Category: Union Territory

  • RTO Kashmir Makes J&K Registration Mandatory for Non-J&K Purchased Vehicles

    Ubaid Bhat

    Srinagar, Mar 28:Regional Transport Office for Kashmir has asked the non-registered vehicle owners in Kashmir to get any such vehicles registered to local ARTOs to avoid seizure.

    A notification issued in this regard, a copy of which lies with GNS, reads that “Vehicles purchased outside J&K with non-J&K registration numbers and not registered with local ARTO offices are being seized.”

    Asking the owners to avoid seizure of their vehicles, the notification maintains that “If you own any such vehicle, get it transferred and registered with local ARTO immediately to avoid seizure.”

    Meanwhile when contacted RTO Kashmir Ikramullah Tak told GNS that “All such vehicles are being directed to get their registrations done as soon as possible.” (GNS)

  • Video Viral | Police refutes the claim of using force

    Srinagar, March 28: Police on Sunday denied the allegations about using force after a video went viral yesterday in which a lady is seen alleging about use of force by Police in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

    In a statement to GNS, the police said that the truth about the video being circulated on social media by a lady levelling allegations of use of force or rather show of force by Police is not based on facts.

    There is a long pending dispute pending between the two parties on a pathway and is sub judice in different forums. A case FIR No.458/2020 under sections 379,451 and 506 IPC stands already registered at Police Station Budgam and the investigation into the matter is going on.

    The police Party was on the spot to assist in the implementation of order issued by Tehsildar South City Srinagar for which proper communication and request was made by concerned revenue authorities in writing. No use of force was made or any misbehaviour was done by Police.

    The Police party was there to aid and assist concerned revenue authorities.

    Moreover SSP Budgam have called the party to Budgam SSP Office today at 10 30 am to listen to any issue/ grievances if they have @PCR Budgam, reads the statement.(GNS)

  • Elderly Man Dies Hours After Covid-19 Vaccine Jab In Handawara

    Srinagar, Mar 27: A 70-year-old man has died, hours after he was administered COVID vaccine jab in Handwara of north-Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday.

    A close relative of the deceased told GNS that the septuagenarian— Ghulam Mohammad Ganie son of Habibullah Ganie of Haril Mawer— was inoculated this afternoon. However following some ‘complications’, he subsequently died at around 3 P.M.

    Village-Head of the area while talking to GNS said that the person was administered the vaccine at around 12:40 p.m., at Serial number 67, following which he normally went home and took his meals. The elderly man, as per the Village-Head, had taken his sheep to a nearby field for grazing, where he felt dizziness and went to fetch some water from a house.

    During the course of time, he felt unconscious and was removed to a nearby hospital. However the doctors there declared him as brought dead on arrival, he said.

    Meanwhile when contacted Dr. Lateef who was part of the drive told GNS that the person was vaccinated this afternoon by a team of doctors and kept him under observation for AEFI (adverse event following immunization).

    The elderly person didn’t show any complications during the time, he said. “However we have learnt that he has died at 3 PM”, he said.

    “As mandated by the protocol we are supposed to keep a patient under observation for half an hour, and he didn’t showed any signs during that time”, he said adding that “There may be some underlying reasons causing his death.”

    He said that in two days, 250 doses—(100 on March 26 and 150 on March 27) were administered and “none of the persons vaccinated showed any complication.”

    On Tuesday, Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ashwini Kumar Choubey told Rajya Sabha that as on March 16, a total of 89 deaths of vaccinated persons have been reported following COVID-19 vaccine vaccination. “None of the deaths so far have been causally attributed to COVID-19 vaccination as per the current evidence,” he said.

    To a questions on authority responsible, the MoS said adverse event following immunization (AEFI) are monitored through a well-structured and robust AEFI surveillance system.

    “Causality Assessment of all serious and severe AEFIs are done by the designated AEFI committee to determine if AEFI is related to vaccine or vaccination process or otherwise,” he said as per the reply, a copy of which lies with GNS.

