Anantnag, October 19
To protest the arrest of youths by the police, a complete shutdown was observed in Shopian town today.

Several youths have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the protests against the September 7 and 11 killings by CRPF personnel in the Gagren area of the town.

Reports said the shutdown call was extended by Imams of the local mosques after the Friday congregational prayers yesterday.

“All commercial establishments, schools, colleges and offices remained closed throughout the day. The police and CRPF personnel had been deployed in the town to thwart any protest,” reports said.

Locals alleged that the police had been arresting youths and cases were being lodged against them even after the local civil groups decided to call off their agitation against the killings.

Local Tehreek-e-Hurriyat leader Muhammad Yousuf Falahi is among the arrested persons and has been booked under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA).

“Even though Falahi played a major role in convincing the agitators to call off the protest, he has been arrested and booked under the PSA,” said a resident.

People of the region are now demanding an immediate release of the arrested persons, including Falahi, and scrapping of the cases against them.

A strict curfew was imposed in Shopian town from September 7 to 21 after four persons were shot dead by CRPF personnel in the Gagren area. Three of the slain were identified as innocent civilians.

Another civilian was shot dead by CRPF personnel in the same area on September 11.

After the curfew was lifted, people of the area launched an agitation and demanded an immediate removal of the camp from Gagren and punishment for the erring CRPF personnel.

While the state Cabinet had ordered shifting of the CRPF personnel from the camp on September 12, the process was finally completed on October 9.

Gagren residents had also threatened mass migrate from their village in case the camp was not relocated by October 10.

Fact file The shutdown is being observed to protest the arrest of youths for their alleged involvement in the agitation against the alleged killings by CRPF personnel in the Gagren area September 7 and 11. The call for a shutdown were extended by imams of the local mosques on Friday after the congregational prayers All commercial establishments, schools, colleges and offices remained closed throughout the day

Srinagar, October 19
While curfew-like restrictions continued in Palhalan village of north Kashmir for the fourth consecutive day today, while clashes between the police and youth were reported in Baramulla town.

The restrictions in volatile Palhalan, some 30 km from here, were imposed on Wednesday afternoon after a police driver, Kanwal Nain Singh, was killed in a stone-pelting incident after the Eid prayers.

“Restrictions are in place in the area as a precautionary measure,” said a police officer in north Kashmir.

Dozens of police and paramilitary troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have sealed various link roads leading to the village.

“For the fourth consecutive day today, the police did not allow us to go out of the village,” said a Palhalan resident.

Residents alleged the police was harassing them from the past four days after the death of a police driver.

“The entire village is being punished since Wednesday and we were not even able to celebrate Eid,” said a resident.

The police has registered a case against those involved in the stone-pelting incident.

Meanwhile, clashes erupted in north Kashmir’s Baramulla town, 55 km from here, after a youth was detained by the police.

Sources said as the news about youth’s detention spread, dozens of youths came on the streets and pelted stones on the police. The police fired tear smoke shells to quell the mob. A protester was injured in the clashes in Baramulla this evening and was taken to a Srinagar hospital.

Kupwara, October 19
For residents of 36 villages in Kupwara district light means the day and night darkness. Electricity has never reached some of these villages.

Residents said in the absence of power, they were forced to illuminate their homes with candles and kerosene-run chimneys. “The world may have witnessed a great deal of development, but we are still living a primitive life. We have not seen power since this village came into being in 1960s. The smoke emanating from the kerosene-run chimneys has caused chest complications especially among the children,” said Wali Mohd Khan, a resident of Kumkaddi, 14 km from Kupwara town.

“Politicians visit our villages when elections are round the corner and promise development. Nothing has happened on the ground level,” he said.

The villages without the facility include include Kainard, Taryan, Pashardan Gagal, Moori Kalaroos, Kothayan, Nardi, Shundi, Narikoot, Nardi, Dorusa, Dardepora, Wugbal, Butnard, Grahatnard, Doben,

Sharanth, Monigha, Shalubutta, Takki, Sonni, Hajinakka, Chutwan, Safawali, Budinumbal, Kadhama, Bullynard, Golipora, Dardehaji, Satboyan in Dardepora and Rangwar.

Residents of Glassdagi said the district administration provided them with solar lighting in 2007 but the lights went out of order in 2010. “The lights are defunct for the past three years. At the time of installation, the engineers had claimed that lights would work for about 10 years and after that the batteries must be replaced. We visited the officials concerned, requesting them to check if there was any snag in the solar lighting, but no official visited the village,” said Abdul Hamid Khatana, a resident of Glassdagi.

