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Curfew lifted, people rush to buy essentials
Residents face scarcity of commodities
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Two bodies of Kupwara accident victims found
People relieved after lifting of curfew in south Kashmir
Workshop on mathematical geology concludes at Kashmir varsity
Ensure proper sanitation and cleanliness around hospital, authorities told
Divisional Commissioner too takes stock of downtown areas
Stock of essential commodities reviewed
City Blue lift Drass Ice Hockey Cup
Avalanche warning
Panchayat ghar damaged in fire
1 hurt in accident
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Curfew lifted, people rush to buy essentials
Srinagar, February 16 Since early morning today, as the Srinagar streets came back to life, people could be seen lining up at the half-open grocery shops and roadside vendors could be seen selling vegetables and other eatables. “I am back to business after seven days. As there was no curfew, I decided to get back to my business today,” Pankaj, a vendor from Bihar selling snacks in Hari Singh High street, a market in Srinagar, said. The authorities today lifted curfew from all the 10 districts of Kashmir. The curfew was imposed on February 9 in the wake of Afzal Guru’s hanging. Operations of shops, business establishments and other life activities remained suspended in Srinagar and elsewhere as the hardline Hurriyat had extended the strike call by two more days. “My wife today asked me to first visit markets to fetch vegetables and other essential supplies as we are running short of these,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, a faculty member at Central University Kashmir, as he stood up near a vegetable vendor buying supplies for home. Most of the shoppers who scoured the closed markets of Srinagar, particularly Maharaja Bazaar, Koker Bazar and Hari Sigh High Street, Batamaloo and other markets, seemed in a hurry, fearing protests, even as the police was trying to deal with protesters at the nearby Maisuma locality. |
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Residents face scarcity of commodities
Kupwara, February 16 Markets in major towns of north Kashmir, however, remained closed due to the general strike. People said they were facing shortage of fresh vegetables and milk. “Milk, consumed by people in large quantity in Kupwara, is not available. Fresh vegetables are also not available as the supplies have not reached Kupwara and other markets due to curfew and strike,” said Fayaz Ahmad, a trader of Regipora Kupwara. Most people returned empty-handed from ATMs in Kupwara, Trehgam and Handwara towns as cash-dispensing machines either lacked cash or were found closed. “The ATMs are cash-starved for the past one week. Some cash-dispensing machines continue to remain closed for the past several days,” said Aijaz Ahmad of Ticker near Kupwara. Lifting of curfew today enabled many stranded patients and attendants from remote villages reach their respective destinations. Although public transport was off the roads due to strike, most of the stranded patients reached their destinations using private vehicles. Reports from remote villages of north Kashmir said the locals were facing shortage of essentials including milk and fresh vegetables in local markets. “Fresh vegetables are not available at shops. Milk is also not available at most of the shops as supplies have not reached local markets for the past several days,” said Mohd Muzzafar of Gund Gushi village in Handwara tehsil. Another resident of Doolipora village in Trehgam town said, “There is severe shortage of essentials, mostly fresh vegetables and milk.” |
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Kashmir rail services to remain suspended till tomorrow
Srinagar, February 16 “The decision to suspend the services till Monday was taken during a high-level security meet today,” said a police officer. “A review of the situation will be taken again on Monday where a decision about resumption of the train operations will be taken,” he added. The meeting was attended by senior railway security officials, Chief Area Manager Budgam Northern Railways, security commissioner Northern Railways and many police officers. The train services in Kashmir were suspended on Saturday last, the day when Afzal Guru was hanged. The services that operate between Qazigund in south to Baramulla in north Kashmir were
suspended as the government feared damages to railway property. In the 2010 unrest, rail property in Kashmir had suffered massive damages in various protests and the train services had to be halted for almost five months, from July 31 to December 22, due to security reasons. “It is due to such fears that we are not plying the train from Qazigund to Baramulla as it passes through many volatile areas of the Valley. Once we get the security clearance, we would restart the railway services,” said a railway official. Railways say 7,000
passengers travel every day by train during the winters. A total of 10 trains ply between Qazigund and Baramulla. The trains of Kashmir are yet to be connected with the rest of the country and they ply
between Qazigund and Baramulla — a distance of 119 kilometre. The first phase of rail service
in the Valley was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 11, 2008. |
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Internet services restored in Kashmir
Srinagar, February 16 Pertinently, the state government had denied any official ban on newspapers, Internet and news channels in Kashmir. However, local newspaper editors, regional Internet Service Providers as well as the private cable operators alleged that the local police authorities as well as the district administration had verbally communicated to them that the communication services should be barred in the Valley from Saturday morning onwards. As Internet services were resumed on all major networks yesterday, netizens expressed their dismay over abrupt media gag in the Valley, calling it a curb on freedom of expression. “We could not even post updates on Facebook this week. Was the government even scared of Facebook updates, and that is why they blocked all communication portals? This is denying us our fundamental rights,” said Maryam Mushtaq, an engineer.