    Adequate measures, he said, have been put in place to manage AEFIs like availability of anaphylaxis kits at each vaccination site, immediate referral to AEFI management center and observation of vaccine recipients for 30 minutes at session site for any adverse events so as to take timely corrective measure. “Also the AEFI management of such cases are provided free of cost treatment in Public Health Facilities,” he said. (GNS)

  • J&K Reports This Year’s Highest Single Day-Spike With 210 Covid-19 Cases

    Srinagar, March 26: Jammu and Kashmir recorded sharpest single-day spike in number of covid-19 cases this year as 210 fresh infections were reported in last 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 129413. Also, the officials told GNS, one person from Kashmir Valley died due to the virus, taking the fatality count to 1984—732 in Jammu and 1252 in the Valley.

    Among the fresh cases which include 57 travelers, they said, 41 cases were reported from Jammu division and 169 from Kashmir Valley. While it was for the first time that 200 cases were reported in a single day, it was also for the tenth consecutive day that more than a hundred cases were recorded in the J&K.

    Giving district wise details, they said, Srinagar reported 98 cases, Baramulla 33, Budgam 12, Pulwama 5,

    Kupwara 2, Anantnag 9, Bandipora 3, Ganderbal 2, Kulgam 4, Shopian 1, Jammu 30, Udhampur 4, Rajouri 2, Doda 0, Kathua 1, Samba 1, Kishtwar 0, Poonch 0, Ramban 3 and Reasi 0.

    A number of these cases including two minors were confirmed at diagnostic laboratories of SKIMS Soura, CD Hospital and GMC Anantnag.

    The SKIMS cases were include female (20) from Beerwah, female (54) from Nowgam, male (45) from Budina Budgam, male (65) from Zakura, male (36) from Zoonimar, male (46) from Safakadal, male (53) from Zainakadal, male (22) from Khaniyar, male (58) from Sopore, male (30) from Skims, female (40) from Ahmed Nagar sgr, female (38) from Botakadal, male (60) from Soura, female (26) from Mumbai, male (37) from Bemina, female (60) from Elahibagh male (63) from Lalbazar, male (52) from Mumbai, male (80) from Shalimar, male (48) from Elahibagh Sgr, male (45) (NA) from Shopian and male (65) from 4-Way Shopian.

    CD cases include three males (13, 44, 15) and two females (09, 39) from Indranagar, two males (18, 45) from Nageen Kanitar, female (25) from Bandipora, female (70) from Batwara, female (50) from Nishat, two females (20, 20) from Noorbagh, male (33) from Gilli Kadal, male (60) from Nowshera, male (43) from Lalbazar, male (22) from Arigam, female (09) from Seer, male (32) from Shalimar, male (59) and female (58) from Bemina, female (55) from Baghi Mehtab, female (58) and male 70) from Mehjoor Nagar, male (33) from Hazratbal, female (39) from Sopore, female (32) from Eidgah, two males (40, 65) from Shah Anwar Colony, three males (45, 30, 19) and female (25) from Kawdara, female (31) from Srinagar, female (40) from Zakura, male (82) from Srinagar, male (62) from Hyderpora Srinagar.

    The GMC Anantnag cases include male (22) from Main Town Kulgam, male (21) from Akhran Mirbazar, female (20) from Rangmarg.

    Meanwhile out of 129413 positive cases, they said, 1681 are active positive. 125748 people have recovered and 1984 have died. (GNS)

  • Meet Faizan Arif: New Sonam Lotus of Kashmir

    Srinagar, Mar 25: A youth from Srinagar is becoming a new weatherman in the valley, who by using top weather models of the world provides a perfect weather prediction report each day on social media.

    Faizan Arif, 20, a youth from Nawakadal area of Srinagar who is pursuing his graduation from Amity University Lucknow with physics as one of the main subjects is providing information to thousands of his followers on his weather channel “Kashmir Weather”, available on almost every social media platform.