Students said their education had been hit due to the power scenario. “The facility could ensure long hours of study during nights. We are forced to study under kerosene lanterns and candles and this has proved hazardous for our health. The absence of electricity has badly affected our education,” said Latif Ahmad Cheechi, a Class XII student.

“Due to prolonged exposure to smoke, many people are suffering from asthma, tuberculosis and other respiratory disorders,” he said.

Kupwara DC Itrat Hussian Rafique said many of these villages would be covered under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna and Rashtriya Soyam Vikas Yojna. “We have already covered many such habitations under the central schemes. The remaining villages would also be covered soon,” said the DC.

Srinagar, October 19
There has been no let up in the power cuts in the city even during Eid. Unscheduled power cuts are here again to haunt the residents.

The Power Development Department (PDD) has not furnished any schedule of power cuts. The state government has failed to ensure round-the-clock power supply even in major residential and commercial places as well as mosques of the city.

People are dismayed on the festive occasion, especially when the demand for power supply jumps high during this time.

Many areas in north and south Kashmir districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama have slipped into darkness due to either non-repair of the damaged power transformers or incessant power cuts by the power department.

Many areas of the uptown and downtown Srinagar city are also reeling under unscheduled power cuts, with some localities without electricity for more than 24 hours.

“Even Lal Chowk, the commercial nerve centre of Kashmir, has been experiencing power cuts which speaks volumes about the power scenario in the valley," Tanveer Ahmad Beigh, a shopkeeper, said.

In some localities in the old city, damaged transformers have not been repaired even after several complaints.

“The state administration is completely aware of our problems and still chooses to be heedless. When we take to streets, we are dubbed as stone pelters,” said Muntazir Ali, a resident of Zaindar Mohalla, Habba Kadal.

The dissent expressed by masses is falling on deaf ears as the state government is yet to improve the power scenario.

“When there is shortage of all essential supplies even during festivals, a common man is forced to stage protests when he should be celebrating with his family,” said Mushtaq Ali, a government employee.

Srinagar, October 19
Postmen in Kashmir will now have to be more accountable as the Department of Posts, J&K Circle, is contemplating introducing electronic handheld devices for postmen to ensure timely and accurate delivery of postal mail.

The Chief Post Master General, J&K Circle, Chandra Prakash, told The Tribune that many times, the letters were not delivered to right persons and sometimes there was an unprecedented delay in the delivery of mail.

“These electronic devices will ensure that the mails are delivered at correct address and on time, as the machines will record the date, time and place of delivery. This is possible by adding the GPRS application to the devices,” Prakash said.

He said the postal services in the state would be merged with the banking facilities and that ATM machines would be installed at many state post offices.

“There is a plan to introduce the ATM facilities of State Bank of India at 1,000 post offices through out the country, which will include the post offices from the state as well. We will widen the facilities of networking and computerisation of post offices in the state, especially those in the rural areas where the demand for postal services is generally high,” he said.

“We plan to computerise all post offices in the state in the next one year. The move will make postal services more efficient in the state,” he added.

Srinagar, October 19
Coming in support of the separatists, Grand Mufti (chief cleric) of Kashmir Mufti Basheer-ud-Din Ahmad has asked the government to lift the restrictions imposed on these leaders, including hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani.

He has also criticised the government for curbing the movement of separatists on the eve of Eid, terming it an interference in the religious affairs.

“Curbing the movement of resistance leadership of the state, particularly Syed Ali Geelani, Shabbir Shah and Yasin Malik, on the eve of Eid and stopping them from offering the Eid prayers is surely a bad and distasteful act,” Grand Mufti said in a statement.

“Apart from freedom, everyone has a constitutional right to practice his religion. Even when India fought for its freedom, British did not impose any religious restricts,” Muft said, while terming the interference into the religious affairs by the government intolerable.

“The restrictions imposed on these leaders should be immediately lifted. Everyone should be allowed to follow their own beliefs,” he said, while warning the government not to hurt the religious sentiments of the Kashmiri Muslims.

Srinagar, October 19
Five killed and two others were injured in different road accidents across the Kashmir valley today, police said.

