Srinagar, August 26
The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the Chief Secretary to initiate an inquiry into the alleged high rate of infant mortality at the Anantnag district hospital within a week and submit status report by October 3, the next date of hearing.

In its orders passed today, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice MM Kumar asked the Chief Secretary to find out the causes and reasons behind the high infant mortality rate in Anantnag district.

These directions were passed by the High Court after the Medical Superintendent of GB Pant Children’s Hospital in his report to the court had pointed out that in the Kashmir valley, the highest rate of infant mortality had been witnessed in Anantnag district. He had also alleged malpractices by the staff posted there.

The court is hearing a PIL filed in the wake of high infant mortality rate at GB Pant Children’s Hospital last year.

“After perusal of the report by Dr Muneer Masoodi, the court has asked the Chief Secretary to initiate an inquiry into the matter to find out the reasons behind the high infant mortality rate in the district,” petitioner counsel Faisal Qadri told The Tribune.

The court has further said the inquiry into the matter should be initiated within a week after receiving the said report and a status report should be filed before the Bench by October 3 in this regard.

The court in its earlier directions had permitted GB Pant Children’s Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Muneer Masoodi to file written suggestions aimed at further reducing and controlling the infant mortality rate in the government hospitals.

Srinagar, August 26
The Higher Education Department is contemplating to establish an institute of mathematical sciences equipped with facilities of innovative technological learning. This was revealed by Higher Education Ministry Muhammad Akbar Lone during the inspection of a proposed site in the Khimber area of Srinagar for the institute and the District Sports Academy.

The Minister said a team of experts would be constituted to ascertain the feasibility for the establishment of the institute and after they submit the report, a decision would be taken to proceed further.

He said it would be among the top institutes of the country and it would be fully equipped with all facilities of innovative technological learning.

“The institute will impart quality higher education of international standard to students so that the students of the state are able to exhibit and prove their mettle at global level competitions, besides get acquainted with innovative trends of science and engineering,” the Minister added.

The Minister said the government had taken various initiatives to upgrade the higher education set up besides enriching this sector with global level learning system.

The Minister was accompanied by Higher Education Secretary Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmad, Srinagar Deputy Commissioner Farooq Ahmad Shah, Sports Council Secretary Dilip Thussu and other officers concerned.

Srinagar, August 26
Members of the Urban Local Bodies Employees United Forum (ULBEUF) staged a protest here today demanding regularisation of their services.

The protesters, who were carrying banners, gathered at the Press Enclave area and raised slogans in favour of their demands.

Forum president Manzoor Ahmad Pampori said their repeated pleas were “falling on deaf ears” despite staging regular protests in the past. He said they would be forced to intensify their protests in case the government failed to address their demands.

The ULBEUF demands include implementation of service recruitment rules, release of 20 per cent arrears under the Sixth Pay Commission, setting up of a transparent transfer policy within the department and regularisation of daily wagers and consolidated employees having more than 15 years service in the department.

The forum also demanded time-bound settlement of pension and commutation cases besides timely release of salaries.

After protesting at the Press Enclave, the ULBEUF members attempted to take out a march towards the Lal Chowk. However, their bid was foiled by the police after several protesters were taken into preventive custody.

The ULBEUF protest was supported by the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), an amalgam of various government employees' bodies. Several JCC members also participated in the protest march.

Kupwara August 26
While students in a majority of the schools in Kupwara district are faced with accommodation problems, as many as 161 school buildings are incomplete in the district for the past many years.

Sources in the Education Department said a good number of school buildings constructed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) were incomplete for the past more than a decade.

“Due to paucity of funds, the construction work on school buildings is going at a snail’s pace. In most of the cases, the construction work has been suspended or going on irregularly as funds are released in a phased manner. That is why the construction work takes much more time than anticipated by the people,” said a senior official of the Education Department.

