Jammu, October 12
In Ladakh, the country’s largest parliamentary area-wise segment, elected representatives sweat it out everyday to hear genuine grievances of local residents as they still follow old methods of trekking and horse-riding to reach out to electorate owing to tough geographical terrain and poor road connectivity.

The lone Member of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly continuously trek to far-off habitations of Ladakh, also known as the land of high passes, for two or three days to get a brief about problems being faced by villagers.

Riding horses, it take a full day to reach remote villages in their respective segments. There are villages in Ladakh where people see faces of elected representatives only once a year.

“It is a challenging and Herculean task for every elected representative to reach its electorate in remote, hilly and far-off areas of Ladakh. There are six villages in Lingshed area of Khalsi subdivision in Leh district where there is no road connectivity. It requires two or three days of trekking to reach there. Things become more difficult in winter when these areas remain snow-covered for almost six months,” said Thupstan Chhewang, Member of Parliament from Ladakh.

Chhewang, who won the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat for BJP for the first time, said he would try to cover all habitation across Ladakh so that problems of the people were redressed.

“A few days back, we had to ride the whole day to reach Rallay Eeching village in Durbuk block of Leh district. The village is located 15 km from a motorable road along the China border. There are areas where visitors have to trek for two or three days or ride houses the entire day to reach inhabitants. During campaigning in April-May, we could not cover all habitation in the segment. We formed groups to reach out the people in remote areas,” the MP said, adding that the Centre has recently announced funds for better road connectivity in Ladakh region.

The Ladakh Lok Sabha seat is spread over a total geographical area of 1.73 lakh square kilometres. It constitutes two-thirds the geographical area of Jammu and Kashmir and has two districts, Leh and Kargil. There are four Assembly constituencies, Leh, Nobra, Kargil and Zanskar. Pakistan and China had illegally occupied 78,114 sq km and 37,555 sq km of the region, respectively.

The total area of Leh district is 82,665 sq km. Of the total area, 37,555 sq km is under illegal occupation of China, leaving 45,110 sq km with India. The total area of Kargil district is 14,086 sq km.

Many road projects in Durbuk block of Leh district, which were started almost two decades back, were incomplete due to paucity of funds. Recently, Union Rural Development Minister Nitin Gadkari had approved 28 projects worth Rs 438 crore for building rural roads in Leh and Kargil districts.

“Between 90 and 95 villages are connected with block headquarters in Kargil, but the remaining unconnected areas are accessed only after trekking and horse-riding. The projects have been approved for inaccessible areas and we are hopeful of providing road connectivity soon,” said Qamar Ali Akhoon, Kargil MLA and former minister.

Jammu, October 12
Given the devastation caused by floods refusing to disappear from the scene anytime soon and Pakistani guns blazing on borders, the clamour for the Assembly elections has put Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his government in a dilemma.

Jammu, October 12
Taking the course of confrontation with the National Conference (NC), its coalition partner, the Congress Sunday came out openly in support of conducting Assembly elections on time.

Congress leaders avoided indulging in a war of words with their coalition partner, but quoted flood victims to substantiate their stand that there should be no deferment of elections in the flood-ravaged state.

“People affected by the recent floods are of the opinion that the responsibility for relief and rescue operations should be given to the new government,” said Saifuddin Soz, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC).

During an informal conversation with mediapersons, Soz avoided direct confrontation with the NC. He repeatedly quoted flood victims to support his party’s stand of holding elections on time.

“There is a general perception among flood victims that the present regime, at the fag end of its tenure, has become lethargic, especially after the devastating floods, and a new government should take up relief and rescue operations with zeal and dedication,” he said.

The NC had insisted that the time was not ripe for holding elections. “The atmosphere is not congenial due to devastation caused by the floods and trauma and shock,” said NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar after meeting Deputy Election Commissioner of India Vinod Jutshi on October 9.

Soz said the Congress was ready to contest the elections at any time, but the final decision would have to be taken by the Election Commission of India.

