Category: Union Territory

15 More Die Of Covid-19 In Kashmir, J&K toll 581

Srinagar: Kashmir Valley reported fifteen more covid-19 related deaths since overnight, taking the fatality count due to the virus to 581, officials said on Wednesday.

Regarding those who lost the battle to the pestilence, they said, seven were residents of Srinagar, three each Budgam and Kupwara besides one each Baramulla and Shopian.

A 75-year-old woman from Chattabal Srinagar who was diagnosed with bilateral community acquired pneumonia died at SMHS hospital, a week after she was admitted there, officials said.

A 55-year-old woman from Rainawari Srinagar who was also diagnosed with bilateral community acquired pneumonia died at wee hours today, a day after admitted to the hospital, they said.

An elderly man from Shallateng also passed away at the hospital, two days after he was admitted there and subsequently diagnosed with bilateral community acquired pneumonia, they said.

A 43-year-old man from Hawal Srinagar died at SKIMS Soura, a day after he was admitted to the tertiary care hospital and tested positive subsequently.

A 57-year-old man from Buchpora Srinagar died at SKIMS Soura, nineteen days after he was admitted, they said.

A 72-year-old man from Sebdan Budgam died at CD hospital Dalgate here, two days after he was referred from Chanapora to the exclusive facility for the management of the covid-19 patients. Diagnosed with pneumonia, diabetes and acute kidney injury, a doctor at the hospital told GNS that the septuagenarian’s condition deteriorated and today he developed bradycardia followed by cardiac arrest. “He died at around 8 a.m.,” the doctor added.

A 60-year-old woman from Lal Chowk Srinagar who was suffering from hypertension, diabetes and Hypothyroid besides pneumonia died due to cardiac arrest at CD hospital at 4: 50 p.m. today. Also a 65-year-old woman from Hawal died due to the virus, officials said.

Two other Budgam residents— a nonagenarian woman from Budibagh Choon and a 65-year-old resident from Malpora Chadoora—died last night, they added.

Among three deaths reported from Kupwara includes an 80-year-old of Tanghdar Kupwara who was admitted to SMHS hospital on August 16 and diagnosed with bilateral CAP with “hypoxemia” died this afternoon.

Regarding fatality from Shopian, they said, a 70-year-old woman from Wachi died at Government Medical College Anantnag few days ago and was included in the official list along with that of a resident from Baramulla and two other residents from Kupwara.

With these deaths, officials said, 581 people have succumbed to the virus in Jammu and Kashmir sofar—540 from the Valley and 41 from Jammu division.

Srinagar district with 186 deaths tops the list followed by Baramulla (89), Budgam (46), Anantnag (43), Kulgam (31), Pulwama (40), Kupwara (39), Shopian (26), Jammu (29), Bandipora(23), Ganderbal (14), Rajouri (3), two each in Doda, Poonch and Udhampurbesides one each in Ramban, Samba, and Kathua. (GNS)

Business community concerned, say not in a position to pay taxes, deadline must be extended

Srinagar: The business community in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir here has expressed serious concerns after the government has directed them to pay the taxes till October 31st, 2020.

The traders have said that they have already suffered huge losses and are not a position to pay taxes at this juncture, saying that the deadline for paying the taxes should be extended till the ongoing situation improves on the ground.

In an official communiqué, a copy of which lies with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the government of Jammu and Kashmir under the amnesty for the settlement of unresolved issues in the old tax regime for the smooth implementation of goods and services tax (GST) has revised the timeline for payment of taxes and has set 31st October as last date of paying the taxes.

The dealers in Kashmir have expressed serious concern in this regard, stating that the pandemic has already pushed them towards starvation as all the business establishments remained closed and no business was conducted for nearly five months due to lockdown enforced by the government in wake of COVID-19

One of the businessman from South Kashmir told KNO that all the business in the Valley is down for over a year now. The business has got badly affected from past one year after the abrogation of Article 370 last year and now the ongoing COVID situation.

He said that the government has earlier issued revised final dates but the situation was not favorable in the Valley for any sort of business but the revised date for paying taxes issued by the government is merely a joke for the business community.

The aggrieved traders said that the government is well aware about the huge lossses suffered by them due to continuous lockdown enforced in view of the pandemic to contain the deadly virus. “The business community is yet to resume the regular work since the lockdown hasn’t been eased completely across the Valley due to rising COVID cases,” they said.

They also said that the governments in other parts of the country have started to rehabilitate the people linked with businesses to mitigate the losses but “we are being forced to pay the taxes that too at a time when the businessmen across the Valley have suffered huge losses.”

The businessman have sought the intervention of the concerned department and demanded personal intervention of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha to ensure the traders are pushed to face further hardships during the ongoing situation—(KNO)

Srinagar: Residents of various areas of Southern Kashmir have accused sumo drivers for overcharging them besides not following SOPs to protect from COVID-19.

Residents of Kumdalan village of Shopian said sumo drivers are overcharging for travelling from Kumdullan to Shopian.

