Srinagar, January 6
In the wake of adulteration in various food items and reports of unhygienic conditions in food processing and manufacturing units, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has sought details of the slaughterhouses in all districts of the state.

The high court has also asked the authorities to inform about how many abattoirs are currently functioning in these districts and their present hygienic conditions.

These directions were issued by a Division Bench of the high court comprising Justice Verinder Singh and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar.

The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking implementation of the food safety standards to check adulteration in the state.

“The respondents are directed to inform the court as to how many slaughterhouses are available in each district,” the Bench said in its orders, adding that the authorities also to inform the court “whether all these slaughterhouses are functional.”

“The respondents (authorities concerned) will also inform the court about the hygienic conditions of the slaughterhouses,” the Bench further said, adding that the case would be put up for further consideration in the second week of February.

The court has also directed the authorities to file a detailed status report in this regard by January 31.

Everyday, thousands of sheep are slaughtered across the Valley to meet the food requirements of local residents. Despite this, the region is without a modern slaughterhouse.

Kashmir Valley, as per the government estimates, consumes 2,53,88,000-kg mutton annually, which comes at a cost of Rs 761 crore.

In his submissions, the government counsel had submitted that a modern slaughterhouse was coming up in the Tengpora area of Srinagar city. However, the Bench was not impressed with the response.

In June 2012, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) had opened a slaughterhouse at Rainawari, which was constructed at the cost of Rs 10 lakh. The SMC authorities had claimed that the opening of the “modern abattoir” would not only provide clean meat/mutton to the local residents but also to a large extent reduce the quantity of animal waste.

However, a majority of mutton dealers/butchers continue to slaughter sheep at their own places or in the open. Besides, the butchers/mutton dealers have been demanding opening up of more modern abattoirs to meet the growing demand and ease up the pressure on existing ones.

Concerned over increased adulteration in food items, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has already directed the government authorities concerned to take samples of eatables from markets and factories in all districts of the state on a weekly basis for testing and initiate action against those found to be in the wrong.

The high court has also ordered continuous testing of the milk being sold in the market.

Srinagar, January 6
The night temperature in Kashmir valley continued to remain several degrees below the freezing point. The weather department says the next night is likely to be the same.

Srinagar city recorded a low of minus 4.6 degrees Celsius overnight, which is over two degrees down from the average low for this time of the year, an official of the state Meteorological department said.

The city had last night recorded the lowest of the season as the minimum temperature fell to minus 5.4 degrees Celsius.

Due to sub-zero night temperatures, the water bodies in Kashmir, including the Dal Lake, have been covered with a layer of frost continuously for the past few days.

In Srinagar, however, the maximum temperature was recorded at 7.8 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than the average maximum for this time. The city has been witnessing sunny and warm days over the last week which is a rarity in “Chillai Kalaan” -- a forty-day long harshest phase of winter in Kashmir which began on December 21.

At the skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, which is covered with several feet of snow, the night temperature fell to minus 9 degrees Celsius, the official said.

At Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, the mercury overnight fell to minus 8 degrees Celsius while the day temperature was recorded at 6.7 degrees Celsius, the official said.

Qazigund, the southern gateway town to Kashmir valley, recorded the maximum temperature at 7.9 degrees Celsius during the day while the minimum fell to minus 5.8 degrees Celsius. In the frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir, the minimum temperature was recorded at minus 5.2 degrees Celsius while the maximum there was recorded at 9 degrees Celsius.

Leh town in remote Ladakh region recorded a freezing night as the minimum temperature fell to minus 18 degrees Celsius while the day temperature rose to a maximum of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.

The day temperature in Kargil district was recorded at the maximum of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius while the night temperature fell to minus 17.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.

The minimum temperature in snow-bound Ladakh region usually falls many degrees below the freezing point in winter months sometimes plunging down to as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius or even further. 

Handwara, January 6
Residents of Ashpora and many other villages in Handwara held protests against the Power Development Department (PDD) over erratic power supply.

The protesting villagers said they were reeling under dark for the past one week and the power was playing hide and seek. The protesters, including women and children, raised slogans against the PDD and blocked Handwara-Baramulla road and did not allow traffic movement for about two hours. They said they were forced to pay power tariff according to the tariff hiked in the recent past but power was not supplied according to the curtailment schedule.

“We will not call off protests unless power is restored to the villages. We are forced to pay tariff in time but the power woes continue to haunt us for the past one week,” said a protester. They said in a few villages, electric wires tied on poplar trees were lying suspended and posing a threat to human lives, especially the children. “We are facing risk due to the suspended lines on poplar trees as well. Power is playing hide and seek in our villages,” said another protester.

They demanded early restoration of power to their villages. The residents of metered areas in Handwara also complained about power outages which they said had become a routine matter. “Power outages have become order of the day in metered areas of Handwara as well. The power scenario has worsened for the past one week,” said Shabir Ahmad.

The protesters called off their protests following assurances by the officials of the PDD that power would be restored to normal by tomorrow evening. Photostat and DTP operators said their business was severely affected due to the power cuts. “The power outages have badly affected our business. The shortage of kerosene oil at depots has made the matters worse,” said Abdul Hamid, running a photostat shop in Handwara town.

Students taking the ongoing examination of Kashmir University and State Board of School Education (SBOSE) said they were the worst sufferers of power outages. “Barring candles, there is no other source of lighting available to us. There is shortage of LPG and kerosene oil and acute shortage of power has badly affected our studies. We have not seen electricity during night hours for the past one week,” said Mohd Ashraf, BA first-year student.