The JKPCC president asserted that the party would aggressively take up the issue of allotting five marlas each at safer places to residents of border areas.

“I have asked Congress ministers to take up this issue in the next Cabinet meeting and get approval because it is a part of the Congress agenda,” he said. He added that the Congress was committed to fulfilment of this commitment.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that the Congress had been assuring residents of border areas for the last 12 years that they would be given alternative land, Soz said this issue would be resolved this time.

He did not see any reason to take disciplinary action against former Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, who had shared the dais with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti in Hiranagar on Saturday. “I am more worried about his health,” he said.

Soz and other Congress leaders visited the Government Medical College in Jammu to enquire about the condition of those who injured in firing on the border recently. He visited some border areas in Jammu. He announced Rs 10 lakh for purchase of medicines for the injured from his MPLAD fund.

Jammu, October 12
Seeking cooperation of the Pandit community in rebuilding Kashmir after the devastating floods, president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti today said this community had immensely contributed in the past in emancipation of the Kashmir society and it was time for their return to their homes with honour and dignity.

Addressing Kashmiri Pandits at Paloura, Purkhoo and Jagti areas, Mehbooba said, “Kashmir has once again seen a devastation of vast scale. Though this time it is due to the nature’s wrath, it compounds the problem left behind by the horrible events of 1990s which had forced a large number of people, mainly Pandits, to leave their homes and hearths.”

She said the potential that the Kashmir Pandits had displayed and employed in emancipation of the society in the past was once again required to face the new situation.

She said in the shape of PDP and its leader Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, a platform has been established for democratic participation of all communities, identities and regions to pool their energies together for building a new Jammu and Kashmir.

She said her party’s focus was on building bridges between communities and uniting them for the welfare of everybody rather than emotionally exploiting one community or other for political survival.

“We have enough bitterness between us along community and sectarian lines, but our coming generation has to work on our strong bonds of amity that has defined Kashmir through age,” she added.

Jammu, October 12
Congress national spokesperson Salman Anees Soz today urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to closely monitor implementation of the J&K Government’s order related to transfers of staff in various departments.

He said, “The ECI may be aware that following the massive floods, the government issued a directive on September 15, stopping all transfers, which was appropriate at that time. As the situation improved slowly, the government issued an order on October 11, revoking its September 15 order,” he said in a press note. — TNS

Jammu, October 12
Two brothers received severe injuries when Pakistani forces again indulged in indiscriminate firing and shelling in civilian areas of Arnia in Bishnah and RS Pura near the international border on Saturday night.

A villager displays a mortar shell fired from the Pakistani side at Arnia village in Jammu on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

The firing started in Arnia at 8:15 pm on Saturday and continued till 8.30 am on Sunday. Heavy exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani forces was reported in the sector as Pakistani forces launched an assault.

Firing by Pakistani soldiers overnight was reported in the RS Pura sector as the Pakistan Rangers targeted 15 posts of the BSF.

A police spokesman said Surjeet Kumar and his brother Som Nath of Jabowal in Arnia received severe injuries in firing from across the border. Surjeet was taken to a hospital.

The police spokesman further said six heads of cattle were killed in shelling from across the border and 20 houses damaged.

Meanwhile, more than 9,400 border migrants comprising 2,100 families stayed put in relief camps set up by the district administration at 34 locations in Hiranagar in Kathua district.

Earlier, the district administration had decided to shift back the migrants belonging to villages located more than 3 km from the international border.

With reports of fresh ceasefire violations in RS Pura on Saturday night, the families had been asked to stay on in camps till the final resolution of the matter.

Kathua DC Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, SSP Mohan Lal and the Hiranagar SDM visited various relief camps and held a meeting with migrants, camp commanders and camp officers.

They were told that returning home was not advisable at the moment and the administration would continue to extend assistance and providing facilities at camps.

The DC inspected civic amenities and services available to women, children and the elderly. He visited classes for children of migrant families and interacted with them.

The police deputed a number of teams to the villages to ensure that there was no theft and property was safe. Lumbardars, chowkidars, sarpanches and panches were associated with safety of property as well.

