Category: Union Territory

PTI

Jammu: A mentally challenged youth, who had gone missing from his home in Bihar about two years ago, was on Monday reunited with his family members here, police said.

Ranjeet Choudary was found roaming under suspicious circumstances by a police party in Dhansal area of Arnas in Reasi district on Wednesday, a police spokesperson said.

After hectic efforts, police located his home in Behngi village of Bihar and contacted his family through the local police station, he said.

Choudary had left his home without informing anyone about two years ago, the spokesperson said.

The missing person was handed over to his family members after completion of all legal formalities, he said.

PTI

Mumbai: The CRPF jawan killed in an encounter with militants in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday hailed from Solapur in Maharashtra and authorities were working to bring his mortal remains to his native place.

An official from Solapur confirmed that CRPF jawan Sunil Kale, a resident of Pangaon village in Barshi tehsil of the district, was killed in the encounter in Pulwama.

He joined the service in 2000 and was posted in Jammu and Kashmir since some time, the official said.

“The process to bring his body to Solapur is being worked out with the authorities concerned,” he added.

Besides the CRPF jawan, two unidentified militants were also killed in the encounter, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Bundzoo in Pulwama district of South Kashmir on Tuesday morning after receiving specific information about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation turned into an encounter after militants fired upon a search party of the forces, who retaliated, the official said.

Srinagar: Exchange of firing took place between militants and security in forests of Lolab area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Tuesday.

According to the reports reaching GNS, a joint team of Police, Army’s 28RR and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search-operation in Lolab forests.

SSP Kupwara ShriRam Ambarkar confirmed to GNS the exchange of fire between the joint team and the militants. However right now there is no exchange of firing as its deep forest. More reinforcements have been rushed to the forest, added SSP.

Further details awaited. (GNS)

Srinagar: The death toll due to the deadly Coronavirus has mounted to 87 in Jammu and Kashmir as two more patients have died in Kashmir in last 12 hours, officials said.

The two patients who died due to COVID in last 12 hours include 85-year-old man from Kulgam and 58-year-old woman from Natipora area of Srinagar.

Dr Farooq Jan, Medical Superintendent, SKIMS, said that an elderly man from Kulgam died at SKIMS on Tuesday morning.

He said patient was admitted to the hospital on June 05 and was suffering from heart ailments besides hypertension.

Dr Saleem Tak, Medical Superintendent at CD hospital said that a lady from Natipora Srinagar died at CD hospital few hours after she was shifted from SMHS on Monday evening.

The patient was suffering from bilateral pneumonia, diabetes and hypertension, he said.

With their death, the death toll in J&K has reached to 87 including 77 from Kashmir and 10 from Jammu division—(KNO)

Srinagar, June 23, KNT: Police Tuesday claimed that missing Phd Scholar Basit Hilal has joined militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen.

Basit Hilal who had gone along with his friends in Naranag area of Central Kashmir along with his friends last week had gone missing. His family are seeking his whereabouts and had even staged a protest yesterday at Press Enclave Srinagar.

Basit according to his family was working in New Delhi and had recently arrived Kashmir after the outbreak of Coronavirus pandemic. He has done his Phd at Kashmir University.

Inspector General of Police Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar according to news agency KNT revealed that Hilal has joined militant outfit Hizbul Mujhadeen.

He was talking to Reporters on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of CRPF trooper Sunil Kala at Humhama Budgam.

When asked what details he is having about the missing Scholar Hilal Ahmed, IGP said that the latest update is that Hilal has joined Hizbul Mujhadeen. “This is what I have to say this time,” he said. (KNT)

Corps Commanders hold talks again.

As the second round of Corps Commander level talks was held on Monday to resolve differences on the disputed India-China boundary, there were reports of a Chinese troop build-up at Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh.

The first round of Corps Commander talks on June 6 resulted in an important understanding for limited disengagement but the consensus was breached after Indian troops were attacked on June 15 during the “de-escalation” process, resulting in the death of 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel.

