Category: Union Territory

Jammu: State Election Commissioner, K.K Sharma, Thursday directed for setting up of special polling stations for Kashmiri Migrants at Jammu and Udhampur so that they can effectively exercise their right of franchise.

The SEC was interacting with officers through video conferencing which was attended by Chief Electoral Officer, Jammu Kashmir, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu/Kashmir, Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir Division, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, IGP Jammu , Joint Director Information Jammu, SSPs Jammu, Udhampur, Relief Commissioner, ARO Migrants Jammu and Udhampur.

The SEC said that we have to ensure that every section of society is provided an ample opportunity of exercising their right to vote so that they can also participate in these historic elections meant to strengthen democracy at grass root levels.

Under the arrangements, all Deputy Commissioners concerned of Kashmir Division will notify the setting up of polling stations for Kashmiri Migrants at Jammu and Udhampur so that they can participate in the upcoming DDC elections. It was also given out that those registered in Jammu will vote at the designated polling stations at Jammu and those at Udhampur would be voting at polling stations set up in that district.

SEC asked DPEOs for ensuring timely dispatch of ballot papers to these polling stations and related election material.

The deployment of Zonal and Sectoral Magistrates and polling parties for these polling stations besides providing necessary training to them shall be done by District Magistrates of Jammu and Udhampur respectively.

Relief Commissioner has been appointed as Nodal officer for conducting and providing necessary infrastructural support for setting up of these polling stations and polling parties.

The SEC asked IGP Jammu for making the requisite security arrangements including arranging police parties for these polling stations—(KNO)

‘Vague political ideas have always compromised public interest in J&K’

Srinagar: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday said that National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) owe an unequivocal apology to the people of J&K for their age-old political gimmicks and the frequent change in their political goal posts to woo the deeply tormented electorate.

Addressing the Party’s DDC campaign convention at Tangmarg in district Baramulla, Bukhari as per a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that right from Raishumari, Autonomy, Joint Assembly, Dual Currency, Self Rule and now restoration of special status just through slogans, the National Conference and PDP leadership have never refrained from raising passions for their petty electoral gains.

“In last 72 years, NC has ditched and befooled people by exploiting the political sentiments of the people. Similarly, PDP didn’t lag and raised slogans that were totally misleading. These political parties have disrespected the peoples’ mandate and enjoyed power in NDA and formed the governments with BJP,” Bukhari said.

He added that in May 2019 Dr. Farooq Abdullah garnered a huge public support as he pledged to safeguard the Article 370 and 35-A. “But all these elected MPs of NC and PDP including Dr Abdullah failed to deliver on their election time promises made with the people. I think, morally, he should seek retirement from active politics as he failed as an elected Parliamentarian to represent the aspirations of his electorate,” he said.

Bukhari said that it is highly unfortunate that these political parties are now again trying to hoodwink the people by comparing and mixing the DDC elections with some sort of referendum. “People should understand that DDC elections are purely meant for good governance, developmental projects, infrastructure, quality education, health services and employment opportunities that will certainly bring respite to the people,” he stated.

On this occasion, senior vice president of Apni Party Ghulam Hassan Mir, who also addressed the convention, said that the Gupkar Alliance is another poll plank to befool the people of J&K and to become relevant. “Now there is no question of playing with the emotions of people of J&K again. People of J&K are wise enough and they understand the political gimmicks and won’t fall into the trap of these parties again and again,” Mir stated.

He said the misguiding politics and the wavering political stands adopted by the political parties like NC and PDP has always resulted into causality of public interests in Jammu and Kashmir.

In his address to the convention, Party’s senior leader and former minister Mohammad Dilawar Mir said that the gimmickry of political parties like NC and PDP has posed a big challenge for the Apni Party to restore peoples’ faith in democratic processes. “While the J&K dashed from one crisis to another, the NC, PDP leadership struck deep bonds with everybody in Delhi whether it was Congress, RSS, BJP, Third front or different agencies. They owe an unequivocal apology to the people for compromising on their interests,” Mir remarked.

He said that now when the National Conference and PDP leadership felt deep isolation in public they decided to contest DDC elections. “Otherwise, it was NC that had rejected and vehemently opposed the idea of people at grassroots level managing certain affairs themselves according to their specific needs. These parties never wanted peoples’ empowerment on the ground,” the former minister added.