Srinagar, October 12
Kashmir University’s Vice Chancellorship selection process, which was halted due to the deluge, is back on the track and the university will soon get its Vice Chancellor in the next few days.

Sources said three candidates shortlisted for the coveted post namely SWA Naqvi from the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, Javed Mussarat from the Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Aligarh Muslim University, and Khursheed Iqbal Andrabi, Dean research, Kashmir University, met Governor NN Vohra, who is also the Chancellor of Kashmir University, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Pro- Chancellor of KU.

“The detailed interaction included discussions on the emerging challenges at Kashmir University and how to tackle them. All three candidates were called for interaction on September 18 after the chairman of the selection committee, Goverdhan Mehta, Former Director, Indian Institute of Sciences, submitted their names to the Governor,” sources said.

Sources said Uttar Pradesh-born Naqvi is most likely to become the next VC of KU because of his strong publications, administrative experiences and good track record.

A senior faculty member at KU wishing not to be named said the university would get its Vice Chancellor this week after the former VC, Talat Ahmad, quit five months before and was later appointed as VC, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.

Kashmir University’s run up to VC selection process has not been without controversies, especially with the senior most professor at the university, MA Sofi, former Head of Department, Mathematics, threatening to move to court against what he called “favouritsm” in the selection process as his name was dropped out from the final 11 list of candidates. 

Jammu, October 12
The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti in its Perspective Academic Planning, 2014-15, has suggested various measures for adequate safety of girl students in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas.

The samiti has suggested that girl students should be divided into groups of 10 and a senior girl be nominated as the leader, who will assist the house mistress in keeping close supervision over the movement and problems of the group members.

Navodaya Vidyalayas have been instructed to attend the complaints made by girl students regarding repair works, electric fitting and toilets on top priority.

The samiti has also insisted on providing regular medical care to the girl students.

Sources said the 2014-15 plan has emphasised the need to keep health record of girl students. It has also stressed that students should be kept under supervision of staff nurse or a teacher and not be left alone in the dormitories during school hours or meal time.

Any male staff asking a girl student to meet him out of the classroom should take a prior permission of the Principal/Head Mistress.

The daily cleaning of dormitories and bathrooms should be done by female employees only.

“A register on the entry gate of girls’ dormitories should be maintained to check the movement of male workers. It should be maintained by the house mistress/head girl and periodically inspected by the Principal,” a statement from the samiti stated.

“The girls should not be permitted to visit the houses of teachers. In an exception, the students should get permission from the house master or from the Principal,” it added.

To avoid untoward incident during the tours, the samiti has instructed Navodaya Vidyalayas to ensure that a female teacher is invariably deputed to escort the girl students while they are on tour for participation in sports events, cultural fests or other related activities.

“All female teachers, particularly the house masters/assistant house master should have a continuous communication with the girl students. Any problem reported by them should be immediately brought to notice of the Principal and attended to,” the samiti stated.

Srinagar, October 12
With all shops closed in the city centre, Lal Chowk, street vendors have taken over the market giving a hope of recovery.

After being hit by devastated floods last month, shopkeepers are still busy in cleaning the muck from their shops in the commercial hub. However, street vendors have kept the hope of new beginning alive.

“We want to give hope to customers and people who have been let down by the floods. We are selling whatever little is left with us which has not been hit by the floods,” said Ali Muhammad, who was selling shoes and slippers on his cart in Amira Kadal.

Many shops that were completely submerged have put the flood-damaged things on sale, witnessing a huge crowd of people. Things like carpets, fabric material, footwear and bags are seen on carts that have been spread outside the shops in Lal Chowk, Residency Road and Goni Khan.

“Whatever is left, we are trying to sell it off on cheap rates. We have got buyers as people need these basic things. Besides, there are no other options left,” said a fabric shop owner in Goni Khan, Srinagar.

