Srinagar, July 13
It seems that the miseries of the common man in Kashmir won’t end soon as after facing an acute dearth of essential commodities at their houses, the shops in the valley too are running out of stock, as there have been no fresh supplies to these shops for the past few days.

Adding to the miseries of the common man is the new “protest calendar” issued by Syed Ali Shah Geelani led faction of the Hurriyat Conference, which means that markets in the state would also remain closed for some more days.

Even as people of the valley were facing a scarcity of essential commodities owing to the protests and curfew in various parts of the valley, the exhausted stocks at shops across the city has further aggravated problems of the people.

“My shop is out of stock for the past 17 days due to which I couldn’t purchase fresh items. I buy the items from a wholesale shop from Lal chowk, but owning to the current situation, couldn’t go to that place and even that shop is closed too,” said Masrat Ahmad, a provisional storeowner in Raj Bagh, Srinagar.

The residents here say that after the curfew was relaxed in various parts of Srinagar, they went to shops to purchase items of daily needs, but the stocks at the shops had already finished and they could not purchase items of daily need.

“When the curfew was relaxed, I went to a shop to buy items of daily need, but the shopkeeper was running out of stock,” said Parvez Shagoo, a local resident.

Meanwhile, the residents also blame that due to the ongoing strikes in the valley, some of the shopkeepers have indulged in black-marketing.

“I went to purchase butter, but the shopkeeper told me that the stock has finished, adding that he has small pieces of butter. I found that he has cut a butter into small pieces and was selling the same at exorbitant rates,” said Mukhar Ahmed, a resident of Jawhar Nagar.

Meanwhile, with the stoppage of the fresh supply of vegetables to the valley, the vegetable prices, too, have touched a new height.

“The prices of vegetables have touched a new height, even though there are no fresh vegetables available in the market, but whatever is left, is being sold at a much higher rate,” said Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Aulochi Bagh.

The consumers here say that grocers were taking the undue advantage of the situation and were charging Rs 5 to 10 extra apart from the exorbitant rates of vegetables.

Jammu, July 13
Govind Gupta owns a shop and a house worth lakhs if not crores in the Sunder Bani town market. And so does Rahul Gupta. But this is not why they are the subjects of this story. They are being written about as they are beneficiaries of the Swaran Jyanti Shahri Rojgaar Yojna meant only for uplifting people under the BPL living in the urban areas.

Though they figure as beneficiary in the documents of the J&K bank, they do not figure in the list of the eight BPL persons prepared by the Sunder Bani Municipal Corporation.

But, while the cases of nearly 190 persons falling in the BPL category were rejected due to the lack of guarantors and interestingly “anything to mortgage”, these two along with six other well-to-do persons got Rs 1 lakh loan each from the J&K Bank.

Under the scheme, the names of beneficiaries have to be endorsed by the community organisation or the civic body, which in the case of Sunder Bani town is the municipal council.

However, under this urban poverty alleviation programme, only eight persons got the loan from 2007 to till date. The MC was dissolved in March this year.

As per a letter written by the J&K Bank, Sunder Bani branch to the MC executive officer, the eight beneficiaries were - Jyoti Kumar, Govind Gupta, Chaman Lal, Jeet Kumar, Rahul Sharma, Sanjay Kumar, Rahul Gupta and Ajit Kumar.

The last president of the MC, Girdhari Lal Dogra, said the persons were chosen as per the BPL survey report of the MC.

“We got applications, but we forwarded only those who as per our survey were in the BPL category,” he told The Tribune.

Accusing the banks responsible for rejection of most of the cases, he said the banks want guarantors and something to mortgage, “How can a rehri-wallah provide that?”

On why well-off persons got the loan, he maintains that they were poor as per their survey. Sources stated that Govind Gupta, one of the beneficiaries, happens to be the brother of a ward member and former vice-chairman of the committee. The family has well-established shops in main market and Govind has got property in lakhs besides a shop in the main bazaar.