    Faizan while talking to Kashmir News Observer said that since his childhood he used to wait outside his house to see lightning and thunder, the pattern of rain along with the formation of clouds which slowly inclined him towards weather prediction.

    “I started going through different weather models and I found them quite interesting with so much to learn about the climate,” he said.

    Faizan said every day, he goes through reports by UKMO, GFS, GDPS, ECMWF, ICON, Access Global and others to understand weather pattern and on the basis of all the information prepares the weather report.

    Despite that Faizan doesn’t have sophisticated equipment to match the meteorology department but he claims his analysis is equal and sometimes more accurate, adding that he keeps an eye on humidity, wind direction, rainfall and temperature as weather can change quickly.

    Faizan says predicting the weather has become his passion and will now make his career in the same field by pursuing MSc in Meteorology and so on.

    Faizan also claims that he last year in November has given a detailed long-range weather forecast (for November 2020 to February 2021) for Jammu and Kashmir – predicting the behaviour of temperature and precipitation during the winter and before him no one has issued such a detailed forecast for the region.

    “Besides this, my research with Sonam Lotus and Mukhtar Ahmad is currently in progress. The research is based on the effect of La Niña and El Niño on precipitation and temperature pattern of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

    “I have sometimes received jibes from some people who believe weather forecasting is anti-Islamic ,” he said, adding that, he only predict the weather based on the knowledge Allah has given to us but only Allah knows and decides what will happen at any point—(KNO)

  • Tulip Garden opens

    Srinagar: Asia’s largest Tulip Garden, overlooking the Dal Lake in Srinagar, will be thrown open to people on Thursday, marking the beginning of the new tourism season in Kashmir.

    PM Narendra Modi has appealed to people to visit the garden and experience the warm hospitality. It has 15 lakh flowers of over 64 varieties, he tweeted. PTI

  • Girl power: Meet Zareena Bano-the COVID warrior in Bandipora

    Bandipora. : From working in COVID-19 hospitals to heading the surveillance team, Zareena a medico, despite all odds hasn’t called it a day. Since the pandemic began last year, Zareena worked restlessly. She hasn’t left any patient unattended. Locals, who know her, are all praise for the efforts this female has put together in helping people fight against the contagion.

    Originally hailing from HMT area of Srinagar district, like many Zareena also couldn’t imagine going home for months together, but live in isolation while also spending religious occasions like EID’s in hospitals serving COVID-19 patients.

    Zareena Bano (ANM) while sharing her experiences said they were doing this as it was their duty. Acknowledging that the health care system was not up to the mark in even the developed nations to cope with the virus, she said, “it was the responsibility of all citizens world over to play their part to combat this deadly virus,” she said. “We are doing our part and we urge the residents to do theirs as well by following SOP’s,”.

    While appreciating the role of volunteers when manpower seemed scarce and people gripped with fear, she said, “Volunteers who worked or are working in service of common people needed morale boost and much more appreciation.”
    Moreover, Zareena said a wide range of officials including medicos and other administrative offices who are tirelessly working despite risks also need a pat on the shoulder for contributing positively to society and helping in containing the pandemic.

    Pertinent to mention, Zareena has worked in level two COVID-19 hospital Pazalpora for one month, when even she did not visit home for three months spending Eid in Bandipora.
    Today she is working with the Vaccination team.

    She is the first female employee of the department who heads the surveillance team in Bandipora.

  • Ready to extend full support to peace initiatives between India, Pak: Moderate Hurriyat

    Amalgam says ‘greatly welcomes’ the shift towards good neighbourly relations between the two countries

    The moderate Hurriyat Conference faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday said it was ready to extend full support to all initiatives between India and Pakistan that aim at bringing peace in the subcontinent.

