Category: Union Territory

SRINAGAR:While the election for Srinagar Parliamentary seat is likely to be held in April next year, the opposition National Conference has decided to field Dr Farooq Abdullah. The Srinagar Parliamentary seat fell vacant after Tariq Hamid Karra resigned.
Interestingly Farooq himself mde the anniuncement in a recent party meet.
Addressing party workers in Srinagar, the National Conference Patron said, “It might be my last election. You have to remember it when you vote in April and ensure my success.”
Sources said in this meeting Farooq invoked Sheikh Abdullah and rrminded party workers of the promises made to NC founder that the party will be strengthened.
In the last Parliamentary elections, Farooq Abdullah lost seat to its rival Tariq Hamid Karra with a margin of 41913 votes. Karra had fought then elections on PDP ticket while NC President faced his first ever defeat in his political career.
Tariq Hamid Karra got 157546 while the NC stalwart FarooqAbdullah secured 115363 votes out of 12 lakh electorates of the Lok Sabha constituency which recorded voting of 26 percent.
Fourteen candidates were in the fray but the main contest was between NC and the PDP represented by Farooq Abdullah and Tariq Hamid Karra respectively.
Before that Abdullah had never lost an election in his political career spanning over 32 years.
Farooq Abdullah’s recent statement according to party insiders are part of his election campaign.
He asked his workers for allegiance to Hurriyat and be part of the unrest. “I want to tell Hurriyat leaders not to go separate but be united and we are standing with you. Don’t consider us as your enemies. As long as you (separatists) won’t follow the wrong path, we will support you in this cause,” Farooq said in his address while paying tributes to NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
“He has been giving Kashmir centric statements keeping in view of the upcoming elections. He wants to please separatists which may help him in elections,” an NC leader said.
Sources said the NC has been seeking feedback from the party workers about the elections. “Leaders and workers from Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal have been told to launch a campaign against the ruling parties to ensure Farooq’s win in the elections,” the NC leader said.

Early Times Report

Srinagar: The air traffic to the Kashmir valley was again disrupted on Friday due to low visibility caused by foggy weather as the region registered a significant dip in night temperature.The disruption caused cancellation of 18 flights scheduled to arrive and depart from the Srinagar’s only civilian airport here, a senior official said.Sharad Kumar, the director of Srinagar International Airport, said 18 flights scheduled to arrive and depart were cancelled due to poor visibility. The official said six flights operated during the morning hours before the visibility deteriorated.The disruption forced hundreds of passengers to opt for road travel. The frequent disruption of the air traffic during the past month has renewed demand for installation of the Instrumentation Landing System, which allows landing of passenger flights in adverse climatic conditions.Srinagar International Airport is the only civilian airport in the Valley and hosts flights from six passenger airlines. The disruptions in air traffic last month had affected nearly 50,000 passengers.The cancellation of flights in the region has come at a time when the region is heading for a harsh winter with night-time temperatures already plunging several degrees below the freezing point.The overnight temperature in Srinagar city was a low of -3.4°Celsius, which was three degrees below the average temperature for this time of the season. The air traffic is likely to remain affected tomorrow also as the state weather department forecast suggested there would be no major change in the city’s weather. The department, however, said there was a possibility of rain and thunderstorm tomorrow evening and on Sunday, which could clear the fog and improve the visibility. (TNS)

Srinagar: Reacting to BJP points-man Ram Madhav’s recent assertions on Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik on Friday said that Kashmiris don’t need lessons from RSS on how to carry forward their struggle.

Hitting out Madhav’s statement in which he had said that resistance camp was “inviting terrorists instead of tourists”, 

Malik said that people like Ram Madhav should know that Kashmir is neither Nagpur nor Gujarat where his RSS can play its treacherous inhuman games.”

Malik that Madhav is frustrated because Kashmiris have refused to budge before Indian tyranny and oppression and defeated the politics of deceit and hate. He said that Kashmiris don’t need anybody like Madhav’s certificate to prove their credentials as whole world knows their love and respect for humanity and human values.

Recalling the year 2008 when Kashmiris faced economic blockade, Malik said even life saving drugs, milk and baby-food for kids was stopped from coming to Kashmir.

He said that same was repeated by Kashmiris during 2014 floods.

Malik also condemned the civilian killing at HusanporaArwani, Bijbehara. He said that by saying that a “civilian was martyred by a stray bullet, blood-hungry forces can not conceal their crimes as they fired bullets and pellets on common people in broad day light.”

The JKLF chairman expressed his heartfelt grief and sorrow over the demise of JenabKhursheed Ahmad Butt who was the father-in-law of veteran journalist and editor of Kashmir Uzma, JavedAzar.

