Srinagar, May 4
Security has been beefed up in Srinagar ahead of the reopening of the Durbar Move offices on Monday.

Police and paramilitary CRPF troopers are on an alert and have been deployed in strength in and around the Civil Secretariat, which houses the offices of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, his Cabinet colleagues and top bureaucrats.

“There is no input about any possible militant attack, but we are alert,” Kashmir Inspector General of Police Abdul Ghani Mir said.

“We have made all the necessary security arrangements for the reopening of the Durbar Move offices on May 6,” he said.

Police sources said sharp shooters would also be deployed at the Civil Secretariat and they would keep a watch on pedestrian movement around it. The security, the sources said, had also been strengthened and additional security men had been deployed at the vital points in the city.

Additional security forces would be deployed on roads leading to the Civil Secretariat from Monday morning. A plan has also been devised by the traffic police to ensure that vehicles of the ministers and officers move freely to the Civil Secretariat.

A police spokesperson said in the wake of recent violent incidents in Srinagar and various other parts of the Valley, the security forces had been asked to remain on high alert.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday today reviewed the final arrangements being put in place for the smooth functioning of the offices after the Durbar Move at the Civil Secretariat.

“The Chief Secretary directed the officers concerned to ensure all required facilities are extended and put in place for the smooth and hassle-free working in all departments at the Civil Secretariat,” an official spokesman said.

Srinagar, May 4
As the traffic police gears up for the reopening of the Durbar Move offices, its focus will be on visible offences, which ultimately result in accidents and loss of human lives in Srinagar city.

“Our focus will be on visible offences such as overloading, rooftop loading, use of mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt, non-use of crash helmet while driving two-wheelers, double pillion riding on two-wheelers ,” Inspector General of Police, Traffic J&K, Munir Ahmad Khan said during a press conference.

He said the traffic police was also taking additional measures to check the traffic congestion at Panthachowk, Parimpora and HMT Crossing during the peak hours.

For reducing the traffic pressure on the Sempora-Panthachowk road stretch, trucks coming from Jammu will be diverted through Kadlabal-Pampore-Lasjan bypass.

“The traffic police on motorcycles will also be deployed in the city to ensure hassle-free movement of vehicles,” Khan said.

The IGP was accompanied by Jagjit Kumar, Deputy Inspector General of Police Traffic, Range Kashmir; Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Superintendent of Police Traffic, Srinagar city and Manzoor Ahmad Dalal, Superintendent of Police Traffic, Rural Kashmir, at the press conference.

Khan said every step had been taken to ensure the hassle-free movement of traffic in rural areas and Srinagar city in particular during summer in view of the Durbar Move from Jammu to Srinagar and forthcoming Amaranth Yatra.

“To ensure smooth movement of traffic, cranes will be put in service to avoid wrong parking with special focus on Hari Singh High Street, Residency Road, MA Road. The operation of the cranes will be extended to the bypasses to check the menace of wrong parking in the city,” he said.

Kupwara, May 4
Shortage of teaching staff in schools of Kupwara district is affecting studies of students. According to data available at the Chief Education Office, Kupwara, 619 posts of teachers and 115 of masters are vacant in the schools of the district.

Kupwara Chief Education Officer (CEO) Ashok Kumar Sharma said staff crunch at the schools had an adverse impact on the education system of the district. The Education Department had recruited about 450 prariks, under the centrally-sponsored scheme Sakshar Bharat Mission (SBM), in the schools to address the problem for the time being.

“These prariks were earlier conducting a survey in panchayats. We have appointed them as teachers for the time being as it is not a long-term solution for the problem. There is an immediate need to fill the vacancies so that these prariks can resume their respective duties,” said the CEO.

According to data available, there are 1,852 schools, including 996 primary, 742 middle, 74 high and 40 higher secondary schools, in the district.

