Srinagar, April 2
Gulmarg skiing resort received fresh snowfall while rest of the region was lashed with intermittent rains overnight and throughout the day today.

The Gulmarg resort, 55 km west of Srinagar city, received four inches of snowfall overnight, an official of the state Meteorological Department said. The resort also recorded 18.2 mm rainfall and the temperature there dipped to a low of 3 degrees Celsius.

Kashmir is already past its harsh winter months and snowfall in Gulmarg has come at a time when spring flowers have already blossomed in the region.

In Srinagar city, where there has been intermittent rain since Monday afternoon, the maximum temperature remained five degrees below average normal.

The official said maximum temperature in the city was recorded at 12 degrees Celsius while the mercury overnight fell to a low of 6.8 degrees Celsius.

Srinagar city received 11.2 mm rainfall overnight and 1.2 mm rainfall was recorded during the day today, the official said adding rainfall was recorded across the region.

The weather department said light rainfall is likely to occur at a few places in the Kashmir region in next 24 hours following which it is likely to remain dry for two subsequent days.

Srinagar city is also likely to receive light rain on Wednesday while the maximum temperature can go up to 19 degrees Celsius, the department said in its forecast bulletin.

Anantnag, April 2
While the youths arrested in Shopian on Saturday were booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA) today, Shopian town and its adjoining areas observed a complete shut-down today for the third consecutive day.

Two youths, namely Zubair Ahmad Turay, son of Bashir Ahmad Turay and a resident of Bonna Bazar area in Shopian and Shakir Ahmad Mir of Zainapora area, who according to reports, is the district president of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, were detained by the police on Saturday evening.

The people in Shopian demanded an immediate release of the two and a complete shutdown followed by widespread violent clashes are being witnessed in this south Kashmir district ever since.

The police today booked the two under the PSA and were shifted to an undisclosed jail.

“Yes, the two have been booked under the PSA and have been shifted to a jail,” said Shopian Superintendent of Police Mumtaz Ahmad.

The family members and neighbours of Zubair Ahmad Turay have been maintaining that he is being harassed by the police.

“They (police) have been harassing Zubair and his family members unnecessarily,” said the protesting people. “He has been detained more than six times so far,” they said.

Reports said all commercial establishments remained closed throughout the day and traffic too was thin on the roads. Schools and colleges too remained closed in the area.

Stray incidents of stone-throwing were reported from some parts of Shopian town. “The police resorted to baton charge and fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters,” they said.

Meanwhile, the people of Shopian have been aghast over the rampant arrests of youth in their area. “On the one hand, the government speaks of going easy on the youth involved in protests post-Afzal Guru’s hanging, on the other hand, they have been arresting scores of young boys in Shopian and other districts,” said a senior member of the Majlis-e-Mushawarat in Shopian.

Srinagar, April 2
After “repeated failures” to furnish a report about the health status of an inmate, a court here has directed the Chief Prosecuting Officer (CPO) to seek the report from Srinagar Central Jail Superintendent.

The detainee, Hamid Noman, a foreign national, currently detained at Srinagar Central Jail under the Public Safety Act (PSA), is suffering from gangrene and faces amputation if he is not provided immediate specialised treatment, Noman’s counsel Babar Jan Qadri has been pleading before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Srinagar, which is hearing the case.

In his application before the court last week, Babar had pleaded that his client Noman, hailing from Lahore in Pakistan, has been recommended surgery by doctors at the Bone and Joints Hospital, Srinagar, for treating his gangrene.

“The doctors had fixed the date for his surgery on March 25. However, he was not produced by the jail authorities in the hospital. Subsequently, I moved an application before the CJM, Srinagar, who on March 26 had directed the Jail Superintendent concerned to furnish the report about Noman’s health status”, Babar told The Tribune.

“Despite the passage of several directions, the Jail Superintendent concerned has not furnished the requisite report. Now, the CJM court in its fresh directions today has directed the Chief Prosecution Officer (CPO) to call the report from Superintendent of the Srinagar Central jail”, he said, adding the matter was listed for further consideration on April 4.

Hamid Noman Bhat, as submitted to the court, hails from Clifton Colony of Lahore, who was apprehended for his militant activities in Kashmir. He was detained and booked under the Public Safety Act for a period of six months with effect from September 20, 2012. However, after expiry of his PSA term, he was booked again under the PSA on March 19 this year.

“The government hereby orders that Hamid Noman Bhat be detained for a period of six months with effect from March 19, 2013, or till the arrangements for his deportation from the State to his country of origin are made, whichever is earlier. And he is directed to be lodged in Central Jail, Srinagar”, state’s Principal Home Secretary said in the latest detention orders passed against Noman.

Anantnag, April 2
Two persons lost their lives while three others were injured in different road accidents in various parts of south Kashmir today. Reports said a motorcycle, bearing registration number JK-03B-6730, collided with a Tata Sumo bearing registration number JK03-5793 in Budroo village of the Srigufwara area in Anantnag district.

The motorcyclist, identified as 20-year-old Gulzar Ahmad Ganaie, son of Abdul Razzaq Ganaie 
and resident of Budroo village, died on the spot while the pillion rider, 22-year-old Tauseef Ahmad Shergojri, son of Abdul Rehman Shergojri also from Budroo village, sustained injuries.

“The injured person was shifted to the District Hospital, Anantnag, for treatment,” the police said.

In another accident, 45-year-old Muhammad Ismail Dar, son of Abdul Kabir, a resident of Pehru in the Gulshanabad area of Anantnag town, succumbed to injuries after he was hit and injured by some unidentified vehicle near his home.

“He was rushed to the District Hospital, Anantnag, from where he was referred to SMHS hospiatal in Srinagar,” reports said. He, however, succumbed to injuries on way to Srinagar.

