Category: Union Territory

Sopore: Sopore Economic Alliance on Sunday held an emergency meeting in view of reimposition of the lockdown in Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district after sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the town.

Haji Mohammad Ashraf, president Sopore Economic Alliance told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the meeting was called to discuss several issues.

He said that they had earlier met divisional commissioner Kashmir where they raised some genuine issues about Sopore town.

He said that divisional commissioner assured them that their genuine demands will be fulfilled at an earliest.

Haji said that in today’s meeting they also discussed various issues including drainage system, lack of public toilets in markets, and health facilities with regard to Covid-19 pandemic.

The meeting was attended by several members of Sopore Economic Alliance.

Pertinently, lockdown was reimposed in Sopore town after sudden spike in Covid-19 cases in the past two days—(KNO)

Narendra Modi says the challenges that 2020 has brought to the country, like COVID-19, cyclones Amphan and Nisarga, and locust attacks apart from the situation in east Ladakh, should not weigh the country down.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 28 put out a strong statement on the ongoing stalemate between India and China in east Ladakh, saying that “the world has seen India’s commitment to protecting its borders and sovereignty. In Ladakh, a befitting reply has been given to those coveting our territory.”

He said this in his monthly radio broadcast, ‘Mann ki Baat’, referring to the sacrifice of the 20 Indian soldiers who had lost their lives in the violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops in east Ladakh on June 15th as one that the whole country paid homage to.

“India is peace loving but if anyone casts an eye on our territory and sovereignty, we are more than capable of giving a befitting reply,” he said. Without mentioning China, he quoted a Sanskrit sloka that characterised for India, what Chinese actions at the border revealed about the country’s character. “Vidya vivaad dhanam madaya, shakti pareshan paripeedanaya. Khalasya sadho vipareetam etat, gyaanaya, daanaya cha rakshanam (For crooked persons, knowledge is meant for arguments, wealth for ego, power for troubling others. The opposite is the case among noble souls, knowledge is meant for wisdom, wealth for donation and power to protect the weak),” he said. Noting that the sentiments expressed by the family members of those slain in the violent phase lent courage to the entire country, he referred in particular to jawan Kundan Kumar’s father who has, despite losing a son, expressed a desire to see two of his grandsons serve the Indian Army.

He also referred to a correspondent from Assam, Rajani, who said that after the clashes in Ladakh she was determined to buy locally made products and advocate for them.

Mr. Modi said the challenges that 2020 had brought to the country, like COVID-19, cyclones Amphan and Nisarga, and locust attacks apart from the situation in east Ladakh, should not weigh the country down. “We must face the challenges and use them to march ahead,” he said.

He added that India had transited from the lockdown phase of fighting COVID-19 to the unlock phase, which would require more alertness and care. Taking the point further to highlight recent reforms his government had undertaken, the Prime Minister said, “India is unlocking, be it sectors like coal, space, agriculture and more” and that it was time “to work together to make India self-reliant and technologically advanced.” He pointed out that before Independence, India had an edge in defence production which it lost subsequently, and that it was time to regain that edge.

Mr. Modi also paid fulsome tributes to late Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao, whose centenary year celebrations are being kicked off on June 28. He referred to Rao as one of the most experienced leaders of modern India, a polyglot and someone who steered India through a very delicate phase in its history.

Ahead of the operation Balakot inside Pakistan in February last year and the revocation of J&K’s special status in August last year, the government issued a slew of similar orders

Two separate government orders on stocking up of LPG cylinders for two months in the Kashmir valley and on vacating of school buildings for the security forces in Ganderbal, adjoining Kargil, has triggered a fresh wave of anxiety among the locals, in the wake of India-China face-off.

Described as a “most urgent matter”, an Adviser to Lt. Governor G.C. Murmu has passed directions in a meeting on June 23, “to ensure sufficient stocks of the LPG in the Valley as the supply gets affected due to closure of the National Highway on account of landslips”.

According to an order passed by the Director of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers, the oil companies should make adequate stocks of LPG that can last up to two months at bottling plants as well as godowns.

