Srinagar, May 13
The only roadblock the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) faced in its anti-encroachment drive was the beeline of fisherwomen occupying the footpaths of Amira Kadal bridge who so far have survived the eviction drive.

However, SMC officers with the help of the police today adopted a tough stance against 20 odd fisherwomen, who sell fish on the pavements of Amira Kadal bridge, and chased them away.

Municipal Corporation Commissioner GN Qasba said the fisherwomen would have to vacate the footpaths and that their deterrence wouldn't be tolerated.

“Footpaths are for pedestrians and not for commercial purposes. Amira Kadal bridge pavements are right now choked with the fisherwomen and people have no place to walk on it. We are not going to allow them sell their fish there. They could shift to the Srinagar outskirts in Telbal area where we have a small fish market,” said Qasba.

He said there was no question of rehabilitating the footpath vendors as they had been illegally occupying the footpaths and the administration would not pay them money to vacate.

“We are simply clearing the footpaths of the encroachments. Why should these encroachers be rehabilitated?” Qasba said.

Meanwhile, the fisherwomen alleged that policemen pushed them away, beat them up and threw away their fish baskets.

“The administration only acts tough against the poor people. We are the lone bread earners for our families. We have been doing our trade here from the past many decades and no government ever complained about us. The administration should not only implement the rules, but also address the concerns of poor people,” Mogli, a fisherwomen said.

The Commissioner on the other hand said the fisherwomen would have to go through legal framework and approach the Fisheries Department for demanding a full-fledged fish market in Kashmir.

Kupwara, May 13
Hailstorm this evening damaged vegetable crops and paddy seedlings in Lolab and some other villages of Kupwara district. Earlier, incessant rain since Saturday evening inflicted damage to the vegetation and paddy seedlings across the district.

Vegetables, including potatoes, onions, chilies, tomatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers, beans and green peas, are normally cultivated in north Kashmir. The worst-hit areas in Lolab valley include Khumriyal, Cherkote, Maidanpora, Dardpora and Cheepora. At these places vegetable crops and nurseries were seen submerged in rainwater.

The windstorm yesterday evening at some places damaged poplar, willow and other trees. Farmers and vegetable growers said torrential rain followed by hailstorm today badly damaged the paddy seedlings and vegetables. They said the vegetable fields were submerged in rainwater.

At many other places, the growers were seen busy in de-watering their vegetable fields. “Rain in the past two days badly damaged the vegetable crops. Thankfully, the weather improved today giving some respite but the hailstorm in the evening once again tormented the growers,” said Mohammad Amin, a vegetable grower from Cherkote Lolab.

More than 90 per cent people in north Kashmir cultivate vegetables for their own consumption and many others do it for business. “Untimely rain would also defer the growth of vegetables. Chilies and peas are the most affected due to the torrential rain,” said Fayaz Ahmad of Hirri Trehgam.

In Handwara tehsil too, the growers suffered heavy losses due to incessant rain and hailstorm.

“Torrential rain during the past two days inflicted heavy damage to the vegetable crops. Hailstorm today inflicted more damage. We had a good yield this year but the natural disaster played a spoil spot,” said Javid Ahmad, a grower.

At a few places in Lolab, hailstones weighed around 2 grams, said a farmer. “The vegetable crop has been knocked down to the ground. Emerging paddy seedlings have been badly affected and it appears that we will be forced to grow fresh seedlings,” said another farmer.

The high intensity storm last evening broke down twigs of poplar and other trees in many villages, reports said.

Srinagar, May 13
A labourer was found dead in a field in Budgam district while another was electrocuted in Anantnag district.

Bashir Ahmad Tantray (34), a resident of Garend Khrid village, was found dead near his village, the police said. Tantray, a labourer, was reportedly suffering from epilepsy. In Anantnag, another labourer was electrocuted when he was working on a machine. Lakhvinder Singh, 22, a resident of Gulabpora of Rajasthan, died at Traphoo village. – TNS 

Kupwara, May 13
Residents of five Lolab villages have strongly resented the “selective” distribution of water supply connections in their villages and demanded that the facility should be extended to all the inhabitants without any discrimination.

Employees of the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Kupwara Division, had given water supply connections in villages, including Darpora, Sonnard, Chana Mohalla, Tilwanpora and Pranigam, a month ago.

The residents alleged that the employees favoured some families and provided them a water connection each at their doorsteps while many others were deprived of the facility. Residents of Tilwanpora, Chan Mohalla and Sonnard said supply had been snapped since the new water connections were given.

“In an uneven distribution of water taps, the employees provided a connection each to some influential families while many others were not provided with the facility. According to norms, the water division has to provide one water tap to five families but the employees violated the norms and some families were ignored,” said Mohd Sarwar.

Some residents alleged that the PHE officials forced them to purchase Tees (water carriers) at the rate of Rs 100 each. “According to norms, the officials have to provide the Tee on their own but we had to spend Rs 100 to purchase it,” said a local resident.