“Earlier, the fare charge on the same route was Rs 10 and now we are being charged Rs 30 for the same,” a local Fayaz Ahmad told news agency KINS.

The residents allege that sumo drivers not only overcharge them but also violate standard operating procedures (SOPs).

“They are allowing 10 passengers to travel in a vehicle which causes threat to commuters,” they said.

Similar complaints have been made by residents of other villages in Shopian and Pulwama districts.

“There is no check while sumo drivers are overcharging commuters,” said Javid Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama.

In view of Coronavirus, the government had increased 30% fare hike and asked drivers to carry only 50% passengers in the vehicle as a precautionary measure.

Locals have applied authorities to look into this matter and ease the suffering of people.(KINS)

PTI

Srinagar: The novel coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir crossed the 30,000 mark on Wednesday with 708 new infections, while 11 more deaths took the toll to 572, officials said.

There are 6,965 active cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and 22,497 patients have recovered so far, according to the officials.

All the 11 coronavirus fatalities were from Kashmir, taking the toll to 572, including 531 from the Valley and 41 from the Jammu region, according to the officials.

Among the 708 new cases, 606 were from Kashmir and 102 from the Jammu region, taking the total to 30,034, the officials said.

Srinagar district reported the highest number of 229 new cases, followed by 88 in Budgam district, the officials said.

PTI

Jammu: The Pakistan Army violated ceasefire on Wednesday by resorting to heavy firing and mortar shelling in forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, prompting a befitting retaliation from the security forces, officials said.

“At about 1630 hours today, Pak army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and intense shelling with mortars along the LoC in Keri Battal area of Sunderbani sector,” defence spokesperson said.

The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he said.

On August 7, a 65-year old man was killed as Pakistan army resorted to mortar shelling in Poonch district while on August 1, an army jawan was killed in firing by Pakistan in Rajouri sector.

On July 11, two women were killed as Pakistan shelled forward posts and villages along the LoC in different sectors in Poonch district and on July 10, an Army man was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Rajouri district.

After over a year, MHA orders pull out of over 10,000 forces personnel from J&K

‘Decision taken after reviewing deployment of forces in the UT’

Abid Bashir

Srinagar, Aug 19 (KNO): The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Wednesday ordered the withdrawal of more than 10,000 security forces personnel who were brought to Kashmir prior to last year’s August 5 announcement of rollback of article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories.

The development comes after over a year after at least 400 additional companies of security forces were deployed across J&K in the wake of last year’s August 5 announcement by the Government of India.

The MHA in its order sent to Advisor to the Administration of J&K UT, commissioner secretary , Administration J&K UT and Director General of Police J&K Dilbagh Singh, stated that it is to intimate that the deployed of Central Armed Forces in J&K has been further reviewed by the ministry. “It has been decided to withdraw 100 Companies of CAPFs with immediate effect from J&K  and revert them back to their respective locations,” reads the MHA order, a copy of which is with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

Each Security Forces’ Company comprises 100 to 110 men which means over 10,000 forces personnel are on way out from J&K UT. The breakup of 100 companies that are being pulled out of J&K include 40 companies from CRPF, 20 from BSF, 20 SSB and 20 from ITBB.

At least 40,000 additional troops were deployed across J&K prior to last year’s announcement about abrogation of Article 370 and slicing of the erstwhile state into two halves—J&K and Ladakh UTs. They were deployed for almost four months amid spontaneous shutdown—from August to November 2019 on all streets and sensitive places to contain possible protests and to deal with the law and order issues.

However, they were later retained and now after over a year, the MHA today decided to withdraw 100 companies. Sources revealed that 300 additional forces continue to remain stationed in Kashmir and their withdrawal will depend on the second review by the MHA scheduled to be held next month—(KNO)

Three families claimed that the three killed were their kin and were labourers by profession

The Army has ordered a high-level Court of Inquiry (CoI) into the July 18 Shopian encounter in south Kashmir in which three alleged militants were killed.

“A high-level CoI into the Operation Amshipora, Shopian, is under progress. Statements of key witnesses are being recorded and progress is being monitored closely,” an Army spokesman said on Tuesday.

The Shopian encounter came under a cloud after three families from the Pir Panjal valley’s Rajouri district claimed that the three killed were their kin and were labourers by profession.

The encounter came under a cloud after three families from the Pir Panjal valley’s Rajouri district claimed that the three killed were their kin and were labourers by profession.

“Additional civil witnesses are being asked to depose before the CoI. Concurrently, DNA samples have been collected from Rajouri under the aegis of the J&K police and sent for matching with the terrorists killed on July 18, 2020,” the Army said.

The spokesman said the Army was “committed to ethical conduct of all counter terrorist operations”. “Cases where doubts are raised are investigated under due process as per the law of the land. Since the case is under investigation, further details will be shared periodically, as appropriate without affecting due legal process.”

The DNA samples of the families were lifted on August 13 and have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for examination and comparison with the “three unidentified slain militants”.