Carpets that got damaged due to muddy waters inside the shops are also being sold at huge discounts at a renowned market in Budshah Chowk. “We have to start from scratch as there has been a huge loss due to the floods, but we can’t throw the carpets out on roads. We are trying to sell it on very low rates. At least people can wash them and use. Whatever we have to do, we have to do that on our own, no one is going to help us,” said a owner of a carpet shop in Budshah Chowk.

Jammu, October 12
The National Mazdoor Conference (NMC) today appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to regularise the services of all daily wagers, casual and seasonal labourers engaged in various state departments after 1994.

The body urged the Chief Minister to take a decision in this regard before the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the ensuing Assembly elections so that confusion and uncertainty among the workers comes to an end.

Addressing a rally of workers at Rani Park here, NMC president Subash Shastri said the new regularisation policy should become operational from November 1 as a “gift” to the workers.

He hoped that the Chief Minister would sympathetically consider the demands of daily-rated workers and make announcement in this regard at the earliest.

“These workers have not been getting their wages consistently for many years. Their working conditions are dismal,” he said.

Shastri demanded that monthly emoluments of daily wagers should be raised to Rs 10,000 per month in view of sharp increase in prices of essential commodities and inflation.

Jammu, October 12
Out of favour cricketer Virender Sehwag today said the talent alone was not enough to make it to the highest level and consistent performance was imperative for making it to the international stage.

The cricketer signs his gloves before presenting them to Prince, who got his wicket in the nets. Tribune photos: Inderjeet Singh

“Talent can help you reach to a certain level, but eventually it is the performance which helps the cricketer to prove his worth at the national and international level,” the former skipper told reporters after inaugurating the Sehwag Cricket Academy at Sainik Colony here.

The swashbuckling cricketer also brushed aside assertions that Twenty20 cricket was posing threat to the longer format of the game. “Despite the huge popularity of T20 format, the importance of both Tests and ODIs has not diminished,” he said.

Sehwag further said tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a great platform for emerging cricketers to exhibit their talent.

“IPL is a wonderful opportunity not only for international cricketers, but also for the emerging players to prove their worth. It is important for budding cricketers to perform well as selectors are present during the matches and you never know when you get a call to play for India,” he said.

On opening up a cricket academy in Jammu, the hard-hitting opener said: “Opening of academies in more and more cities in the country would definitely go a long way in exploring the hidden talent.”

“Catch them young is the mantra to make good cricketers, who can perform at various levels,” Sehwag said.

When asked about the cost factor involved in the sport, he said: “People say that cricket is a costly game but when a player performs at a higher level he automatically gets a sponsor to take care of his financial needs.”

Sehwag, who played his last Test in March 2013 against Australia, meanwhile, said there was no dearth of talent in Jammu and Kashmir and it was only about providing the right kind of infrastructure to the budding athletes.

“The motive behind opening an academy here is to share my experiences (with the youngsters) whenever I visit the academy, guide them and help them improve their game,” he said.

“There is a need to fill up the gap between the talent and the performance,” said Sehwag, who is the only India cricketer to score two triple centuries in Tests.

“One of the youngsters bowled me out (in the nets). He will not be charged any annual registration fee. I also gave him my signed gloves, which will definitely inspire him,” Sehwag said.

Sehwag said the J&K boys have done well at different levels and need to continue their good work.

“Like I said before, talent is important but the most important thing is to perform. J&K cricketers have immense potential. They have been performing at the domestic level but they need to go on to achieve the milestone,” the Delhi dasher said.

He also praised Jammu-based Shubham Khajuria for his performance in the domestic circuit and said if he continued the scoring runs he definitely represent India one day.

Jammu, October 12
Former India skipper Virender Sehwag today inaugurated the Sehwag Cricket Academy at Heritage School, Sainik Colony, on the outskirts of the city.

The swashbuckling opener also interacted with the budding cricketers and gave them tips to hone their skills.

“I can’t explain my feeling. It is the dream of every young player to meet his heroes. Today I got the chance…I even bowled to Virender Sehwag,” said one of the students, who got registered with the academy.