Students of various schools held protests in the past against the lack of accommodation in their schools. What adds to the woes of the students is the fact that some schools are housed in small rented buildings where students are forced to sit closely with each other.

The students of Government Middle School, Lilum in Handwara tehsil, are facing problems due to lack of accommodation. As many as 78 students of all eight classes are forced to study in one classroom.

Locals said the authorities started construction of a school building having six rooms in 2004 but to date only three rooms had been completed and made functional. “In one room, office is located and in another room all students of the school take classes. Lunch is prepared and served in the third room. Despite repeated requests, the authorities have not completed the construction of the three rooms badly needed for students,” said Abdul Hamid, a local resident.

Similarly, many high school buildings, including Wadipora, Hanga, Wadar Bala, Wadar Payeen, Behnipora, Rajpora, Kahipora, Jagarpora, and Nagri Malpora, are incomplete for the past many years. The locals and students demanded that the construction of buildings be completed at the earliest.

ZEO Rajwar Syed Barkat Ali said as per norms, buildings under the SSA ought to be completed in two years. “However, the school buildings constructed by the Roads and Buildings and Block Development Department have taken years together. Many schools are facing accommodation problems and I will take up the matter with the higher authorities,” said the ZEO.

Kupwara, August 26
Residents of Kandi Khas, 10 km from Handwara town at the border of Kupwara district have demanded that the BSNL tower in the village should be made functional so that it could be used.

They said the tower, which was erected in the village in 2008, was non-functional and the SIM cards obtained by them were of no use.

“It has been more than four years since the tower has gone out of function. The BSNL has deprived us of the facility and despite many representations to make the tower functional, nothing has been done so far,” said Aijaz Ahmad, a local resident.

The tower, if made functional, will benefit adjoining villages, including Nutnoosa, Keegam, Sadhu Ganga and Trich. They said Airtel, Aircel and Reliance networks were operating effectively in the area but the BSNL continued to remain defunct. “Basically, Airtel and Aircel have shared the signal with the BSNL on the same tower, but the BSNL continues to remain non-functional for unknown reasons. Rests of the networks are operating effectively in the area,” said Abdul Majid from Nutnoosa.

The locals appealed to the Director General Mobiles (DGM), Kashmir, to intervene and make the tower functional at the earliest. “What is the point in having a tower erected in the village when the BSNL service is not available to the subscribers? We appeal to the DGM, Kashmir, to personally intervene in the matter and do the needful,” said a delegation of locals.

The DGM, Kashmir, Nazir Ahmad, said the tower would be made functional soon. “We are working on some technical issues and the facility will be extended to the subscribers in the stipulated time,” said DGM. 

Srinagar, August 26
CPM state secretary MY Tarigami urged India and Pakistan to silence guns and maintain peace along the Line of Control (LoC), where a series of violations has been threatening to shred apart the decade-long ceasefire today.

“If most of the European countries could reduce their borders to mere dotted lines on the map, why can’t India and Pakistan silence their guns and maintain calm on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir,” Tarigami said in a statement here.

Tarigami described the ongoing firing on LoC as the most unfortunate and a step backwards.

“If the ceasefire agreement of 2003 lasted for a decade why can’t it be prolonged and made permanent. India and Pakistan need to think over the phenomenon and root out the irritants,” he said.

The CPM leader said the statements of the leaders on both sides where they advocated friendly relations made no sense if guns kept roaring on the LoC.

“No doubt Kashmiri’s on both sides bear the brunt, the people of India and Pakistan, too, suffer economically, politically, socially and even psychologically,” Tarigami said. “Let India and Pakistan fight their greater internal enemies of poverty, corruption, disease, natural disasters like floods and of course terrorism and sectarian violence, rather than aiming their guns on each other.”

Tarigami urged the leadership of both the countries to rise above the small political considerations and exercise control, show grit and take bold initiatives. “It is their historical obligation to bury the hatchet and open a new chapter in the relations of two neighbours,” he said.