Three persons, including a girl, have succumbed to injuries at a hospital in the city here. The trio was injured on October 17 in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district when the car they were travelling in collided with a bus at Janbazpora, a police spokesperson said.

The deceased have been identified as Parvaiz Ahmad Khan, Mariya Bano and Anayatullah Khan, all residents of Ladoo village of Rafiabad. Two injured in the collision are under treatment at the SKIMS hospital.

Another person identified as Mohammad Musa Mehander, a resident of the Kalakote area of Rajouri district, who was injured in a road mishap at Sether in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on October 6, also succumbed to injuries at the SKIMS hopistal in the city here, the spokesperson said. In Baramulla district, a pedestrian, identified as Jamsheeda, a resident of Tujjar Sharief, was killed when she was hit by a minibus near Harwan in Sopore town, the spokesperson said.

A van on way from Tangmarg to Magam hit and injured a girl Jameela Ahad, a resident of Wailoo Kralpora, at Kunzar market in Baramulla district. The injured was shifted to Sub district Hospital Magam for treatment.

In another accident near Kunzar, a car hit and injured Nazia Akhtar, a resident of the Naria area of Rajouri district, at Batapora. She was shifted to a hospital. — TNS

Kupwara, October 19
Residents of Kupwara town and some of its adjoining villages have demanded early completion of the ongoing drainage works in the area.

The residents alleged that the work on the drainage has been going on at snail’s pace for the past many months and if the work was not paced up, it may take many more months to complete the drainage system.

“The ongoing work has become a major reason for frequent traffic jams in the town. The department concerned has not been able to complete the drainage during past one year. The ongoing work is affecting our business, as the extracted material is dumped in front of our shops. The customers are shying away from our shops. The drainage work should be completed at the earliest, so that we can run our business smoothly,” Homan Ahmad, a shopkeeper said.

“For the past three years, the work on drainages is going on. While the work is going on at some places, it has been suspended at other places due to unknown reasons,” said Shabir Ahmad, a local.

The inhabitants also alleged that due to the poor drainage system most of the places in the town remain submerged, even when there is a slight rainfall.

“The drainages are very ill-maintained and entire town is submerged in rain water even due to a slight rainfall. Although, of late the department has started to work on drainages, but it is going on at snail’s pace,” said Reyaz Ahmad, a trader. The situation in Handwara is no different.

Traders and residents said that the work on drainages is going on at a very slow pace.

“We appeal the concerned minister to intervene and complete the work at the earliest. We are suffering immensely due to poor drainage system,” said Aijaz Ahmad, a trader.

Srinagar, October 19
The second day of the ongoing North Zone Regional Judicial Conference here was dominated by the ‘Rule of law and access to justice’.

While presenting a paper on the issue, Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir Justice MM Kumar highlighted the contribution of the Supreme Court of India towards creating jurisprudence of areas in India.

He also stressed on the role of judges to enhance the quality to justice.

The objective of the three-day conference, organised by National Judicial Academy of India in collaboration with Jammu and Kashmir State Judicial Academy, is to discuss the role of courts in upholding rule of law.

Apart from Chief Justice Kumar, Justice Sanjay Krishan Koul and Justice Rewa Khetrapal presented paper on Civil Justice Administration.

Justice DD Sud and Justice Mukta Gupta read out paper on the Criminal Justice System: Fair Trial Rights, whereas Justice AP Sahai presented paper on the Role of Courts in upholding Rule of Law.

The Conference is being attended by the Judicial Officers of District Judiciary of six North Zone States, including Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pardesh and Uttar Pardesh.

Srinagar, October 19
A local court here has issued warrant against a spices manufacturing firm for alleged infringement of the trade mark logo under the Trade Mark Act.

The court, while issuing the bailable warrant against the proprietors M/S Shaheen Spices, have summoned them to appear before it on the next date of hearing, fixed for October 31.

It also directed SHO, Parimpora, to execute the summons.

The warrants were issued following a complaint by Puri Oil Mills Limited, which had asked for initiating legal proceedings against the Shaheen Spices for the alleged duplicity of its propriety trade mark --- P Mark --- logo.

Puri Oil Mills Limited is the lawful registered user of trade mark ‘P Mark’ under the Trade Mark Act 1958, the company said in its suit.

Srinagar, October 19
A review meeting was held at the International Airport here today to take stock of the arrangements made for the arrival of the Haj pilgrims.

The devotees will start returning from the holy journey on Monday.

