Srinagar, July 7
Ahead of the holy month of Ramadan, rising prices of essential commodities especially the food items have become a cause of worry for commoners here.

Local residents said grocery stores, vegetable and fruit vendors and butchers were not abiding by the rate lists furnished by the state government.

The Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department had recently reviewed the arrangements in the Valley markets for the upcoming month of Ramadan. Surprisingly, the checking squads are yet to be sighted in the markets.

As such, local residents are feeling the pinch of inflation with literally no help from the authorities.

“The recent showdown between butchers and the district administration has not yielded any fruitful results. The butchers are selling chicken and mutton at exorbitant rates. In a majority of the localities, rate lists if at all displayed by the butchers are mere eyewash,” said Muzaffar Khan, a member of People Forum Movement, an NGO.

Recently, the CAPD had announced a 3 per cent rebate on every item purchased from Super Bazar and Rs 3 per kilogram on poultry birds. However, the guidelines are yet to be implemented.

“Rebates on these commodities are yet to be implemented in south Kashmir,” said a CAPD official.

In the wake of rising prices of commodities, the residents urge the authorities to ensure that the rebates on essential commodities are implemented throughout the Valley, besides making them easily accessible.

“Unlike the past, there shouldn't be any shortage of essential commodities which often leads to black-marketing and inflation. We hope the government will look into the matter and curb hoarding and profiteering in the market,” said Munazah Bhat, a housewife.

Srinagar, July 7
Minister for Medical Education, Youth Services and Sports Taj Mohi-ud-Din today said the Article 370 could not be scrapped and those advocating for its abrogation were befooling the people.

Taj said this while addressing a gathering at Rajpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Criticising the political parties demanding abrogation of the Article 370 that grants special status to the state, he urged the people to remain vigilant of the designs of these vested interest groups whose aim is to ultimately divide people. “They had nothing to offer you except impede the growth of the state which had undergone a turnaround after the hard efforts of the present government,” he added.

Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather too ruled out the abrogation of Article 370.”The abrogation of Article 370 as suggested by some BJP leaders is not possible at all. The article has attained permanent position in the Indian Constitution and has become its part and parcel,” he said while addressing a gathering at Kanir, Charar-i-Sharief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Srinagar, July 7
One person was killed and 22 others, including a police official, were injured in different road accidents across the Kashmir valley, a police spokesman said here today.

A bus hit and injured Farooq Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Bohrikadal near Ziyarat Dastagir Sahib in the city. The injured was shifted to SMHS hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries, the police spokesman said. A case under Section 304 of the RPC had been registered in this regard, the spokesman said.

An auto load-carrier hit and injured Deputy Superintendent of Police Traffic (Rural) Mukhtar Ahmad near Bijbehara town in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. The injured officer was shifted to the sub-district hospital, Bijbehara, for treatment.

In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a mini-bus turned turtle at Jithar Kachwa resulting in injuries to 11 passengers. The injured were shifted to the sub-district hospital, Chandoosa, from where six injured were referred to the district hospital, Baramulla, for further treatment.

In north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, a cab and a car collided near Khargam, resulting in injuries to five passengers. The injured were shifted to the sub-district hospital, Pattan.

In another accident in Baramulla district, a cab rolled down into the Jhelum river at Uranbowa, resulting in injuries to two persons. the spokesman said.

A cab hit a motorcycle at Narbal Chowk on the city outskirts resulting in injuries to motorcyclist Ajaz Ahmad Reshi of Durbal, the spokesman said. The injured had been shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Two unidentified motorcycles collided at Lalpora Bazar in north Kashmir’s Kupwara resulting in injuries to a pedestrian. The injured boy was shifted to a hospital for treatment, the spokesman said.

An unidentified vehicle hit a boy identified as Mohammad Youns Khatana of Thanda Pani at Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. The injured was shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Srinagar, July 7
A policeman was found dead at the residence of a legislator in the city, a police spokesman said here today.