It is for the first time that the administration has decided to stock up LPG cylinders at the peak of summer. Usually, such exercises are carried out in October-November when the harsh spell of winter would start in the Kashmir valley and affect the traffic on the highways.

In a separate order, the Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, has requested 16 educational institutes in the district, including ITI buildings, middle and higher secondary schools be vacated. “In view of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2020, these educational centres be made available for accommodation of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies,” the order reads.

Such build-up assumes significance as the coming yatra is likely to be a low-key affair due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, Ganderbal is adjoining Kargil in the Union Territory of Ladakh, where India and China are engaged in a face-off over the Line of Actual Control.

The anxiety among the people is palpable. “We hear the jets hovering in the skies on a daily basis for many weeks now. Similar orders were issued in February and August last year. There is a foreboding again in the Valley,” said Nazeer Ahmad, a resident of Hawal.

The degree of anxiety is even higher compared to the two previous episodes witnessed the last year. Ahead of the operation Balakot inside Pakistan in February last year and the revocation of J&K’s special status in August last year, the government issued a slew of similar orders.

With inputs from The Hindu

PTI

Srinagar: A 76-year-old man from Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, who had tested positive for coronavirus, died at a hospital here, taking the number of virus-related fatalities in the union territory to 94, officials said on Sunday.

The patient from Kulgam died at the Chest Diseases hospital here late on Saturday evening, the officials said.

They said the patient tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Saturday at the SMHS hospital and was shifted to the CD hospital later in the evening.

The patient had multiple underlying conditions and died soon after being admitted at the CD hospital, they added.

PTI

Jammu: Two people were killed while four more were critically injured on Sunday in a car accident in the outskirts of the city here, police said.

The speeding car was carrying some local labourers for work in the fields when its driver lost control of the vehicle at Gondla village in R S Pura area around 8.15 am, a police official said.

The car rolled over several times after skidding off the road and rammed into some trees, he said, quoting eye-witnesses.

One of the deceased was identified as 48-year-old Gurdass Chand, a local resident, the official said, adding the injured were admitted to hospital.

PTI

Leh: Fourteen more people tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh, taking the total number of cases in the union territory to 960 on Saturday, while the number of active cases dropped to 405, with 87 more COVID-19 patients getting discharged after recovery, health department officials said.

Of the fresh virus cases, nine were reported in Kargil district and five in Leh district, they said.

With this, the total number of cases in Ladakh — 701 in Kargil and 259 in Leh — has increased to 960, the officials said.

One person from Leh had died of the disease, they added.

Seventy patients were discharged after recovery in Kargil, while 17 patients recovered in Leh district, the officials said.

So far, 554 patients have recovered from the infection in both the districts, including 400 in Kargil, the officials said.

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Ladakh has dropped to 405 — 104 in Leh and 301 in Kargil — and the condition of all of them is stable, they said.

China has said it is moving 20 martial art trainers to the Tibetan plateau to train its forces.

No official reason for the decision has been given, but it comes after at least 20 Indian troops were killed in clashes with Chinese border forces.

Under an agreement dating back to 1996, neither side carries guns or explosives in the area.

China has not released any information about its casualties, while India says 76 of its soldiers were injured.

News of the army’s new martial arts trainers was reported by official Chinese news outlets on 20 June, according to Hong Kong media.

State broadcaster CCTV said 20 fighters from the Enbo Fight Club would be based in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, although Chinese media had not confirmed they would be training troops on the border with India.

China and India – both nuclear powers – have exchanged blame over responsibility for the fighting in the Galwan river valley in Ladakhon on 15 June.

The area, with its harsh climate and high-altitude terrain, is close to Aksai Chin, a disputed area claimed by India but controlled by China.

The deaths during the fighting were the first fatalities in clashes between the two sides in almost half a century.

However, long-standing tensions between India and China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the poorly demarcated border between the two nuclear-armed powers, had risen again in the weeks leading up to the incident.

With inputs from BBC World News

The families of the two soldiers said they were told that the two men were part of a team involved in “constructing a bridge” in the area.

