Srinagar, October 21
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Srinagar on Diwali and celebrate the festival with flood-affected people of the Valley.

“Will be in Srinagar on Diwali, October 23, and will spend the day with our sisters and brothers affected by the unfortunate floods,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter today. Many flood-affected people, particularly in Srinagar city, continue to live in tents or temporary accommodations after their houses were damaged by the floods last month.

Modi had visited the state to take stock of the flood situation on September 7 when parts of Srinagar were inundated after the Jhelum breached its banks at several places. At least 281 persons have been killed in the floods across the state. The floods have caused heavy damage to houses, government buildings, crops and public infrastructure across the state.

Officials said 2,849 families of Srinagar district who had lost their houses in the floods had been provided interim relief. They said 7,000 such families had received interim relief in the Valley so far.

State BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir told The Tribune: “It is the Prime Minister’s own decision, aimed at showing his humane approach towards the people of this state.” 

Srinagar, October 21
For non-migrant Pandit families rendered homeless during the recent floods, Diwali celebrations are going to remain subdued. The festival of lights will be celebrated on Thursday, but several families continue to live in temporary accommodation and have got no reason to celebrate Diwali with fervour.

Kashmir Pandit Sangharsh Samiti (KPSS) president Sanjay Tickoo said 259 families of the community were affected by the floods.

The KPSS was still collecting data of exact losses, but Tickoo said houses of quite a few Pandit families were completely damaged.

“The celebrations are bound to be low key. Affected families will celebrate the festival outside their homes,” Tickoo said. He said the affected had been provided temporary accommodation. He said they were waiting for suitable rehabilitation. He said houses were damaged in Indra Nagar, Raj Bagh, Mandir Bagh and Karan Nagar areas.

Hindu Welfare Society Kashmir spokesman Chunni Lal regretted the delay in rehabilitation and alleged that the government had forgotten them.

“We continue to wait for suitable rehabilitation. The plight 65 families is pathetic. They have sought shelter at the Durga Nag Trust. This Diwali will be a sombre one,” he said.

The KPSS said around 630 non-migrant Pandit families were living across the Valley. Before the floods, non-migrants had been alleging stepmotherly treatment by the government. They had been alleging that the government was only bothered about migrants and hardly cared about the Pandits who stayed on after eruption of militancy.

Jammu, October 21
The recent floods have caused extensive damage to godowns and outlets of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department, making thousands of quintals of foodgrains and ration unfit for human consumption in the Valley.

Official sources said the CAPD Department had begun the process of disposing of nearly 41,600 quintals of rice and sugar which had become unfit for human consumption due to the floods in the Valley. Ration worth Rs 10.54 crore got damaged in the floods.

“After the floods, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, constituted a six-member panel, headed by the Director, CAPD Department, Kashmir, to assess the losses suffered by the state government godowns. The panel was of the opinion that a large quantity of foodgrains in the Gulab Bagh central godown and ration ghats of Srinagar district had remained submerged in the floodwaters for quite some time and were not recommended for human consumption, especially in view of the advisories issued by the Health Department,” a source said.

Sources said the panel found that nearly 17,788 quintals of rice and 23,812 quintals of sugar had got damaged in the floods in Kashmir.

“Following the recommendations of the committee and on the basis of the certificate given by the Director, CAPD Department, Kashmir, a memorandum was placed before the state Cabinet for writing off the value of damaged rice and sugar amounting to Rs 10.54 crore,” the source said, adding that the Cabinet, in its meeting on October 10, had approved the proposal of the CAPD Department to write off the stocks damaged in the floods.

Thereafter, the CAPD Department constituted a six-member disposal committee, with the Director, CAPD, Kashmir, as its chairman, for immediate disposal of deteriorated foodgrains, lying in the central godown of Gulab Bagh in Srinagar and other sale outlets in Srinagar district on October 14.

“The committee has been asked to dispose of the deteriorated foodgrains lying in the Gulab Bagh central godown and other outlets of Srinagar district within a week. It is mandatory for the committee to dispose of the deteriorated foodgrains in the presence of its members,” a source said, adding that the entire operation of shifting and destroying of deteriorated stocks would be videographed.

Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Director, CAPD, Kashmir, said they had started the process of disposing of the deteriorated and damaged foodgrains in outlets while the damaged foodgrains stored in the Gulab Bagh central godown in Srinagar would be destroyed in the next couple of days.

Sources said the state government had supplied 20,000 tonnes of rice to ration depots in the Valley after the floods. The total rice requirement in the Valley is around 32,000 tonnes per month.