Locals said the employees unnecessarily laid more pipes only to make additional bucks. “The department pays Rs 20 for laying down each pipe underground. In a bid make more money, the employees lengthened the distance to households by laying down more pipes than needed. By doing so, they altered the flow of water for their own monetary benefits,” said a local resident.

Executive Engineer, PHE, Kupwara, Riyaz Ahmad said a delegation of local residents had already apprised him of the problem and he had directed the AEE to set the water connections right. “I have already asked the AEE to ensure that every household is benefited by the facility. He has been directed to review the works and set the water connections right in the interest of the people,” he said.

Srinagar, May 13
Union Minister and patron of the state’s ruling party Farooq Abdullah today congratulated Nawaz Sharif, whose party is set to form the next government in Pakistan.

Abdullah also extended his wishes to the people of Pakistan saying they voted without any fear and upheld the democracy.

“Pakistani people have rejected the gun culture because they know that guns only bring destruction,” Abdullah said in a statement released by his party here.

Abdullah also welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s peace gesture towards Pakistan terming it as a “welcome and brave step”. He said these confidence building measures would help the two countries to bridge the gap between them and hoped that Sharif will not put the Kashmir issue in “cold storage”.

Srinagar, May 13
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s move towards reviving peace process with Pakistan, where Nawaz Sharif is set to lead the new government.

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, while welcoming the warm gestures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said the emerging political scenario in Islamabad offers a great opportunity for the leadership of the two countries to chart a new course in bilateral relations.

“We hope that Nawaz Sharif as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan would not only prove a stabilising factor for that country but also pave the way for scripting a new chapter in Indo-Pak ties with J&K serving as a bridge of friendship,” Mehbooba said while addressing a workers’ convention in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Manmohan Singh had yesterday congratulated Nawaz Sharif for his “emphatic victory” and invited him to visit India at a mutually-convenient time. “The PM has extended his congratulations to Sharif and his party for their emphatic victory in Pakistan's elections,” the PMO said.

Mehbooba said there was no alternative to peace process set in motion by India and Pakistan in 2003 and added that Jammu and Kashmir had huge stakes in Indo-Pak peace as it had the direct bearing on the state and its people.

“There is no way but to acknowledge the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, if we want a permanent peace in the sub-continent,” she said.

Srinagar, May 13
The government today decided to send copies of the draft Master Plan for Srinagar, currently under review, to a technical committee of experts to get their views before submitting the final plan to the Cabinet for approval.

An official said the decision was taken during a meeting here today that was chaired by Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, Jeet Lal Gupta.

Gupta said the draft plan should be sent to the Director, Economic Reconstruction Agency, Vice-Chairman, Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Chief Town Planner and Chief Engineers of R&B, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, UEED and PDD and other concerned officers from various departments to get their views on it within 15 days. “After getting views of the members of the technical committee the draft Master Plan would be put up before the Cabinet after being approved by the Minister for Housing and Urban Development,” he said. “As a part of the programme to decongest Srinagar and ensure its planned growth, dedicated places for creating specialised infrastructure would be earmarked in the revised Master Plan,” Gupta said.

Kupwara, May 13
Most of the women panches in north Kashmir stay away from participating in decision-making and other works, leading to chaos and in some cases clashes.

In most cases, their men (husbands) act as panches on their behalf. In one such instance, husband of panch Zarifa Begum of Mughalpora village in Kupwara district, faced the wrath of some village elders recently for his alleged partial role in distribution of ration at a local anganwadi centre. Ghulam Mohidin Mir had come to the local anaganwadi centre for supervising the distribution of ration among the villagers. The distribution of ration was also monitored by sarpanch Abdul Khaliq Mir.

During distribution, one village elder reportedly got hold of Mir and started thrashing him. Upon this, a few other people also joined him and beat Mir before he was rescued by the sarpanch and some other village elders.

Mir reportedly had prevented his wife from visiting the centre and took part in the distribution of ration on her behalf. “How can he play her role in decision-making or for that matter distribution of ration when his wife has been elected as a panch. He was seeking undue favours for a group of people and asserting that they should be given ration and pulses,” said a village elder. The sarpanch said Mir was at the centre on behalf of his wife and was doing his job without lending any favour to any beneficiary. “His wife is obese and faces great difficulties in moving around. Mir was doing her job under my supervision but a few people unjustifiably attacked him. I resolved the matter on the spot,” said Abdul Khaliq. Another local resident demanded that woman panches who stay away from their duties should be sacked from their positions.

Srinagar, May 13
Kashmiri separatist leader and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik has congratulated Nawaz Sharif for the thumping victory of his party in the May 11 elections.