Also read | There has been no firing on the border since 1975 | Ladakh face-off | Chinese media lauds Modi’s speech

The Monday meeting was held at Moldo on the Chinese side opposite Chushul, a defence source said. The Indian side was led by Lieutenant General Harinder Singh, General Officer Commanding of the Leh based 14 Corps and the Chinese side by Major General Liu Lin, Commander of the South Xinjiang Military District.

However, details of the talks were not known as they went on for several hours till late evening. They are aimed at reducing tensions, continuing the disengagement agreed earlier and restoring the status quo ante prior to May 5 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). On June 6, both sides mutually identified five locations of conflict- Patrolling Point(PP) 14, 15, 17A, North bank of Pangong Tso and Chushul.

Though tensions escalated at Galwan last week, Pangong Tso area remains the most contentious issue. According to satellite images made available on Twitter by Nathan Ruser, researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, an independent think tank based in Canberra, China, which has moved up to Finger 4 since the beginning of the stand-off in May, has now undertaken a major build-up between Finger 4 and Finger 8 and also on the ridge lines overlooking Finger 4.

India holds till Finger 4, the mountain spurs, while its claim is till Finger 8. Defence sources had stated that Pangong Tso will take time to resolve and would be taken up at the Corps Commander level.

Spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zhao Lijian declined to respond to Gen. V.K. Singh’s (retd.) comments that China has lost more than 40 soldiers in the Galwan incident.

“I have no information to release on that,” Mr. Zhao said in response to questions. China and India were in communication with each other to resolve the situation on the ground through diplomatic and military channels, he added.

ACC under way

Separately, in the national capital, the Phase-II of the Army Commanders Conference (ACC) got under way. The biannual ACC was postponed in April due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently the first phase was held from May 27 to 29. “ACC-20 is being conducted on June 22-23 to review the operational situation on both the Northern and Western Fronts,” the Army said on Twitter.

With inputs from The Hindu

402 persons have registered so far: Nodal officer; Officers deputed to Wagah border

Srinagar: The government is set to evacuate the residents of Jammu & Kashmir who are stranded in Pakistan over due to lockdown imposed in both the countries to control spread of deadly COVID-19.

Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Preeti Sharma, Manager J&K House, Amritsar, who is also nodal officer for evacuation of J&K residents stranded in Pakistan, said that all arrangements are being put in place to ensure safe evacuation of J&K residents.

“As many 402 persons from J&K have registered for their return,” she said, adding that the number will go up as more people are registering themselves for return through Wagah Border.

“The first batch will comprise of 250 persons while second batch will consist of 152 persons,” she said, adding that number is expected to increase as majority of those stranded belong to J&K

“On first day only J & K residents will be evacuated and 90 percent of those who will return on second day are residents of J&K,” she told KNO

To a question whether there would be a separate COVID-19 protocol for those being evacuated from Pakistan, she said they would have also to follow the protocol already unveiled by the administration of the Union Territory.

Meanwhile, the authorities today ordered that two officers of Hospitality & Protocol Department are deputed to Attari ( Wagah Border), Amritsar, Punjab w.e.f.24.06.2020 for receiving the returnees coming from Pakistan by road through Wagah Border on 25.06.2020 onwards.

Those deputed to Wagah border are Aamir Chowdhary (Asstt. Director, Directorate of Hospitality and Protocol ) and Muneeb Umar (Asstt. Director, Directorate of Hospital and Protcol .

They have been directed to coordinate with Preeti Sharma, Nodal Officer for facilitating return of those stranded in Pakistan—(KNO)

Srinagar: Weatherman on Monday predicted scatted to widespread rains in Jammu and Kashmir this week.

“There would be light rainfall on tomorrow but widespread rains on June 24 and 25 besides fairly widespread rains on June 26 and scattered rains for subsequent few days,” an official of the MeT department told GNS.