Sehwag, who has amassed 8,586 runs from 104 Tests at an impressive average of 49.34 so far, also gifted his autographed batting gloves to a budding Jammu cricketer. Prince has been selected for one year free training at the Sehwag Cricket Academy here.

There was lot of excitement in the air as youngsters took turns to bowl at Sehwag and Jammu-based cricketer Mithun Manhas in the nets that lasted for over an hour.

Sehwag, who will turn 36 on October 20, also showed the budding cricketers how to take stance at the wicket.

Earlier, the right-handed batsman arrived to a thunderous applause at the venue. The students along with their parents were seen waiting anxiously for the cricketer.

The Delhi dasher also appeared for a brief presentation wherein he expressed gratitude to the school management for providing all necessary facilities to run the academy smoothly.

The Sehwag Cricket Academy was envisioned in 2011. And with its state-of-the-art facilities and renowned coaches, it promises to provide quality training to budding cricketers across the world.

The academy offers coaching for different age groups starting with six years of age.

Samba, October 12
Karva Chauth is celebrated with pageantry and prayers by married women, but for those displaced by border firing and living in camps in Samba, the festival remained sombre.

Many families from Manguchak, Chilyari, Bainglar, Regal and Kungwala in Samba have taken refuge in the Chichi Devi Temple, Nonath Ashram and the Narsingh Temple as they had to leave their houses due to the prevailing situation along the international border from the last four days.

The women of the families celebrated Karva Chauth in a simple way today.

Of the 550 migrants, there were 150 married women who observed fast in the migrant camp at the Chichi Devi temple. “We celebrated Karva Chauth in relief camps. We could not observe fast at our home as we don’t know when Pakistan starts shelling,” said Manju Devi, who got married recently.

“As there was heavy shelling, we left our belongings, including money, in the house. Yesterday, our men returned home and brought some money as we had to shop for the festival,” said Neelam Choudhary, another married women.

“We have not seen intense firing in the past. Pakistan cannot be trusted. If they (Pakistan Rangers) can resort to intensified shelling on Eid, they can go to any extent so we decided to celebrate Karva Chauth at the relief camp at the Chichi Devi temple,” said Poonam Devi, a government employee.

“Persistent ceasefire violations have made the life of people living in border areas miserable and we are forced to lead a life marked with fear, uncertainty and mental stress. We can’t even celebrate festivals in peace,” Poonam said.

Jammu, October 12
Provincial president of the National Conference Devender Singh Rana today exhorted the youth to sharpen their sports talent along with pursuing academics and strive for excellence in both.

Addressing a huge gathering of cricketers comprising 43 teams of Nagrota here, Rana said, “Talent can’t be suppressed and it re-emerges with renewed vigour once identified and sharpened.”

Rana asserted that every initiative would be taken to provide the right forum to the young cricketers of the Nagrota constituency to portray their talent at the local, state and the national levels. “Whatsoever is required will be done to have the best of talent at right place with right opportunities to flourish,” he said and referred to the established and acknowledged cricketers like Virath Kohli and Virendra Sehwag, who picked up the game in narrow lanes and bylanes and made their presence felt in the cricket world. “Same is the case of Mary Kom who came from a modest background, but laid such an imprint that her name is reverberating across the world,” he added.

“If they could make it, why can’t you,” he told the enthusiastic sportspersons with a hope that another shinning cricketer after Parvez Rasool would emerge from Jammu, more specifically Nagrota.

Rana said he had been observing the passion for sports among the Nagrota youth since long, which was why he decided to promote various games in an organised manner.

Referring to cricket, he said the area had a lot of talent, which would be provided all facilities to flourish. As a modest step, he provided cricket kits to each participant and hoped that the Nagrota youth would establish a name and achieve fame in the Ranji Trophy and other tournaments.

The Provincial president said Nagrota would soon have a cricket association that would oversee the facilities being created for the talented youth. He also announced that league-based cricket activities would be undertaken from next year to encourage the budding players of the state in a big way.

