Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps Lieutenant General BS Raju Monday appealed to local militants to “switch-off” the path of militancy or face tough action from the Army.

The GOC 15 Corps BS Raju who was talking to reporters on the sidelines of Yusmarg festival in central Kashmir’s Budgam district appealed militants to “switch-off” the path of militancy and subsequently spoke tough saying “Otherwise whosoever will contest army with weapon in his hand will be dealt hardheartedly”.
The army officer however maintained that those who shun the path of militancy and violence will be facilitated to return to their homes.

GOC 15 Corps while continuing appealed local militants to say ‘good-bye’ to militancy and start a peaceful and dignified life. “I appeal to youth who are ready to shun militancy to return to their homes as the environment is favorable for them for starting a peaceful and dignified life”, he said.

On October 22, GOC Kilo Force Major General HS Sahi told the media that the Army has sent its recommendations to the Government regarding surrender cum rehabilitation policy for the militants willing to switch-off the militancy and join the mainstream however there was no final draft ready yet. He had said that the policy will take time to get finalized but the Army would continue to follow the existing one and will allow local militants to surrender and start a new life.

Terming bloodshed and destruction in Kashmir repercussions of militancy, the GOC 15 Corps BS Raju said that “militancy has devastated the entire Jammu and Kashmir”.

GOC asserted that the situation in south Kashmir has started limping back to normalcy as economical activities have started to accelerate. “Situation in southern parts of Kashmir including Kulgam, Anantnag, Pulwama and Shopian districts are comprehensively normal. Economic activities have started to take up. Fruit growers are busy sending their crop outside markets. We hope our children will soon join schools if Covid-19 pandemic will not stay more here”, GOC has said.

To a query he asserted that the overall situation in the valley is peaceful. “The overall situation in Kashmir valley is peaceful. Militancy related activities have declined as compared to the past. Youth have started to concentrate on their future as many have shine in professional examinations recently which is really a good sign of the situation”, Srinagar based Army chief said.

While reiterating the assertions of combating infiltration on LoC, the GOC said that this year army has been able to plug the infiltration to a large extent but maintained that ahead of snowfall and winters, the attempts may increase, but our forces are alert and maintaining tight vigil to frustrate the bids.

He said the Army is organizing Yusmarg festival every year aimed to provide a plate form to local youth to express their talent. “We have recorded sound participation of people in the festival this year as compared to the past. Several medical experts and NGOs participated in the event and alerted people about the drug menace”, he said. (KINS)

Days after microblogging platform Twitter labelled the Indian territory of Leh in Ladakh as part of People’s Republic of China (PRC), Amazon’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered virtual assistant Alexa has now embroiled in a similar controversy.

The social media backlash against the tech company began after a Twitter user uploaded a video where Alexa categorised Kashmir as a part of China’s territory. “Alexa, Kashmir kis desh ka hissa hai (Alexa, Kashmir is a part of which country?)”, the twitter user asked Alexa in Hindi. The AI-powered Alexa Echo replied, “Ya aapka sawal ka jawab ho sakta hai. Kashmir China mein sthit hai (This can be an answer to your question. Kashmir is located in China).”

Another Twitter user then tried finding the same answer about the location of Kashmir. Alexa replied, “This can be an answer to your question. Kashmir is located in China.”

Opindia has independently verified the claims made on social media about Alexa. However, the error is only limited to the Hindi version. When the language is changed to English, Alexa says that Kashmir is a part of Northern India.

Twitter labels Ladakh as part of China’s territory

During a live session on Twitter, national security analyst Nitin A Gokhale found that Twitter has labelled the Indian territory of Leh in Ladakh as part of People’s Republic of China (PRC). Gokhale, the founder of Strat News Global, had marked his location as ‘Hall of Fame Leh’. However, the microblogging platform displayed the area as a part of PRC. The screengrab of the video read, “Nitin A Gokhale was live. Jammu and Kashmir, People’s Republic of China.

While slamming Twitter for its outrageous action, the national security analyst demanded immediate action from the Government of India against the microblogging platform. He urged netizens to flood Twitter with complaints so as to mount pressure on the micro-blogging platform to correct the error. Following a social media outrage, Twitter issued a statement claiming that the error was the result of a technical glitch.