The CPM leader described Kashmir issue a festering wound and a bottleneck in the ushering of peace and prosperity in south Asia and appealed the Indian and Pakistani leadership to show courage and acumen, and initiate the process of resolving all mutual issues including Kashmir.

Srinagar, August 26
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti, called for an end to social biases against women on Monday.She said women are pivotal for the revival of a value based society which has been scarred by violence and human rights violations.

In a statement issued, the PDP spokesman said Mehbooba made this statement while addressing a largely attended convention of women in Sumbal,Sonawari.

She expressed the hope that women with their compassion and dedication would also participate actively in changing the political system that had degenerated into a tool of exploitation, the spokesman said.

She said, “While our social and religious traditions have always advocated balance in the roles of men and women, but practices like female foeticide and dowry are a blot on our society and these must be eradicated.”

The agenda for the conference, he said, was set by a college going girl, Shazia Aslam, who highlighted the problems faced by Sonawari constituency especially by the women; and the proceedings were conducted by another women, Masarat Jan. The convention marked the beginning of a series of such conferences exclusively to highlight the problems faced by women, he added.

Anantnag, August 26
Residents of the Lower Munda area of Kulgam district today held protest demonstrations against the Army, alleging that some men with their faces covered, after a failed attempt to kidnap a toddler, took shelter in a local Army camp.

The Army, however, rubbished the allegations and maintained that it was an attempt to malign the image of the force.

The protesters blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for more than an hour, demanding immediate action from the authorities.

A protester said Zahida was standing outside her house in Gujjar Basti with her three-year-old son Arafat in her lap.

“Four men wearing black clothes with their faces covered appeared from don’t know where and tried to snatch the baby from my lap,” Zahida told mediapersons.

She said she resisted with all her might while the men kept dragging her for some distance.

“I raised a hue and cry and neighbours, hearing my cries, reached the spot,” she said, “They chased the men.”

Her neighbours said they chased the men and saw them entering the Wuzur camp, belonging to the 2 Sector Rahstriya Rifles (RR) of the Army.

“No civilian is allowed beyond a set boundary outside the camp,” said a local resident. “Then how the men entered the camp?” he asked.

The protesters demanded thorough investigation into the matter.

Terming the allegations as baseless, an Army spokesperson said the Commander of the camp had talked to the family concerned.

“The family has rebutted the kidnapping attempt claims and have instead raised concerns about some local issues,” said the Army spokesperson.

He said the incident was blown out of proportion by some miscreants who wanted to malign the image of the Army.

The police maintained that there were no eyewitnesses to the incident and they had initiated an investigation to verify the veracity of the claims.

“We have not lodged an FIR as of now. We are trying to ascertain the facts,” said Qazigund SDPO Rahul Malik.

Srinagar, August 26
Legislative Assembly Speaker Mubarak Gul today convened a meeting of officers of various departments and took stock of the arrangements made by them for the forthcoming autumn session.

The Speaker directed all the departments to gear up their respective field staff and work in unison and make the ensuing session a grand success.

He directed Public Works Department Secretary Tanveer Jan to take immediate steps for face lifting of the complex of Legislature on war footing basis. He also asked the concerned to ensure cleanliness in and around the complex.

Gul directed the concerned to start construction work on chain fencing of the park. He also directed the Director, Floriculture, Kashmir, to install benches in the park besides ensuring decoration in and around the complex. He also asked the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC) to install sign board over the main gate of the complex.

Srinagar, August 26
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kashmir Talat Ahmad called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today.

Talat Ahmad discussed issues relating to the university’s functioning with the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of the university.

The Vice-Chancellor briefed the Governor about programmes being arranged to organise the Regional Science Congress being held at the University of Kashmir from October 1 to 3. The science congress is of high importance as it would discuss various issues to come up before the Indian Science Congress which would be held early next year at the University of Jammu.

The Vice-Chancellor also informed the Governor about the to-date implementation status of the Leh and Kargil campuses of the university.