The convention was also addressed by Advocate Mir Ishfaq and Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, the contesting candidates from Tangmarag and Kunzar DDC constituencies respectively—(KNO)

Srinagar: A civilian was injured in mortar shelling by Pakistan army along Line of Control in Kirni village of Poonch district, officials said on Thursday.

They said at about 1330 hours, Pakistan army initiated “unprovoked ceasefire violation” by firing small arms and mortar shells along LoC in Qasba and Kirni sectors in the Poonch.

The Indian army retaliated “befittingly”, they said further. One civilian Mohammad Rashid son of Najab Din was injured and hospitalized, SHO Poonch S D Singh told GNS. (GNS)

Gun shots heard in HMT area of Srinagar outskirts

Srinagar: Suspected militants on thrusday afternoon fired upon security forces in HMT area of Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district.

A senior police officer told GNS that militants fired upon army in which two army troopers were injured.

The police officer further said that both the solidiers have been shifted to army hospital.

Meanwhile whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.

Massive manhunt launched by the security forces in the area.

Note, The report is in its initial stage it may vary latter. (GNS)

Srinagar: After receiving season’s first snowfall, tourists and locals have been thronging to picturesque Gulmarg these days.

For three days between last Saturday and Monday, the upper reaches received moderate to heavy snowfall while plans received rainfall resulting in dip in temperatures in the valley.
People in Kashmir got a host of reasons to cheer up and at the same time make arrangements to beat the intense cold.

Director Meteorological Department Sonam Lotus said Kashmir would receive another wet spell from tomorrow.

He said last year Kashmir received snowfall in November highest in six decades. “So far we have received good snowfall this season but it will be premature to say if valley receives more snowfall than two previous years,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

As Kashmir witnesses frequent power cuts during winters, locals use Kangri, a cheap and effective way to keep warm.

People also have started reserving dried food like vegetables, tomato, brinjal and fried fish for coming weeks to tide over the disruption in the supply of essential commodities.

Famous tourist destination Gulmarg in Baramulla district, which recorded almost 2 feet of snowfall since Saturday, has come to life as tourists and locals have started thronging this popular ski-resort. People are seen enjoying snow and taking pictures and some doing snow skiing. 

“When we got to know that Kashmir will receive snowfall from November 14, we made a plan and arrived here to celebrate Diwali at Gulmarg amid snowfall,” said Arjun Manish Gupta, a resident of Mumbai, who arrived here last Friday.

“Tourism has been badly hit since August 5 last year. As parts of Kashmir including Gulmarg received snow, we are expecting a good number of tourists will visit here,” a hotel owner at Gulmarg said.

A senior official of Tourism Department said the snowfall was an encouraging sign for tourism. “If Gulmarg receives some more snow in coming days, then winter sports will be started very soon there,” he said, adding snow carnival and other recreational events are lined-up in Gulmarg, Pahalgam to boost tourism in Kashmir.

Similarly, tourists are also enjoying gondola ride in snow-draped Gulmarg.

With the receiving of snowfall, authorities have decided to organize events under various disciplines including snowboarding, skiing, snow show, snow cycling and other games at Gulmarg in coming weeks.

At the same time, the snowfall has also brought miseries for some masses. Authorities have issued advisory of snow avalanche for various parts of Kashmir and asked to remain alert. On Wednesday one army man died and two soldiers also got injured due to a snow avalanche in Tangdhar area of North Kashmir.

The recent snowfall also led to closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which has been thrown open now. The Highway is the only link road connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.

“It takes over 10 days trucks laden with apple and other items to reach various fruit mandis like New Delhi from Srinagar. Whenever highway gets closed, we are not able to export our goods resulting fruits perish in Kashmir,” said Ali Mohammad, a fruit dealer from South Kashmir’s Shopian district.

The 440 kilometres Srinagar-Leh Ladakh road has also been closed due to snowfall.  During winters, people of Ladakh have only air connectivity with the valley.

Similarly, the 84-km Bandipora-Gurez road was closed by authorities. (KINS)

IGP Kashmir says providing security to each candidate is ‘difficult’

Srinagar Nov 19 (KINS): A top Army commander Thursday said that situation was under control for District Development Council polls in Kashmir.

The District Development Council polls are scheduled to start from December 28 in Jammu and Kashmir.

“Security situation is under control. We hope people will come out and participate in large numbers and make DDC polls successful,” Sector commander of Army’s 9 RR regiment, Brigadier V S Thakur told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

At the same time Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar according to news agency KINS says that providing security to each candidate is “difficult”. “We are providing them with collective security and they are being put up in secure areas. Whenever any candidate goes out for campaigning, we provide a double escort with him and secure the area for him to the campaign,” he said.

