Srinagar, September 24
With local residents complaining of inordinate delays in procuring birth and death certificates, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) would shortly make available the same in 24 hours.

“After two weeks, people within the municipal limits will get a birth and death certificate by the afternoon only if one applies for the same in the morning. At the most, it will be made available the next day only,” said Dr Shafqat Khan, who recently took over as the SMC Health Officer.

Admitting that delays were taking place in issuing certificates, he said the SMC officials would soon streamline the process and also ensure that people get online birth and death certificates through the website of the corporation.

Khan said those applying for online certificates too would get the same within 24 hours without visiting the SMC office. However, he said it was necessary that parents made sure the births of their children were registered properly at the hospitals and nursing homes.

Welcoming the move, local residents said the decision should not remain confined to papers. “Today, I got the birth certificate of my child after more than 10 days and after lots of efforts. If the SMC is promising that they will soon issue certificates within 24 hours, it will come as a major relief. However, I hope that the decision takes a practical shape and not remain confined to papers,” said a local resident at the SMC office.

Meanwhile, on reports of availability of fake birth certificates in the market, Khan said only three such cases had come to the fore. “These are rumours and in case of complaints, we have taken strict action. Only three such cases have been reported so far and FIRs have been registered in all these cases,” he said.

Those applying for online certificates too will get the same within 24 hours without visiting the office
— Dr Shafqat Khan, Health Officer, Srinagar Municipal Corporation

Anantnag, September 24
Shopian town and its peripheries in this south Kashmir district remained closed for the third consecutive day today.

Earlier, a 15-day curfew was relaxed on Sunday. The curfew was imposed in the town following killing of five people, four on September 7 and one on September 11, by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in the Gagren area of Shopian.

People in Shopian ever since have been demanding a complete removal of the CRPF camp in Gagren.

A decision to replace the CRPF personnel with the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP) was taken by the state Cabinet on September 12.

Reports said all shops, commercial establishments, colleges, schools and offices remained closed, while public transport remained off the roads.

Police and CRPF personnel were deployed throughout the town to thwart any protests.

No incident of stone pelting was reported from any part of the town; however, peaceful protests were reported from many places.

Meanwhile, Shabir Shah, president of the Democratic Freedom Party, a separatist outfit, visited the bereaved families in Shopian and expressed solidarity with them.

Calling the Shopian killings ‘cold-blooded murder’, Shah demanded that immediate action be taken against the perpetrators.

The Traders Federation of the town has decided to suspend all work till their demands are accepted by the government.

Sources said a meeting between the Traders Federation, district administration and police officials concluded without ending the deadlock in Shopian yesterday.

Sources said the officials had out rightly turned down the demands of the general public.

The people, however, have pledged to continue the shutdown until their demands are accepted.

Moreover, the people are also demanding that an FIR be registered against the erring CRPF personnel.

The department claims to have spent crores of rupees on building the road infrastructure but it has miserably failed to repair only the 2-km stretch leading to the village
— Farid Ahmad, a resident of muqam

Srinagar, September 24
Even as local residents continue to buy meat at higher rates, the wholesalers have urged the government to create conducive atmosphere so that they are able to sell Kashmir’s favourite food, mutton, at prescribed rates.

“Bringing down the price of mutton from Rs 340 to 310 (without offal) per kilogram is a challenge but the prices will come down only when the government creates conducive atmosphere,” said All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Union (AKWMD) in charge president Meraj-ud-Din while addressing a press conference here today.

The statement was made in reaction to a recent government order telling butchers to sell mutton at Rs 310. Pertinently, the mutton dealers had observed a strike for weeks earlier this year over meat rates. While mutton is considered to be the favourite dish of the Valley, locals were put to a lot of inconvenience. Even though the strike was called off, butchers continue to sell mutton at higher rates.

Stating that they were willing to sell mutton at prescribed rates, Meraj-ud-Din said the government should first properly implement the Mutton Control Act, 1973. He further demanded that the government should ensure mutton was not sold without proper licences.

The AKWMD demanded setting up of an enforcement team so that it was ensured that the mutton retailers got vouchers from the wholesalers. The union urged the government to deploy honest officials at Lakhanpur and Lower Munda so that smuggled meat from outside the Valley was seized.

Meraj-ud-Din pointed out that the Valley was once self-reliant but now had to depend on imports to cater to the mutton requirements. “We only produce 10 per cent mutton and the remaining is imported from states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana and Bihar,” he added.