Two soldiers, Naik Sachin Vikram More (37) from Malegaon and Lance Naik Saleem Khan (23) from Patiala, died after drowning in a river in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley area. Their last rites were held on Saturday.

While there was no official statement from the Army, sources said “these are accidents and not connected to the current situation in the region”.

The families of the two soldiers said they were told that the two men were part of a team involved in “constructing a bridge” in the area. While defence sources said More’s death was “reported on Thursday”, Khan’s family said they were informed that he died on Friday.

Army convoy moves on the Srinagar- Ladakh highway at Ganderbal district | Photo Credit: Shuaib Masoodi

“We have been told that a bridge was being constructed, and Saleem was part of that team,” said Khan’s uncle, Budhdin Khan. “He was in a boat which overturned, and he died,” he said.

More’s family said they were told that he dived into the river to rescue two other soldiers. While he managed to rescue them, More was seriously injured when he hit his head on a submerged rock. He is survived by his parents, wife and three children, including an infant.

His father, Vikram More, said he last spoke to him 10 days ago. “Sachin had told me that the situation in the Galwan Valley was serious. He assured me he was fine and said I shouldn’t worry,” he said.

Khan’s mother, Nasima Bagum, said she last spoke to him two days back. “He said he would come home soon. He never gave details of the situation there… He said there may be a problem with phone connectivity, and I shouldn’t worry if he didn’t call. I have lost everything. He was our only support,” she said.

Khan, who joined the Army in 2014, is survived by his mother and two siblings.

With inputs from The Indian Express

PTI

Jammu: Authorities in Jammu on Saturday denotified all 12 containment or red zones in the district after no fresh COVID-19 cases were reported from the areas in the last 30 days.

While 259 people have been cured of COVID-19 in these areas, seven died, according to officials.

Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Sushma Chauhan denotified all containment or red zones in the district as per the guidelines issued by the state executive committee, Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Department, an official spokesperson said.

The denotified containment or red zones are Janipur, Bhawani Nagar, Gujjar Najar, Kalka Colony in Gorkha Nagar, Gurah Bakshi Nagar, Digiana, Raipur Satwari, Simbal, Kharian, Kalyanpur, Channi Mawalian and municipal ward number 48 of Gurkha Nagar, he said.

The spokesperson said intensive testing was carried out in these areas. No fresh COVID-19 case has been reported in these areas for the last 30 days.

So far, the Jammu district has recorded a total of 325 COVID-19 cases. Of these, seven patients have died, while 259 have been cured and subsequently discharged from hospitals. The remaining 59 patients are undergoing treatment.

New Delhi: After China increased air activity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India deployed its advanced very quick-reaction surface-to-air missile defence systems in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

This comes after Chinese fighter aircraft and helicopter activities increased along the LAC.
The air defence systems of both Indian Army and the Indian Air Force have been deployed in the sector to prevent any misadventure by the Chinese Air Force fighter jets or the People’s Liberation Army choppers there, government sources said.

China has brought in Sukhoi-30 and its Xian H-6 strategic bombers to the rear locations and which have been detected flying near the Indian territory maintaining the 10 km plus distance from the boundary.

India will also be getting the Russian S-400 missile defence systems shortly and defence minister Rajnath Singh, during his Moscow visit, had said that the Russian leadership assured him that all ongoing military contracts will be completed on time despite COVID-19 pandemic.
Chinese sources also said that PLAAF choppers have been flying very close to the Indian LAC in all the troubled sectors including the Daulat Beg Oldie sector, Galwan valley near Patrolling Point 14, Patrolling Point 15, Patrolling Point 17 and Hot Springs area along with the Pangong Tso and Finger area.

The fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force is also very active in the eastern Ladakh area and all the surveillance gaps have been plugged and no enemy aircraft would be able to go undetected from the eyes of defence forces. India has deployed its frontline assets like Su-30MKIs, Apache attack helicopters and Boeing CH-47 Chinook along the LAC.

Meanwhile, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) President Lobsang Sangay today said that the ongoing military aggression across the Himalayas is not the first by China and it won’t be the last.