Category: Union Territory

An entire floor of the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar was cleared and disinfected after an employee posted there tested positive for COVID-19 two days ago, officials said on Friday.

The employee, a resident of the Safapora area in Ganderbal district, was found COVID-positive on Wednesday, prompting the authorities to clear the floor where he was working, they said.

A disinfection drive was carried out in the secretariat building, which houses offices of the top brass of administration and bureaucracy of Jammu and Kashmir.

Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary dismissed reports in some sections of the media about the Civil Secretariat being closed.

–PTI

Non-availability of mobile Internet, calling impacts COVID-19 relief in the Valley

Peerzada Ashiq

The Jammu & Kashmir administration’s suspension of calling and Internet services on mobile phones for the second consecutive day on Thursday impacted COVID-19 related relief work and the contact tracing of infected patients in the Kashmir valley.

“The blanket ban on the communication network has badly interrupted our operations,” Javid Parsa, a volunteer with the non governmental organisation (NGO), Social Reform Organization (SRO), told The Hindu . “We have lost contact with families who were expecting help in the next few days. How can someone ask for help now? It’s not a good idea to shut mobile network and Internet amid a global pandemic,” he added.

The SRO has been distributing ration kits among stranded labourers and needy people, who are not able to earn their livelihood due to the lockdown, in the Valley.

“We had a meeting with volunteers on Thursday to find alternate ways to reach out and continue with our relief work,” said Mr. Parsa.

The NGO has already witnessed a dip in the daily donations made by locals to sustain the food distribution. “We request those who had committed donations from their salaries and have access to the Internet to deposit money in our account so that our material supplies don’t get affected,” said Mr. Parsa.

About a dozen NGOs are working on relief and supply in the Valley since the novel coronavirus outbreak, including on-call ambulance services for ferrying patients and the mortal remains of the deceased to far-off areas.

“We would supply Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and medicine on a need basis,” said a volunteer with another NGO. “We would even get calls from front-line health workers for protective gear. But in the absence of call facility, no delivery could be made on Thursday,” the volunteer added.

Amjaz Rizvi, a volunteer with NGO Ehsaas, said, “Our organization would receive distress calls where people are having just nothing to break their fast or have sehri (pre-dawn meals) in Ramzan. We had prepared special ration kits at a cost of ₹1,800 to feed a family for about a month. But the distribution has been hit badly due to non-availability of communication lines,” added Mr. Rizvi.

Meanwhile, a senior official said the contact tracing of recently tested positive patients had also been impacted due to calling facility being snapped.

“As and when any person tested positive at the Shri Maharaja Hari Sigh Hospital (SMHS) testing centre, we would immediately call those who were in touch with him,” said a senior doctor at the SMHS, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “Mobile came handy to trace and alert the contacts. Contact tracing has been impacted,” the doctor added.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said the Internet and calling facility was snapped “to stop rumour mongering after Hizbul Mujahideen ‘commander’ Riyaz Naikoo’s killing” in an encounter on Wednesday.

“As and when the situation improves further, a review will be held and the services will be restored soon,” said Mr. Kumar.

With inputs from The Hindu

Pulwama: The killing of a civilian was reported from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. A police officer confirmed the killing of the civilian during a protest and said that he was buried on Wednesday evening.

Pertinently, mobile internet service and calling facility has been suspended in Kashmir after the Hizb commander Riyaz Naikoo was killed in his native Beighpora village.

Sources said that after the killing of Riyaz Naikoo, 18 persons were injured in violent clashes. Four protesters sustained bullet injuries while 14 suffered pellet wounds.

Sources said that one of the youth, Jahangir Yousuf Wani (32) son of Muhammad Yousuf, a resident of Uthmula, was hit by a bullet in his neck after government forces opened live ammunition on the protestors near the encounter site.

Jahangir, who died on the spot, is survived by two children and a wife.

Meanwhile, government forces foiled an attempt from the family of Riyaz Naikoo to erect a tent for visiting mourners. Reports said that forces didn’t allow the family to erect a tent for the mourners.

Pertinently, Naikoo along with his associate was killed in a fierce gunfight. At least, 4 residential houses were razed to ground by the forces during the operation. (KNT)

They were stranded in the neighbouring country because of lockdown

A large group of Indian medical students stranded in Bangladesh because of the lockdown will be evacuated shortly in a first special flight from Dhaka. The 167 students hailing from Kashmir are enrolled in medical schools in Dhaka and were stuck after India declared the lockdown on March 24.