Malik, in his message, has said he hopes new federal government in Pakistan, which is set to be headed by Sharif as Prime Minister, will not put the issue of Kashmir on “back burner” and will work for the peace and prosperity of the region.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) headed by Nawaz Sharif has emerged as the single largest party, winning a majority of National Assembly seats in Pakistan, which went to poll on May 11. “By reposing confidence in Nawaz Sharif, people have clearly indicated that they want to make Pakistan a strong democratic country,” Malik said in a statement here, while congratulating Nawaz Sharif.

“I hope Sharif and his government will not put the issue of Jammu and Kashmir on back burner and will work for its resolution on priority basis,” Malik said, adding: “Kashmiris are hopeful that he (Sharif as Prime Minister) will try to institutionalise the negotiations with India and ensure the active involvement of people of Kashmir in negotiations process”.

Srinagar, May 13
In a bid to promote rural tourism in the Kashmir valley, a website containing information about unexplored tourist destinations was launched here today.

Tourism Minister GA Mir, Kashmir Director Tourism Talat Parvez and J&K Chapter of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) convener Mohammad Saleem Beg launched the website, <http://kashmirtouristvillages.com>, during a function at the Tourist Reception Centre.

Beg said there was a lot of potential over developing rural tourism in the Valley. He said currently information about three tourist destinations, Shar-i-Shali tourist village in north Kashmir, Litter village in south and Mawar village in Kupwara district, had been uploaded on the website.

Beg said Shar-i-Shali was a historical village having its roots in the early civilisations of Kashmir. “It is said that there (Shar-i-Shali) used to be a sizeable population of ironsmiths (‘Khars’ in Kashmiri language) who made iron tools from crude iron ore found scattered in nearby dense Wuyan-Khrew forest area. Shar-i-Shali is surrounded by gorgeous mountains from all three sides,” he added.

Litter village, besides its scenic beauty and fruit orchards, is the abode of Saint Syed Ahmed Qureshi, who was the maternal uncle of the revered Saint Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani.

Beg said Mawar was a virgin location with varied species of flora and fauna and it also had a potential for adventure tourism. He said the area was not accessible due to security reasons. The Tourism Minister said the matter would be taken up with the authorities concerned so that the area was made accessible to the tourists.

The website highlights the historical significance of the villages. It guides tourists how to reach the spots and where to stay.

Srinagar, May 13
Higher Education Minister Mohammad Akbar Lone today inspected the Nawa Kadal College for Women, Srinagar, and directed the J&K Housing Board for construction of additional blocks on the site which has already been demarcated.

During his visit, the Minister inspected various blocks of the college, including the main block, science laboratories, pysical education block, botanical garden. He also inspected various classrooms and interacted with students and asked about the facilities being provided to them.

Lone asked the principal to make proposal for immediate repairs and necessary requirements in the existing building of the college so that students do not face any difficulty in the college in future.

He said the government was developing and upgrading the educational infrastructure in the state and various initiatives had been taken in this regard.

The Higher EducationMinister exhorted the teachers to adopt innovative measures besides providing quality education based on modern methods to the students.

He also stressed 
for imparting extra-curricular activities besides 
inculcating moral and ethical values among them.

On the occasion, college principal Tasleem Peer apprised the Minister about various activities being provided by the college to the students.

Later, the Minister addressed a large gathering of students in auditorium of the college. 

Srinagar, May 13
Hundreds of students of north Kashmir and Srinagar City, who are studying in the University of Kashmir (KU) and National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hazratbal, face many problems while commuting.

They demanded that the transport facilities en route Qamarwari Chowk to Kashmir University Hazratbal should be upgraded and the State Transport Department should start Sumo services.

Pertinently, mini buses plying from Qamarwari and Batamallo chowk to Kashmir University take at least two hours to cover 10 kilometres as drivers used to take routes of the old Srinagar city.

“We usually miss our morning classes due to slow transport services. The KU management should take up the issue with the Transport Department,” said Shazia, a student at the Economics Department, KU, hailing from Narbal area of north Kashmir.

“If the authorities, particularly Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir, will order the Sumo service from Batamalo to Hazratbal, then it will benefit the students and other people. This will save our time and we will not miss our classes if Sumos are pressed into service through the route,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a Science student from Balgarden, Srinagar.

Srinagar, May 13
As part of the ongoing Sangarmaal Spring Festival 2013, an open painting competition for children was held at Sangarmaal City Centre.

Akeel Hassan, executive director of The Wings, an organiser of the competition, said the event was held to promote the centre and to encourage local artists.

“We have organised the competition as children here are not having 
many opportunities to exhibit their painting skills,” he said.

He said the painting competition was held yesterday on the completion of one month of the spring festival.

Earlier this month, a painting competition for the specially-abled students was also held at Sangarmal.

The spring festival had been declared open by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Shailendra, MLA Amirakadal Nasir Aslam Wani and District Development Commissioner Srinagar Farooq Ahmad Shah during a function last month.

The Sangarmaal City Centre, the first state-of- the-art shopping complex of the Valley, was inaugurated on June 5, 2010, by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.