On Tuesday, Nitin A Gokhale went live on Twitter yet again but this time from the Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport area in Leh. However, to his surprise, the national security analyst found that the microblogging platform had not fixed the technical glitch, despite being well aware of the sensitivity around it. Even though Twitter did not include Leh as part of the People’s Republic of China anymore, it, however, labelled the region as part of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Amazon issues statement after social media backlash

Following the controversy, the official Twitter handle of Amazon Help reached out to the agitated netizens.

It tweeted, “Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We’ve forwarded this information to the appropriate team for research. Keep us posted if you need assistance in the future. We’re always available.”

Google Assistant provides the correct location of Kashmir

Meanwhile, a Twitter user tried to gather a response for the same query on his Google Nest Mini, which uses Google Assistant to provide answers to users. He asked, “Okay Google, Kashmir kis desh mein sthith hai?” The Google Assistant replied, “According to Wikipedia, Jammu and Kashmir was an Indian State till August 5, 2019 and was later bifurcated into Union territory of Ladakh and Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.”

Google’s response marks a stark contrast to that of Alexa. It must be remembered that unlike Amazon’s virtual assistant, Google is a search engine with access to billions of web pages. It was, therefore, able to pluck answers from the web pages indexed on its site.

However, while Google answered this question correctly, a word of caution must be put as it sources this information from Wikipedia. And while this information by Wikipedia is correct, there have been innumerable instances where Wikipedia, a user-edited online resource, has put out misleading, biased and sometimes blatantly untrue information.

With inputs from OpIndia

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Further details awaited

– KNT

Srinagar: General Secretary BJP Ashok Kaul today said that People in Kashmir have now come openly to show respect to the National Flag in reaction to the ‘disrespect’ shown by the Gupkar ‘Gang’.

Speaking to KNS, Kaul said, “People in Kashmir now openly show support to National Flag. A kashmiri muslim says that flag is in his heart. See his guts. Everyone in the country and Kashmir liked his act. Now people in Kashmir have come openly to show respect for flag. This is a reaction to the disrespect shown by Gupkar Gang to the flag.”

Criticizing NC leader Farooq Abdullah, Kaul said, “how can he claim to be a nationalist when he doesn’t respect national flag” he said, “ Mehbooba Mufti is totally confused. Now they deny her words about the flag”(KNS)

Srinagar: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said that ‘India wants to end its border dispute with China in East-Ladakh’, but at the same time he asserted that ‘Indian soldiers will not let an inch of their land go in the hands of any other country.

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said this on Sunday during the ‘Shastra Puja’ held in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on the occasion of Dussehra. The puja was conducted at the 33rd corp headquarters of the Indian Army at Darjeeling.

Rajnath Singh has been doing arms worship on Dussehra for the last several years. He also performed this puja during the tenure of the previous NDA government as Home Minister.

After the puja ended on Sunday, Rajnath Singh told the press, “We want to end the border dispute with China and establish peace. Obviously this is our intention. But after a while, crooked Incidents happen and tension continues. I believe that our soldiers will not let even an inch of India’s land go into the hands of any other country. “

Military officials said that Rajnath Singh was to go to worship at Sherthang, a high-altitude border area near the Line of Actual Control in Sikkim, but could not go there due to bad weather.

On the occasion of arms worship, the Chief of the Indian Army General MM Narwane and other senior officers of the army were also present. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a new road in Sikkim through a video conference after ending his speech after arms worship.

He said, “I can say with full confidence and with strong information that the valor and courage displayed by Indian soldiers on the East-Ladakh border during Indo-China tension will be written in golden letters by historians. (PTK)

Srinagar: While reacting to the statement of Ravi Shankar Prasad, former CM and Vice president Jk NC Omar obdullah said that we don’t expect anything from you.

He said that unless you are suggesting the Supreme Court has surrendered its independence and takes dictation from you please don’t presume to know what the honble judges will decide.

He further added that presume to know what the Hon Judges will decide.

Pertinently Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that Article 370, giving special powers to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir will not be restored. Article 370 was revoked on 5 August last year and the state of Jammu and Kashmir bifurcated into two Union Territories by the Indian government. (PTK)

Project Monitoring Unit, Web based dashboard to monitor progress of CSS projects on real time basis

Srinagar: Principal Secretary PDD, Rohit Kansal, today convened a meeting to review the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and installation of Smart Meters. 