Another example is Rahul Gupta, who too belongs to a well-to-do business family, having property in crores, with shops in the main bazaar. Though the scheme is restricted to the urban sphere only, the beneficiaries belong to the peripheral villages also, that too with financially sound backgrounds. However, the scheme gives special preference to women and those belonging to the lower strata of society.

Vipin Aggarwal, branch head, J&K Bank, Sunder Bani, stated that the applications of the loan under the yojna were signed by the MC president, executive officer and the vice-president. “We go by their recommendations. In case of suspicion we carry out inquiries also, but no such report is there in the files. This means the bank trusted the signatories,” he said.

He added that repayment was regular in a few cases only as others were irregular and might fall soon in the category of the NPAs.

Srinagar, July 13
The Kashmir valley, having been synonymous with tourism, has again hit the headlines for over a month now, not for good reasons and this has hit the flow of tourists to the valley. This is for the third consecutive year that turbulence in Kashmir has hit the tourism industry.

It was due to the alleged rape and murder of two women in Shopian last year and because of Amarnath land agitation in 2008 and now, it is the killing of a youth. In view of the sudden flare up due to one or the other reason, it becomes very difficult for the authorities to overcome and restore the derailed tourist flow.

For Fayaz Ahmad, earning his livelihood from one of the houseboats lined up in the row of many others along the Boulevard, which faces Shankarachrya hills, the recent trouble has drastically brought down the flow of tourists as also his hopes of good income. “The flow has been very low for the past about two weeks,” he reveals and says hopes have again been soared with a slight improvement in the situation. “It becomes very difficult for tourists to move around during curfew restrictions,” he says. After staying in the houseboats and hotels around Dal Lake, the only choice for tourists would be to move to outer destinations like Sonmarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg and return late in the evenings.

“The tourist flow is now almost negligible, so is occupancy,” opines Siraj Ahmad, president of the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurants Association (KHARA). He says in the wake of the prevalent situation emanating after the June 11 killing of a youth, a delegation of KHARA had a meeting with the Chief Minister. “We have conveyed that things have been going in the wrong direction and the administration has failed to control it,” he says.

Nevertheless, Siraj looks forward to a prosperous tourist season that crossed the highest mark of 7.73 lakh tourists in 1988. Over the recent years, there have been encouraging figures but these have yet to cross the 5-lakh mark. The intended target could have been achieved during the past few years, but trouble every year for one reason or the other has been hitting the tourism industry hard.

Like previous years, there was a good beginning this summer with a large number of tourists visiting the valley. Around 8,000 tourists were arriving every day prior to the trouble, but the flow has now declined to around 5,000 although there are signs of improvement now. The valley had registered 2.44 lakh tourist arrivals by the end of June last year, which shot up to 4.32 lakh tourists during the same period this year, official figures reveal.

The authorities have been considering to divert at least 10 per cent of Vaishno Devi pilgrims to visit Kashmir. “That would bring at least 8 lakh tourists to the valley annually,” says a senior official.

“Tourism is a peace time activity and as long peace prevails, it would keep flourishing,” says an expert.

Reasi, July 13
Shiv Khori cave shrine situated in the Sanger Hills of Reasi district is fast becoming popular among pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi and Amarnath shrines.

Keeping in view the increasing numbers of pilgrims to this shrine, the authorities have decided to start a helicopter service on the pattern of Vaishno Devi to attract more devotees to the shrine in Ransoo village in the district.

Pandurang Pole, deputy commissioner, Reasi, who is also vice-chairman of Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board told the Tribune that a survey for starting the chopper service had been conducted and the service would start soon.

“The service would be from Katra up to Shiv Khori shrine and the pilgrims would have to travel just half a kilometer to reach the cave,” Pole said.

Presently, pilgrims have to walk about 6 km on foot to reach the shrine and with the starting of helicopter service even aged devotees would be able to pay obeisance at the shrine. “We have decided to provide every possible facility to the pilgrims,” Pole said and informed that a five-storey complex was coming up for the convenience of pilgrims.

