January 20, Srinagar
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has set March 31 as deadline for dealers to start home delivery of LPG cylinders in Kashmir, where the service were suspended earlier.

The Chief Minister was in the summer capital to chair a high-level meeting to review the status of restoration of essential services which were hit due to the recent heavy snowfall in the Valley. During the meeting, he was briefed about the arrangements being made for Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi (Prophet Muhammad's birth anniversary) celebrations and Republic Day function in Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir.

“LPG dealers should take necessary action in this regard and give due publicity to the home delivery schedule so that people are well aware about it and do not face any inconvenience,” a government spokesman said giving details of the meeting.

The home delivery in Srinagar and other parts of Valley was suspended by the dealers. They (dealers) cited the pending verification process of the LPG connections as one of the reasons for the same.

The spokesman said the Chief Minister emphasised on doing away with the practice of delivering LPG cylinders to consumers on identified points in various areas by ensuring home service by March 31.

“He asked the divisional administration to take all necessary measures in this regard and sensitise the LPG dealers accordingly. He also ordered to initiate a time-bound roadmap for putting in place this mechanism in towns and rural areas,” he added.

Omar was apprised about the restoration of power and water supply, road clearance, stock and supply of essential goods and preparedness of the administration to face eventualities during the meeting.Omar also directed the divisional administration to provide all facilities to people during Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi, the spokesman said.

Kulgam, January 20
A family in Laroo village of Kulgam district alleged that they were ruthlessly beaten and their girls molested by the police during a night raid yesterday.

CPI (M) general secretary and Kulgam MLA MY Tarigmi said the incident was a case of misuse of power by the police force and he sought a magisterial probe into the case.

The police, however, denied the allegations saying the family members were detained today morning in connection with an FIR registered against them and were released after questioning.

The residents held protests against the alleged highhandedness of the police force and blocked the road for several hours demanding the perpetrators be brought to the book. The family of Abdul Hameed Sheikh, a resident of Laroo village, said police harassment had become almost a routine for some time.

“They were harassing us on behest of my eldest son from my first wife Bashir Ahmad Sheikh over a property dispute that had been settled in the court of law in our favour,” said Abdul Hameed Sheikh.

Sheikh, with injuries on his body, said an all-male police party raided his house at around 11:30 pm yesterday and beat him and his sons.

“My family rushed me to the hospital in Bugam village and after we returned home the policemen came again at around 1 am and started molesting my daughters aged 17 and 18,” said Sheikh.

He alleged that the policemen tore off the clothes of his daughters and took them away while gagging their mouths. “We were kept in police custody the whole night,” Sheikh said.

The protesting local residents said the police after sensing the public anger over the issue sent them home in a police vehicle.

The police said the family was wanted in a case under Section 332 of the RPC and another FIR filed at the Kulgam police station.

“Nobody from the family was beaten and no night raid was conducted. The family attacked and injured two of our men today morning while they had gone to the Sheikh household to arrest them,” said Kulgam SP Muhammad Shafi.

He added that the family members had made the injury marks themselves to show police in a bad light.

Kulgam Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mir Jahangir said an inquiry would be initiated after a detailed report from the SP.

“The raid conducted by the police party comprising only males reflects how the power is being misused by some elements in the police force, without bothering for rules and regulations,” a press release issued by Tarigami read.

Srinagar, January 20
The Kashmir region is likely to get another spell of snow and rain on Wednesday and Thursday this week, an official of state Disaster Management said.

“There is possibility of light rain and snow on January 23 (Wednesday) and January 24 (Thursday) especially in the higher reaches,” said Aamir Ali, coordinator, Disaster Management.

State Meteorological department said the weather is likely to remain dry in the region for the next 24 hours.

The region received heavy snowfall on Thursday and Friday last week which disrupted power supply, closed a vital road connecting the Valley with rest of the country, grounded air traffic and triggered high-danger avalanche warnings.

The snowfall was the heaviest of the season so far. It was equally widespread in the sense that nearly all major towns, including the summer capital, and villages across the region were covered in a white snow blanket.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature in the city here dropped below the freezing point for the first time in recent days. The overnight temperature in the city was recorded at a low of minus 0.5 degree Celsius, an official said of the state Meteorological Department said.

Srinagar, which recorded the coldest day of the season last week when the day temperature dipped to 1.8 degree Celsius, the maximum temperature today was recorded 7.9 degree Celsius.