Head constable Abdul Gani Dar, a resident of Chadoora, was found dead in the guardroom of the Shivpora residence of MLA Abdul Gani Malik, the police spokesman said.

“There are visible gunshots wounds on his head,” the spokesman said.

The police has registered a case under Section 174 of the CrPC and initiated inquest proceeding to investigate the cause and circumstances of the policeman’s death.

The body of the policeman was handed over to his family after the completion of legal formalities, the spokesman said.

Srinagar, July 7
With an aim to reduce pendency in the courts, the judicial authorities are holding two Lok Adalats in north and south Kashmir over the next two weeks.

In a statement, Principal District and Sessions Judge and District Legal Services Authority, Baramulla, chairman Rashid Ali Dar said a Lok Adalat would be held in the court complex of Baramulla on July 18.

He said the interested parties desirous to settle their cases amicably through the Lok Adalat must approach the court authorities before July15.

“In the Lok Adalat, family disputes, motor accident claims, civil suits, cases under the Negotiable Instrument Act and pre-litigation matters will be taken up for amicable settlement,” the statement said.

In another statement, it has been stated that the Tehsil Legal Services Authority, Anantnag, is organising a Lok Adalat on July 9 at the Sub-Judge Court, Anantnag.

“The litigants who are interested to settle their disputes amicably in the Lok Adalat are advised to approach the court concerned before the scheduled date,” it added.

Earlier on July 4, a Lok Adalat was organised by the Tehsil Legal Services Committee, Magam, in Budgam.

Srinagar, July 7
One person was arrested after 11-kg narcotic straws were recovered from him in Anantnag district, the police said.

Abdul Majeed Haroo, a resident of Arwani village, was arrested at a checkpoint at Kanganhall.

Handwara, July 7
Residents of Vodhpora, Pohru Chakla, Waripora, Hanjishath and a few other villages in Handwara tehsil are facing severe shortage of drinking water for the past more than two months. The residents threatened to take to the streets if water supply was not restored at the earliest.

Some families of Darpora and Sogam village in Lolab of Kupwara district alleged that the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Division, Kupwara, had deprived them of water connections.

“We made several representations to the Executive Engineer, PHE, to provide us with water connections but to no avail,” said Abrar Bhat a local resident.

Handwara residents said many people, including women and children, were suffering from gastroenteritis after consuming contaminated water from Pohru nullah.

They complained that the water supply to the village was snapped two months ago and had not been restored so far. “We are forced to fetch contaminated water from the nullah, which has led to the outbreak of intestinal infection. For the past three weeks, the water division has suspended the tanker service leaving us high and dry,” said Hajra Begum, a resident of Waripora.

Another resident Mohd Sultan said, “We made several representations to the office of the Executive Engineer, PHE, requesting him to restore the water supply to the village but to no avail. We will be forced to take to the streets if the supply is not restored.”

A senior official of the PHE said the division would provide the tanker service to the affected villages till water supply was restored. “We will provide them drinking water through tankers on daily basis. The supply would be restored in a few weeks as we are working to install more pipes at a few places,” said the official.

Srinagar, July 7
The Business School and Centre for Career Planning and Counselling (CCPC), University of Kashmir, jointly organised a two-day mega job fest-2013 in association with CT Group of Institutions, Jalandhar, which concluded here today.

More than 16 companies participated in the two-day job fest for which over 2,500 candidates from different parts of the Valley had registered themselves. The companies included Vodafone, Aircel, Tata Interactive Systems, Lupin, Delcure, Pick N Frames, Microtek, Trade India.com, Pensa Media, RBS, ICICI Bank, Lalit Group, Reliance, India Today, Induswebi etc.

University of Kashmir Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad conveyed that it was a great moment that the premier companies of the country were visiting our campus to explore the talent pool of the state.

He said institutions needed to create significant educational capacities to orient management education in such a way so as to develop competencies and capabilities of the management graduates as per the requirements of the corporate world.