Jammu: The state Cabinet, which met here under Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, ended on a sour note when she left the meeting without waiting for other ministers to leave the venue.To bring down the tempers and pacify each other, the PDP and BJP ministers were seen entering the chambers of Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh and senior PDP minister Naeem Akhter.When they came out of the civil secretariat, BJP ministers were visibly upset and left in a hurry.Sources told The Tribune that there was no consensus between the PDP and BJP ministers on transfers in the civil administration and the Police Department.“The transfers were in the non-agenda list but despite sitting in the meeting for around two hours, the consensus on transfers was not reached,” said a source.The Cabinet met at 4 pm, first time after the Darbar opened in the winter capital on November 7, and culminated at 6.05 pm. As the meet ended, CM Mehbooba Mufti didn’t wait for other ministers to leave the venue and left the civil secretariat without any further delay.After the meet, Deputy CM Nirmal Singh went to meet Mehbooba Mufti at her residence. Senior PDP minister Abdul Rehman Veeri also reached there.No minister came on record as to what happened at the meeting but a minister told The Tribune that no transfer was approved in the meeting.There was also no official briefing by the government spokesperson on the decisions taken in the meeting. Besides, there was no consensus on amending the Panchayati Raj Act. (TNS)

Srinagar: Parts of the world famous Dal Lake near banks and interior areas were partially frozen this morning as summer capital, Srinagar, recorded coldest night of the seasons as the minimum temperature witnessed further drop and settled at minus 3.7 degree.

Barring famed ski resort of Gulmarg, where the night was relatively warm, minimum temperature elsewhere in the valley was below freezing point. Though sun appeared this morning but the intensity of heat was very low due to continued chilly winds in the valley, including Srinagar.

The weather will remain dry and cold during the next 24 hours in the Jammu and Kashmir, acting incharge of the Meteorological, Kashmir, told UNI.

He said a fresh moderate Western Disturbance (WD) is approaching which could hit the region on December 10 evening and will remain active during the subsequent 48 hours.

We are expecting light snow on upper reaches on December 10, he said adding on December 11 and 12 there could be snow on heights and rain in plains. However, from December 13 weather will again dry which could result in drop in the night temperature again.

He said for the past four or five years we are witnessing change in the weather in the region. Earlier we were receiving snowfall in the month of December and January, he said adding now we are experiencing snow in the month of February to April. This, he said, could be due to global change which is a cause of concern for everybody.

Major parts of the Dal Lake, particularly near banks and interior areas of the water body were frozen partially after the minimum temperature witnessed further drop and settled at minus 3.7 degree, four notches below normal. The sky was clear and weather was dry due to which the night temperature witnessed drop, he said.

However, the frozen parts started melting as the day progressed. But in the interior areas of the Lake, water remained frozen.

At some places water taps were also frozen affecting water supply particularly in the early morning.

A Met department spokesman said that Kupwara with minus 4.5 degree was coldest in the region. It was 3.4 notches below normal due to dry weather. However, the maximum temperature yesterday was 13.4 degree, which was four notches above normal.

World famous health resort of Pahalgam recorded minus 3.8 degree, a notch below normal. However, the maximum temperature yesterday was 13.8 degree, five notches above normal, he said.

Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir on Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded minus 3 degree, three notches below normal while at Kokernag the minimum temperature was 2.5 degree, 2.5 degree below normal.

Interestingly at world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, which still awaits heavy snowfall this winter, the minimum temperature was 1.4 degree, about five notches above normal.

Srinagar: The Project Beacon has taken up modernisation of the Jawahar Tunnel that connects the Jammu region with Kashmir on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.“The modernisation is mainly aimed at making it safer for road users,” Chief Engineer, Project Beacon, Brig AK Das said. The Project Beacon has been entrusted with the responsibility of the maintenance and upkeep of the 2.9 km-long Jawahar Tunnel.The Project Beacon has taken up many steps by using advance technology required in the modernisation of the over 60-year-old tunnel.Brig Das said the tunnel was the lifeline of Jammu and Kashmir and the maintenance strategy was being followed to ensure the movement of traffic was not impeded even during the winters.“Security, safety, surveillance and mobility gadgets are being installed in the tunnel to give it a new look,” he said.Brig AK Das said 322 energy-efficient and long-life LED lights were fitted in both the tubes of the tunnel, including interconnecting tubes, and common areas like approaches and exists, control room, etc. Around 35 close circuit television cameras were put in place inside both the tubes, diversion tubes and interconnecting tube, with centralised viewing in the control room.The Chief Engineer added that a 750 KVA transformer was fitted in the tunnel to ensure round-the-clock uninterrupted power supply.The Chief Engineer pointed out that five defective jet fans and two defective axial flow fans on the exit of both the tubes were set right, which according to him would get the tunnels rid of smoke coming out of the vehicles.