Srinagar, September 24
North Kashmir’s Baramulla town continued to remain shut for the second consecutive day today against the detention of scores of youth, who the police alleged were involved in recent stone-pelting incidents in the town.

The police had sealed all the four bridges since the wee hours that connect old town locality with the main market.

Sources said shops and business establishments remained closed in Baramulla town, some 50 kilometers from here, today.

On Monday, the local traders federation had called for a shutdown in the town against the arrest of some youth who they said were local businessmen. The police late Monday released a few youth and the federation too appealed people to resume business on Tuesday.

However, the sources said many youth appeared on the two bridges of the town which were already sealed and started throwing stones at the police. The youth were demanding release of all those who were detained by the police in the town.

Clashes between the protesters and the police continued in some parts of the town.

The traffic plied normally on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway as heavy contingent of police and paramilitary forces was deployed in the area to prevent any stone pelting on the highway. The sources said the work in banks and government offices was also hampered in the town due to general strike.

Srinagar, September 24
The annual Urs of Valley’s revered Sufi saint Hazrat Shiekh Noor-ud-Din Wali will be observed at Charar-e-Sharief in central Kashmir’s Budgam district from October 3.

To review arrangements for the Urs, Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather convened a meeting of the district administration, Budgam, at the Civil Secretariat here yesterday. An official statement said the Urs celebrations would begin with ‘poshak bandi’ on the mausoleum of the revered saint on October 1, followed by ‘shab khwani’ and ‘darood-u-azkar mehfil’ the next day.

The main function will be held on October 3 and the Urs celebrations will continue till October 11.

The minister asked the district administration to make foolproof arrangements for the devotees who come in thousands to Charar-e-Sharief from across the state to pay obeisance at the shrine.

The minister also called for making adequate transport arrangement to carry devotees to and fro Charar-e-Sharief to other parts of the Valley. He said transport facility should be ensured till late hours.

The statement said the Tourism Department would install lighting system around the shrine whereas the Municipal Committee Charar-e-Sharief would engage sufficient number of sweepers to keep the surroundings in and around the shrine complex neat and clean.

The J&K Bank has been asked to press into service a mobile ATM van for the conveniences of the devotees.

Srinagar, September 24
In the ongoing J&K State Power Development Corporation Annual League Football Tournament 2013 seven matches were played between various teams.

In the first 'A' Division match J&K Police 'B' defeated Jahangir Sports by 6:0 goals. For J&K Police, Rohit scored two goals while Vishal, Bilal, Shabir and Rohan Kumar scored one goal each.

In another 'A' Division match AG's Office defeated Court Road Football Club. AG'S scored 7 goals against 0. The seven goals were scored for AG's in 2nd, 9th, 19th, 21st, 24th, 46th and 68th minutes of the game.

In the first Super Division match JKSRTC defeated Jehlum Sports by 2:0. For JKSRTC Sohail Ahamad scored first goal in eighth minute and Sohail Sidiq extended lead in the last minute of the game.

In another Super Division match Food and Suplies defeated Maharaja Sports by 1:0. Both teams played aggressive football till the last minute of the game. In the second half of the match F&S scored the only goal and won the match. For F&S Waseem scored the only goal in the 55th minute.

Three matches were played in 'B' Division at Polo Ground, Srinagar.

In the first match Bilalia Football Club defeated Solina 'B' by 2:0 goals. Rayees and Ishtaq was the scorer for Bilalia FC.

In a second match Burn Hall School won the match against Poloview Football Club. Hashim gave first lead to Poloview FC in the seventh minute and an equaliser came in 19th minute through Fahad. In the 2nd half Burnhall troubled Poloview FC and scored three goals. While two goals were scored by, Amir in 45th and 46th minute, Showkat scored last and fourth goal in 55th minute which shut the door for the Poloview Football Club in the tournament. 

Srinagar, September 24
A woman was killed and 10 others injured in several road accidents in the region, a police spokesman said here today.

The woman, identified as Haleema, a resident of Rawathpora village in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was hit by a truck near Parimpora in the city. The 40-year-old victim was shifted to SKIMS Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries, the spokesman said.

In Baramulla district, a passenger cab skidded off the road at Ananwan crossing near Kralgund, resulting in injuries to six people travelling in the cab, the spokesman said. All the injured were shifted to a hospital.

Four passengers were injured when two vehicles collided at Novpora near north Kashmir’s Sopore town. All the injured were shifted to a hospital for treatment, the spokesman said.