Kupwara, October 4
Consumers in north Kashmir are facing an acute shortage of LPG cylinders for the past one week. They said they were denied LPG supply at outlets in Kupwara, Kralpora, Handwara and Sopore towns.

“In spite of necessary documents verifying our gas connections, we are deprived of cooking gas for past one week,” Mohd Ahsan, a consumer said. The dismayed consumers said the home delivery of gas had already been suspended since September 23 and now they were denied cooking gas at various outlets as well.

The shortage of kerosene oil at depots and firewood has further aggravated the situation, they added.

“We are being made to suffer for no fault of ours. They snapped home delivery of gas in the last week of September and now the LPG cylinders are denied at outlets as well,” a group of consumers complained. A large number of consumers were seen lined up with cylinders at Handwara and Kupwara and many of them had to return empty-handed.

“We are standing in a long queue since morning. Many returned with empty cylinders after hours of wait. The Indane gas outlet owner had earlier told us to stand in the queue but the gas has not been given to any consumer till 3 pm,” said Mohd Amin, one of those standing in a queue near the Kupwara DC office.

Many other consumers complained that gas was given to them on differential rates such as Rs 415, Rs 962 and Rs 1,253.

“After 4 pm, some consumers were charged Rs 962 for one cylinder and others including security personnel even paid upto Rs 1,253. Some outlets in Kupwara are taking advantage of gas shortage and are selling cylinders on high prices,” a consumer said. Many of the consumers demanded that documents like electricity bill and driving license should also be accepted as address proof.

“Many people have not been provided with ration cards but have valid address proofs likedriving license and voter Id proof. They should accept such documents as proofs to avoid inconvenience,” said a consumer.

”We are having a tight deadline to complete the verification by October 15. Once the process is over, the gas supply in Kupwara would be streamlined,” a local dealer in Kupwara said.

Kupwara, October 4
Leaving many deserving candidates in the lurch, the Department of Education has once again issued an erroneous shortlist of class IV posts in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Surprisingly, the list has been issued for the second time in less than two months’ period as the one that was issued last time contained some major “flaws”.

This has left many candidates, who had figured in the merit list, shocked as they have been left out of it.

Following a report published by The Tribune on August 28 about some errors in the shortlist that was issued by the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Kupwara, on August 23, the office issued a revised shortlist of candidates yesterday.

The candidates in the handicapped category (HC) feel they have been let down this time again.

They said in spite of figuring in the merit list, they were not considered for the interview.

“I have 31 points combined in matriculation and Class XII. The cut-off marks in the handicapped category are 22 and I have not been shortlisted for the interview once again,” said Sajad Anwar, a candidate.

Sajad, who is physically challenged, has BA and BEd degrees but he had applied for the class IV post on the basis of his Class XII marks which was the required qualifification.

“I have already crossed the age limit for a government job. I had no option left but to apply for this post last year,” he said.

The Chief Education Officer, Kupwara, yesterday issued a revised shortlist of 240 candidates in general category, 80 in RBA, 40 in ST, 10 in SC and 15 each in HC and ALC categories.

Tanvir Ahmad Bhat, who has also been dropped out of the list, said, “I have 24 points against the required 22 points but have not figured in the list this time as well. The erroneous list has again left out the meritorious candidates.”

The candidates said they would take legal recourse if these discrepancies were not addressed and fresh list issued well in time.

Bilal Ahmad Bhat of Batergam Kupwara has 36.78 points in the handicapped category but he too has not been shortlisted.

“I have not been shortlisted for the interview. The cut-off marks in my category are 22 points. The list is full of errors,” Bhat said.

The Chief Education Officer, Kupwara, had advertised class IV posts in the Department of Education vide notification number 20138-42 dated February 2, 2011.

Sources said that over 35,000 application forms were received against 150 vacancies in the district. Interviews of candidates will be held from October 15 for the revised shortlist.

Srinagar, October 4
Minister for Medical and Technical Education RS Chib told the Legislative Council today that there was enough stock of anti-rabies vaccine in the tertiary care hospitals of Srinagar and Jammu.

He said he has received no complaints so far of any such deficiency.

The minister was replying to a question by Ajat Shatru Singh. Earlier, replying to the main question, the minister said the government had already incorporated hepatitis-B in the state under the National Immunisation Schedule and the vaccine was being provided free of cost to children.

Srinagar, October 4
An 18-year-old boy from a locality in downtown Srinagar was booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and has been lodged at Kot Balwal jail in the Jammu region.

The PSA allows the authorities to imprison someone without a trial for three months.

The accused Haris Rashid Langoo of Gojwara locality in the city has been booked on charges of stone-pelting.

Detention of the Langoo under the PSA has been criticised by various international human rights organisations terming it a “lawless law” which also led to protests in several localities of the city where shops remains closed and no traffic plied on roads.

Protests against the detention of the boy continued throughout the day in Saraf Kadal, Kawdara, Nowhatta and Rajouri Kadal localities of the city. Langoo, whose school records show he was born in September 1994, turned 18 last month.

A police spokesman said Langoo along with one 21-year-old Sajad Ahmad Geelani, a resident of Nowhatta locality, have been booked under the PSA and sent to Kot Balwal prison in Jammu.