The shortage of staff has triggered protests from the students time and again but to no avail. On April 23, residents of Dardpora village in Lolab of Kupwara district attempted to lock Government High School in resentment against the staff crunch. The school is lacking teachers in Science, Social Science and Mathematics for the past about one year.

The CEO said there had been an inordinate delay in release of a selection list of Kupwara teachers. It is pending before a Division Bench of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court for want of a decision for the past six months.

“Release of the selection list will address the problem. We are looking forward to a decision on the selection list by the court. Even if the decision comes adverse, the department will be able to make a fresh process for the recruitment,” he said.

Expressing serious concerns over the shortage of staff, parents demanded that the problem should be addressed at the earliest. “By ignoring the staff crunch in the schools, the department has put the career of hundreds of students at stake. We appeal to the authorities concerned to fill the vacancies at the earliest, said Habibullah Shah, a resident of Handwara.

Kupwara, May 4
Residents of Akhoon Mohalla and Bhat Mohalla Gushi in Kupwara are facing severe shortage of drinking water for the past two weeks.

They said in absence of water supply, they were forced to consume water from a nullah and the fear of outbreak of water-borne diseases such as cholera and jaundice in the area was looming large.

“Despite numerous requests, the authorities concerned have neitherrestored the supply nor made an alternative arrangement for water supply through tankers. Many people have fallen sick due to the consumption of contaminated water,” said Bashir Ahmad Akhoon.

The locals said the taps had dried-up for the past two weeks. “We are facing an acute shortage of potable water for the past two weeks. The taps have dried-up as the water supply has been snapped for unknown reasons,” said Shabir Ahmad Bhat. The residents threatened to take to the streets in protest if water supply was not restored at the earliest. They said the Public Health Engineering (PHE) division, Kupwara, had not provided the tanker service to the affected village.

Another resident, Saleema Begum, said, “In absence of water supply, we are forced to cover a few miles to fetch water from nullahs. For the time being, the department should supply the water through tankers till the supply is restored.”

The locals said officials of the PHE assured them that the water supply would be restored in a week but nothing had been done so far to address the problem. “Despite assurances, we continue to face shortage of drinking water. We would be forced to block the roads, if the supply was not restored at the earliest,” said Latif Ahamd, a resident of the village.

A senior official of the PHE division, Kupwara, said the supply remained affected to the village due to cleaning of water reservoirs. “The supply would soon be restored. If it takes a few days, we will press tankers into the service,” he said.

Srinagar, May 4
Kashmiri Sikh youth today staged a protest against the acquittal of Congress leader in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case at Press Colony, here today.

They accused the authorities of protecting the culprits in the 1984 Sikh riots. The protesters raised slogans against the ruling Congress party. They were demanding death penalty for all accused involved in the 1984-anti-Sikh riots, including Sajjan Kumar.

“People have lost faith in in the Indian judicial system due to the verdict, said a protester.

He accused the government authorities of “protecting and shielding” the real culprits involved in the riots.

Anger and outrage over Congress leader Sajjan Kumar’s acquittal in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case by the Delhi Court on April 30 is increasing day by day, with protesters, mainly victims of 1984 anti-Sikh rights, holding demonstrations on Delhi streets for the fifth consecutive day.

Anantnag, May 4
Travelling on Srinagar-Qazigund stretch of the national highway has become a nightmare for commuters as it is in a bad shape. The commencement of the tourist season has worsened the situation further, making tourists and locals to suffer the most.

Reports said chaotic traffic jams were being witnessed along the stretch as the number of vehicles plying on the road increases manifold during the tourist season.

The road is in a shambles with large pot-holes, which used to remain waterlogged. Lethpora, Barsoo, Pampore, Khannabal, Wanpoh and Qazigund are the most neglected places along the highway.

The reports said the maintenance of the national highway had been entrusted to a Hyderabad-based construction company, RAMKY. However, it had neglected its maintenance work.

“Normally it is an hour drive but today it took me three-and-a-half hours to reach Anantnag from Srinagar due to traffic jams at four places along the highway,” said Mukhtar Ahmad, a Sumo driver.