Srinagar: National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that 10 PDP legislators recently wanted to join NC but he denied them entry into his party.

However, Farooq refused to reveal the names of the MLAs. “Since I don’t believe in Aaya Ram Gaya Ram, I refused to accommodate the PDP MLAs in my party,” Farooq said.

He was responding to recent allegations of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti about “NC trying to destabilize PDP-BJP government.”

“I heard Mehbooba Mufti’s statement. So I want to answer her that it was her father Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who always played the game of buying and selling MLAs,” Dr Farooq Abdullah said.

He said, “Even in 2002 when we had 28 MLAs and he (Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed) had 16, he tried to buy our MLAs. Let MsMehbooba Mufti prove that Farooq or NC has ever indulged in horse trading because we don’t believe in Aaya Ram Gaya Ram politics.”

“But yes, being very specific, 10 MLAs of PDP had recently come to meet me and urged me to help them join NC but I turned down their offer,” Farooq said.

Srinagar: As the Class X and XII board exams in the Valley are over, officials said only 1,000 students had opted for the exam in March.Director, School Education, Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Bhat said only 1,000 students had returned their admit cards and had opted for the exam in March.“Students were given time till December 6 to return the admit cards in case they wanted to opt for the exam in March. So far, only 1,000 students have surrendered their admit cards,” said the Director, School Education.After the date sheet was notified by the Board of School Education in September amid curfew and shutdown, many quarters wanted the exam to be postponed, giving political reasons, however, the participation of the large number of students in the exams surprised everyone.The exams started on November 14 amid fear and disturbance and ended on December 6.More than 94 per cent students appeared in the Class XII exam while around 99 per cent students appeared in the Class X exam.After protests and opposition, the school board announced a choice for the students to appear in the exams either in November or March but most of the students appeared in the November exam.The board had given 50 per cent relaxation in the syllabus to the students who appeared in the exam in November as the students had not attended classes since July when the unrest began. The relaxation in syllabus was one of the main motivators for thestudents to appear in the exams in November. (TNS)

Srinagar: Kashmir hospitals are facing acute shortage of nurses as tertiary and secondary care hospitals have just a single nurse for at least 30 patients, which is adversely affecting the healthcare and increasing the mortality rate.Officials say a single nurse attends at least 30 patients in a shift in the emergency ward of the SMHS Hospital.“Even during night hours, there are only two nurses to take care of 60 patients in the general ward, which include postoperative patients, too,” a senior doctor said.The 850-bed SMHS Hospital has 120 nurses which are not able to cater to the rush of indoor patients. “Sometimes, the number of admitted patients goes up to 1,000. Certainly, it is impossible for nurses to provide adequate care to all the patients,” said Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) president Dr Nisar ul Hassan.He said the 600-bed Kashmir’s premier maternity hospital, Lal Ded Hospital, which had double the number of patients all the time just had 85 nurses.The situation is grim at the SK Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), where two nurses are looking after 16 patients during the night shift in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).“For 16 patients in the ICU, 48 nurses are needed for three shifts with additional 30 per cent reserve. We have a huge shortage of nurses in our hospitals,” he said.The situation is worse in peripheries where some hospitals run on only one nurse, Dr Hassan added.The overburdened nurses are bound to make medical errors thus endangering the safety of patients.Various studies have found that shortage of nurses in hospitals is related to increase in deaths.“The appropriate number of nursing staff is critical to the delivery of quality patient care and it seems value of life has been lost in health care planning,” he said. (TNS)

Some culprits still at large: Police

SRINAGAR: On the directions of Crime Branch, Jammu Kash­mir Police have busted a fake certificate racket after raiding Goods Carrier Companies at Transport Nagar in Parimpora area of Srinagar city.

A group of people earlier this month had lodged a complaint in the Crime Branch that the owners of two Goods Car­rier Companies have availed the services of a com­puter expert and they are mak­ing fake degree certificates, licenses, identity cards and bill books. The Crime Branch ac­cordingly informed the police station Parimpora that raided the offices of both the compa­nies and seized the computers as well as fake documents.

The Investigating Officer Abdul Rasheed told news agen­cy CNS that they managed to arrest two accused from the spot and are on the look­out for four others. “It may be a big scam. We are investigat­ing the matter and all efforts are on to nab the ab­sconding persons involved in the fraud,” he said and iden­tified the arrested accused as Computer Operator Aqib Ahmed Dar and Fayaz Ahmed Rather. (CNS)