The spokesman termed the both as “die hard stone-pelters”.

In the PSA dossier, Langoo has been named in at least seven cases, three of which have been registered in 2010 when he was 16 years old.

“Though the normal law has been invoked against you but it has not yielded desired results and you continue to indulge in activities which are prejudicial to the maintenance of public order,” the order authorising Langoo's detention without trial under the PSA reads which is signed by the District Magistrate.

The teenager had been bailed out by a local court when he was arrested on charges of stone pelting .

The state government has come under severe criticism from local and international human rights bodies for detaining young boys without trial and lodging them in jails for longer periods since when the street protests became more widespread in 2010.

Srinagar, October 4
Members of the Jammu and Kashmir Handicapped Association (JKHA) today ended their hunger strike after nearly 80 hours following assurances by senior government officials.

The protesters had earlier threatened to set themselves afire.

“We ended the strike at around 11 am after officials came to meet us and assured us that our demands will be met with,” JKHA president Abdul Rashid Bhat said.

Bhat was leading the group of handicapped men on protest at Residency Road in the city for past three days.

The protestors, who were on hunger strike since Monday, had warned to immolate themselves on Thursday noon if no government official or representative comes to meet them.

Bhat said two government officials came to meet them in the morning and assured to fulfill their demands soon.

He said their association had set a two-month deadline before the government to fulfill their demands.

The JKHA had set a list of 21 demands which it says have remained unchanged in last 12 years since they formed the association.

One of the demands before the government includes enhancement of monthly pension for the disabled.

“We are getting Rs 400 per month that should be increased to Rs 3,000 per month. What will you do with Rs 400 per month,” JKHA said in a statement.

Other demands include reservation for the handicapped to be implemented “vertically rather than horizontally”, free education for their children, loans at low interest and an advisory board to provide representation in district-level board.

They are also demanding reservation in favour of handicapped employees in promotion quota and introduction of Braille education system from primary to university level in the state.

The JKHA president said they had on several occasions met various state ministers to seek solution to their demands but to no avail.

Srinagar, October 4
The Legislative Assembly today deferred a question on illegal land encroachments in the state.

During the question hour, opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Choudhary Zulfikar Ali sought the details of politicians, civil and police officers against whom the encroachment cases were pending in the judicial and revenue courts.

During the ensuing debate between Ali and Minister of State Ejaz Khan, Speaker Mohammad Akbar Lone intervened and said the concerned the Ministry could have sought details from other agencies after Khan said no specific information was available in the revenue records.

Lone then deferred the question even as Khan said the required information would be presented during the ongoing session.

Meanwhile, the reply of the Revenue Ministry said a total of 14,94,345 kanals of land was under illegal occupation in the state.

The reply said 33,710 and 46,188 kanals of state land were under illegal occupation in Anantnag and Budgam districts of the Valley respectively. Similarly in Bandipora, Kupwara, Pulwama, Kulgam, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Srinagar and Shopian districts, 46,920, 52,325, 41,011, 14,537, 24,533, 90,244, 42,977 and 34,297 kanals of land was under illegal occupation respectively.

In the Jammu region, 3,92,155, 1,09,628, 1,55,126, 72,521 and 97,113 kanals of land was under illegal occupation in Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar and Samba districts.

Similarly in Udhampur, Doda, Poonch, Jammu and Kathua districts, 32,971, 28,537, 1,18,237, 27,016 and 34,299 kanals of land was under illegal occupation.

Srinagar, October 4
CPM state secretary and MLA Kulgam MY Tarigami today objected to the use of force against the government employees during the street protests.

“No official goes to pacify protesters but they are treated with tear gas shelling and lathis,” Tarigami said during the Zero Hour of the Legislative Assembly today.

“Lathi charge on the teachers, who are respectable members of the society, is not good. The government should initiate dialogue with the employees, including the teachers to redress their grievances,” he said.

Tarigami was referring to alleged use of force against Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers and Education Volunteers (EVs) who had staged protests near the Civil Secretariat yesterday.

The protestors were cane charged while coloured water was sprayed through a water canon to disperse them. The protestors demanded inclusion of five years of contractual service of the ReT teachers in the service book and regularisation of EVs after seven years of service.

Tarigami also demanded the release of two and a half days pay incentive already sanctioned in the favour of the Power Development Department (PDD)

Srinagar, October 4
Taking a u-turn from its years-long stance, the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Geelani today praised militants who he said were “fighting for a cause”.

He also called for protests tomorrow afternoon against the visit of All India Congress Committee General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to the Valley.

The faction while paying tributes to the five militants killed earlier this week in a forest in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district said the separatist amalgam “salutes their sacrifices”.

“These men are sacrificing their lives for the Kashmiri cause and for them there is no worldly or material benefit,” the faction said in a statement.

Hurriyat’s latest posturing of praising the militants is a u-turn from its stance of last several years during which it had largely restrained from making public comments openly in favour of militants.

Geelani, who heads the hardline amalgam, has in the past led funeral prayers of several militants and militant commanders across the Valley.