Rana envisioned a bright future for the Nagrota youth in cricket and hoped that the talented youth would take the game as a career. He said the talent of Jammu and Kashmir needed to be showcased in the highest fora so that the youth get the attention and recognition they deserve.

Srinagar, October 12
Even as most of the post offices have restored services after being hit by the flood fury, 12 post offices are yet to start functioning fully.

Chief Postmaster General (CPMG), J&K Circle, Chandra Prakash said the floods had badly hit the functioning of post offices across the Valley, especially those in Srinagar city and parts of south Kashmir.

He said while services at most places had been restored through ‘special efforts and arrangements’, 12 post offices were partly functional and would start functioning normally during the next 10 days.

However, he said the business of these post offices was being conducted through the General Post Office (GPO), Srinagar. He said the floodwaters had caused immense damage to the property of the GPO, which is located on the banks of the Jhelum. He said the GPO had started functioning from September 30.

Srinagar, October 12
The only significant remains of Kashmir’s celebrated English poet Agha Shahid Ali, a cottage house in the Rajbagh area of Srinagar, was washed away by the Jhelum waters. Ali died in Massachusetts, US, at the age of 52.

However, now only his personal memories in the shape of his family pictures, soiled books and documents are left in his house.

Kashmir’s celebrated poet Agha Shahid Ali’s home that was destroyed by the floods in Srinagar. Tribune photo

The Jhelum was the muse of many of Shahid’s poems. The century-old poet’s house had over the past many years not only become an international address for Kashmir’s literary scene but also an inspiration for many literature students who would come here and read from his collection of poems and books.

Shahid’s father Agha Ashraf Ali, who is in his 90s, escaped the flood fury, but there is nothing he could salvage from his son’s writing treasure.

Both father and son formed a striking pair of educationists in Kashmir. Shahid went on to teach programme for poets and writers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, writing seminars at Bennington College as well as at creative writing programmes at the University of Utah, Baruch College, Warren Wilson College, Hamilton College and New York University.

Shahid’s rich knowledge of Urdu and Persian led him to translate famous Urdu poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s Urdu poems into English in 1995. The University of Utah Press gives the Agha Shahid Ali Poetry Prize annually in his memory. Some of his most acclaimed compilations include “A Walk Through the Yellow Pages”, “The Half-Inch Himalayas”, “A Nostalgist’’s Map of America”, “The Country Without a Post Office” and “Rooms are Never Finished”.

Srinagar, October 12
Haj flights to here from Saudi Arabia are getting delayed that are causing inconvenience to both the pilgrims and their relatives, who receive them at the airport.

While Hajis started arriving from yesterday, their relatives were found complaining that the flights were not arriving on time at the airport here.

Officials, however, said the flights were getting delayed from the Jeddah airport only.

“The schedule of arrival of Haj flights, as conveyed by Air India/Haj Committee of India (HCoI), has been publicised a few days ago. However, it has been observed that due to some technical issues at Jeddah airport, the flights are getting delayed. This, besides causing difficulties to the pilgrims, results in inconvenience to their relatives who go to the airport to receive the Hajis,” an official said.

He said the government’s job was to address the issue and urged the kin of the Hajis to follow the local radio station where they would be announcing the exact time.

“In order to address the issue, the State Haj Committee in coordination with the Air India is trying to confirm the actual departure status of the flights from Jeddah airport and convey the expected time of arrival (ETA) at Srinagar airport through Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, in the morning hours. All concerned are requested to follow the morning transmission of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar, for flight timings,” he said.

“It is also suggested that the relatives may ask the pilgrims, coming back home, to make a call or send an SMS once the boarding at Jeddah airport is complete and accordingly calculate the expected time of arrival at Srinagar airport by adding seven hours of flight time. This will help to minimise their waiting time at the airport,” the official added.

Srinagar, October 12
Doctors in Kashmir have raised an alarm over the sale of soiled tablet strips and bottles after the floodwaters inundated their shops during the recent floods.

Some of the most famous chemist shops in Srinagar, especially Lal Chowk area, were badly hit by the floods and remained submerged under floodwaters for almost 20 days.

