Srinagar, September 6
The first batch of Haj pilgrims is all set to leave for Saudi Arabia from the Srinagar International Airport tomorrow.

An official at the Haj House, Srinagar, said two flights carrying 275 pilgrims each would leave from here. He said the pilgrims would leave in two groups from the Haj House located at Bemina. The official said the kith and kin would be seeing off the pilgrims at the Haj House only and they would not be allowed to accompany them to the airport to avoid unnecessary rush. “The reporting time for 1st batch of pilgrims is 9.00 am and 11.00 am for the pilgrims scheduled to take the second flight,” he added.

The last flight is scheduled to leave from here on September 23 and 8,664 pilgrims of the state are scheduled to perform Haj this year. Similarly, flights from Saudi Arabia to here carrying pilgrims will operate from October 20 to November 5.

Haj is among the five fundamentals of Islam and every believing Muslim aspires to perform the pilgrimage at least once in his/her lifetime. The departure of intending Hajis in the Valley is a joyous occasion as the kith and kin can be seen thronging the residences of the respective pilgrims. Relatives, friends, colleagues and neighbours can also be seen pouring in for at least a week once a Haji returns home.

Intending Haj pilgrims these days are seen doing shopping for the pilgrimage and visiting their kith and kin to take leave. At the same time, they and their relatives are also busy in making preparations for feasts usually thrown a day before the pilgrims leave for Saudi Arabia.

Minister for Haj Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed had yesterday reviewed arrangements for the annual pilgrimage at the Haj House.

Anantnag, September 6
Residents of Waghama village in Bijbehara demanded relocation of high-tension power lines running through residential structures of the village.

The locals had disconnected the power lines on their own, affecting the power supply to more than six villages in the vicinity.

The villagers said they had been demanding the relocation of these dangerous power lines since more than a decade now, but nothing had been done so far by the Power Development Department.

Reports said the lines run haphazardly through the village and were close to the residential houses. “At some places trees are being used as make shift poles,” the locals said.

“More than a decade ago, a woman and her son lost their lives after a high-tension line fell on them,” said Zubair Ahmad Mir, a resident. Even though there has been no loss of life ever since, the locals said their livestock frequently fell prey to the low-lying power lines.

However, the authorities after the death of two people had assured them that the lines would be relocated, but nothing had been done in this regard, the locals said.

The villagers have threatened agitation if their demands are not met soon.

“Are the authorities waiting for some more people to fall prey to these dangerous power lines?” they said. The officials of the Power Development Department (PDD) said a proposal to relocate the lines had been prepared.

“We have rectified the problems of the locals on a temporary basis,” said Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), Bijbehara, Hilal Ahmad.

“Meanwhile a proposal has been prepared for the relocation of the lines, which needs to be funded by some agency so that the work is done,” said Ahmad.

He said the department had contacted the local MLA and most likely he would be funding the project.

Handwara, September 6
Reeling under mounting pressure to deal with wild animals on a killing spree in north Kashmir, officials of the Wildlife Department yesterday killed a man-eater leopard in Pazalpora village of Handwara tehsil.

The locals heaved a sigh of relief following killing of the man-eater. Habibullah Mir, block forest officer, said the man-eater was killed on the directions of the Chief Wild Life Warden.

“Following his directions, we laid an ambush near the dense forest area and engaged a few professional hunters. The man-eater was spotted around 5 pm and killed on the spot. The animal was increasingly becoming dangerous for the people and livestock,” said Mir, who was part of the ambush laid to kill the animal.

Earlier, the officials had set up a cage to trap the animal, but for the last two months the animal avoided the trap. “The department had declared the animal a man-eater and we were desperate to kill him,” he added.

The locals said they heaved a sigh of relief following the killing of the man-eater.

“We were feeling so scared as the man-eater was on the prowl in the village. So far, at least six people have been injured in leopard attacks and a 10-year-old boy succumbed to his injuries recently. We are thankful to the department for killing the man-eater,” said Abdul Rashid, a resident of Pazalpora village.

In the recent spate of attacks, the leopards attacked and critically injured three persons in Handwara villages.

Srinagar, September 6
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the state government would work out a strategy to engage another 3,000 Kashmiri migrant youth in government jobs in the Valley who were ready to return to their native place and serve here.

Omar was chairing a meeting of the Apex Advisory Committee for migrants today. He said 2,160 Kashmiri migrant youths had been employed so far in the Valley while the selection for another 1,443 posts was under process. He said as soon as these posts were filled up, the process for recruiting another lot of 3,000 migrant youth would start. ?

“We have already taken up the issue with the Centre and hope a positive response in this regard,” he said.