Earlier, in the inaugural session, Dean Academic Affairs AM Shah lauded the efforts of the Business School and Centre for Career Planning and Counselling, University of Kashmir, in organising the job fest.

He said such massive recruitment drives would provide opportunities for the youth to be productively employed in the corporate sector. He assured that the youth would mobilise all resources to create employment opportunities for them within and outside the state.

S Mufeed Ahmad, Director, Business School, University of Kashmir, highlighted the need of strong industrial interface for making education relevant and result-oriented. He said institutions need to develop collaborations to explore new horizons and generate new ideas. He said the university was actively collaborating with the industry to enhance the employability of the students through training and to provide them an integrated platform for recruitment.

Shabir A Bhat, director, CCPC, KU, in his address said the competitiveness of our economy would largely depend on the innovations and creativity. “How we educate our future generation is therefore very significant,” said Prof Bhat.

He stressed that management institutions had a huge responsibility of developing a pool of leaders/ managers who cannot only anticipate, but also overcome the challenges of the changing business environment.

S Charanjeet Singh, chairman, CT Group of Institutions, Jalandhar, said the collaboration with the University of Kashmir for organising the job fest would strengthen the relationship between two institutions and help the student community in the state. He also expressed the hope that the two institutions would work together to hold such job festivals every year.

Manoj Kumar, group director, CT Group of Institutions, said they expected another batch of 200 youth to get recruited in the second edition of the job fest.

Srinagar, July 7
The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) will soon start orientation courses for the food business operators (FBOs) of the city so that they refrain from selling unhealthy and expired food.

Commissioner, SMC, GN Qasba said all the food handlers, processors, dealers and distributors would be given training so that healthy food items were served to the consumers.

Qasba said this during a function, which was held as part of the SMC’s Food Safety Week, at a local school here yesterday.

He said consumers should lodge complaint with the SMC in case they found the food served to them did not taste or smell good. He said complaint should also be lodged in case of loose packaging of food items by consumers.

An SMC official said the corporation had conducted various events to create awareness over the importance of food safety among food business operators and the general public.

The official said awareness programmes were also held in various schools of the summer capital as part of the Food Safety Week that concluded yesterday. — TNS

Jammu, July 7
A joint delegation of the J&K College Teachers Association (JKCTA) led by Dr Avinash Kumar Gupta and Prof Tariq A Ashai, presidents of the Jammu and Kashmir wings of the association, called on Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone and Higher Education Principal Secretary KB Aggarwal.

The delegation discussed burning issues of college teaching fraternity and submitted a detailed representation to the Higher Education Department, besides stressing for early clearing of pending placement and probation cases.

It also demanded placement of teachers in senior/selection scales from their actual due date, taking into consideration the UGC notification and its further clarification by the department for attending orientation/refresher courses up to December 2013, enhancement of superannuation age of college teachers, at par with the state university teachers and as per the UGC guidelines.

The CTA also demanded to get the clearance from the Finance Department for the incorporation of provisions of SRO-222 dated 10/07/2012 in SRO-284 dated 03/09/2009, so that college teachers could also get the benefit of one increment as has been given to all state and Central government employees.

Srinagar, July 7
Two matches of J&K State Power Development Corporation annual league football tournament 2013 were played at the Polo Ground Srinagar on Saturday which were organised by the J&K Football Association (DFA Srinagar).

In the first ‘A’ division match played between Regal Sports and Syed Tajuddin FC, it was Syed Tajjudin FC which took lead in the 13th minute through Feroz. An equaliser came on in the 14th minute through Aijaz from Regal Sports team.

Zamir Ahmad from Regal Sports doubled lead in the 21st minute and maintained this lead till the final whistle. Regal Sports won by 2-1.

Second Super Division match was played between Rahim Green Solina FC and Maharaja Sports. Adil Ahmad from Maharaja Sports scored first goal for his team in the 14th minute.

Solina sports played some aggressive football but goals did not come.

In the second half, Mozam Rashid scored an equaliser for Solina Sports in the 68th minute and the score 1-1 didn’t change till the stipulated time.