During the meeting, the Project Implementing Agency (PIA), RECPDCL informed that installation of smart meters shall be started in Srinagar and Jammu cities from 15th November, 2020. In the first phase 20,000 meters would be installed and the process would continue in a phased manner till entire quantity of 2 lakh meters sanctioned under PMDP is installed.   

Principal Secretary asked RECPDCL to ensure that there would be no further delays and the metering process in other urban and rural areas under various centrally sponsored schemes is implemented expeditiously.

Briefing the meeting, the officers of RECPDCL informed that   with the installation of smart meters, the consumers will be able to know their electricity consumption pattern and bill on real time basis, by which they will be in position to manage load and reduce their monthly bill. The consumers will also know the status of power supply and load in use when away from home, they  added.”Smart meters will bring about transparency in metering, billing and collection which will eventually reduce power losses and ensure quality and reliable power supply to consumers,” Principal Secretary observed.

Consumers can recharge the smart meters in the same manner as mobile phones are recharged thus eliminating the requirement of manual meter reading and paper bill distribution, the meeting was told.  The meters will be read remotely in Data Centre at Srinagar and Data Recovery Centre at Jammu through communication channels, which will also facilitate the distribution Corporations to know the status of power supply at consumer end and take prompt action in case there is power interruption due to system faults or some other reason.

While reviewing the progress of system strengthening and electrification works under implementation in urban and rural areas, under various centrally sponsored schemes, the implementing agencies informed that out of 11 packages of IPDS and PMDP- Urban schemes sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 1590.00 crore 6 packages will be completed in December, 2020, 4 packages in March, 2021 and one package in June, 2021.  Out of 19 packages of DDUGJY and PMDP-Rural schemes, sanctioned at a cost of 1777.00 crore, 4 packages will be completed in February, 2021 and remaining 15 packages in March, 2021. Out of 28 towns of RAPDRP-B projects sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 1665.00 crore 12 towns will be completed in November, 2020, 11 in June, 2021 and 5 in December, 2021. 

With a view to ensure that the timelines for completion of projects are adhered to, the Principal Secretary informed that a Project Monitoring Unit has been established at Administrative Department level and  a web based Dashboard has been set up through which project status including physical/financial progress, achievements, slippages and bottlenecks are being reported regularly. The Principal Secretary directed to establish a robust Management Information System (MIS) to be linked to Dash Board as the next step. He asked the Project Management Agencies (PMAs) to provide necessary inputs for the Dashboard/ MIS so that corrective measures required to ensure hassle free project implementation is ensured. 

The meeting was attended by CEO RECPDCL, MD KPDCL, Additional CEO RECPDCL, Director Finance, Secretary Technical,   Chief Engineer Distribution, KPDCL, Chief Engineer Projects, KPDCL  and other senior officers. MD JPDCL, Director Planning, Chief Engineer Distribution JPDCL, Chief Engineer Projects JPDCL and other senior officers participated in the meeting via video conferencing from Jammu.

PTI

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday accused PDP president Mehbooba Mufti of “disrespecting” the Indian flag and asserted that the revocation of Article 370 was done constitutionally and that it will not be restored.

Her comments that she will not hold the tricolour till the Kashmiri flag is restored is “downright denunciation” of the national flag’s sanctity, senior BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister had on Friday said that she was not interested in contesting elections or holding the tricolour, the national flag, till the constitutional changes enforced on August 5 last year were rolled back.

She said she would hold the tricolour only when the separate flag of the erstwhile state is restored.

Prasad asserted that Article 370, which gave the erstwhile state a special status and was revoked last year, will not be restored.

It was removed following a proper constitutional process and both Houses of Parliament approved it with overwhelming numbers, he said.

Revoking it was our commitment to the nation and people have appreciated it, he said.

In many ways, Mufti has shown serious disrespect to the very image of India which the tricolour represents, he added.

The minister also hit out at other opposition parties, saying they have maintained a stony silence at her remarks showing serious disrespect to the national flag, even as they criticise the saffron party at the “slightest of issues”.