Meanwhile, a large number of pilgrims have visited the shrine this year after performing the Amarnath yatra. “We were not aware of such a pious shrine of Lord Shiva,” said Arvind Shrivastav, who along with a group of 24 youths came from Kanpur. Arvind and his group earlier visited Amarnath where some pilgrims informed them about Shiv Khori.

The authorities have also decided to develop Katra-Reasi belt as tourist circuit through which religious places like Aghar Jitto, Noaun Pandian, Baba Dhansar, Deera Baba Banda Bahudur and Shiv Khori would be connected to promote tourism.

Srinagar/New Delhi, July 13
Barring a few stray incidents of violence, most parts of the Kashmir Valley were peaceful but Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the Army would be on standby till next week.

"There has been no major incident since Friday" when the curfew was lifted to allow people to offer prayers at night on the occasion of Shab-e-Mehraj (ascension of the Prophet to heaven), Omar Abdullah said in an interview to NDTV news channel in Srinagar.

He said since Friday, the Army was doing "standby duties only" in the valley. "It has not been deployed on the streets."

Asked when he expected to withdraw the Army, Omar said: "When we have that level of confidence, we will send back the Army. It may be some time next week."

Meanwhile in New Delhi, Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P. Chidambaram and sought help for his son, Omar Abdullah, to tide over the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir.

Officials at Jammu and Kashmir House in New Delhi told IANS that the former Chief Minister requested assistance so that the younger Abdullah could control the volatile situation.

Farooq Abdullah later left for Srinagar, where Omar Abdullah has called an all-party meeting Monday.

In another development, editors and the managements of all vernacular and English newspapers in Srinagar on saturday decided to suspend their publications against alleged harassment by the authorities.

Editors of local newspapers said they would not resume publications till the government assured them such an attitude would be changed in the future. — IANS

Udhampur, July 13
For Mohammad Rashid, a resident of Kausaliyan village located close to the LoC in Poonch district, life is a curious mixture of opportunity and adversity. Indeed so, because it was sheer chance that came his way and he lapped it up to hope for better financial prospects. Belonging to a poor family, he had been living off a small piece of land and some cattle. After his high school, he could not pursue his dream of becoming self-employed due to the want of funds. The responsibility of his two sisters weighed heavily upon him.

However, a ray of hope emerged for this desperate youth. He happened to be in Poonch on a personal visit when he came to know about a programme being run by the Army to impart training in vocational courses. He applied for animal husbandry course and was selected to undergo the course.

Though equipped with the training, he did not know how to use it practically. Lack of funds again stared him in the face. At this juncture, the Army came to his help again.

"I have no words to express my gratitude to the Army authorities who helped me to get loan from Punjab National Bank, Poonch. With this money, I am going to start a poultry farm soon. The days when I was without any hope for my family's future and myself are behind now," he added.

Srinagar, July 13
The Central Government has approved two projects of Rs.200 crore each for the construction of government maternity hospitalsin Jammu and Kashmir provinces, said Minister for Medical Education RS. Chib during a visit to a hospital in Srinagar on Sunday after detailed inspection of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Bemina here.

The minister has also inspected various hospitals including the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital in the summer capital during the past three days.

Inspecting the hospital at Bemina, the minister said the hospital would be fully equipped for providing emergency treatment. The government was also planning to upgrade the existing facilities in view of its location on the national highway.

The minister visited Srinagar city hospitals, including Bones and Joint Hospital, Barzulla, Government Lal Ded Hospital and GB Pant Hospital, Batwara, to take stock of the medicare facilities there.

During his visit to Bones and Joint Hospital, the minister directed the hospital administration to provide necessary medicines, blood, and other vital necessities to the patients suffering from acute ailments. He also asked the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital to provide meals both to patients and attendants in view of the prevailing situation in the valley.

During his visit to the SMHS hospital on Saturday, the minister said that the cath-lab, neurology, nephrology, MRI and CT Scan laboratories installed in the adjoining building of the hospital would be operationalised soon to facilitate the patients. The posts of super-specialist, consultant and para-medico would also be filled on an academic arrangement basis.

