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Mystery over youth’s death
Winter enters last phase as ‘Chillai Bacha’ sets in
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Gastroenteritis,
jaundice hit Handwara villages
Normalcy returns to Kulgam, Pulwama
Employees union calls on Khanday
Consumers resent ‘flat’ power bills
NC asks PDP to clear air on Afzal Guru’s hanging
PDP mourns death of Ahmadullah Afandi
KUSU demands return of Afzal Guru’s body
Handwara police station gutted partially
Human rights activist protests
Haji Feroz passes away at 107
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Mystery over youth’s death
Srinagar, February 19 The death of the youth, a resident of south Kashmir’s Kokernag town, last night remained surrounded in a mystery as an office-bearer of the SKIMS Non-Gazetted Employees Welfare Association (SKIMS-NGEWA) has alleged that he died because of swine flu. Ghulam Mohammad Pandith, president of the SKIMS-NGEWA, told The Tribune that the deceased was admitted to the hospital on February 16 and he died last night. Pandith said they feared the deceased was suffering from swine flu as he had exhibited similar symptoms but was not treated in isolation by the authorities, putting everybody in the hospital at a risk. “He was suffering from H1N1, but the authorities didn’t expose it,” he said. SKIMS Director Showkat Zargar, however, denied the charge that anyone had died at the hospital due to swine flu in recent days. He said one patient with respiratory failure had been admitted to the hospital but he was not suffering from swine flu. “He was very sick. Why should we put a gag? People come, they are sick, they can die,” Zargar said. “In respiratory failure you can’t distinguish, as there are 100 causes of respiratory failure,” he said. A member of the SKIMS staff had died on February 4 due to swine flu after remaining admitted in the hospital for nearly a week. It was Pandith who had then made public that a patient suffering from swine flu had been admitted at the hospital and was being treated at a general ward instead of isolation, putting the health of paramedics and attendants at a risk. Staff at the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, where the patient was being treated for six days earlier this month, had expressed apprehensions that the infection might spread among the staff and attendants. In 2009, around 50 persons were detected with swine flu, which had created panic in the state. Mysterious Death
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Winter enters last phase as ‘Chillai Bacha’ sets in
Srinagar, February 19 ‘Chillai Kalan’ is the harshest 40-day winter period in Kashmir that begins from December 21. With the onset of ‘Chillai Bacha’, most parts of the Valley witnessed a comparatively warmer and sunny day today. Border town of Kupwara remained the warmest place of the Valley recording maximum temperature of 14.6 degrees Celsius, an official of the Meteorological Department said. Srinagar city and Qazigund, gateway town to Kashmir, recorded 14.4 and 14 degrees Celsius maximum temperatures, respectively. Similarly, Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded maximum temperature of 12.6 degrees Celsius. However, night temperatures continued to remain sub-zero barring the summer capital. Srinagar, Qazigund, Pahalgam and Kupwara recorded minimum temperatures of 0.6, minus 0.6, minus 4.7 and minus 0.6 degrees, respectively. Ski resort Gulmarg, which is covered in a blanket of snow, remained the coldest place of the Valley. Gulmarg saw a low of minus 8.0 degrees Celsius. Even as Ladakh region witnessed a slight improvement in day temperatures, the temperatures there too continued to remain sub-zero. Leh recorded maximum temperature of 5.4 degrees Celsius while Kargil recorded 2.2 degrees Celsius. Leh and Kargil recorded minimum temperatures of minus 11 and minus 12.3 degrees Celsius, respectively. The weatherman has forecast dry weather conditions across the Valley in the coming days. However, an official of the Meteorological Department said sky in the Valley will remain partly cloudy tomorrow. “Maximum and minimum temperatures in Srinagar are expected to remain around 14 and 0.2 degrees Celsius, respectively,” the official added. Kupwara warmest
With the onset of ‘Chillai Bacha’, most parts of the Valley witnessed a comparatively warmer and sunny day today. Border town of Kupwara remained the warmest place of the Valley recording maximum temperature of 14.6 degrees Celsius |
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Gastroenteritis,
jaundice hit Handwara villages
Handwara, February 19 They complained that the Public Health Engineering (PHE) division of Handwara has suspended water tanker service to these villages for the past three weeks and that has aggravated their problems. Fatima Begum of Hanji Shot said, “We are forced to collect contaminated water from Pohru nullah, which has led to the outbreak of gastroenteritis. The water division has also suspended the tanker service, leaving us high and dry.” The villages, including Woskhora, Pohru Chakla, Hanji Shot and Ahanger Mohalla, falling in the radius of 7 km from Handwara, have been deprived of water supply, locals said. Another resident, Mohd Sultan, said: “The PHE division, Handwara, suspended the tanker supply three weeks ago, forcing us to consume contaminated water from nullah. In intense cold conditions, women folk are forced to leave their houses early in the morning to collect water from nullah.” Locals said despite repeated pleas the authorities have not provided them water supply. “We have made several representations to the PHE office but to no avail. The authorities are playing with our health by forcing us to consume contaminated water,” complained Ghulam Nabi, a resident