The special Air India flight will leave at 11 a.m. on Friday from Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport and will reach Srinagar by afternoon. Bangladesh has around 550 medical students from Kashmir who study in various government and private medical colleges in Dhaka and Mymensingh. 67 medical students had tried to leave Bangladesh through the Benapole-Petrapole crossing in West Bengal on March 24 but were not allowed to enter as India had sealed all land borders with neighbouring countries to fight the novel coronavirus.

India and Bangladesh have been in a state of lockdown to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and sources among the students said that they were looked after by the medical schools even though the institutes had ordered students to return home to deal with the crisis. An Indian student from a private medical school in Mymensingh informed that other evacuation flights are being planned to airlift the rest of the group to Kashmir.

The flights are part of India’s regional and global evacuation operation, which began on Thursday evening with the departure of an aircraft from the United Arab Emirates for Kerala.

With inputs from The Hindu

This is the sixth consecutive day of firing and shelling.

PTI

The Pakistan Army on Thursday shelled forward posts and villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in three sectors of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, drawing retaliation from the Indian Army, a defence spokesperson said.

This is the sixth consecutive day of firing and shelling by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

“At about 1100 hours today, Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and shelling with mortars along LoC in Qasba, Shahpur and Kirni sectors of Poonch,” he said.

He said the Indian Army retaliated befittingly and cross-border shelling between the two sides was going on when last reports came in.

There was no immediate report of any casualty during the Pakistani shelling.

“There have been multiple, concerted attempts in the last two days to connect SMC and my office with the case of an unauthorised arrival and subsequent alleged concealment of travel history by an individual in Srinagar.

The brother of the said individual – who has been tested positive for COVID subsequently – happens to be an elected Corporator at the Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

The Police has registered a case under relevant statutes of law in this instance and I am sure the law will take its course and furnish the truth so that justice can be done.

I want to hereby put it on record that at no time was I even aware of the fact that the said Corporator has a brother to begin with. I wasn’t – at any point of time – aware of his reported unauthorised travel or arrival in Srinagar. This is evidenced by the fact that the particular Corporator visited my office after the arrival of his brother. Had I been aware of his brother’s arrival on the 26th of April and subsequent administrative quarantine on the 28th of April, I wouldn’t have endangered my own safety and health by allowing any proximity with his primary contacts. That’s basic common sense and should be enough to discredit the baseless allegations against me.

As soon as I was informed about this case, I passed instructions for immediate isolation and home quarantine of a number of SMC Corporators and officials – including myself. I have been in strict self-isolation and home-quarantine ever since and continue to supervise SMC operations and initiatives from my residence – while continuing to insist that all possible precautions should be taken within the SMC.

I have left no stone unturned to do my best and be at the frontlines of the COVID battle in Srinagar along with my Deputy Mayor, SMC colleagues, ground teams and officials. I am proud of how SMC has gone above and beyond the call of duty to serve Srinagar in these trying circumstances. The evolution of SMC and its emergence as a scientific force in the face of adversity is something all of us are immensely proud of.

However, politically motivated, disappointing and ulterior attempts to connect SMC or my office with this particular case are distasteful and unfortunate. Politics can wait and can be resumed after the Pandemic is over. Those who are trying so hard to engineer an elaborate conspiracy in this case – I wish them better mental health and hope they realise how their mischief mongering could possibly impede efforts required to fight against COVID.

Four SMC Corporators – at the expected encouragement and incitement of a certain mischief monger – have uploaded videos on social media alleging that I “facilitated” the unauthorised entry of the particular positive case into Srinagar. Under my instructions, my lawyers are under the process of filing criminal defamation cases against all four individuals today. Their lies and attempted propaganda constitutes to be a criminal offence and they shall be made answerable to the court of law for their baseless and motivated allegations.

Like a lot of fellow Srinagarites and people from surrounding districts – a number of my close relatives are stuck outside the State due to the lockdown. I have and continue to encourage them to stay put wherever they are and wait for the administration to allow their travel as per protocols and guidelines that have been established. I make the same fervent request to everyone.