The meeting was chaired by Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Khurshid Ahmed Shah and was attended by Director Airport Authority of India, KS Rao, Superintendent of Police, Airport, Abdul Rashid Bhat, concerned officers from the Haj Committee, district administration, Budgam, besides other concerned officers from the Public Health Engineering, Traffic, Health and the Custom departments.

“500 to 600 Hajis are expected to arrive per day till November 6,” an official from the Haj Committee informed the meeting.

“Facilities of drinking water and mobile lavatories and other emergency services, like first aid and fire dousing have also been made. Besides, 15 volunteers from Home Guards shall be provided by the District Police, Budgam, while arrangements for light refreshment being sponsored by JK Bank shall also be available at the Airport,” he added.

The officials also toured the special area of the airport, reserved for arrival of Haj pilgrims.

Meanwhile, Director Airport Authority informed that ‘Zum-Zum’ (the holy water), which the devotees will be carrying along with them will be provided to the pilgrims at the arrival only.

Srinagar, October 19
The HDFC Bank today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Jammu & Kashmir Government for direct transfer of payments to the beneficiaries under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

The initiative, the first of its kind in J&K under the central government’s Direct Benefits Transfer programme, will result in faster transfer of payments to the beneficiaries. It will also enable the government to efficiently track the funds.

The MoU was signed by Kuldeep Krishan Sidha, Assistant Commissioner Development, Jammu, and Zubair Iqbal, Vice President and Circle Head, J&K, HDFC Bank.

Others present on the occasion, included Farooq Ahmad Peer Commissioner Secretary of J&K Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department, and Shafiq Ahmad Raina, Director for Rural Development, Jammu.

“The initiative will help fast-track the transfer of funds under the MGNREGA, which has brought about a positive change in the socio-economic life of people in rural locations,” Peer said

Speaking on the occasion, Iqbal said they feel privileged to be chosen as a partner for this initiative.

“The bank’s strong reach in far-flung rural locations of J&K, combined with advanced technology and multi-channel service capabilities, will ensure efficient flow of funds to the last mile. The initiative also ties in well with our financial inclusion efforts at rural locations,” he said.

The electronic transfer of payments to job card holders is expected to benefit an estimated 78,000 families. Currently, the transfer is being done manually through cash and cheque, which consumes relatively more time.

Srinagar, October 19
Police has launched an investigation after four bikes were stolen from different parts of the city this week.

A police spokesman said an investigation has been launched to trace down four bikes, which were reported to have been stolen from different parts of the city.

The spokesman said Javed Geelani, a resident of Surteng Rainawari, reported that his motorcycle has been stolen from Khanyar on October 18, while Ghulam Rasool Sofi from Waternag also claimed that his motorcycle had been stolen from Jenab Sahab Soura on the same day.

Meanwhile, Sajad Ahmad Matoo, a resident of Munawarabad Khanyar, reported that his motorcycle has been stolen by unidentified person near Jamia Masjid Nowhatta on October 17.

Shafi Makroo from Kawdara lost his motorcycle from Nishat Market, the spokesman said.

In the past, police had cracked several high profile gangs of bike-lifters, who were operating in the city, following which there had been a decline in such cases.

Jammu, October 19
Deputy Commissioner, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, has stressed the need for close coordination between different departments for ensuring fool-proof arrangements for the smooth conduct of the Jhiri Mela, which will commence on November 16.

Sahu was addressing a meeting of the district officers of different departments and the Mela Committee members at Jhiri.

It was decided in the meeting that Block Development Officer, Marh, will be the Mela Officer, who will supervise the arrangements of the fair besides ensuring construction of mobile toilets and individual sanitation complex. A control room has also been set up under the supervision of Naib Tehsildar, which will be made functional round the clock for the convenience of the devotees.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the functionaries of R&B to immediately start the repair of damaged roads. He also asked the PHE department to ensure uninterrupted water supply with provision for additional water tanks, hand pumps and sprinklers for cleaning of the venue.

Sahu also instructed the Power Department to ensure proper lighting arrangements in addition to un-interrupted power supply at the venue throughout the Mela days.

The Irrigation Department was directed to construct bathing ghats and erection of barricading.

Transport authorities, meanwhile, were told to arrange sufficient number of buses for transportation of devotees and to fix special time table for hassle-free movement of vehicles.

Fire Services would ensure fire tenders at the venue and other vital points to meet any eventuality.