of Waripora. A senior officer of the PHE division, Handwara, said the division would again start the tanker service to affected villages and in March pipes would be laid to restore water supply to the villages. “Around 200 households in these villages are facing shortage of water. We will provide them drinking water through tankers on regular basis. The division will also start work on water supply scheme in March,” said the officer. Water Woes
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Normalcy returns to Kulgam, Pulwama
Anantnag, February 19 The Army and the police had, however, denied the allegations, while the
district administration has ordered a magisterial probe. Reports said the shops and other commercial establishments in the area remained open throughout the day. Traffic plied normally and there were no reports of any untoward incident from the area. Violent protests had erupted in the area yesterday after villagers of Chidar Motalhama in Ashmuji area of Kulgam district had alleged that the deceased, Nazeera Bano, a widow of late Ali Muhammad Bhat, died of a heart attack after being harassed by the Army and the police personnel during a nocturnal raid. The Army and the police had, however, refuted the allegations. While the police said house of the deceased woman was out of the cordoned off area, the Army’s statement read they were not involved in the death of the woman. Meanwhile, Pulwama town also remained calm amid heavy deployment of police and CRPF personnel, after a day of violent clashes, injuring many. “Shops and other commercial establishments remained open,” reports said. “Huge contingents of the security forces ensured there was no untoward incident.” Clashes between the people and the contingents of the police and the CRPF were reported yesterday from many parts of
the town. The protesters were demanding the release of a youth, who had been allegedly detained by the police for protesting against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The protesters had alleged that the police was harassing youth of the town unnecessarily. |
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Trains start plying between Qazigund and Budgam
Srinagar, February 19 “We have so far not got security clearance for plying up to Baramulla in north Kashmir and that is why the train plied plied between Qazigund and Budgam only,” said a railway official. “As there is a shutdown call for two more days from Wednesday, we don’t expect we will get security clearance up to Baramulla during these days also,” he added. The train services in Kashmir were suspended for nine days after Afzal Guru was hanged on February 9. The train services were suspended as the government feared damages to railway property. In 2010, the Kashmir train services had to be halted for almost five months due to security reasons and damage to the railway property in various parts of the Valley. The railways authorities had decided to operate partial train services from February 18 on the directions of the state government. On the other hand, passengers of north Kashmir have appealed to the authorities to resume the services at the earliest. “When the train can ply up to Budgam, why it can’t chug up to Baramulla as the situation has improved,” asked a north Kashmir resident. |
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Employees union calls on Khanday
Srinagar, February 19 In a statement issued here, EJAC-Q spokesman Pir Nisar Ahmad said a delegation of the employees’ union, led by president Abdul Qayoon Wani, met Khanday at Jammu. He said the association welcomed his appointment and expressed hope that he would take the necessary steps to ensure that the long-pending demands of the government employees were addressed. EJAC-Q and other employees’ bodies had been staging frequent protests and strikes to highlight their demands. The employees’ demands include release of arrears, recommended by the sixth pay commission, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies and regularisation of daily wagers and casual workers working in various government departments. After a series of protests and strikes by the employees last year, the government had assured the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) that a decision on their demands would be announced by September 30. However, the protests were resumed by the employees, saying the government had failed to fulfil the promises made to them. |
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Consumers resent ‘flat’ power bills