He said the state government had taken up the issue of increase in building construction finance for the migrants, who wished to return to the Valley and construct their houses from Rs 7.5 lakh at present to Rs 20 lakh, with the Central government.

Omar also directed for holding special workshops by Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI) at migrant camps in Jammu and in the Valley to make migrant youths aware of self-employment schemes and facilities available to them to launch livelihood-generating units.

He said there was ample opportunity for migrant youth to take self-employment as the means of their livelihood by utilising the provisions of employment programmes available in the state.

He directed for constitution of sub-committees to look into various aspects of return and rehabilitation of migrants in the Valley as also the issues confronting them in various migrant camps. ?"I want these committees immediately in place so that they will give their comprehensive report before April next when I will be again reviewing the migrant issues in the Apex Advisory Committee,” he said.

The Chief Minister also directed for early taking over of water supply project at the Jagti migrant camp at Nagrota, Jammu, by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and ensuring regular drinking water to the inmates of the colony.

He also directed for providing free electric supply to the inmates of Jagti township and other migrant camps up to the maximum of 100 units per month without any consideration of the inmate being employee or not.

The Chief Minister also gave nod to the proposal to effect modification to the Prime Minister’s package to enable all families who opted to return to the Valley to avail the benefits under the package for reconstruction of houses even if such families had sold their properties after 1997.

“The amendment will also ensure establishing of clusters at district level, besides making employees living in transit camps entitled to avail the benefit under the scheme and also reduce the demand for construction of additional transit camp units,” he said.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Revenue, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Legislator and chairperson, Social Welfare Advisory Board, Khem Lata Wakhloo, Legislator Vijay Bakaya, Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shilender Kumar, Secretary, Revenue, Vinod Koul, Secretary, General Department, Mohammad Ashraf Bukhari, Relief Commissioner RK Pandita and various other senior officials.

Srinagar, September 6
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah underlined the need to enhance financial resources to Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) to ensure sustained and independent growth.

Chairing the review meeting of the University, the Chief Minister, who is also the Chancellor of the University, asked the management to formulate a Five-Year Plan, identifying the roadmap of development and financial requirements for academic activities, strengthening of faculties and building of benefiting infrastructure.

CM Omar Abdullah also asked the University to focus on consolidation and creation of adequate infrastructure.

In a presentation, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, A R Trag said an integrated Ph D programme was introduced in the School of Business Studies. He said Ph D programmes were also being offered in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences from the current academic session. He informed that the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE ) had granted extension of approval for the period 2012-13 to the IUST for technical courses.

Trag said the project, entitled ‘establishment of quality control and food testing laboratory’, had been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 386.82 lakh by the Union Ministry of Food Processing and Industries for the University.

The Vice-Chancellor said upto 80 per cent construction had been completed in two academic buildings of electronics and communication engineering and computer science and engineering, for which foundation was laid by the Chief Minister last year.

He said 50 per cent construction had been completed in the OBC girls hostel for which the foundation was laid by the Minister for Social Welfare, ART and Trainings and Public Grievances this year.

The online admission process had been started in the current year and a fully automated admission process was on, he added.

The Vice-Chancellor said three supernumerary seats per course in engineering were introduced under the NRI quota from academic session 2013 to enhance the resource base of the University.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Higher Education Mohammad Akbar Lone, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development, B R Sharma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister B B Vyas, Secretary, Higher Education and Secretary, Technical Education.

Srinagar, September 6
Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand flagged-off ‘Bharat Darshan Tour-2013’ organised by the Border Security Force (BSF), Kashmir Frontier, for students of Kashmir here today.

The tour comprises two contingents, one each of 20 girls and 22 boys, selected from the remotest villages and far-off areas of the Kashmir valley.

The students will be taken to different parts of the country to expose them to various cultural, historical and other famous places, besides interacting with the President of India and other prominent personalities.

Tara Chand said the tour would help the students get acquainted with the socio-cultural diversity of India, besides inculcating in them a sense of brotherhood and patriotism. “Meeting and talking with high-profile personalities of the country will also help them gain confidence and inspire in them the spirit of achieving higher goals in life”, Tara Chand said.

Lauding the role of the BSF in safe-guarding the country, he said the BSF had been doing an appreciable work for maintaining the security, unity and integrity of the country.

He also paid homage to the martyrs who had laid their lives for the country.

Deputy Inspector General, BSF, Rajinder Pandey said like previous years, the BSF was organising the Bharat Darshan Tour for both boys and girls from the valley as a goodwill gesture.

Highlighting the background and various itineraries of the tour, Pandey said the journey would bring new experiences to the students. He said it was an educational-cum-motivational tour, organised with the aim to acquaint the students with varied ethos of the country. They would visit Banguluru, Mysore, Delhi, Agra, Gwalior and Jaipur and witness historical sites and places.