    In a statement issued here, the Hurriyat faction said the agreement between India and Pakistan to adhere to a ceasefire agreement on the Line of Control (LoC) and the subsequent statements and actions by them indicate a positive shift in the relations between the two neighbours.

    “The Hurriyat always was and is ready to extend full support to all initiatives between the two countries that aim at bringing peace and prosperity to all the people of the subcontinent and seek a fair and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” it said.

    The amalgam said it “greatly welcomes” the shift towards good neighbourly relations between the two countries.

    “This is being observed with anticipation by the people of J-K who are deeply affected by the state of the relations between the two neighbours,” it said.

    India and Pakistan had announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors. PTI

  • Rising cases, Deaths are ‘Truly Worrying Trends’: WHO Chief

    The recent increases in Covid-19 cases and deaths represent “truly worrying trends,” said World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who warned rich nations against hoarding vaccines.

    “Cases are increasing in most regions,” Tedros said at a virtual event hosted by the World Trade Organization. “We continue to see the impact of variants, opening up societies and inequitable vaccine rollout.”

    The rapid development of vaccines has given some hope, but rich countries are not sharing them equitably with poorer and developing nations, Tedros said. As transmission continues, more variants are likely to emerge, including those that could evade vaccines.

    “The global access to vaccines are at risk because of the demands that high- and upper middle-income countries are putting on the global supply,” he said. “This is not just a moral outrage, it is also economically and epidemiologically self defeating.”

    These trends could put the world back at “square one,” Tedros said. “As long as the virus continues to circulate anywhere, people will continue to die, trade and travel will continue to be disrupted and the economic recovery will be further delayed.”

  • No takers for ISIS ideology in J&K, need to counter social media radicalization propaganda: LG Manoj Sinha

    Srinagar, Mar 23: Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Tuesday said that even though ISIS has cast its net in Syria and Iraq through its radicalization propaganda but in J&K UT there were no takers for the ISISI ideology. He, however, said that there was a need to counter the social media radicalization propaganda sponsored from across the LoC.

    Addressing the “Confluence of Religious Leaders in Kashmir” Conference at SKICC here, the LG said that ISIS ideology is being promoted to radicalize youth in Syria and Iraq. “In J&K UT there are no takers for ISIS ideology. That sort of radicalization is comparatively very, very less in J&K UT. But our concern is that social media sponsored radicalization from across the LoC,” LG Sinha said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).

    He said that efforts made from across LoC to lure youth towards violence needs to be understood.

    “A human being is clear by his heart, but at times, atmosphere around him, lures him towards wrong. How to prevent this radicalization should be our priority. We need to promote Sufism and teachings of our Gurus. We don’t need any foreign model to deal with this menace,” Sinha said, adding that religious scholars are the torch bearers and hold the key to tackle the challenges like radicalization.

    The LG said that at times it has been seen that even educated youth tread wrong path. “If that happens, parents and religious scholars need to play their part. At the same time, mainstream media shouldn’t blow things out of proportion by focusing on a single case,” he said, adding that the role models for the youth should be Maqbool Sherwani and Brigadier Rajinder.

    He said that radicalization should not be associated with a specific religion. “There is a need for Islamic Scholars to formulate a policy and a process by which a helpless person, who is exposed to a violent ideology, is prevented from getting radicalized,” said the Lt Governor.

    The Lt Governor appreciated the efforts being made to discuss the role of religious leaders and women in creating violence-free society, Counter-Radicalization and modernization of Madrassa education.

    “J&K has remained home to diverse religious and cultural influences which deeply enriched its pluralistic ethos. No development and progress is possible without sustained peace, communal harmony and brotherhood,” said the Lt Governor. “The Lt Governor emphasized the need for restoration of the pristine glory of J&K as an abode of peace, amity, communal harmony and brotherhood and urged the people to come forward in achieving this goal.”

    He said that “Violence has no place in any civilized society and peaceful co-existence is the best means to resolve problems.”—(KNO)