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CM lays stone of 4.5 cr SOS Children’s Village
Blast near Assembly, 7 hurt
7 militants among 8 killed
Kashmir has record tourists
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CM lays stone of 4.5 cr SOS Children’s Village
Srinagar, September 29 Mufti Sayeed was speaking at the foundation-laying ceremony of the Rs 4.5 crore SOS Children’s Village at Nawab Bagh 30 km north of here, marking formal arrival of the international organisation in Kashmir. The SOS Children’s Villages have already been established at Jammu and Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, besides at Muzaffarbad on the other side of the Line of Control. Concept started by Dr Herman Gmeiner in Austria has spread in 131 countries. In India, the first SOS Children’s Village was established in 1964 at Greenfields, Faridabad (Haryana). The Chief Minister said when the, proposal came to him he ensured that it did not get stuck in procedural delay. He said the state Cabinet approved 108 kanals of land for the purpose. The Mufti said the movement of SOS Children’s Villages has done pioneering work in the world but its arrival in Kashmir was the best step by it so far. He said the state and its people witnessed long turmoil and tragedies snatching parents from thousands of children and rendering unspecified number of women widows. These people, he said, needed our attention and care for which several initiatives had been taken. Mr Madanjeet Singh, Founder, South Asian Foundation and Goodwill Ambassador, UNESCO who was also present announced that a million dollar UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of Cultural Heritage would be established in Kashmir along with eight others in SAARC countries including Afghanistan. Others present on the occasion included Deputy Secretary General, SOS Kinderdorf International, Siddharth Koul and Preident, SOS Children’s Villages of India, J. N. Koul. The Chief minister said 150 children would be accommodated in the SOS Children’s Village, Nawab Bagh and they would receive quality education besides a home and parental care. He issued instructions to run the local primary school by the SOS Children’s Village till it established its own school in the village. He said he envisions a day when children from the SOS Children’s Village, Muzaffarabad would visit Village and with students here. Likewise, he said, he would welcome a similar visit of this Village to that side. Ambassador Madanjeet Singh said that the South Asian Foundation was setting up institutes of cultural heritage in eight SAARC countries including Afghanistan. The institutes would be known as UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institute of Cultural Heritage and each would cost million dollars. He said in India two such institutes including one in Kashmir would be established. He said in today’s world no country could live in isolation. He said effort of his organisation was to bring all SOS Children’s Villages together in South Asia for interaction among the inmates. He said first interaction camp was held in Sri Lanka and second in Bangladesh. The third camp would be held in India, he added. The Ambassador said it would be good if all the four SOS Children’s Villages at Jammu, Leh, Srinagar and Muzaffarabad designed common curriculum for students. He said, it would revolutionise education at grassroot level. Informal operation of SOS Children’s Village in Srinagar began on April 15, 2004 in rented accommodation. At present it has four family homes with 37 children taken care of by four mothers and one aunt. The families are living in two rented houses at Hyderpora by-pass and Baghat-e-Barzulla. It is also taking care of 129 children in 54 families in the valley through the Strengthening Motherhood Programme.
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Blast near Assembly, 7 hurt
Srinagar, September 29 The blast took place near the main gate of Kashmir Haat, around 7 p.m. when there was a heavy movement of locals, the sources said. People ran helter skelter after hearing the big bang, they said. The blast might have been caused by hurling of a grenade by militants, the sources said, adding the whole area was immediately cordoned off by the security forces and a hunt was launched to nab the ultras. The police and paramilitary personnel are deployed in strength in the area, earlier known as exhibition ground, in view of the extended session of the Assembly. Three security personnel and two children were among the injured, the sources said adding they had been evacuated to a hospital. — PTI |
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7 militants among 8 killed
Srinagar, September 29 Three security personnel sustained wounds in the encounter at Chakpora, Baghat-e-Kanipora in Badgam district. The encounter ended this afternoon after an ultra hiding in a house was killed, taking the toll to three. Elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, four militants were among five persons killed and four ultras surrendered before the security forces along with arms and ammunition during the past 24 hours, an official spokesman said today. Defence spokesman Lieut Col V.K. Batra said the security forces had gunned down two militants in the firefight last evening. Lieut Col Batra said the lone militant, who had been firing from a house, was believed to have been killed in the gunbattle. “We are yet to recover the body. The search of the rubble is on. We believe he has been killed in the gunfight as there is no fire coming from the other side now,’’ he added. He said the security forces, on a tip-off that some militants were hiding in a house at Chakapora, Baghat-e-Kanipora in Badgam district, cordoned off the area and sealed all the exit points on Tuesday. The security forces killed four militants in a nine-hour-long encounter at Chak-e-Natnusa in Kupwara district.
— UNI |
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Kashmir has record tourists
Srinagar, September 29 This was disclosed by the Tourism Minister, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, in the Legislative Council here yesterday, in reply to questions on tourism development in far flung areas. However, the total number of tourists, estimated at 9.10 lakh included 4.60 lakh Amarnath pilgrims that were not being included prior to the eruption of militancy. The officials here claimed that the increase in Amarnath pilgrims over the years had led to the increase. With the increase in pilgrim tourists, the message had gone across that the situation was improving in the state, which led to the flow of more tourists, the officials claimed. The Tourism Minister said that various areas were being developed for tourist attractions across the valley and added that Kashmir valley would once again be entirely a “tourist destination”. He said demands were coming in from different areas of the valley for developing spots of tourist attraction. Due attention was being paid to different areas for tourism development while famous spots like Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonmarg were also being given adequate attention. Sonamarg tourist spot, about 100 kms from here, falling on the Srinagar-Ladakh national highway, being one of the major staging posts for the Ladakh region, also got developed over time, Mr Mir said. The Gurez area, about 80 kms from Bandipore in north Kashmir, which remains cut off from the rest of the valley for six months of winter, is also being developed as a tourist destination. Mr Mir said that the Chief Minister, Mr Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had given instructions to explore possibilities for developing Bungus valley in north Kashmir as an Eco-Tourist Resort. Replying to the questions, the Tourism Minister also pointed out that Wular lake in north Kashmir had been brought under tourism revival plan under Prime Minister’s reconstruction package. |
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