Baramulla, February 19 The residents threatened to destroy the meters and not pay the tariff if the concerned power division did not issue genuine and fresh bills according to the power consumed by each consumer. “Despite having electricity meters installed in our localities, power department has served bills charging each consumer a flat Rs 484, without taking the meter readings into account,” said Riyaz Ahmad of Sheeri Delina village. Another consumer, Shabir Ahmad of Sheeri village said, “The bills are highly exaggerated. Irrespective of whether a consumer has utilised 60 units or 200 units, the bill is Rs 484. It could be a typical error but an injustice with poor consumers,” Many other consumers complained that the power department often failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to the metered areas but served exaggerated bills. “When it comes to smooth power supply which the Power Development Department (PDD) is duty-bound to provide to metered areas, the department fails, but at the time of billing it makes poor consumers pay through their skin,” a consumer said. Hundreds of consumers from different metered areas of Baramulla district held a protest demonstration yesterday against PDD, seeking fresh bills for January. They raised slogans against the department on the premises of the office of the Executive Engineer of Baramulla power division, Irshad Ahmad. He said, “I have asked the consumers to make a representation and a team of officials will assess the bills. We will issue fresh bills to the consumers, whose bills are found not matching with meter reading”. |
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NC asks PDP to clear air on Afzal Guru’s hanging
Srinagar, February 19 “PDP took the reins of the government on November 2, 2002 and only a month and a half later, on December 18, 2002, Afzal Guru was given the death sentence. Would Mehbooba Mufti mind explaining why all the cases against him were framed only when they were in power”, NC spokesman Tanvir Sadiq said in a statement. Sadiq termed it as surprising that if PDP “were not a part of the decision to hang him, why did they not speak against it then”. “PDP is now trying to shed crocodile tears to hoodwink the people by playing dirty politics in this situation and their statement reflects the height of opportunism,” the spokesman said. Sadiq said PDP had not uttered a word before the hanging took place on February 9 and chose to remain silent. “It was Omar Abdullah who made no secret of his opposition to the hanging and that fact can not be changed or ignored,” he said. Before Omar came out with his resentment over the hanging, they were spectators taking sadistic pleasure out of the overall situation, he added. |
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PDP mourns death of Ahmadullah Afandi
Srinagar, February 19 “Afandi had earned laurels at the national and international level, which brought glory to the state. He remained a scout throughout his life and even after his formal retirement he continued to serve the movement,” Mehbooba said. PDP chief spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar and MLA Bandipore, Nizamudin Bhat also expressed their sorrow at the death of Afandi. Bhat visited the family today and conveyed party’s solidarity and condolences to them. Affandi, 91, the recipient of Bharat Scouts and Guides Silver Elephant National Award by President of India in 1999, passed away on February 18 after a prolonged
illness. — TNS |
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KUSU demands return of Afzal Guru’s body
Srinagar, February 19 “KUSU condemns the hanging of Afzal Guru” said a statement of the Union, whose activities had been banned by the University of Kashmir (KU) authorities. “The hanging is not an isolated event but rather a part of a (policy) on Kashmir”, the group said in its statement issued to the press here. KUSU termed the execution as a “judicial murder”, and said before Guru, Kashmiri separatist leader Maqbool Bhat
was also hanged in the same jail. The statement said in the hanging, the authorities “trampled upon” Kashmiri dignity and honour. The group also criticised the crackdown on the protestors and the separatist leaders during the
demonstrations against the hanging. The Kashmir University Students Union also supported the demand of the family for the return of the remains of Guru for burial in Kashmir. |
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Handwara police station gutted partially
Handwara, February 19 SHO Handwara, Basharat Ahmad said, “The fire broke out due to short circuit and was controlled completely within 20 minutes,” The record in the police station was saved from damage due to timely action. “All the record is safe and there no one
was injured,” said SHO. Some shoppers and locals also rushed to the spot
and helped in dousing the flames. |
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Human rights activist protests
Srinagar, February 19 “I ask the Union Government to return the body of Guru as early as possible, otherwise I will sit on a hunger strike outside the parliament in New Delhi,” Untoo said. He also served jail with Guru for almost two years. He staged the protest for half an hour and later moved away from the spot. The clamour for returning Guru’s body is growing in the Valley, with separatists having announced a shutdown programme from Wednesday.
— TNS |
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Haji Feroz passes away at 107
Srinagar, February 19 He was buried at his ancestral graveyard in Choggal area. The death of Haji Feroz, who is also the grandfather of Dr Shafkat Khan, was widely mourned. |
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