The IGP said there were apprehensions about militants targeting the elections, but the security forces were fully prepared to deal with the situation.

“Whether there is an election or August 15 or January 26 or even a VIP visit, apprehensions are always there, but we are fully prepared. We are providing security to the candidates and they have started going to the field for campaigning from yesterday and there is nothing to fear,” he said.

He said four militants killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu region were on their way to the Kashmir valley to disturb the District Development Council (DDC) polls scheduled later this month.

Four suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed in the encounter near the toll plaza in Ban area of Nagrota on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway Thursday morning.

“For the last few days, Pakistan has increased attempts to infiltrate militants into this side and to disturb the elections for which the process is on. In this context, Jammu Police and security forces have done a good job by neutralising four Pakistanis (militants). Their (militants’) aim was to come to Kashmir to disturb the election process,” he said.

On a question about the number of militants waiting at the launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into this side, the IGP said there were inputs that about 250 militants were there, but the security forces were alert to foil Pakistan’s designs.

Other security forces have already given the figures that about 200 to 250 militants are ready to infiltrate, but the security forces are alert. Pakistan endeavours to push more militants into this side, but the security forces are prepared to foil their designs, he said.
Asked about Wednesday’s grenade attack in Kakapora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, Kumar said the police have identified the militant behind the incident.

“It was an unfortunate incident. The target was CRPF and police, but 12 civilians were injured out of whom four were rushed to a Srinagar hospital, but their condition is stable. We have identified the militant who threw the grenade and we are after him and will arrest him soon,” he said.

Srinagar: Director SKIMS, Prof. A.G Ahangar Monday called on Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha here at Raj Bhavan.

The Lt Governor held a detailed discussion with the Director SKIMS and enquired about functioning of the Institution and healthcare facilities being provided to the patients. He also sought update regarding management of Covid-19 at SKIMS.

On the occasion, Director SKIMS briefed the Lt Governor about the healthcare facilities and available infrastructure including necessary life saving equipment, besides measures undertaken to combat Covid-19 at SKIMS.

The Lt Governor advised the Director to take all necessary steps to ensure better patient care at the institution.

He hoped that the SKIMS would be instrumental in providing best health care to the people and asked for putting in additional efforts to create patient friendly atmosphere and said every patient visiting the hospital should be given best possible medical treatment. (KINS)

Srinagar: Authorities in Kashmir issued an avalanche warning in four districts of the valley on Monday as the higher reaches of the Union Territory received moderate to heavy snowfall, while the plains were lashed by rains.

The avalanche warning has been issued in Kupwara, Bandipora, and Baramulla districts of north Kashmir, and Ganderbal district in central Kashmir, officials said.

While a medium danger avalanche warning has been issued for the higher reaches of Kupwara and Bandipora districts, a low danger avalanche warning has been issued for the higher reaches of Ganderbal and Baramulla districts, they said.

The warning was issued in view of snowfall which started on Saturday and continued till Monday morning, they added.

According to the officials, this is the season’s first major snowfall in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla and the tourist resort of Sonamarg in Ganderbal.

Gulmarg received 19 cm of snow in the last 24 hours, while Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district received light snowfall, the officials said.

Gurez in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, Zojilla Pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway, and Drass in Ladakh also received snowfall, they said.

Due to the snowfall, the authorities closed the Srinagar-Leh road, which connects Jammu and Kashmir with Ladakh, for traffic on Saturday, they added.

The officials said most of the areas in the plains of the Kashmir valley received rains, bringing down the temperature.

The meteorological department said while the weather improved significantly in both the UTs on Monday, light rain or snow at scattered places is likely during the next 24 hours. (PTI)

Srinagar: The upcoming District Development Council elections are expected to be a tight fight as political parties are fielding some bigwigs for the polls.

J&K Election Commissioner KK Sharma announced that the first DDC elections in the newly bifurcated Union Territory will be held on 28 November and 22 December and will have eight phases. The DDC election for 280 constituencies will fill up 234 vacant seats of sarpanches, panches and local bodies. Now all eyes are on DDC polls which political party will win maximum number of seats.

The National Conference, PDP and Congress reached understanding for first phase of the District Development Council (DDC) elections. While BJP too is making all efforts to win maximum seats.