Srinagar, January 6
The Kashmir Bar Association has condemned the recent incident involving the alleged beating up of a local journalist by J-K policemen in Srinagar. The Bar has demanded registration of an FIR into the alleged assault and action against the “erring” policemen.

Imran Muzaffar, a reporter with a local daily, had alleged that he was roughed up by the policemen on Thursday when he had requested them to stay in queue at an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) outside the Kashmir University when a woman was doing transaction.

In a statement, Muhammad Ashraf Bhat, general secretary of the High Court Bar Association, said the executive committee of the Bar had “unanimously condemned” the assault on the journalist.

“The Bar association has appealed the state administration to issue directions to lodge an FIR against the erring police officials. The Bar has also decided that legal aid will be provided to Imran Muzaffar. It was further decided that incase the administration failed to lodge an FIR against the erring police officials, the Bar will file a complaint before the competent court of jurisdiction in Srinagar,” Bhat said.

“By this criminal act, the face of the police got exposed before the general public, they are not even sparing journalists, how a common person can expect justice from the police authorities,” he added in the statement.

On Friday, the SHRC while taking “strong note” of the incident had sought reports from the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, Superintendent of Police and Station House Officer, Hazratbal, into the matter. 

Srinagar, January 6
The private coaching centres in Kashmir have now come under the scanner of various local religious organisations, describing them as breeding grounds of crimes, aiming at targeting women.

The moral brigade of Kashmir, including local mosque clerics and Islamic student organisations, while condemning the recent acid attack on a 30-year-old women from the posh uptown Srinagar locality on Wednesday, have also criticised the police and administration authorities for failing to curb the immoral practises as eve-teasing of girls, drug abuse which have become synonymous with them.

The Friday sermons delivered across various Valley mosques, essentially called for a stricter check on the mushroom growth of the private coaching centres and their activities.

“The free gender mixing of adolescents which goes on in these coaching centres without the supervision of teachers and parents is a source of immoral practices, particularly the crime against girls. Adolescence is an important stage where the adults need to closely monitor the activities of children. Unfortunately, the private coaching centres couldn’t care about the growing rate of crimes against women since they are busy making huge profits,” a member from the student Islamic body, wishing anonymity said.

Although the School Education Department issued a fresh circular post on the Acid attack incident, directing the private coaching centres to register with the department within 15 days or shutdown, and even furnish the details of their infrastructure and intake capacity, educationists believe that the School Education Department should seek the help of police if the private tuition centres continue to violate the rules.

“Last year too, the then Director of School Education, Shugufta Parveen had issued similar directions, but none of the coaching centres were fined/de -recognised on finding them inadequately equipped to conduct tuition practices. We hope a strict follow up is done this time,” said Prof Shumaila Khan, a lecturer at GovtCollege for Women. 

Srinagar, January 6
The north Kashmir’ Sopore town today observed a complete shutdown to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sopore massacre.

The shops and business establishments remained closed, but the vehicular traffic plied normally. The situation in the town remained peaceful during the day. The call for the strike in Sopore was given by hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani to mark the 20th anniversary of the Sopore killings.

On January 6, 1993, militants had shot dead a BSF jawan and snatched his service rifle in the main market of town. After an hour later, the locals alleged, BSF troopers returned and shot dead 43 persons and also set on fire nearly 300 shops. The locals had registered an FIR against the BSF in the police station, Sopore. The BSF in its counter FIR had said that the people had died in cross firing.

The Sopore residents said the state government had not taken any action against the accused BSF men, who were involved in these killing. “We are still waiting for justice to be done in the case,” said Mohammad Ashraf Ganai, president of Sopore traders federation.

Meanwhile, Chairman Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Geelani hailed the people of Sopore and expressed satisfaction for observing the shutdown on 20th anniversary of the Sopore massacre.

Srinagar, January 6
The Winter Games Association of Kashmir (WGAJK) has announced its winter sports calendar for 2013 at a meeting held on Friday.

The national junior and sub-junior alpine ski championship would begin from February 10 in Gulmarg.

The association has urged the Department of Tourism to provide the necessary logistic and financial support for making the event a success.

Various committees headed by Winter Games Association president Farooq Ahmad Shah were also constituted for overseeing the events to be held during the winters.

“Other sources for financing these events will also be explored. It was also decided to hold coaching camps for all those skiers, who have performed better in the last state championships, so that their techniques can be polished and are prepared for major sporting events,” spokesperson of the association said.

In his inaugural speech, Farooq Shah stressed the need of exploring new resorts for the winter tourism. He further said all organisations concerned must work together for the promotion of winter sports in the state. “Involvement of youth is essential as these sports are job-oriented. Exploration of news areas could generate job opportunities in those areas,” he said.

He said the conduct of sporting events at the national level help both ways by promoting tourism and encouraging the spirit of local youth towards the winter sports.

Vice-president of the association Mahmood Ahmad Shah said the ski-touring would help to explore new areas, thus it should be promoted.

On the 25th year of its establishment, the WGAJK is organising silver jubilee celebrations in March.

The meeting decided to honour all the renowned winter sports athletes of the state on the occasion.

Mahmood Ahmad Shah CEO-GDA, Shabir Wani, Gulmustafa Dev, Hafeeza Hassan, Rauf Tramboo, GA Dar, AR Tantray, GM Parray, GN Reshi, Tariq Ahmad, Shafi Khan, Hameed Dar, and GM Hajam and Muhammad Yusuf were present at the meeting.