— TNS |
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Two bodies of Kupwara accident victims found
Kupwara, February 16 Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Sajad Khaliq Bhat said the local residents died in a road accident yesterday and police was trying to nab the driver of the car. “They died in an accident and we are trying to nab the driver, who is absconding,” Bhat said. “We are also trying to ascertain whether anybody else other than the driver and two ill-fated passengers were travelling in vehicle, which met with the accident,” he added. The news of death of the deceased created panic in the village. The vehicle, in which the duo was travelling, had turned turtle near Goose village yesterday and the duo died on the spot, reports said. The police also recovered the vehicle, which was extensively damaged in the accident. The police said the driver, who was also injured in the accident, received at least 30 stitches on various parts of his body in the sub-district Kupwara hospital. “Late last night, he got at least 30 stitches on his body. He had told the hospital staff that he got injured in forests while collecting timber,” he said. Mohd Shafi Lone was a contractor by profession and Jamal was running a provisional store. “They had gone to offer Friday prayers at Jamia Masjid, Kupwara, but did not return home,” said Javid Ahmad, a local resident. After the post-mortem examination, the police handed over the bodies to relatives of the deceased for last rites. Thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of the deceased. |
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Valley receives snow, rain
Srinagar, February 16 Fresh snowfall was recorded in the upper reaches near Jawahar Tunnel along the Srinagar-Jammu Highway and in the higher reaches around Gulmarg skiing resort in north Kashmir. Kokernag township in south Kashmir recorded the maximum rainfall during the day, an official of state Meteorological Department said. The official said Kokernag recorded 5.8 mm rainfall while the Qazigund town recorded 2.8 mm rainfall. One mm rainfall was recorded at Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, the official said. In the city here, where the minimum temperature had dropped to 3.1°C overnight, three mm rainfall was recorded during the day. The state Meteorological department said light rain and snow would occur at many places in Kashmir division in the next 24 hours. A senior official of the Traffic Department said if weather conditions remain fair, vehicles would be allowed to travel from Kashmir to Jammu on Sunday. |
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People relieved after lifting of curfew in south Kashmir
Anantnag, February 16 Reports said despite widespread violent clashes, between the youth and contingents of police and the paramilitary CRPF, people came out of their houses. “We have been literally confined to our places for the last seven days,” said Muhammad Irfan, a resident of Anantnag town. “We have been running short of supplies and patience,” he said. While there had been some relaxations in many parts across South Kashmir for the last couple of days, the district headquarters remained under a strict clampdown. “The police and the CRPF did not even let us step out of our houses,” said Rauf Ahmad, a resident of Shopian town. Reports from different areas said people were seen stocking up on essential supplies, which they had been devoid of during the days of the strict curfew. “Our babies went for days without milk and the patients without medicines, forget about the daily essentials,” said Zahid Bhat, a local here in Kulgam town. People alleged that this has been the worst curfew ever. While strict restrictions prevailed, people were not even allowed to pray in the mosques. Reports said people were seen making hasty visits to their relatives and friends. “We have been cut off for an entire week, confined to our houses with no news of the well-being of our near and dear ones,” said Bhat. A large number of patients who had been restricted to the hospitals even after getting discharged were relieved after reaching their homes. “My wife was ill and had been admitted to the district hospital here in Anantnag; however, we had to stay in the hospital five days after she was discharged by the doctors,” said Muhammad Ameen. Meanwhile, violent clashes were reported from different parts of south Kashmir. Reports said dozens of youth had been detained by the police following clashes and several had been injured. |
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Workshop on mathematical geology concludes at Kashmir varsity
Srinagar, February 16 The training workshop was organised to build the capacity of the PG students and research scholars of the university, particularly from the Department of Earth Sciences and to promote the understanding and use of mathematical approaches for crystal morphology, rock textures and petro-graphic studies. Prof Yury Votekhovsky, director, Geological Institute of Kola Science Centre, Russian Academy of Sciences delivered a series of lectures on the subject. Dr Ashima from the Department of Geology, Delhi University, delivered a series of lectures on thermodynamic approach to solving phase equilibria for metamorphic rocks and application of software like Perplex and Thermocalc for earth sciences during the workshop. The training workshop was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor and was attended by scores of research scholars from various departments of the university. Vice-Chancellor, KU, Dean, Academic Affairs, Dean Research, Registrar, Dean, faculty of Physical and Material Sciences and various heads of the departments attended the valedictory function of the workshop. Prof Shakil Romshoo, Head, Department of Earth Sciences and coordinator of the workshop said the objective of the workshop was to build the technical ingenuity of the researchers in frontier areas of research in the Earth System science. He said this was the third training workshop conducted in one year by the Department with participation from reputed