“These mujahideen are happily sacrificing their dear lives for greatness of Islam and for the collective good of their oppressed brothers,” the statement said.

The faction, meanwhile, called for peaceful post-Friday prayer protests against the Kashmir visit of Gandhi and termed the University of Kashmir as being a “den of conspiracies”.

“We will not allow any attempt to politicise education. Peaceful protests should be held after Friday prayers against Rahul Gandhi’s Kashmir visit and against turning the University of Kashmir into a den of conspiracies,” the statement said.

The group said it also opposed the “cultural aggression” and will resist it with all means.

Gandhi began his two-day visit to Kashmir on Thursday and travelled to Leh where he addressed a public rally and later he was the guest of honour at the foundation laying ceremony of a tunnel which will connect Srinagar with Leh.

Gandhi is scheduled to visit the University of Kashmir tomorrow which is his second visit to the campus since last year.

The hardline faction had also opposed the visit of President Pranab Mukerjee who visited the university last week to chair the varsity’s 18the annual convocation ceremony. 

Srinagar, October 4
The 78th annual general meeting of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) was held in the University of Kashmir today.

About 40 of the top brass scientists of India participated in the event that underlined the achievements of the INSA.

During the meeting, which was held at the conference room of the Gandhi Bhavan, INSA president Dr Krishan Lal briefed the fellow scientists about various activities of the institution, including the results of recently held elections for various positions of the INSA.

“The INSA plays a big role in the International summits like G8+ Science Academies, ICSU and summit of the South Asian Academies. A new scheme to honour teachers, by awarding them the INSA teacher award was also started this year. We have been acting on nutritional issues and new schemes are implemented to sponsor research in the regard,” said Krishan Lal.

He said the ‘Inspire’ awards have been introduced by the INSA to felicitate the young scientists for their innovations.

“The INSA is committed to provide funds to the new researchers and this year we have increased the amount. The INSA plays a pivotal role in the research programmes conducted across the country and several reforms have been instituted to make the programs more successful,” he said.

INSA vice-president, Prof ML Munjaal briefed the members about the results of recently held elections and changes in the nomenclature of various positions and awards.

Local coordinator Prof Khursheed A Andrabi said the INSA, being a prominent body of the eminent scientists, undertakes various programs to promote scientific knowledge and research. The INSA coordinates various scientific academies, government departments and services and maintains liaison between Science and humanities, he said. 

Srinagar, October 4
National Youth Corps (NYC) volunteers today appealed to Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to address their concerns, especially when his visit focuses on providing employment opportunities to the youth.

In an open memorandum, the NYC delegation sought his intervention in the matter pertaining to the disengagement of their services from various state public departments by the government.

Muddasir Hassan, state president, NYC Association, appealed Rahul of taking the concerns of 8,000 state youths to the Central government. “Rahul Gandhi has been very vocal about the problems concerning youths and hence we believe that he will not brush aside our grievances. We want him to talk to the government authorities on our behalf for the continuation of their services in the respective public departments. The government could possible frame a new policy and thus save our future,” Muddasir said.

NYC volunteers were paid honorarium for two years since 2010 in 14 public departments where they worked as volunteers on full-time basis. However, two years down the line, these youths are feeling cheated with many of them having given up their jobs and education.—TNS

Srinagar, October 4
University of Kashmir might cite the reasons of non-availability of funds for addressing the concern of the students, but when it comes to holding lavish conferences, KU doesn’t holds back.

This could be gauged from the expenditures on the recently concluded 46th All India Oriental Conference which crossed Rs 1 crore. Officials sources said the University had to rent a fleet of 100 State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) and private 
vehicles for over 2,000 delegates who had participated in the event.

KU also made arrangements for the three-day stay of the delegates, many of who had come along with their families.

“We literally ran out of accommodation. The three guest houses were already full, we had to book more than 30 private hotels for the guests,” an official requesting anonymity told the Tribune.

Since the oriental studies courses were not popular among the students, there were hardly any participants from the University in the conference.

Students flayed the authorities for holding unnecessary conferences which put a huge burden on the University exchequer and do not benefit students in any way.

“Our Department of Oriental Studies is ailing and there are just nine students who are studying various courses related to oriental studies. The University should first ensure the participation of its students in the programmes rather than randomly holding the conferences,” a research scholar said.

Meanwhile, Kashmir University Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad was unavailable for comments.

Srinagar, October 4
The Legislative Assembly today passed a bill to amend the Employees Provident Funds Act 1961 which had been moved by the Minister for Labour and Employment Abdul Gani Malik.

The Bill applies to every establishment in which five or more persons are employed at any time, an official said. The threshold limit of number of employees in an establishment for coverage under the EPF Scheme would be raised from five to 10 prospectively, provided that the establishments covered at present, and having employees lesser than 10, will continue to be within the ambit of the scheme in respect of the employees already covered; and rate of contribution of the employers will be increased from 8.33 to 12 per cent, the official said. 

Srinagar, October 4
Amrit Malhotra, chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council, called on Governor NN Vohra at the Raj Bhavan here today.

Sources said Malhotra briefed the Governor about the important issues slated for discussion in the ongoing session of the State Legislature, which commenced on Monday. —TNS