BJP national president Jagat Prakash Nadda has appointed Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur as Incharge and Shahnawaz Hussain, former Union Minister and party spokesperson and Sanjay Bhatia, MP as co-Incharges for District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP has released second list of 46 candidates for third, fourth and fifth phases comprising one former Minister, an ex-legislator, and a JKAS officer, who had taken voluntary retirement from the services.

Sources told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that Smriti Irani, Dr Jitendra Singh, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Partap Sarangi, Gen (Retd) VK Singh and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Tarun Chug, will be star campaigners in J&K elections.
Similarly, NC, PDP and Congress are fielding some top leaders in the DDC elections.

“It seems a tight fight between parties of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and BJP,” sources said. “All are putting their some top leaders in polls while senior leaders will also participate in campaigning to woo voters,” they said.

For the first phase of DDC elections, a total number of 2644 polling stations will be set up and there are be 7,03,620 electors.

In Kashmir division 183 nominations were received for 25 constituencies of the DDCs and in Jammu division, 169 nominations have been received for 18 segments. (KINS)

‘Stop harassing nomads or face serious consequences’

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti Monday said that government was “pushing” Gujjars and Bakarwal community to take extreme steps.

This she said while visiting Gujjars and Bakarwals in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam area where authorities have evicted hundreds of kanals of land from “encroachers”.

“Gujjar and Bakarwal people have always opted for peace and never for the violence. They are being illegally evicted from here. They have been living on this land since years but are being deliberately targeted for being Muslims,” Mehbooba said, according to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

“Where will they go amid intense cold? Government wants to settle outsiders here and remove these people whose ancestors lived here for decades. By such steps, government is pushing Gujjar and Bakarwal community to take some extreme steps,” she claimed.

She warned the government of serious consequences if they don’t stop “harassing” nomads.

“24,000 kanals of land has already been given to industrialists. Whom you want to give this land,” she asked.

She said the demolition of temporary structures of nomadic Kashmiri tribes comprising Gujjar and Bakerwal community is a “brazen attempt to make the natives homeless in the name of so-called anti-encroachment drive in Kashmir forests”.

“With utter disregard to the tribal culture, the administration is destroying their temporary shelters of the Gujjars and Bakerwals with the aim to create fear and hit at everything that is even remotely Kashmiri.

We note with utter sadness and apprehension that the drive to demolish temporary homes of the nomadic tribe, which they use during  rotational migration from Jammu and Kashmir, is a sinister design and perhaps a test case for engineering demographic change in Kashmir,” she said.

Mehbooba said the forest department is taking refuge in legal jargon but the aim is to make the tribe homeless. The nomadic tribe belongs to the forests.

“The nomadic tribe abandon their temporary structures in harsh winters when the mercury in the valley dips and rerun to them during the summer season when it gets hot in Jammu.

Once they return they will find their homes demolished. Where will they go? Are they being punished for the crimes they never committed or is their faith their crime?”

Gujjars have been seeking implementation of Forest Rights Act in J&K so that they can enjoy rights on forest land.

On December 18, 2006, parliament passed Forest Right Act- 2006 whereby the Schedule Tribe and other traditional forest dwellers were entitled to have rights on forest land and other resources.

The Act could not be implemented as Jammu and Kashmir had Article 370 owing to which central laws were not being directly implemented in the erstwhile state.

Tribal and forest dwellers have been demanding extension of the Act to J&K so that they too can enjoy “rights” on the forest land.

For the last few weeks, Wild Life Department, Forest Department Pahalgam Development Authority have served hundreds of eviction notices to people which they claim were illegally residing there.

Hundreds of people especially Gujjars and Bakarwals have received eviction notices for the last two weeks citing “illegal encroachment” of the land.

Under this Act, forest dwellers can cultivate land to a maximum of four hectares and have rights on the minor forest produce. Former PDP legislator, Qamar Hussain, had moved a bill to the Assembly, seeking implementation of the Forest Right Act.

However, the BJP had opposed the bill.
Wildlife Warden Pahalgam Raouf Zargar said they are retrieving land which has been illegally encroached over the years.

“Some people including Gujjars had encroached upon forest land. We removed the encroachments. We did delimitation in Pahalgam to identify our land then removed these illegal encroachments,” he told news agency KINS.

“We evicted around 190 kanals of land in Mamal, Aru area and will continue this drive. Forest, Wild Life Departments also retrieved their land,” he said.

SDM Pahalgam Bashir Ahmad said they have retrieved hundreds of kanals of land from encroachers in Pahalgam.  (KINS)