Qazigund, the southern gateway town to Kashmir valley, received slight snowfall in the morning. The minimum temperature there settled at minus 1.0 degree Celsius. In the frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir, the minimum temperature was recorded minus 2.2 degree Celsius.

The skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir, which is enveloped in five-foot snow, recorded a low of minus 10.4 degree Celsius, the official said.

In Pahalgam resort of south Kashmir, the mercury overnight fell to minus 8.5 degree Celsius while the day temperature was recorded 3.8 degree Celsius, the official said. In Leh town of remote and snowbound Ladakh region, the minimum temperature fell to minus 13.6 degree Celsius while the day temperature there rose to a maximum of 1.8 degree Celsius.

The day temperature in Kargil district was recorded 2.0 degree Celsius while the night temperature there fell to minus 14.0 degrees Celsius, the official added.

Srinagar, January 20
After snowfall snapped power lines in various places in the Valley, the casual labourers of the Power Development Department (PDD) have called off their strike that was scheduled to begin from tomorrow.

In a statement issued here, a spokesman of the Casual Labourers Union (CLU) of PDD said they had called off their strike due to inclement weather conditions.

“The strike has been called off up to January 28. The casual labourers will report on work,” the spokesman said.

He said Minister of State (MoS) for Power Viqar Rasool Wani, who was inducted into the Cabinet recently, had assured them that he would look into their demands. A delegation of the union had called on the MoS Power and raised their demands with the minister, he said.

The minister assured them that the issue will be discussed with the stakeholders within a week, the spokesman added.

He, however, added the PDD casual labourers would begin their strike from January 28 in case their demands were not met by then.

“In case our demands are not met by January 28, we will go on strike. On the first day of the strike, a rally will be carried out at EM&RE Wink Kashmir at Sonawar,” the spokesman said.

Srinagar, January 20
One person was injured in a road accident that occurred in Pampore area of Pulwama district last evening.

The police said a Scorpio, bearing registration number JK01C/4068, on way from Srinagar to Khrew met an accident at Khrew, in the jurisdiction of the Pampore police resulting in injuries to the driver of the vehicle. —TNS

Srinagar, January 20
Asking the authorities to make coaching centre owners aware about the need to register, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today cautioned that education of students should not suffer in the process.

He said this while chairing a high-level meeting of divisional administration here.

“While responding to issues relating to coaching centers brought to his notice in the meeting, the Chief Minister said that while sensitising the coaching centers about fulfilling legal requirement for registration, the education of students should not get hampered," a government spokesman said.

Coaching centers in Kashmir Valley have been asked by the authorities to get registered, which have been resisting the move for some time now.

The directive has come following a recent acid attack on a private female teacher, who is currently undergoing treatment in a New Delhi hospital. — TNS

Srinagar, January 20
Describing Prophet Muhammad as the role model, Kashmir religious leader and Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has stressed for following the teachings of prophet Muhammad to get rid of social evils and bad practices.

Mirwaiz was speaking during the “Seerat” conference in Srinagar, which was organised by the Awami Action Committee (AAC) to highlight the life and teachings of Islam’s last prophet.

Many other prominent religious heads and scholars of the Kashmir valley also spoke on the occasion, highlighting various aspects of Prophet’s teachings and life.

“In his address, Mirwaiz described Prophet Muhammad as a perfect role model to be emulated by the people, saying that affection towards Muhammad demands that we strive for achieving a harmony between our inner and outer self,” said an AAC spokesman.

“Our society is riddled with many social evils and bad things. Our love towards Muhammad demands that we begin the reform from our homes,” he said.

While urging social reforms, he stressed upon the participants to follow the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, saying that the cure for the ills and issues faced by the Muslims lies in his (Prophet’s) teachings.

Srinagar, January 20
Sher-e- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, (SKIMS), Soura, organised a one-day workshop today on "Lifestyle diseases and role of community medicine" at the institute's auditorium.

Doctors from various specialities who spoke on the occasion stressed on the negative impact of internet on the lifestyle of people, terming internet addiction as a modern lifestyle disease.

Medicos said the internet has caused modern-day health problems among people in general and youth in particular.

These include insomnia, depression, obesity and heart diseases. They also discussed strategies and measures to combat these potentially life-risking lifestyle disorders.

Dr Syed Shuja Qadri, senior resident, community medicine department, gave a detailed presentation focusing on various aspects of modern lifestyle and its increased impact on health. He talked about major lifestyle diseases, their prevention and control. He said these diseases are different from other diseases as they are potentially preventable and can be controlled with changes in diet, lifestyle and environment.