After the floodwaters receded, chemist shops were opened, raising apprehensions on the expiry of these medicines and posing a health risk to the people. Doctors cautioned people to take note of the sale of such soiled medicines.

“It is usually written on medicine strips that the medicines should be kept away from heat and moisture because the exposure makes them lose efficacy. The consumption of soiled medicines will make people vulnerable to infections,” said Dr Salim Khan, head of Special Preventive Medicine Department, Government Medical College, Srinagar.

He said some unscrupulous chemists had cleaned soiled strips and bottles and were selling the medicines that had come in contact with floodwaters.

‘The authorities should take strong action against such chemists. Special inspection teams should be deputed to check the quality of medicines,” a senior doctor at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital said.

Srinagar, October 12
The annual Urs of revered Sufi saint Hazrat Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Wali is being observed on the coming Wednesday.

An official said the Urs celebrations will commence with ‘poshak bandi’ tomorrow followed by ‘shab khawani’ (night-long prayers) the day after.

Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs Abdul Rahim Rather today gave final touches to the arrangements being made for the Urs at a meeting that besides officials was also attended by the representatives of the Wakf board and senior citizens.

Rather as per an official statement urged the officials concerned and field agencies to ensure foolproof arrangements so that the devotees do not face any inconvenience to reach the shrine for paying obeisance. He asked the police and traffic authorities to draw up a traffic plan to avoid traffic jams. He also urged for making available adequate number of vehicles to carry devotees to and from Chrar-i-Sharief.

He called for setting up of a round-the-clock control room to oversee all arrangements during the Urs days. Rather directed the Health Department to set up first aid camps and mobile health teams en route Chrar-i-sharief, adding that additional ambulances should be kept available near the shrine complex to meet any eventuality. He asked the officials of tourism and municipal council to ensure street lighting, sanitation and cleanliness in and around the shrine complex, adding that the Power Development Department (PDD) should ensure uninterrupted electric supply in the town, especially during the Urs days.

The Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department was directed to provide additional ration quota to the consumers of Chrar-i-Sharief to meet their requirements in view of great rush of guest pilgrims.

Srinagar, October 12
Demanding a probe into the reasons that led to flooding of dozens of localities in Srinagar city and other parts of the Valley, All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee’s (APSCC) Jagmohan Singh Raina laid stress on the need to take action against politicians and officers who played “havoc with the life and properties while being responsible for the flood”.

In a statement, Raina said: “It is imperative to find reasons for the floods so that responsibility is fixed and action is taken against erring officials or politicians.”

“A probe into the handling of the flood situation will be the best to soothe the bruised sentiments of the people. There are people who say that water could have been diverted and the city could have been saved from the floods,” he added.

Lauding the efforts of local people for carrying out relief and rescue operations in flood-hit areas, the APSCC chairman alleged that the state government and its machinery failed in providing relief to affected people.

He said the NGOs and personnel of the Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF) also played a pivotal role in rescuing people.

He said: “Seventy per cent Sikh population of villages was impacted by the floods. As the winter is approaching these people need to be shifted and the government should provide accommodation to them.” — TNS

Srinagar, October 12
Several youth of the old city area today joined hands to hold a blood donation camp to express solidarity with the flood victims.

The camp was held with the support of the city-based SMHS hospital.

The camp was inaugurated by Tanvir Sadiq, political secretary to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at Firdous Cinema, Hawal Chowk.

Speaking about the initiative, Tanvir said, “I am very proud that the youth have organised an initiative that would immensely benefit hundreds during dire medical emergencies. The youth of srinagar during the floods and every time have always been a consistent front-runner in setting-up such crucial health camps and it gives me great pleasure to see these people enthusiastically supporting such causes and demonstrating their strong sense of social responsibility.”

Tanvir, who also donated blood on the occasion, also said: “Camps such as this give the people an opportunity to engage in philanthropic activities and, therefore, contribute substantially towards the well-being of the community. There’s a need to organise more such camps for the benefit of needy patients.”