In Jammu, against the total requirement of 25,000 tonnes a month, the government has supplied 15,000 tonnes ration to the depots after the floods.

“The state government has allocated an amount of Rs 336.95 crore and Rs 273.33 crore to Kashmir and Jammu divisions, respectively, for procurement, supply, food storage and warehousing of foodgrains and ration for the current financial year,” a source said.

Meanwhile, Minister for CAPD Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan said the department had suffered a loss of more than Rs 10 crore on account of the damage to rice and sugar. “We have assessed the losses suffered by the state government godowns but we don’t have the details of the losses suffered by the FCI godowns in Kashmir.”

Jammu, October 21
This Diwali, over 120 villages and hamlets all along the 198-km-long international border may wear a deserted look. Following Intelligence inputs, an alert has been declared all along the Indo-Pak borders in the state asking the security forces to remain in a state of preparedness and respond in equal measure to any mischief by Pakistani forces.

“An alert has been sounded on the border and shelter sheds besides relief camps are there for border villagers to take refuge in the event of Pakistani firing or shelling,” said Jammu Deputy Commissioner AK Sahu.

Sahu said the administration had advised border residents not to venture out during night on Diwali.

“The situation remains unpredictable. Hence, we have asked them (villagers) that if something (firing) starts, they should immediately move into camps,” he added.

The DC said that if needed, more camps could be opened within no time.

Kathua Deputy Commissioner Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said: “In view of Diwali, an alert stands issued in Kathua district. Moreover, we would be sending villagers from Zero Line villages and hamlets to their homes only after Diwali.” These villagers are currently housed in relief camps.

Samba Deputy Commissioner Mubarak Singh said that last time (when Pakistan had flared up the border from October 1 to 12) there were 22 relief camps.

“If something happens this time (Diwali), we are prepared to handle the situation. Some of the camps are still functional with border residents returning to them before every sunset,” he added.

Singh said that things as of now looked under control but the administration was fully prepared to tackle any situation.

“We suspect that Pakistani forces could open firing on our villages on Diwali. So it’s better to stay back in relief camps,” said Ujagar Singh of Chandu Chak village in RS Pura.

Surjeet Kumar of Pindi Charkan village in Arnia subsector said going by the nightmarish experiences earlier this month, it would be foolish to stay home on Diwali night. “My family and I have already decided to move into a relief camp and celebrate Diwali in whatever way we can,” said Kumar.

Srinagar, October 21
A delegation of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Forum (JKPF) met Governor NN Vohra here Tuesday. JKPF general secretary MM Shuja apprised the Governor of their demands.

These included adequate relief for reconstruction of damaged buildings, involving NGOs for speedy rehabilitation, quick disposal of insurance claims and a legal aid centre in every flood-hit town.

Other demands were deferment of recovery of old loans, moratorium of between a year and two on recovery of interest on fresh loans advanced to traders and razing of illegal construction and encroachment in the Valley.

Environment lawyer Nadeem Qadri submitted a memorandum seeking a strong environment policy. He requested the Governor to intervene in making wetland conservation a priority.

The Governor assured the delegation that he would take up all issues raised by it with the state government and the Centre.

Srinagar, October 21
A delegation of the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) called on Governor NN Vohra here Tuesday. The delegation was led by Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation chairman Haji Mushtaq Ahmad Darial and president Haji Mushtaq Ahmad Sagar.

It highlighted problems and hardships being faced by the trading community in the Valley on account of the recent floods.

The delegation sought interest waiver on bank loans and cash credit limits, one-time compensation of between Rs 2 lakh and Rs 3 lakh to traders who had suffered damage and timely transportation of essential commodities.

It requested the Governor to urge the state government not to defer the examinations for this academic session and promote all students up to class VIII.

The Governor assured to take up the demands with the state government.

Jammu, October 21
Politics over the issues concerning refugees has intensified ahead of Assembly elections in the state as both the Congress and the BJP try to score political points.

The Congress has put on the Centre the onus to approve the much-publicised package for refugees while the BJP has termed this package as an eyewash to hoodwink the gullible people.

The state Cabinet has forwarded to the Centre Rs 9,096-crore package for one-time settlement of refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Chhamb.

The state Cabinet put its seal on the package on October 16 and forwarded it to the Government of India for its approval.

Trying to derive political mileage from this package, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief Saifuddin Soz said the package was approved due to efforts of the Congress leadership.

In his effort to score a point over the BJP on the issue, he Sunday said at present, the ball was in the Centre’s court to approve the package without any further delay.