“This is hypocrisy and double standard,” Prasad said.

He claimed that the revocation of the Article 370 has led to increased development in the union territory with the weaker sections of society, like SCs, STs, OBCs and women, enjoying the same rights that they do in the rest of the country.

People participated in local polls in Jammu and Kashmir with joy and happiness, he said.

“Some people and families who used to rule with impunity and without accountability are going to have problems,” he said.

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Kupwara: The Lolab Byepass road is in a bad condition and taking a toll on the health of travelers.

The Lolab Byepass road was macadamised last year. However, within months, it started worn-out.

Now the dilapidated condition of the road is giving a tough time to people.

Locals told news agency KINS that authorities have failed to macadamise the road. “It has developed huge potholes and has become unbearable for people to travel,” locals said. They have appealed to the authorities to check how the road was worn- out within months.

Instead macdamising the road, authorities have constructed a parallel road towards Lolab from Kupwara. “It is yet to be connected with the main road and has been left halfway. The Lolab Byepass road needs to be macdamised.

Similarly the road from Kupwara to Bohipora-Gushi, Degree College needs to be repaired,” local said.

Locals said authorities were paying no attention to their repeated pleas.

They have appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to intervene so that these roads are macdamised The concerned authorites could not be contacted for their comments.(KINS)

Srinagar: Fear has gripped government employees after Jammu and Kashmir administration amended services rules to allow the administration to retire government employees at any time after completing 22 years of service or attaining the age of 48 years.

At the same time several political parties while opposing the move have termed it a “draconian”.

On Thursday, the J & K government announced that it has amended civil service rules to allow the administration to retire government employees at any time after completing 22 years of service or attaining the age of 48 years.

The employees can be retired after being given three months’ notice or three months of pay and allowance in lieu of the notice.

The step has not gone well within government employees and politicians in Kashmir.

Employees Joint Act Committee (EJAC) president Fayaz Ahmad Shabnam said they are holding deliberations with employees associations on this issue. “Once we reach some consensus we will announce a future course of action. We will put our viewpoint before the government, people and employees,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

Chairman JKTA, Shah Fayaz said that employees of Jammu and Kashmir Government proved their worth in every challenge and served in all conditions with dedication whether it’s elections in odd situations, floods or earthquakes, covid19. “They without discrimination of any departmental aspect served the society in all odds and ends.”

“Now to weed out inefficient, incompetent, corrupt officials is highly a welcome step, as it streamlines system and justice is delivered, but to make amendments which show disparity as in center there is same rule but qualifying service is 30 years and age limit is 55 but we got 22 years and 48 age limit, this is sheer injustice,” he said.

Shah said, “In past there is record of incompetent, inefficient , corrupt officials but no one showed them backdoor, for this there should be a proper procedure as employees get promotions etc on the basis of APR ( annual performance report), there is proper system already in place. We are not against any policy which helps and benefits smooth functioning of governance but irony is that already rules and procedures to act against any corrupt, inefficient officials are in place.”

CPI-M leader MY Tarigami said the order was ‘draconian’ and would cause uncertainty among the government employees. “The notification/SRO aims to keep the employees under pressure which is bound to cause insecurity among them. It would serve as a tool to the government and bureaucrats to suppress their subordinates. A sword of uncertainty has been kept on the heads of employees which can also be exploited by their superiors,” he said.

While terming the Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to acquires powers to retire employees at 48 years of age or after completing 22 years of service as an anti-employee and assault on the rights of lakhs of government employees, J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (J&KPCC) Vice-President and former MLC G N Monga demanded the its immediate roll back of this arbitrary decision.
In a statement issued to news agency KINS he said by such order a lot of uncertainty has been created among the employees which ultimately will affect their performance. “A sword of uncertainty has been kept on the heads of employees which can also be exploited by their superiors,” Monga said.

The Congress leader said that when there were already provisions in service rules to retire non-performing employees prematurely, what was the need to take such a decision. “Already lot of arbitrary decisions have been taken by the BJP government at the Center regarding Jammu and Kashmir and now the latest decision will demoralise the government employees,” he said.

Demanding the immediate roll back of this order, Monga said, “This process has not been given a thought before passing. It should be revoked immediately.” (KINS)