Srinagar, May 8
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the authorities to furnish details of all the unauthorised constructions which have taken place in the city in violation of the Srinagar Master Plan over the years.

The authorities concerned have been asked to file a status report in this regard by or before the next hearing scheduled for May 22.

These directions were issued by a Division Bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the authorities, including the traffic police, for the street hawkers and vendors from Srinagar roads for hassle-free traffic movement.

Earlier on April 29, the high court had issued notices to the government and others official respondents, including the traffic police and the Srinagar municipal authorities, asking them to file objections within two weeks.

The petitioners had further prayed the high court take “strong note” of the constructions made illegally without permission from the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and in violation of the Master Plan in Srinagar city and pass directions to the authorities concerned for demolishing such structures in the interests of the public.

As the matter came up for hearing before the Bench today, the state government and other respondents in the PIL were represented by Advocate General, who also submitted some status reports to the Bench.

However, the petitioner counsel submitted that the authorities concerned have not furnished details of the illegal constructions as was pointed out in the PIL.

“The Bench in its directions today directed the authorities concerned, including the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) to furnish details of the illegal constructions which have been carried out in Srinagar city in violation of the Master Plan,” said petitioner counsel Firdous A Parray.

Asking the authorities concerned to put on record the details of the violations by next hearing, the Bench has also appointed advocate Riyaz A Jan as the amicus curie in the PIL to assist the court.

In the PIL filed by Mujeeb Andrabi through his counsel Firdous A Parray, it had submitted that the respondent authorities had failed to promote the living conditions of the people of Srinagar city.

The PIL had alleged that there was mismanagement of the traffic and civic responsibilities by authorities concerned. “This petition is filed to clear the hawker menace, which has made the life of the residents of Srinagar city miserable, traffic movement gets slowed down on the roads, which are already facing heavy vehicular movement,” the PIL had stated.

“It is prayed that the authorities be directed to make Srinagar a hawker-free city by removing all the hawkers and provide them alternative space,” the petitioners have prayed in the PIL, adding that the authorities be directed to remove all illegal structures, erected in violation of the Srinagar Master Plan.

“As the Commissioner of Srinagar Municipal Corporation has failed to check the menace of illegal constructions, the supervisory powers be assigned to the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir,” it added.

Anantnag, May 8
Members of a “mohalla committee” today tried to demolish a 14th century mosque in the Namlabal area of Pampore town; arguing that they wanted to renovate the site of extreme religious as well as historical importance.

The demolition, however, was stopped after members of the Civil Society informed the authorities.

Located within the premises of the shrine of Mir Sayyid Ali Hamadani, a 14th century Persian Sufi saint, this 600-year-old mosque is believed to have been constructed by one of the disciples of the revered saint.

The saint is popularly known as Ameer-i-Kabeer or Shah-i-Hamdan and is credited with introducing Islam to the Kashmir valley-Hinduism was followed by the majority of the people in the Valley up till then.

“The saint and his disciples travelled extensively through the Valley and constructed hundreds of mosques, including the one these people are out to demolish,” said Maulana Reyaz Hamadani, president of the Islamia Auqaf Trust (IAT), Pampore.

He said some people in the Namlabal vicinity of the town wanted to demolish this piece of history and build an ugly concrete structure in its place. “We informed the authorities and conveyed to them resentment of the general public against demolition of the structure,” he said.

Pampore tehsildar Mushtaq Ahmad said he immediately took note of the situation and a team was dispatched to the site.

“The demolition has been stopped immediately,” said the tehsildar. “People have gone to meet the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and any further decisions will be taken by the district administration,” he said.

Meanwhile, members of the IAT and the Shah-i-Hamdan Trust of Pampore met the Pulwama DC and briefed him about the issue. “The DC has assured us that no demolition of the mosque will be allowed,” said Muhammad Sultan Shah, general secretary of the IAT.

Srinagar, May 8
Senior PDP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig today said the National Conference was deliberately pushing youth into despair and disillusionment.

“The break between 2002 and 2008 in the NC dominion on the political and government scene established it clearly that the standard of life of people in the state can be drastically improved,” Baig said. He was addressing a meeting of party workers at Kulgam today.

He said not only the security scenario improved during that period but the development process, too, got new dimensions. He said if the process had continued, it would have changed the state beyond recognition.

“The impression being created that all governments are alike is a deliberate attempt by non-performers to dilute the achievements of the PDP in its brief tenure,” he said.

Senior vice-president of the party Molvi Iftkhar Hussain Ansari, MLA Abdul Rehman Veeri, district party president Nazir Ahmed Laway, zone president Farooq Ahmed Rather were among those who spoke on the occasion.

Baig said there were instances within the country when the development scenario had changed perceptibly by a new government. He said, “Bihar was considered as the worst governed state and was cited as an example of backwardness. But, it is now the fastest growing state in the country.” Similarly, he said, Jammu & Kashmir had experienced an unprecedented activity on all fronts under the previous coalition.

“We were able to change the discourse from conflict to resolution, from personal safety concerns to demands for speedier development and from a status of siege to freedom of travel across borders, across LoC and even internally between the regions,” he said.