He said the trip would provide them an opportunity to visit various parts of the country and understand the culture of people living in the other states. Among others, students, parents and BSF officers were also present on the occasion.

Srinagar, September 6
Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather today said all necessary measures would be taken to exploit the multi-dimensional tourism potential of Tosa-maidan in the central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Tosa-maidan is spread over about 3,000 kanals and is situated in the upper reaches of the Himalayan range.

The Minister said the initiative would bring socio-economic prosperity in thw backward pocket of the state besides opening new vistas of employment for the local youth.

He said a road project from Drang to Tosa-maidan, costing Rs 11.50 crore, had already been sanctioned by the state government. All the resources would be mobilised to complete black topping of the Drang to Sitharan road during the current fiscal, he added.

The minister also inaugurated a treasury building at Khan Sahib. He 
said the government would construct government accommodation for the entire government treasury in the state in a phased manner. 

Srinagar, September 6
One person was killed and five others, including two minor sisters, were injured in different road accidents across the Kashmir valley today.

A school bus hit a motorcyclist, Amin Pandith, a resident of Harwan at Rawalpora, on the city outskirts. He was shifted to SKIMS Hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.

In south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a car skidded off the road at Sethar near Bijbehara town, resulting in injuries to the car driver, Rayees Ahmad Bhat of Mehandi Kadal. He was shifted to a hospital for treatment.

In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a vehicle hit and injured two minor sisters, nine-year-old Yusharat and seven-year-old Sabreena, residents of Wathoora village near Chadoora. Both the girls were shifted to Sub-District Hospital, Chadoora, for treatment.

In Ganderbal district, a passenger cab hit and injured a pedestrian, Riyaz Ahmed Mir of Ikhrajpora, Rajbagh, near Sonamarg. The injured was shifted to Public Health Centre, Sonamarg, for treatment.

A school bus hit a motorcycle at Shanger Gund near Sopore town, resulting in injuries to the motorcyclist, Khalid Bashir of Babagund Sello. The injured was shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Handwara, September 6
Growing population of stray dogs is posing danger to people in Villgam and a few of its adjoining villages.

As many as 12 people, including a few women, were attacked and injured by dogs in Villgam. Two more persons suffered dog bites in Handwara.

Local residents appealed to the municipal authorities to deal with the menace and rid them of the problem. They said at least 300 dogs were on prowl in Villgam, Punzwa, Dolipora and Dahama.

The victims bitten by dogs during the past three days have been identified as Gh Hassan Wani, Kahtija Begum, Kulsooma Bano, Razia Akther Khazir Mohammad and a few others.

They said herds of dogs were on the prowl in the villages and people were increasingly becoming the victims of dog bites. Some of them alleged that the municipal authorities from Srinagar had shifted dogs to remote villages in Kupwara district during the night hours.

“We spotted a vehicle of Municipal Corporation last week, which let free about 20 dogs in Villgam around 9 pm on Wednesday. The dogs are posing serious danger to humans and we are forced to accompany children to schools due to fear of dog bites,” said Abdul Majid, a local resident.

Stray dogs this morning attacked a 14-year-old girl Shazia Akther when she was on her way to school. She was shifted to Handwara hospital for treatment,” said Latif Ahmad.

In Handwara villages, the situation is equally worrisome. The local residents said the stray dogs were on prowl in Rajwar, Khanpora and Handwara and their movement had become very difficult. 

Srinagar, September 6
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani today wrote a letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel telling her that Germany's decision to go ahead with organising Zubin Mehta’s concert here has “dismayed and disappointed” people of Kashmir.

“The people of Kashmir are dismayed and disappointed by the decision of the German Embassy in India to organise a concert in Kashmir conducted by Zubin Mehta as part of ‘broader engagements’ with people of Kashmir,” Geelani said in the letter addressed to Merkel.

“The people of Kashmir have nevertheless always been grateful for the principled support for universal human rights and a peaceful, negotiated settlement to all international disputes by the members of the European Union,” he said.

Separatists and the region’s civil society and clergy has opposed Mehta’s concert which is scheduled to take place tomorrow evening claiming it will project Kashmir as a “normal” place.

At least three militant groups have also threatened the concert.

Geelani, who heads the hardline faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, has also called for a shutdown on Saturday.

“Despite the concerns expressed by the people of Kashmir in the media, the German Embassy decided to go ahead with the concert,” Geelani said in the letter.

He said the people of Kashmir had “high hopes” that Germany will play a meaningful and responsible role in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute for an “enduring and just peace” in south Asia.