Other daily commuters rue that the situation is going to worsen, “As the tourist influx picks up, it becomes difficult to ply on this road,” said Muzaffar Ahmad, a daily commuter.

Sources in the administration said the administration had issued many directives to the RAMKY officials, but they had not paid any heed to them.

A senior police official said he had forced the firm to renovate a small stretch of the highway, which was dangerous for commuters, by seizing its trucks.

The district administration has failed to make the RAMKY officials take cognisance of the situation. They, when contacted, categorically refused to do anything about the worsening condition of the highway.

“We cannot do anything about this matter,” said Sunil Pahalwan, Vice-President of RAMKY Constructions.

Kashmir Divisional Commissioner Shailendra Kumar said he had directed the District Development Commissioners concerned to coordinate with the RAMKY officials to review the maintenance work.

Srinagar, May 4
For nearly 50 physically-disabled persons who lost their limbs due to land mine blasts in the last two decades along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has come to their help.

The ICRC, along with Srinagar-based Voluntary Medicare Society of J&K and Uri-based Khwaja Amir-ud-Din Educational and Medical Education Trust, organised a camp for registration of the land mine blast victims in Uri, 90 km from here.

“We registered 47 land mine blast victims from various border villages of Uri and they will be provided every assistance by the ICRC so that they are not dependent on any one else,” said Chairman of the Uri-based Trust, Abdul Aziz Khwaja. “In today’s camp, the doctors examined the victims. We will be providing them wheel chairs, crutches, hearing aids, walking sticks and every assistance free of cost,” he added.

The physically-disabled persons would be ferried to Srinagar from their homes and would be provided artificial limbs.

“The ICRC and the two voluntary groups will bear all the expenses of their boarding and lodging in Srinagar, along with one attendant,” said Khwaja, adding that the camp by the ICRC would greatly help the victims.

Dr Javeed Shafi of the Uri-based Trust thanked the ICRC, doctors and the two voluntary groups for hosting the camp.

Srinagar, May 4
Members of Muslim Khwateen Markaz (MKM), along with families of prisoners, on Saturday held a protest in the city, demanding Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside the Valley be shifted to region’s prisons.

The members, led by their party chief Zamrooda Habib and family members of the several Kashmiri prisoners, assembled at Residency Road where they later held the protest.

The protesters, almost all of whom were women, demanded that Kashmir prisoners should be shifted to jails in the Valley.

Habib, who led the protesters, has herself been a prisoner for a lengthy duration at New Delhi’s Tihar jail. She said the attacks on Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in a Pakistani prison and subsequent "revenge" attack on a Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah in Jammu’s Kot Balwal jail had left the families of Kashmiri prisoners worried.

“The families of prisoners are very worried because of the situation,” Habib said.

She said repeated attempts had been made in the past to harm Kashmiri prisoners in different jails outside the Valley. “This is a part of the government’s revenge politics. They should ensure the safety of the prisoners in the hails and shift them to jails in the Valley,” she said.

Kupwara, May 4
Protests erupted in Bumhama, near Kupwara, on Saturday following the arrest of two boys by police.

Mehmood Ahmad, son of Mohammad Sadiq of Poonch and Khursheed Ahmad Mughul, son of Abdul Ahad Mughul of Bumhama, were arrested from the shop of Khursheed. 20-year-old Khursheed is a shopkeeper and Mehmood had come as a guest at his residence yesterday.

Around 1.30 pm, policemen alighted from a vehicle near Khursheed’s shop on Sopore-Kupwara road and whisked both the youth away in a police gypsy. The local residents soon took to streets and protested against their arrest. They raised slogans against the police and blocked Kupwara-Sopore road near Bumhama.

“They are innocent and were arrested only on the basis of suspicion. They were taken to some undisclosed location. We demand their release at the earliest or we will be forced to intensify protests,” said a relative.