"Through lifestyle modifications like proper sleep, regular exercise, effective handling of stress, good work-life balance and abstaining from alcohol and smoking, we can actually maintain and organise a quality lifestyle," Dr Shuja said.

The speakers also explained the reason behind the severe impact of various lifestyle diseases like diabetes, drug abuse, depression, obesity, cardiovascular diseases and cancer on people's health.

They viewed physical inactivity, inadequate diet, tobacco/alcohol and stress as the main contributing factors which cause increased risk to health, taking the form of very specific lifestyle diseases.

Dr Abdul Majid, Associate Professor and Clinical Incharge, Community Medicine, highlighted the role of SKIMS under (Advocacy, Awareness and Sensitisation of Health) AASH programme launched in April 2009, directed at control of lifestyle diseases. He said the program focuses on awareness, advocacy and sensitisation on health issues.

He further said various activities like sensitisation of legislators, police and various other communities have been organised so far under this programme.

Dr Gul Javid, head, department of gastroenterology, stressed on moral, ethical and spiritual lifestyle for maintenance of a healthy and prosperous lifestyle.

The programme was chaired by Dr Parvaiz Koul, Professor and Head, Department of general medicine. Faculty members, senior residents and postgraduate students participated in the programme.

Srinagar, January 20
State Congress leaders have hailed the decision of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) to appoint Rahul Gandhi as the vice-president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) today held a meeting which was presided over by Mohd Anwar Bhat, general secretary, PCC, J&K.

The meeting was attended by Roads and Buildings (R&B ) Minister Abdul Majid Wani, general secretary Amreen Bader and working president, Budgam district, Master Mohd Maqbool.

The PCC leaders termed the appointment of Rahul as a historic decision which would infuse new spirit in the Congress party as the youth of the country wanted Rahul Gandhi to come forward to lead them in the field of politics.

They said the youth would play a major role in the politics of the country and give a new direction to the politics, besides getting involved in the service of the countrymen and shaping the destiny of the country.

The party would be revived all over and this would help it in 2014 Parliamentary elections.

The leaders also praised the leadership qualities of Rahul as a mature and sincere politician, under whose leadership, the Congress would strengthen.

Other prominent PCC leaders, who were present on the occasion, included Ghulam Mohd Shiekh, Khursheed Ahmad Zargar, Abdul Hamid Rather, Mohd Aslam Dar, Shameema Sopori, Jawahira, Shameema Khan, Nissar Ahmad Khan and others.

Srinagar, January 20
The Minister of State for Home Sajad Kitchloo today stressed upon the senior police officers to develop better police-public relations at the grassroot level so that the problems and grievances of general public can be mitigated.

This was stated by Kitchloo in an introductory meeting with senior police officers in the Police Control Room, Srinagar. The MoS Home was also briefed by the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, SM Sahai regarding the overall security scenario in the Kashmir valley.

The MoS Home was also briefed about the security arrangements for the forthcoming Republic Day functions at Bakhshi Stadium, Srinagar, and all district headquarters of the Valley by the senior officers of police and security.

“The MoS Home reiterated his support and stressed upon the friendly measures to be implemented on ground, for smooth conclusion of the Republic Day function,” an official spokesman said.

The meeting was attended by Inspector general of Police SM Sahai, Deputy Inspector General of police central Kashmir Aafad-ul-Majtuba, senior Superintendent of Police, Srinagar, Ashiq Hussain Bukhari, SSP PCR, Sheikh Mahmood, SSP security Rafiq-ul- Hassan, SP, Traffic, Haseeb-u-Rehman, SP, Special Branch, Kashmir, Haseeb Mogal, SP, Counter Intelligence, Kashmir, Sheikh Junaid and all zonal SP’s of Srinagar.

Jammu, January 20
A seminar on failure to harness Ravi water was organised by Universal Foundation for awareness and development of civil society, at Press Club, Jammu, here today.

He underlined the need for preservation and protection of water bodies and other allied water sources, adding that, attraction and natural beauty of the state should not get hampered while executing the necessary infrastructure.

He also assured the dignitaries that the canal has been constructed for the benefit of farmers.

Minister for Medical Education and Youth Service and Sports Taj Mohi-ud-Din was the chief guest on the occasion while Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma was the guest of honour.