The Congress leadership had asked its leaders from among the refugees to launch after Diwali an aggressive campaign in their respective areas to get political benefit from the Cabinet decision.

The BJP Tuesday launched a counter-offensive on the Congress and said the package approved by the state Cabinet was nothing but a political gimmick to hoodwink the people ahead of Assembly elections in the state.

“Had the Congress been serious in redressing grievances of refugees, it would have approved the package when it was in power at the Centre also,” state BJP general secretary Bali Bhagat said.

He claimed that approving the package during the last Cabinet meeting of the present regime was an indication of the non-serious attitude of the government to the issues concerning refugees.

“Gone are the days when the Congress used to fooled the people by such deceitful tactics,” he said. He added that the Congress was in power at the Centre for 10 years and part of the state government for 12 years.

In a veiled attack on Soz for putting on the Centre the onus of approving the package, Bhagat said, “The Congress did nothing for 12 years to solve problems of refugees, but was now claiming to be champion of their cause.”

Gloves are off

n Saifuddin Soz says ~9,096-crore package has been approved due to efforts of the Congress leadership and the ball is in the Centre’s court to approve the package without delay

n BJP leader Bali Bhagat says approving the package in the last Cabinet meeting indicates the coalition’s non-serious attitude and the Congress did nothing for the last 12 years

Rajouri, October 21
Five families of Sangpur village of Rajouri, which were provided tents by the Army after they lost their houses in landslides and floods, have alleged that they had received notices to return the tents and vacate the Army land in the next two days.

The families were rescued Narian Brigade soldiers and provided tents and space on an Army ground.

Since the tragedy, 41 members of five families, including 10 women and six children, were camping in tents.

Wali Mohammad (70), Mansha Begam (60) and Mohammad Ashraf alleged that they had been served notice by the Army to return the tents and vacate the Army land.

“This was the only help that was provided in 40 days as no official from the district administration or any agency came with relief. This action will put us to on the road,” said Ashraf. “If the Army takes the tents back, we will consume poison and the responsibility would be on the administration,” he said.

Mansha said they had lost their houses and belongings in the floods. “The Army provided us shelter and ration.”

Parvez Akhter said, “The administration has neglected us. No help was provided.”

Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Jatender Kumar Singh, said, “The administration was running short of tents. We received more than 250 tents on Wednesday. A team will be sent to provide relief to the families.”

He said the families would be provided land at safer places till they build houses.

The Brigade Commander of the Tithwal Brigade (Narian) said he would look into the matter and ensure that the families were not displaced from the location.

Salam Din and Mohammad Bashir said they were spending nights by sitting around the fire as the area was open and on the banks of river.

“Many a time, snakes enter our tents, posing a threat to our lives. Seven persons are putting up in a small tent and spending sleepless nights. We have no source of income and have been totally neglected by the district administration,” said Salam.

Mohammad Qasim and his wife Shamim Akhter, who were displaced following the floods, had not received a tent or any other relief till Tuesday. The said they had purchased a tarpaulin and were living in an open space in Sangpur village.

Jammu, October 21
One more Arnia resident, injured by a Pakistani shell, died at Government Medical College and Hospital here last evening. The deceased was identified as Romesh Chander of Arnia. He was grievously injured after an 82 mm mortar, fired by the Pakistan Rangers, exploded in his house on October 5.

After post-mortem, the body was handed over to the family for last rites.

With this, the toll in Pakistani shelling since October 3 went up to 10.

Over 35,000 border people have been displaced by Pakistan Rangers shelling on the border. — TNS

Jammu, October 21
The Army Tuesday organised a veterans’ rally in Kargil. Around 200 retired personnel and 10 ‘veer naris’ attended the event. LAHDC Chief Executive Councillor Asgar Ali Karbalaie was the chief guest.

The Zila Sainik Welfare Officer and representative of pension establishment and record offices attended the rally to provide solutions to veterans and note down their grievances.

SBI and HDFC officials provided financial and investment tips. Thirteen assistance and awareness stalls were set up.

A medical camp was organised and essential medicines provided free of cost. — TNS

Srinagar, October 21
The sale of flood-affected merchandise has picked up in Srinagar markets despite there being health advisories and High Court banning the sale of contaminated items.

After a long time, the buzz in the market places in the flood-ravaged Srinagar city is returning with shoppers thronging the streets.