Social activist Sheikh Shahid and Dr Irfan of the SMHS hospital besides other prominent citizens were also present at the camp.

Srinagar, October 12
Three persons, including two minors, have died, and eight others have been injured in various road accidents in the Valley, the police said today.

A tractor hit and injured a girl, Mehak, 5, a resident of Manzgam in Kupwara district. She was shifted to Sub-District Hospital, Kupwara, where she died, a police spokesman said.

In another incident, a tractor overturned near Badripora-Naina in Pulwama district, resulting in the instant death of a boy, identified as Tanveer Ahmad Shah (7), a resident of Natipora.

Meanwhile, the police said three pedestrians have been injured after being hit by a vehicle at the Green Tunnel in south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town.

“Among the injured, Ghulam Rasool Setary, a resident of Bijbehara, died on the spot,” the police spokesman said.

In another incident, two motorcycles collided at Gufabal-Qoimoh, resulting in injuries to three persons. All injured have been shifted to hospital.

Three others have been injured in two separate incidents in south Kashmir’s Shopian district and north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, the police said. — TNS

Srinagar, October 12
Three children were injured in an explosion in Sopore town today, a senior police officer said.

He said the children were “fiddling with some substance” which exploded and injured the trio. “All children are out of danger,” the officer said. — TNS

Srinagar, October 12
The police recovered the body of a man from a paddy field at Khargund in Qazigund town of south Kashmir on Sunday.

The body of 22-year-old Manzoor Ahmad Bhat of Khargund village was found in the paddy field, a police spokesman said.

“The deceased had apparently been electrocuted by a high-tension electricity wire that snapped in the field,” the spokesman said. He said the police started investigation under Section 174 of the CrPC. — TNS

Srinagar, October 12
The police said 25 sheep were killed when they were hit by a train at Shalbone village near Pattan town of north Kashmir on Saturday evening.

The sheep belonged to the residents of Kongamdara village and were grazing in an open field at Shalbone, a police spokesman said.

“Some stray dogs ran after the sheep, driving those towards the railway track. A total of 25 sheep were killed when they were hit by the train,” the spokesman said.

Jammu, October 12
The Jammu University Teachers Association (JUTA) today requested Governor NN Vohra to reschedule the special convocation of the varsity scheduled to be held on October 24.

During an emergency executive council meeting of the association, the members representing all departments of the Jammu University expressed surprise at the choice of the date.

The members said the special convocation date falls in the middle of important religious and cultural functions.

“Diwali will be celebrated on October 23, Vishwakarma Day is on October 24, while Bhaiya Dooj falls on October 25. Many teachers prefer to visit their hometown, within and outside the state, to be with their family and relatives during this time. This is obviously also true for students and scholars,” said JUTA president Professor Dalip Singh Jamwal.

The association requested Vohra, who is also the Chancellor of the varsity, to reschedule the special convocation so that the Jammu University community (both teachers as well as scholars) are not deprived of annual opportunity to celebrate these important festivals with their families.

Jammu, October 12
Senior Congress leader and former Youth Congress representative Kapil Singh today urged the state government for conducting an exhaustive survey to assess the loss to paddy and other crops in the Marh Assembly constituency due to the recent hailstorm.

The Congress leader, who toured several villages in the Phallain Mandal area of the Marh segment, interacted with the affected farmers and listened to their grievances.

Singh was told that paddy, maize and other crops have been impacted by strong winds and hailstorm last week, causing great loss to the farming community.

The farmers informed the leader that they had already suffered loss to their property due to floods and the recent hailstorm broke their backbone.

The farmers alleged the state administration has ignored them in distribution of relief and said they were passing through the toughest phase of their life.

Singh, while addressing the affected farmers, assured them he would take up the matter with the authorities concerned for early redressal.

He requested the state administration for immediate assessment of losses suffered by the farmers due to large scale loss to their crops.

Singh also demanded that the affected farmers should be compensated adequately so that their families don’t face any kind of hardship.