise of nearly 25 per cent in rape cases in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

“A total of 378 rape cases were registered in 2013 as against 303 cases in 2012. Jammu and Kashmir stood at the 18th position in registering the maximum number of rape cases last year,” the report stated.

The state also witnessed a 7.4 per cent rise in the number of robbery incidents in 2013. “A total of 87 robbery incidents were reported last year while the number of such incidents in 2012 was 81. Also, there was no let up in the number of burglary incidents in 2013 when at least 1,387 were reported while 2012 recorded 1,395 cases,” the report said.

However, there was a decline of nearly 8 per cent in theft incidents last year when only 1,862 thefts were reported as against 2,022 cases in 2012, the report said, adding that there was, however, a substantial increase of 22.4 per cent in riots registered under various sections.

“A total of 1,714 cases under riots were reported last year against the total 1,400 cases under the category in 2012,” the report said.

It said there was a decline of 5 per cent in cases of criminal breach of trust while cheating cases also registered a decrease of 3.6 per cent. “There were at least seven dowry deaths in 2013 against the eight in 2012,” it said.

The state also did not lag behind in registering incidents of assault on women with intent to outage her modesty. “There was a rise of 5.1 per cent in cases of assault on women with an intent to outage her modesty. A total of 1,389 cases were recorded in the state last year against 1,322 cases in 2012,” the report said, adding that there were 354 cases of insult to the modesty of women last year as against 347 cases under the category in 2012.

As many as 428 cases of cruelty by husband or his relatives were recorded in 2013, thereby registering an increase of 42.2 per cent as only 301 such cases had come to the light in 2012, the report said.

Jammu and Kashmir had registered 25,390 cognisable offences in 2013 which was one per cent of the total number of cases (25,58,493) registered across the country.

Jammu, July 14
The police are all set to give the go-by to the old and traditional methods of recruitment as they intend to introduce ‘transparent recruitment policy’ to make the process “tamper-proof, fair and transparent” with the help of technology and well-defined procedures.

To introduce technology-based selection of candidates, the police have decided to outsource the process, from filling up of the application forms to result compilation.

The department has invited expression of interest from reputed firms having experience in implementing the project in the state.

Official sources told The Tribune that the Police Department had decided to discard the old pattern of application forms for recruitment and intended to use the OMR/OCR technology for all application forms and examinations.

“The department has planned to introduce standardised height, weight and chest devices with digital display monitors for the candidates,” a source said.

The department is also intending to use biometric devices during the recruitment process to eliminate duplication and impersonation, the source said, adding the entire recruitment process would be conducted under the surveillance of CCTVs.

“The department is intending to use CCTV technology to videograph various stages of recruitment and maintain a record. It will also help in keeping track of activities at various recruitment centres, simultaneously functioning across the state,” the source said.

The department is contemplating using RFID chip-timing technology for conducting endurance run in the physical efficiency test to ensure its accuracy and tamper-proof conduct.

Under the technology, RFID chips will be tied to legs of the runner to complete the physical test of each candidate. Before tying the chip, the runner is registered into the system. Once the chip is tied, the runner will be told to run. At the start point, an installed device will record the start time which will be updated to the central server. After reaching the end point, another installed device will record the end time and it will also be updated to the central server.

According to the department, the strength of the police in Jammu and Kashmir in 1889-90 was just 1,040, which rose to 1,570 in 1903. In 1943-44, the strength of the police was 3,179. Currently, the police have a total strength of around 1.10 lakh persons, including 24,631 special police officers (SPOs).

The police department has submitted a proposal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs to enhance the honorarium of the SPOs from the existing Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 per month.

Sources said nearly 4,000 youths were selected by the police during special recruitment rallies conducted in the state since 2010.

Jammu, July 14
Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bikram Singh, during his visit to the Satwari Cantonment, decorated Shib Narayan Acharya, photographic officer of the Public Relations Office, Ministry of Defence, Jammu, with the COAS Commendation Card and Badge for his selfless dedication to the country and professional work.

The Army Chief also applauded the yeoman’s services of the staff of the PRO (Defence), Jammu, under the guidance of Lt Col Manish Mehta, NM, Public Relations Officer.

General Bikram Singh complimented Acharya for projecting the positive image of the troops deployed in the Northern Command and the Western Command through photojournalism.

The officer, a national awardee, has earlier been decorated with Vice-Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card, Northern Army Commanders Commendation Card and Vice-Chief of Air Staff’s Appreciation for contribution to defence photojournalism, media and public relations in J&K. He has won laurels for the Directorate of Public Relations, Ministry of Defence.

Jammu, July 14
In the backdrop of protests by refugees against their reported neglect in the Union Budget, the Centre on Monday said it was following a holistic approach in redressing grievances of all displaced persons.

Union minister Jitendra Singh gives an award to a meritorious student in New Delhi on Monday. A Tribune photograph

“The government is aware of problems faced by different groups of refugees in Jammu and Kashmir,” said Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. He was addressing a meeting of the Kashmiri Pandit United Forum in New Delhi.

“We are following a holistic approach, be it displaced Kashmiri Pandits, refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir or erstwhile West Pakistan, those uprooted in the aftermath of the wars of 1965 and 1971 or people affected by terrorism during the last 20 years,” he said.

The Member of Parliament from Kathua-Udhampur-Doda said Jammu and Kashmir was known for its composite culture, which was incomplete without the presence of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley.

“While the displaced Kashmiri community deserves a dignified and secure return to the Valley, no other section should feel let down,” he said.

Various organisations of refugees had been protesting their reported neglect in the Budget. They had been demanding permanent settlement, with financial aid.

The meeting on Monday was organised to award meritorious Kashmiri Pandit passouts of classes X and XII studying in New Delhi. Congratulating the students and their parents, Jitendra Singh said it was testimony to the intellectual calibre of the community.

Eighteen class X and 21 class XII passouts were given awards for scoring high in the board examinations.

Doda, July 14
The heat has caused a tough time for hundreds of villagers in Dessa in Doda district as they are facing a water crisis.

There is a sharp decline in groundwater level. Most sources of water have dried and livestock are dying.

Dessa is about 40 kilometres from Doda and consists of Thana, Gai, Sheinkly, Bhata and Malan panchayats. The region hardly has any road connectivity.

“The water supply scheme is defunct for years, due to which residents are facing water scarcity,” said Hari Saran Thakur of Sheinkly. He added that the government had turned a blind eye to their problems.

An aged woman said, “The government has ignored us for decades. We have no source of water except streams. We are compelled to bring water from natural sources in pots after walking miles.”

Sheinkly Dessa sarpanch Ram Singh said, “People have to walk five to seven km each day to fetch water from streams. The drinking water crisis has always been a problem despite a thick forest cover.”

“I approached senior officials and the local MLA in the villages on several occasions, but nothing has been done so far to provide relief to the people,” he further said.

Sandeep Gupta, Assistant Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering, Doda, said, “We have submitted five projects to the government, but not a single one have been approved so far. The government has not released funds in five years and no new project has been started here.”

Doda, July 14
The police last night arrested a person in Doda district and recovered 300 grams of heroin from him.

On a tip off, a police party from Gandoh and the special operations groups of the police laid a naka and apprehended Rukam Din, a resident of Kathua district.

The police said a packet of heroine weighing 300 grams was recovered from his possession.

A case under Section 8/21 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act stands registered against the accused and the investigation is on.