A majority of shop owners in the markets like Lal Chowk, Hari Sigh high street, Regal Chowk, Abi Guzar and Maisuma have set up stalls offering sale of flood-affected merchandise on throw-away prices, which is attracting a lot of visitors. The merchandise includes crockery items, utensils, shoes, clothing, floor matting and everything which has been affected by the floods and can be re-used.

To attract customers, shopkeepers have set stalls inside the ravaged shops or on the pavements and have placed signboards of ‘Big sale’. At one such flood-affected shop in the Maisuma area, shoe sellers have lined their affected merchandise on the stalls offering heavy discounts.

“My entire stock in the shop has been affected by the floodwaters. However, after washing it and cleaning the items, we have put the footwear on sale on heavy discounted price. It is now up to customers whether they should purchase this footwear or not,” said a shopkeeper in the Maisuma area selling flood-affected footwear, when told about the health advisory against selling such items and the recent High Court orders. However, despite knowing the health hazards, many customers are willing to buy this kind of merchandise. Just across the Jhelum in the Hari Singh High street area, customers are busy bargaining with store owners selling home furnishing, including wall-to-wall carpets, rugs, mats and curtains on discounted prices.

“I am compelled to purchase home furnishing items as I could not salvage the furnishing of the first floor of my house. Now, I am scouting the market to get the best bargain as far as floor matting or furnishing is concerned,” said Mohammad Akbar, a customer looking for best deals being offered by the store owners selling home furnishing items affected by the floods, which is now being offered for sale after washing and cleaning on discounted price.

Health Advisory and High Court directions

On October 13, 2014, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the authorities to ensure that no soiled merchandise, especially the articles “touched by the floodwaters” are put on sale in the Valley.

The decision follows the reports that soiled merchandise, particularly medicine and food articles, was being sold in the flood-hit Valley. As per the health advisory issued by the Directorate of Health Services, Kashmir, Epidemiology & Public Health Division for the flood-affected areas, any food or food items that come in contact with the floodwaters should be discarded. The advisory also states that people should discard any object that might have absorbed the floodwater and cannot be easily cleaned.

Srinagar, October 21
Subordinate and other lower courts in Srinagar shall start functioning from the Bemina area from October 24. In a statement here, Registrar General, J&K High Court, Suresh Kumar Sharma said the subordinate courts of Srinagar would start functioning from October 24 at Sanat Ghar, Bemina.

The work in the lower courts of Srinagar district was affected following devastating floods on September 7 during which the Sadder Court Complex in the Lal Chowk area was badly hit.

It was one of the spots here that the Jhelum breached its embankments and rushed the floodwaters along with slush and mud inside the court rooms, thus rendering many of the building in the old complex unsafe.

Subsequently, after the representation of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association on October 13, the Chief Justice of the J&K High Court had set up a three-member committee of High Court judges to take a decision about the functioning of the lower courts in Srinagar city.

Jammu, October 21
BJP leader Gagan Bhagat today held a function at Kotli Bhagwan Singh village in RS Pura and distributed blankets, eatables, medicines and stationery.

Addressing a gathering, Bhagat appealed to the people to come forward and help build a better RS Pura.

He ensured that the relief material was delivered on the doorsteps of the flood victims in many villages of the RS Pura constituency.

Bhagat has constituted a team of 100 BJP volunteers who have been visiting the areas and providing necessary items. — TNS

Jammu, October 21
Theses for PhD, MPhil and other research-oriented projects are up for grabs in Jammu! Shell out money and cyber cafes not only provide theses, but also approval from the guide of the respective departments of the University of Jammu (JU) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in Jammu.

Gone are the days when the students of MPhil and PhD used to get “locked” in their rooms for days together to prepare thesis. Now some money-minded people have made hese available for students on the payment of Rs 10,000-20,000 with guaranteed approval of the guide of the respective department of the university.

A hub of cyber cafes and photostat shops on the Jammu University Road near Bikram Chowk is always overcrowded with students of Jammu University and IGNOU bargaining for the cost of thesis and its approval.

This was a scene of a cyber cafe on the University Road: A girl enters the cafe and tells the owner, “My thesis has not been approved. You assured me that it will be approved.” The owner replies, “It will cost you Rs 20,000. We have to pay the guide as well. Pay the balance and your thesis will be approved.”

The girl after paying the balance in the inner cabin of the shop doubly checks with the owner, “Will it be approved this time?”

“I will pay back the entire money if the guide rejects your thesis this time,” the owner replies confidently.

There are two more students sitting in the cafe waiting for their theses to come and after 30 minutes, a person in a SUV come with their prepared theses. They pay their balance amount and move towards Jammu University to deposit them.