Srinagar, August 26
A delegation of the Socialistic Democratic Party (SDP) called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan here today and gave him a memorandum of their demands.

The demands presented by the six-member delegation, led by SDP president Darakhshan, included creation of a tehsil, establishment of a degree college and sub-district hospital at Waterhail and setting up of primary health centres at Jawalapora and Hokhletter in Budgam district of central Kashmir.

The delegation also demanded improvement of roads in the Sukhnag area of the district. They thanked the Governor for taking keen interest in the socio-economic development and welfare of the people of the state.

Interacting with the delegation, the Governor emphasised the importance of maintenance of communal harmony in all the regions of the state.

Referring to the issues raised by the delegation, the Governor said their demands would be duly taken up with the authorities concerned.

Maulana Sheikh Abdul Ghani, Mohammad Akram Dar, Abdul Ahad Thokar, Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Reshi were also a part of the delegation.

Kupwara August 26
As many as 38 persons, including 10 schoolchildren, were injured in separate road accidents in the district today.

At least 28 persons were injured in a bus accident near Sakipora on Kupwara-Srinagar highway this afternoon. Seven critically injured were shifted to Srinagar hospitals for specialised treatment.

In another incident, 10 students of Winning Edge School, Kupwara, were injured when their school bus was hit by a tipper near Khumriyal. Critically injured Ubaid Ahmad and Owais Ahmad were shifted to Srinagar, reports said. The remaining children were admitted to the sub-district hospital.

The ill-fated bus (JK 03- 3288) was on its way to Srinagar from Kupwara. The injured have been identified as Haseena of Nutnoosa, Nayeema of Jawahar Nagar Srinagar, Bashir Ahmad of Villgam Handwara, Nazir Ahmad and Ghulam Qadir of Budgam, Nazir Ahmad of Hatmulla Kupwara and Sakeena Begum of Ragbagh Srinagar.

Eyewitnesses said the accident could have been avoided had the road not been dug deep by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department. They said the speeding bus turned turtle near Sakipora due to digging on the road.

“As soon as the front tyres of the bus went into the dug road it turned turtle. The passengers started screaming for help. The driver fled the spot. It is a sheer carelessness on the part of the R&B Department. The department should be taken to task for such negligence which may prove fatal for innocent passengers,” said Nazir Ahmad, an eyewitness.

A police team from the Chogal police station rushed to the spot and shifted the injured to the district hospital, Handwara, and health centre, Chogal. Later, seven critically injured including a few women were shifted to Srinagar. Following the accident, Chogal Mir sarpanch and some senior citizens of the village filed a written complaint with the police against the R&B department. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case against the department at the Chogal police station.

Srinagar, August 26
A nine-year-old boy was killed when a pitch roller accidentally rolled over him at a village in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, a police spokesman said here today.

Irfan Ahmed Sofi, a resident of Maidan village near Handwara town, came under a pitch roller while playing cricket at a playfield in the village, he said.

He said the boy was seriously injuries in the mishap. “He was shifted to a hospital but succumbed to injuries on the way to the hospital,” the spokesman said. – TNS

Srinagar, August 26
The J&K State Power Development Corporation’s Annual League Football Tournament was kicked off yesterday.

The first match was played between Rangreth FC versus Bilal FC.The Rangreth team won the match by 3-1. From Rangreth’s side, Moomin Yaqoob scored goals in the17th and 46th minute of the match.

Ashiq mir scored the goal for Rangreth in the 35th minute and Qasim scored the lone goal for the Bilal team.

In the second match, Ganbugh FC versus Itehad FC, the match ended with a 1-1 draw. Junaid scored for Ithad FC in the 33rd minute of the match. An equaliser came in the 38th minute when Shahid scored for the Gangbugh team. In the third match which was played between Pologround FC and AlluchiBagh FC, Pologround team won by a huge margin of 7-1.