The police said a case has been registered and efforts were on to identify the vehicle that hit Dar.

Meanwhile, a motorcycle bearing registration number MD2DHITC260W-LO7271 and a Wagon-R collided at KP Road Hutmurah, Anantnag.

The motorcyclist, Moshin Amin Sheikh son of Mohammad Amin and resident of Mehind Bijbehara, and pillion rider Nissar Ahmed Shah son of Ghulam Ahmed and resident of Kathsu Sallar, sustained injuries in the accident.

The injured were shifted to a hospital for treatment.

People in Anantnag district have expressed concern over the rising number of casualties in road accidents.

Members of the civil society alleged that neither the government was taking steps to make the condition of roads better nor were they taking any step to ensure that the people abide by traffic rules.

“A number of policemen can be seen deployed to check tinted glasses on cars but nobody cares whether the people abide by traffic rules or not,” said Suhal Ahmad, a lawyer from Anantnag.

Srinagar, April 2
To check the sale of spurious pesticides and fertilisers, authorities in Kashmir have made a special flying squad, which is carrying out raids at many places in the region.

In this regard, a team of officers from the Law Enforcement Department of Agriculture Production under the supervision of the director, Law Enforcement, inspected various pesticides and fertiliser dealers in Baramulla district, a statement said here.

During their inspection, they found various dealers running their business in contravention of the Insecticide Act, 1968, and Insecticides Rule, 1983, and put sale stop on many products.

“Further raids will continue in the coming days in all districts of the Kashmir Valley to curb the sale of spurious pesticides, fertilisers and seeds. A flying squad has also been constituted by the Directorate of Law Enforcement in this regard,” the statement said.

“Dealers of pesticides, fertilisers and seeds have been directed to issue cash memo while selling their products to farming community and to exhibit licence on prominent places,” it added.

In this connection, 150 litres of plantofix were put on sale stop from its distributor HS Traders, Sopore, which was found without licence, 155 kg of Nativo of Bayer Crop Sciences were put on sale stop from its distributor Kashmir Agro Centre, Sopore, for the Contravention of Insecticide Rules, 1983, 1,000 kg of Ishan Manufactured by Tata Rallies were put on sale stop, which were found in the contravention to Insecticide Rules 1983, 5,500 kg of Bhoomika-Organic Manure were put on sale stop from Maza Enterprises, Sopore, which was found without sales permission, the statement added. 

Srinagar, April 2
Almost an year after the CBI unearthed a fraudulent allotment of a petrol pump in north Kashmir, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has terminated the dealership licence of the retail outlet.

“We have terminated the dealership of the petrol pump dealer at Taki Batapora Tangmarg village after a show-cause notice was issued to the owner,” read an order issued by the Divisional Retail Sales Manager, IOC, Jammu.

The termination order, which was issued on March 26, said the field officers would shortly visit the said retail outlet to collect equipment, stationery and other things belonging to the corporation.

“The petroleum product that may be available at the retail outlet shall be dealt in accordance with the policy of corporation and rules governing the petroleum products,” the order read.

A case was registered by the CBI on January 25, 2012, against the petrol pump dealer Shakeel Ahmad Malik, the officials of revenue and IOC.

The CBI had found that the petrol pump dealer and the IOC officials had entered into a criminal conspiracy and facilitated allotment of retail outlet to Malik. The petrol pump outlet, the CBI said, was awarded at Takiya Batpora, Tangmarg, under Kisan Seva Kendra Scheme (KSK) on fake documents.

The CBI had registered a case against Vikas Behl, the then Divisional Manager, IOC, Depinder Madan, the then Assistant Manager, IOC, dealer Shakeel Ahmad Malik, Muhammad Ashraf Halqa, patwari, Takiya Batpora, Tangmarg, and other unknown officials of the IOC and the Revenue Department. 

Srinagar, April 2
A two-day orientation course on neonatal care was organised in the Sopore hospital here today, wherein experts imparted training to the staff members on simple resuscitation techniques aimed at preventing death of newborn babies during the golden minutes.

The programme is being organised in collaboration with the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences in Srinagar .

In this regard, a team of trainers today visited the Hakim Sanaullah Specialist Hospital and Cancer Centre located at Mazbug area of Sopore and provided training to more than 30 staff members, including doctors and paramedics on “Basic Neonatal Resuscitation Programme-First Golden Minute Project,” a statement from the hospital said.

The course was inaugurated by Masood Balkhi, sub-district magistrate, Sopore, while Prof Kaiser Ahmad Kaul, senior pediatrician of the Valley, was the chief guest on the occasion. Participants were told that more than 25 per cent of neonatal deaths occur in this first minute of a baby's life.

Pediatrician Dr Kaiser spoke about the importance of providing critical care in the first golden minute of a neonate’s life and how simple procedures could go a long way in saving thousands of lives.

“Many of these deaths can be prevented by simple resuscitation techniques,” the expert trainers said. 

Srinagar, April 2
Prof S Mufeed, a noted researcher and academician, has taken over as the director of the Business School, University of Kashmir. Mufeed has more than two decades of teaching and research experience in the field of management and has guided numerous PhD and MPhil research scholars.

“Mufeed Ahmad has been teaching in the university for more than two decades. He has written several books in the areas of HRD and HRM and published about 70 research papers in various national and international journals,” a KU spokesman said. The new director has attended about 50 conferences, seminars and workshops within and outside the country.

“Mufeed has contributed to the corporate life of the university as the Director, Information Technology and Support System, Head of Department of the Media Education Research Centre, chief proctor, Founder Director Convocation Complex, chairman, Placement Cell, chief coordinator e-governance project, chief editor of Media and MERC times,” the spokesman said. — TNS