The minister instructed the hospital authorities concerned to ensure timely medical investigations, besides providing ambulance services, in the emergency cases. 

Jammu, July 13
Despite picturesque landscape, lush green forest cover and serene surroundings, the hilly tehsil of Thathri has not caught the attention of the Bhaderwah Development Authority (BDA).

In the absence of basic infrastructure, the tourism potential of Thathri remains untapped and people, particularly in villages, are compelled to live a miserable life.

The dense forest areas like Jantron Dhar, Lamote Dhar and other attractive places like Mata Rashwar temple are a visual and spiritual treat, but sadly the place is conspicuous by its absence from the tourism map.

A group of villagers belonging to Joura Kalan and Joura Khurd say the tehsil has a population of more than one lakh. "Agriculture is the primary occupation of the people here. If tourism is promoted in the area by developing basic infrastructure, our economic condition can improve," they add.

Kuldeep Kumar Rao, president of the Thathri Development Front, says, "The government should immediately embark upon development work. The foremost need of the area is a bridge on the newly constructed 13-km-long Kahara-Jai road so that traffic could resume on the road".

Rao has appealed to R&B Minister GM Saroori to order survey of the Kahara-Jai road beyond Halaran up to Gandoh so that areas like Halaran, Budhi, Joura Kalan, Shamdlian and Ghuroo could get better road connectivity.

"If the road is constructed through these areas, it will cause least damage to the forest cover," he says and also demands road connectivity for villages having SC/ST population like Kunthal and Suranga.

"A road link from Joura Kalan to Joura Khurd and Chirrala via Jantron to Jantron Dhar should also be sanctioned and executed immediately, as it is a long pending demand of people of Chirrala," he says.

"There are 13 higher secondary schools, but no degree college," Abdul Majeed, an executive member of the front, says and adds, "For the development of rural infrastructure; we need two more blocks viz Basnota block (from Kahara to Shamdlian) and Chiralla-Bhella block".

Other demands included an ITI and polytechnic college, sanction of a post of block medical officer for Thathri and an independent tourism development authority.

Udhampur, July 13
As part of the Van Mahotsav celebrations, the Udhampur Air Force Station has initiated a tree plantation drive inside its camp area recently. The event was kicked off by Air Vice Marshal J Chauhan, Air Officer Commanding, J&K, by planting a sapling there.

The other dignitaries who were part of the drive were Air Commander SS Kothari, Group Capt PM Vithalkar, LM Sarin, chief engineer, Air Force, KK Iyer, DGM (RBO) SBI, and Parvendra Bharti, chief manager of SBI, Udhampur.

Addressing a gathering, Chauhan stated that the armed forces had a social responsibility towards fostering a clean and green environment. He said the global warming posed the biggest threat all over the world, adding that since deforestation was one of the major cause of global warming, a campaign should be started to reverse the process by planting more trees.

He emphasised that this would also go a long way in camouflaging the installations at the station during hostilities. The campaign for planting trees would only be successful if all personnel and their family members participated wholeheartedly in the drive, he added.

According to a spokesperson of the Air Force station, they have already taken a leap in this direction by planting 5,000 saplings by all personnel and their families at the station.

The slogan for the proposed drive will be ‘Each One Plant One’.

Jammu, July 13
Due to increase in the number of admission-seekers beyond the available number of seats on the campus, the University of Jammu is now thinking to start master’s degree courses in the private sector in its affiliated colleges.

Dean (Academic Affairs) Prof RD Sharma of the university said this year the rush of candidates had broken all previous records and had generated a need for introducing further such courses in the private sector for students who wanted to pursue higher education.

“We may run master’s degree courses in private institutions/colleges affiliated to the university soon the same way as we are running BEd courses presently in private sector,” he said, adding that no decision had been taken in this regard yet, but the authorities were discussing about it.

He said at present there was no possibility to increase seats in all 34 departments of the university, adding that there was no possibility to increase seats in any department as the same would overburden laboratories, libraries and teachers.

“The expansion is possible only by allowing private colleges to start various master’s degree programmes,” Prof Sharma added.