Srinagar, May 8
A person was killed and seven others injured in road accidents in the Valley. A bus hit pedestrian Hilal Ahmad Dar, a resident of Rahpora, at Harnag in Anantnag district, a police spokesman said. He was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

In Baramulla district, a car hit and injured a man near Gulmarg. In another accident, a bus hit and injured Ahsan Dar, a resident of Khadniyar in Kanispora, the spokesman said. Two cabs collided with each other at Sallar in Anantnag district, resulting in injuries to three persons. In another accident, a load carrier hit and injured two sisters identified as Gulshada and Safeena, residents of Bandipora, at Hyderpora in the city, the spokesman said. — TNS

Srinagar, May 8
In order to decongest the Central jail, Srinagar, and the district jail, Anantnag, the state government is likely to commission a new jail at Pulwama soon.

The building for the Pulwama jail is almost ready and the jail authorities said they were waiting for the staff.

“We are hopeful that we will get staff for the district jail, Pulwama, shortly. The new jail will help us to augment the capacity of jails in the Valley,” said a senior official of the Prisons Department.

At present, there are 13 jails of different types in the state, including two Central jails at Kot Balwal and Srinagar, eight district jails at Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Rajouri, Poonch, Baramulla, Kupwara and Leh and three sub-jails at Hiranagar, Reasi and Kishtwar. The total capacity of prisoners in these jails is over 2,500.

At present, there is no jail functioning in Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts of south Kashmir.

“The undertrials of south Kashmir are lodged in other jails particularly in the Srinagar jail, which is already congested. The Pulwama jail will help us to speed up the trial of inmates belonging to south Kashmir because they will be near to the trial courts,” the official added.

The new jail will also provide relief to the police that have to otherwise escort inmates to the trial courts.

Deputy Inspector General, Prisons, Mohammad Sultan Lone said they were trying to augment the capacity of jails in the state.

“While the building for the Pulwama jail is ready, the government is also setting up new jails at Kishtwar, Kargil, Bandipore, Ramban and Kulgam to increase the capacity of jails,” Lone said.

Srinagar, May 8
Vice-Chancellor of Kashmir University Prof Talat Ahmad today released a book authored by a laparoscopic surgeon, Dr Mushtaq Chalkoo, at a function in Srinagar.

The book titled ‘My Expressions’ is a collection of essays written by the author that had been published in a local newspaper. The book is a compendium of a variety of issues and facts about life. It presents an innovative style of handling life with logic, science and spirituality.

Noted academicians, leading doctors and members of the civil society were present on the book release function. 

Srinagar, May 8
As part of restructuring within the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), advocate Abdul Majid Banday has been appointed as the organisation’s political secretary and chief supervisor of the headquarters in Srinagar.

Earlier, Banday served as the Delhi bureau head of the APHC headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

“Advocate Abdul Majid Banday has officially taken over the charge of APHC political secretary and chief supervisor of the Hurriyat headquarters in Srinagar,” a press statement by the Hurriyat read.

It stated that after having taken the charge, Banday held a meeting with the office staff and instructed them to improve the office services.

During a meeting of its executive and general council members on April 23, the Hurriyat faction headed by Mirwaiz had decided to form departments of public relations, human rights, legal cell, press and information and women’s issues.

It was decided that advocate Shahid-ul-Islam would be given the charge of press and information department, Zaffar Akbar Bhat and Hakim Abdul Rashid would look after public relations and Abdul Manan Bukhari would look after the legal cell of the Hurriyat. It was also decided that Saleem Geelani would hold the charge of human rights cell and Yasmeen Raja would look after the women’s issues department.

Srinagar, May 8
The Civil Defence has started a five-day disaster preparedness training programme at Government Girls Secondary School, Pandrethan, here from today.

Around 70 students from Government Girls Secondary School and Government Middle School of Pandrethan are participating in the programme.

The programme was inaugurated by Shahzada Ahmed Shah, headmaster, Government Girls Secondary School, in the presence of Civil Defence Deputy Chief Warden Aamir Ali.

The training has been organised by the Civil Defence in collaboration with the School Education Department, Red Cross, Fire Services, Srinagar Municipal Corporation and the District Administration, Srinagar.

On the first day of the training, the students were sensitised about of their vulnerability to natural and human-induced disasters.

Experts stressed the need for learning life-saving skills and other first aid techniques for emergency situations.

Over the next few days, the participants will be imparted basic training on civil defence, first aid, fire fighting, search and rescue.

“A fire drill and mock drill will be held on the concluding day of the programme. Certificates of participation will be issued to participants,” stated an official handout by the Civil Defence, Kashmir.

Srinagar, May 8
The Indian Red Cross Society’s state unit organised a function to celebrate the World Red Cross Day at its branch office here today.

Chief Postmaster General (JK Circle) John Samuel was the chief guest on the occasion, who released a cover exclusively for Red Cross Society. The cost of the cover is Rs 10 and the funds raised from its sale would be contributed to Red Cross Society, an official said.

To commemorate the day, a symposium was also organised in which students from various educational institutions participated and talked about the working and importance of the organisation.

Younis Ahmad Kaloo from SP College was adjudged the best speaker and was presented a certificate for the feat.

Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Farooq Ahmad Shah and state Red Cross Society general secretary Roma Wani were among those present on the occasion.