The families have identified the missing youth as Abrar Ahmed Khan, 18, Imtiyaz Hussain, 26, and Abrar, 21, all from Rajouri, and claimed the faces resembled the pictures of the slain ‘militants’.

They claimed that all the three were carrying Aadhaar cards when they left home in June but the security forces said the three could not be identified immediately.

With inputs from The Hindu

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

PTI

Srinagar: A spell of overnight rainfall broke the prolonged dry spell in Kashmir valley even as the summer capital Srinagar had on Monday recorded the hottest August day in the last nearly four decades, officials said on Tuesday.

Many places in the Kashmir valley received a spell of rainfall during the night, the officials said. They said the valley witnessed rains and thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds which continued at few places till the morning.

Srinagar city recorded 20.2 mm rainfall, while Qazigund 12.2 mm, Pahalgam 6.2 mm, Kupwara 5.2 mm, Gulmarg 2.6 mm, and Kokernag 1.8 mm, they said.

The clouds dispersed in the morning, the officials said, adding, there is no forecast of rainfall ahead in the union territory.

The rainfall broke the prolonged dry spell in Kashmir valley which had been witnessing hotter days in the recent weeks.

On Monday, Srinagar city recorded a maximum temperature of 35.7 degrees Celsius, which was the hottest August day in the last 39 years, the officials said.

They said Monday’s maximum temperature was six degrees above the normal.

The city remained hotter than Jammu — the winter capital of the UT — which had recorded 32.1 degrees Celsius on Monday.

While the Met office had announced the arrival of monsoon on June 24 this year, the valley witnessed dry weather conditions amid soaring temperatures.

Srinagar: The process of recruiting various posts piling up in government departments is likely to expedite in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Centre had already announced on the floor of Lok Sabha that 50000 vacancies would be filled in government departments in J&K during the ongoing fiscal.

A budgetary provision of Rs 2000 crore was also earmarked for the recruitment process in J&K UT’s maiden budget presented in the Parliament earlier this year.

Sources told news agency KINS that the high-level panel already constituted to fast-track the recruitment process have been asked by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha led administration to speed up the work.

The four-member panel was tasked to identify the vacancies with priority to Class-IV jobs, to finalise the procedures to be adopted, to obtain necessary sanctions.

Sources said that the government has asked the panel to meet regularly and submit the recommendations to recruiting agencies.

The constitution of the panel was a major step in the administration’s endeavour to restore employment in the UT, which is witnessing the ever-growing unemployment, even as some of the past recruitments turned out to be full of irregularities.

The panel was asked to finalise the procedure to be followed for recruitment, so that the principles of transparency and inclusiveness are maintained and the process of recruitment is concluded speedily.

The committee was also asked to ensure that necessary sanctions/approvals are obtained, rules notified (wherever required) for enabling Services Selection Board to commence the process of recruitment immediately and removing hitches in the recruitment process, if any.

The government had ordered the Committee to meet frequently, if necessary on a daily basis, and interact with Administrative Secretaries to ensure that the indents for recruitments are forwarded to the Service Selection Board by 22nd May, an official order in this regard had said.

“The Chairman-Nodal Officer shall be responsible for the tasks assigned to the Committee and he shall be assisted by other officers of the Committee,” it had said.

It was informed that the panel will continue to monitor the process till the recruitment process is completed.

In order to restore the employment, the government had also set up a task force which was directed to formulate a time-bound plan for recruitment to government jobs at different levels, to resume the delayed and halted recruitments.

The eight-member task force led by the Financial Commissioner Finance Department was asked to submit its report before May 15.

A consolidated date estimates around 81000 vacancies in various government departments in the union territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

To fast track the vacant posts the government recently appointed B R Sharma as Chairman Public Service Commission (PSC).

It may be recalled that the erstwhile JKPSC was closed down following the re-organization of Jammu and Kashmir State into the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.

As per the J&K Reorganisation Act 2019, the JKPSC will continue to be a recruiting agency for various posts in J&K UT while recruitments in Ladakh would be done by the Union Public Service Commission.

Sources said that the failure of the previous government to appoint the Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) was delaying the recruitment for various gazetted posts of the candidates, who were shortlisted for various posts including administrative services and Assistant professors.

Sources said that the selection process of the various posts was stalled, due to the fact that Commission chairman and other members were not in place, in absence of which not any policy decision or the selection process could have been completed. (KINS)

PTI

A man was arrested for raping his 15-year-old cousin, police said on Tuesday.

The matter came to light after the girl was taken to a hospital as she was not feeling well. The doctors there revealed that the girl was seven months pregnant, Circle officer Kalu Singh said.

The incident took place in a village under Gyanpur Police Station in the district, Singh said.

The girl said that her cousin repeatedly raped her and also threatened to kill her if she told anyone about it, Singh said.

“A case was registered on Monday evening, and the accused person has been arrested. The girl has been sent for medical examination,” the CO said.