Following protests, police released the two youth. Police sources said the boys were picked for questioning after a Sarpanch in Bomia, near Sopore, complained of threat to his life by the duo.

“They were released after questioning and normalcy restored in the village,” said police official.

Srinagar, May 4
The European Union Parliament has invited members of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association to take part in a Kashmir-EU week.

The four-day event is being organised by the European Parliament, in association with International Council for Human Rights (ICHR) from May 27-31 2013, a release from Bar Association said.

“The President of the High Court Bar Association, Srinagar, advocate ZA Qureshi and General Secretary Mohammad Ashraf Bhat have been invited by the members of European Parliament through Nicole Sinclaire, member of European Parliament, who are hosting Kashmir-EU week entitled reconciliation, India-Kashmir and Pakistan in the European Parliament”, the statement said.

This exhibition, the statement added aims to discuss about the recent developments with a view to fostering discussion and understanding of the plight of the people of J&K.

“The President and the General Secretary of the Bar, due to their position, shall be the key note speakers at this event” the statement added.

Srinagar, May 4
Peoples Democratic party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said the only objective of the National Conference (NC) was to grab power and it would not hesitate to enter into an alliance even with the BJP once again.

Addressing a workers’ convention at Pulwama today, she said the lust for power had deprived the NC of any ideological identity.

“It would align itself even with the devil not to speak of the BJP with which it had been an alliance partner for six years,” she said adding, “at the state-level the BJP has already been turned into a cosmetic opposition”.

Recalling the unprincipled and unethical political partnerships of the NC, Mehbooba said it entered into an alliance with the BJP even when it had a two-third majority in the assembly and had five MPs in the Lok Sabha.

“They did not stop just at entering into a power sharing arrangement but even sold out the most precious resources of power projects when Dr Farooq Abdullah signed an open-ended deal with the late Kumara Mangalam, the NDA minister,” said Mehbooba.

In another party convention in Baramulla, senior PDP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig said the party’s doors were open for well-meaning political personalities, including those from NC.

“Having emerged as genuine and credible regional alternative, PDP is fast attracting well-meaning people from across the political landscape and as a part of its policy to offer a broad-based and inclusive platform, we are ready to accommodate well-intentioned people from NC,” Baig said.

Srinagar, May 4
The All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) has taken strong exception to the alleged conversions going on in different parts of the Kashmir valley, stating that the conversion was going against the rich cultural ethos of Kashmir.

According to a statement, the APSCC Chairman, Jagmohan Singh Raina said the leaders of all the faiths should come forward and raise their voice against the issue of conversion.

He said people of a particular faith were being motivated to adopt a new faith and were being offered money and other incentives.

“Sikhs in the past have rendered innumerable sacrifices in Kashmir and have maintained the age-old tradition of communal harmony. They have never allowed exploitation and harm to the age-old Kashmiriyat. However, some of the missionaries are involved in religious conversions of Christians, Muslims and Buddhists by offering money, granting admission in charity institutions and jobs,” said Raina.

“Heads of all religions should come forward not allow any sort of conversion by any means. Kashmir is an example of brotherhood and it should be maintained at all costs. But for achieving this, all the people, more so the religious heads, must come forward and play their role,” said Raina.

Srinagar, May 4
The first District Srinagar Mountain Running Championship was organised by the District Srinagar Mountain Running Associationhere today.

As many as 300 boys and girls participated in the championship. J&K Chief Postmaster General John Samuel flagged off the championship. He distributed prizes among the winners.

Taveer Hussain bagged first place in the senior men category. Hamid Aziz secured second while Vilayat Hussain got third position in the same category.

In the girls’ section, Misbah bagged first, Ambreen secured second and Ifra third position respectively.

Danish Farooq secured first position in the junior boys’ category. Faizan Shafi bagged second and Tanzeel third position respectively in the same category.

Mountain running is being promoted by the Indian Mountain Running Association under the aegis of World Mountain Running Association.