When contacted, the Jammu University administration expressed shock that the theses are being sold in the open market.

Posh Charak, Dean, Research Study and Awards, said, “It is very shocking if someone is selling theses to students, which should be prepared by the students themselves. I will take up the issue with Vice Chancellor and take strict action against this nexus.”

Director of IGNOU, Jammu and Kashmir, KK Bhat refuse to admit that this kind of nexus exists between the guides and the cyber cafe owners, “These cyber cafe owners are doing fraud with students. We have independent evaluators. How can cafe owners contact them?” said Bhat.

Jammu, October 21
The management of one of the reputed schools of Jammu, Delhi Public School (DPS), today defied the orders of the state government when it didn’t close the institution for Puja holidays.

The school was working today as the majority of the government and private schools were closed for Puja holidays.

The Jammu and Kashmir Government a few days back had notified that all government and recognised private schools shall be observing holidays from October 21 to 25 on the eve of Diwali, but this order was not adhered to by DPS, Jammu, and the class work continued in the school.

“We were planning to go home to celebrate Diwali, but my children had to go school today and all our plans got shattered. Now, we will not be able to go back home and celebrate Diwali with other family members,” said Priya Thakur, a resident of Kishtwar. Her husband is posted in Jammu and only on festivals they go to home.

Diwali is the biggest festival in the Hindu calendar and people from all walks of life try to reach home to celebrate the festival with other family members.

These are the days when we prepare for Diwali and buy things. It is a widely known fact that during Puja holidays, kids also enjoy and go for shopping, but as DPS was open, we had to skip Diwali preparations and send our children to school,” said Meenakshi, a housewife whose children are studying in DPS, Jammu.

When contacted, Suminder Singh, administrator, DPS, Jammu, said, “We had earlier notified on our own that Puja holidays will be from October 22 onwards. In the meantime, the government announced its schedule of holidays, but we couldn’t follow that. We inform the state government about our decision from time to time.”

The Chief Education Officer, Jammu, Tarsem Lal, could not be contacted despite repeated efforts.

Jammu, October 21
Dhanteras, marking the start of Diwali festival, was celebrated today with people purchasing gold and silver items and utensils, considered auspicious for the day.

Members of the business community, who consider the day auspicious for their business, also had decorated their establishments and residential houses. Women were seen busy buying utensils from shops and shopping for items ahead of the festival of lights.

The residents had also made the entrances of their business establishments and houses colourful with traditional rangoli designs to welcome the Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity.

Jammu, October 21
National Police Day, popularly known as Police Commemoration Day Parade, was observed in all 10 districts of the Jammu zone. Impressive functions were organised by district police concerned with a large scale participation of officials and prominent citizens.

The main function was held at Gulshan Ground, Jammu, where Rajesh Kumar, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu zone, took the salute of the Commemoration Day Parade.

The IGP paid tributes to all those martyrs who laid down their lives for the unity and integrity of the country.

The names of the martyrs from all police organisations and paramilitary forces, including BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF, SSB and NSG, were read out.

He said the ever-growing list of martyrs from the year 1959 when a small group of brave CRPF soldiers laid down their lives in the Leh region facing the Chinese troops inspired security personnel to rededicate themselves to the cause of the nation. “The unity and integrity of our country come first and to safeguard the same is the prime duty of paramilitary forces and the state police,” he added.

He read out the list of more than 600 martyrs of the country and paid rich tributes to them. He then laid a wreath at the Martyrs’ Memorial. Officers from all units, retired police officers, prominent citizens and members of martyrs’ families also laid wreaths at the memorial.

A blood donation camp was also inaugurated after the Commemoration Day Parade in which senior officers and other volunteers donated blood.

An impressive function was conducted again in the evening where a large number of families of police and civil officials assembled to light candles and pay tributes to the martyrs.

Later, the IGP interacted with relatives of martyrs. He gave a patient hearing to their grievances and assured them of full support and timely action on the requests submitted by them.

Srinagar, October 21
Karwan-i-Islami, a conglomerate of various religious organisations, today felicitated several youth who had undertaken exemplary rescue operations during the recent floods.

A Karwan-i-Islami spokesman said 45 youth were honoured for their selfless service after the floods. He said four youth, who had lost their lives during rescue operations, were also awarded posthumously during a function held here.

Karwan-i-Islami patron Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami said the youth of the Valley had set an example through their selfless service. Hami suggested that all selfless groups should set up a joint control room so that relief works for the flood victims were expedited. Also present, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik underscored the need of organising similar event so that the youth were encouraged.