international and national scientists. The earlier two workshops were held in collaboration with Finnish and Australian scientists. Vice-Chancellor, KU, Prof Talat Ahmad said the University was networking with reputed national and international institutes to give a flip to the quality education and research in various fields. He informed that KU should soon be signing MOU with Russian Academy of Sciences to promote academics and research in areas of mutual interest. Prof Khurshid A Andarabi, Dean Research, stressed the need for emulating such training workshops in all other departments of the University so that a maximum number of research scholars get benefited from these workshops. Prof Zaffar A Reshi, Registrar, in his valedictory address, reiterated the support of the university administration for initiatives aimed at promoting the innovativeness in research approaches. Earlier, in a meeting with
the university administration and various heads of the departments. |
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Ensure proper sanitation and cleanliness around hospital, authorities told
Srinagar, February 16 Inspecting the hospital, the minister urged the hospital authorities to ensure sanitation services and maintain cleanliness in and around the hospital. Sakina directed the hospital authorities to take care in ferrying patients from their residences to hospitals, particularly in view of non-availability of transport facilities. The minister directed the Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, to ensure punctuality of doctors and para-medicals. She instructed the Deputy Commissioner, Kulgam, to ensure regularity and punctuality in the offices, besides hospitals and take stern action against the absentees. The minister enjoined upon the doctors and para medicals to attend their duties with zeal and dedication to provide better health facilities to the patients. She also asked the hospital administration to display the duty roaster on the notice board for the awareness of the patients and to ensure regularity and punctuality of the staff in health centres. She interacted with the patients admitted in the hospital and enquired about the medicare facilities being provided to them. |
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Divisional Commissioner too takes stock of downtown areas
Srinagar, February 16 The Divisional Commissioner also conducted a review meeting with all the Deputy Commissioners of the Valley to monitor the facilities being made available, besides attendance of employees in the offices through video conference here today. The meeting was apprised that adequate stocks of essential commodities were available in the Valley. As many as 1,995 outlets of the CA&PD were open and distributed 1,726 metric tonnes of rice, 151 metric tonnes of sugar, 203 metric tonnes of atta, 1,884 kilo litres of kerosene and 12,779 LPG cylinders were distributed among the consumers, the meeting was informed. It was also given out in the meeting that as many as 10,955 patients were provided medicare facilities at different medical institutions of the Valley, besides 193 surgeries and 183 deliveries were conducted during the last four days, while 261 medical stores were functional in the Valley and adequate stocks of medicines were available. The Divisional Commissioner directed the authorities to operate rail services from February 18. |
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Stock of essential commodities reviewed
Srinagar, February 16 The meeting was apprised that adequate stocks of essentials are available in the district, adding that as many as 25,000 quintals of rice, 15,000 quintals of atta, 1800 quintals of sugar, 170 kilo litres of kerosene and 1,000 gas cylinders have been supplied to the consumers of the district. Meanwhile, the minister visited Rajwar, Damal and various areas of Kupwara district to take stock of the facilities being provided to the people. The minister assured for the home delivery of LPG cylinders, adding that as many as 172 centres and number of counters shall be increased upto December last in the district. |
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City Blue lift Drass Ice Hockey Cup
Srinagar, February 16 Drass Angles defeated Domkhar Club in the women’s section which was introduced for the first time in the main event. A total of nine teams participated from all over Ladakh and the tournament started on February 7. The tournament was inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding, 8 Mountain Division, Major General Shokeen Chauhan. The tournament was being organised by the 56 Mountain Brigade in collaboration with Himalayan Sports and Cultural Development Organisation
Drass. |
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Avalanche warning
Srinagar, February 16 People living in the areas have been advised not to venture into steep avalanche-prone slopes during the next 24 hours and frequently remove snow from roof tops of their houses to avoid any causality due to house collapse.
— TNS |
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Panchayat ghar damaged in fire
Srinagar, February 16 However, no loss of life or injury was reported in this incident. The police said the cause of fire was being ascertained. A case was registered at Kulgam police station in this regard. |
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1 hurt in accident
Srinagar, February 16 “The Army also provided military recovery
vehicle to extricate the oil tanker and helped driver Kuldeep Singh by evacuating him to the Army medical room for first
aid,” he said. |
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