The official said that Srinagar recorded maximum of 32.2 degree Celsius against 29.2 degree Celsius during this time of the year while Jammu recorded 37.1 against 38.1 degree Celsius normal.

Meanwhile, the weatherman also issued a “yellow warning” for isolated thunder squalls with lightning and gusty winds (30-40 Kmph) in Jammu from tomorrow till June 26. For Valley, it issued similar warning from June 24 till June 26.

There are four types colour codes signifying the level of caution: green (which means no action), yellow (situation to be watched), amber (government agencies need to be prepared for severe weather), and red (action needed by the agencies). (GNS)

The statement of Gupta comes at a time when the Jammu and Kashmir government is going to open liquor sale points at different places across the Valley

“Opening of liquor shops is not good for society. Government wants to make revenue by opening new wine shops but does not mean it should become a problem for our youth. We should show our youth the right path. I don’t want to talk about wine shops which already exist but there should be a ban and new shops should not be opened here,” Gupta told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

The excise department, after a survey, identified 183 new locations, 116 in Jammu and 67 in the Kashmir valley for sale of liquor. The department has sought approval for e-auction of sale points from the finance department. A government order in this regard reads, “As per the survey… a total list of 183 locations including 116 in Jammu and 67 in the zones of Kashmir is enclosed.”

At present, the Union Territory has 224 wine shops with 220 in Jammu and four in Kashmir.
As per the documents, the excise department’s survey has identified spots and places in south Kashmir’s all four districts—Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag. The survey also includes spots for sale points in Srinagar, Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal and Budgam.

In 2018, BJP leader and present president of the party Ravinder Raina had demanded that Jammu and Kashmir be declared a dry state, and alcohol and bars be banned immediately.

Early this month, the J&K government also prohibited transporting of liquor in vehicles having press stickers from one place to another. The government issued the order after it found a trader using vehicles with press stickers for transporting liquor. (KINS)

Srinagar: Officials of the Wild Life Department have sounded an alarm over the rising population of wild boar (Pig) with over 100 animals present in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district alone.
On Sunday, a dead wild boar was found at a graveyard in the Boniyar area of Baramulla district.

The presence of wild boar or pig, which is not a native animal of Kashmir, has created a scare among people.

“This is scary to see pigs roaming in various parts of Uri. Locals from various parts of Uri have seen wild boars a number of times even in residential areas,” Mohammad Sharif, a resident of Uri, said.
Range Officer Wildlife Department Baramulla, Altaf Koul claimed over 100 wild boars are present in Baramulla district alone.

“They (wild boars) mostly reside near the Line of Control. They have tusk teeth and can attack people. The wild boar is a wild species of pig. If anyone found dead wild boar anywhere, this animal should be burnt immediately to contain the spread of disease,” Altaf told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service.

He said Kashmir being a Muslim dominated society won’t accept the presence of this animal. “People won’t allow these animals to go in their areas. These could be sighted in Kazinag National Park, Limber Wildlife Sanctuary, and Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary. There has been a rapid increase in their population in north Kashmir,” he said.

He said he will also write to District Development Commissioner Baramulla how to deal with the situation.

“Before it becomes a nuisance for us, we have to think about what should be done. So far, the Wildlife Department has been chasing them to go to upper areas near the LoC,” he added.
The Wildlife Department is clueless about their number in Kashmir as it has done no survey so far.

Wild boar has also been sighted in the Dachigam National Park of Srinagar in recent years.
In 2010, a dead wild pig was also sighted in Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary of north Kashmir by a team of researchers when they were surveying for Markhor.

The species was considered locally extinct even from the Dachigam National Park, and according to the State Wildlife Department, was not sighted from the park and its adjoining areas since 1984. The sighting of the wild pig in Dachigam after a gap of about 30 years however proves that it still survives in Dachigam, a 2018 research paper says.(KINS)