A lot of efforts have gone into preventing a catastrophic situation from emerging in Srinagar till now. Our district administration, doctors, paramedics, police personnel, sanitation workers – all our front-line warriors – have worked way too hard in the last two months. Such instances of illicit travel and alleged concealment of travel undermines all those efforts and sacrifices being made by hundreds of thousands of people.

This is not a lockdown necessitated by a law-and-order situation but a lockdown that has been invoked for our collective survival. I request everyone to kindly adhere to it 100% as a mark of solidarity with our frontline workers and also as a mark of responsibility as conscious and conscientious citizens. Staying at home is by far the most powerful and potent preventive mechanism against this pandemic.

I hope we will all continue to cooperate with the administration without any lapses as this is a battle that we will have to win together.

The restrictions on movement and internet/phones were necessary to maintain law & order

Srinagar: Talking to Media IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar told that Security forces launched 27 operations & eliminated 64 militants since January this year in Jammu & Kashmir. 25 active militants were arrested. Police were searching for slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo for the past 6 months.

After the Riyaz Naikoo encounter there was law and order situation at the site. Few people have been injured some of them have bullet injuries, said IGP.

IGP further said that the restrictions on movement and internet/phones were necessary to maintain law & order. Will be reviewed as the situation improves.

Pulwama: Accused of sexually abusing a girl, a ‘faith-healer’ in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district faced the wrath of the people. He was thrashed and paraded in the village on a pony while his house was ransacked. Police took cognizance of the incident and arrested the accused. Popularly known as Pir Saab (Pir Arshid Hussain Hajam) in Rajpora and adjacent villages, hundreds of blind followers visit his house on daily basis. The visitors bring fruits, vegetables, chicken and other stuff to keep the ‘faith-healer’ in good mood while he treated them for different ailments.

Local sources told KNT that like other people, a girl (name withheld) used to visit the ‘Pir’. “People didn’t know he is a fake faith-healer who has lust and hunger for mundane affairs. He ravaged the chastity of the young girl while whole populace is in shock. When the girl was found pregnant, people tried to investigate the matter and today when she delivered a baby, people got to know about the accused and tried to kill him,” they said.

Sources added that locals cut the long hair of the ‘faith-healer’, paraded him on a pony and beat him up with chapels and shoes. The Pir was utterly humiliated and all his belongings in the house were ransacked.

Police took cognizance of the incident and arrested the faith-healer.

Pertinently, a couple of days ago an 18 year old deaf and dumb girl (name withheld) South Kashmir’s Nagras Kund Qazigund was found 6 months pregnant. Upon investigation, police identified the accused Yousuf Baniya son of Noor Baniya and registered an FIR vide number121/2020 under section 376 for this shameful act. (KNT)

Police take cognizance

Srinagar: Authorities have decided to act tough against those who have put the lives of others at risk by concealing travel history. Initiating action against the close aide of Srinagar Municipal Corporation Mayor and Corporator and his brother, police have registered a formal case against them in this regard.

Pertinently, Corporator Kawadara, Majdi Shulu was accused of hiding the travel history of his brother after returning from New Delhi in a truck. It was alleged that Mayor, SMC facilitated his return from Delhi to Srinagar. The said person lived at home along with the Corporator. On the request of neighbours, the brother of the Corporator was tested positive for Covid-19 infection. The Coporator too was tested positive that sent shock waves among SMC employees. Over 50 Corporators and Mayor went into quarantine.

District Development Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Chowdary in a couple of tweets had expressed his displeasure over the incident and had advised everyone not to resort to illegal travel and reveal travel history.

Sources told KNT that on the recommendations of district administration and the demand made by various Corporators, police station Safa Kadal booked the infected Corporator and his brother for hiding travel history.

A police official confirmed the development said that many Corporators were demanding an FIR against the Corporator and his brother. “An FIR vide number 60/2018 under section 179, 188 stands registered against them,” he added. (KNT)

Srinagar: In view of the movement of Stranded persons from outside the valley, the busses carrying them are entering the valley mostly after 6.00 PM. These stranded passengers have to follow various SOPs with regard to COVID-19 management.

These persons are being dispatched to their respective districts mostly after 7.00 PM which has necessitated that there shall be no civil movement from 7.00 PM to 7.00 AM.

Accordingly the District Magistrates have imposed restrictions during these night hours. The people have accordingly been advised not to venture out of their homes during night hours so that the stranded passenger can reach their destination in a hassle free manner—(KNO)