Category: Union Territory

Srinagar, Jan 29:  Stating that fresh 64-hour lockdown has affected the economic activity badly, the Kashmir Economic Forum (KEF) has urged the administration to reconsider the decision and help revive Valley’s fledgling economy.
In a statement, President KEF Showkat M Chowdhary said the valley’s business units have been badly suffering from the previous lockdowns and had hardly started to recover the loses.
“It is not advisable to enforce lockdown in the Valley. The lockdown decision has also sent alarm to the travellers as a result of which around 50 percent of the tourist influx has come down since weekend lockdown was announced. This has impacted livelihood of many people,” said Chowdhary.
Chowdhary said instead of lockdown, the government should ensure that proper health guidelines are followed.
“We will also provide all possible support to the government in ensuring implementation of Covid Appropriate Behaviours. Traders, shopkeepers and restaurant owners will also entertain vaccinated customers who are following proper SOPs,” he said.
KEF further said most of the population is already fully vaccinated, and government needs to devise strategies for the “new normal” of life with COVID as suggested by many health experts and practiced by many developed countries like USA and UK instead of brining miseries to the people who are earning from hand to mouth.
“Even the health experts and other senior doctors have said that lockdown will not serve purpose. The lockdown has been imposed the past also but the Covid has resurfaced again,” he said.
The KEF has urged LG administration to take into consideration the livelihood of lakhs of people associated with business community before continuing with the lockdown.
“The traders, shopkeepers, restaurants should be allowed with proper SOPs for the good health of economy. This will ensure businessmen don’t suffer more losses or else they will turn into Non Performing Assets,” he said.

Srinagar, Jan 29: With apprehensions among people about newly discovered coronavirus, called NeoCov, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Saturday said there is no need to panic as the virus is confined to animals and does not cause human infection.

“NeoCov has been found in bats and in its current form there is no threat of the virus jumping from bats to humans,” said DAK President and Influenza expert Dr Nisar ul Hassan.

Dr Hassan said NeoCov is not a new virus nor is it a variant of Covid-19. It was first identified around 2013 in bats in South Africa, while looking for the origin of MERS, a coronaviral disease that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012.

“There has been no confirmed case of NeoCov in humans so far,” he said.

The DAK President said news reports about NeoCov virus’s potential to kill one of every three infected persons are doing the rounds on the internet for the last couple of days. The news is based on a preprint paper by Chinese researchers.

“However, there is little connection between the paper and inference that have been drawn by news reports,” he said.

“The researchers clearly say that the virus which exists in bats cannot infect humans except in case the virus undergoes a particular type of mutation which is a mere speculation,” said Dr Nisar.

“The idea that NeoCov may be able to infect human beings is in the realms of theory and should not be a cause of concern,” he said.

General Secretary DAK Dr Arshad Ali said coronaviruses are often found in animals, including bats which have been identified as a natural reservoir of many of these viruses.

“Not everything jumps to humans and there is no way of predicting anything,” he said.

“It is important that we must continue surveillance of zoonotic pathogens as the likelihood of potential spillover events from animals to humans is possible,” he added.

Ganderbal: Dairy farmers from Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district incur losses due to the influx of ‘Pasteurized Milk’ in the markets.

On Saturday, dairy farmers were seen emptying their milk canes on the ground in Lar area of the district after they failed to sell it in the market. Some of the affected farmers say that people don’t buy milk from them anymore as they prefer packed milk.

“We don’t know the reason behind all this, but what we have observed is that scores of vehicles from outside enter into markets and supply the packed milk to shopkeepers,” said one of the dairy farmers.

An elderly woman who runs a dairy farm told news agency Kashmir News Trust that she is not mulling to sell her cows as she is unable to sell the milk. “I can’t feed my cows anymore as it involves a lot of expenditure,” she said.

The milk producers of the district alleged that authorities didn’t respond despite taking up the matter with them. “We had gone to meet to DC Ganderbal who told us to get in touch with ADC but ADC concerned never met us and we left his office with gloomy faces,” they said.

They said that milk is being produced as usual but the people (consumers) who used to buy from us now prefer packed milk from markets.

There are many milk manufacturing companies in Kashmir that supply their pasteurized milk in pouch-packed to make it conveniently available to the consumers.

Some dairy farmers who sell open milk are often being accused of selling adulterated milk to consumers, as a result, they have lost credibility among people. On the, other hand milk-producing companies claim that Pasteurized Milk meets the PFA (Prevention of Food Adulteration Act) standards which aim to protect the public from poisonous and harmful foods, prevent the sale of substandard foods, and protect the interests of the consumers by eliminating fraudulent practices. (KNT)

Pulwama: Sajad Lateef, a young boy, from a remote Gujjar community area has qualified for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021 with 526 marks and ranks 8th in J-K’s ST category.

Hailing from Karewa Drabgam hamlet, the boy is the first to qualify NEET from the Gujjar community in the Southern Pulwama district.

Sajad completed his primary education from his native village Drabgam and went to Government Higher Secondary School Rahmoo for his Class 10th and 12th. “As far as NEET exam is concerned, I didn’t go for any professional coaching. Instead, I stuck with self-study,” he told news agency Kashmir News Trust (KNT).

Being the first from the Gujjar community in Pulwama to qualify for NEET, he says that it was a very motivating feat to achieve.

Sajad says, “Your origin should not be a hurdle in what you, as a person, can achieve. One needs to stay focused and concentrate on an objective goal to achieve success.”

Asking youth to use smartphones in a responsible way, the internet helps a lot and is really a boon for the students.

His uncle, Altaf Ahmad, said that Sajad’s achievement is a statement in itself that a student from a government school can excel in exams like NEET and that they are really proud of him. (KNT)

Lahore, Jan 29: Pakistan police have decided to send recommendations to the provincial and federal governments for banning dangerous video games including China’s PUBG after a youth shot dead his mother and three siblings in the Lahore district of Punjab province. According to a Punjab Police spokesperson, the decision to send recommendations amid the fueling rising trend of firing and violence so that the younger generation of the country could be protected from their harmful effects, The News International reported.

Citing an incident, the police said that the decision was also taken in view of a tragic incident in which a youth, a chronic player of the PUBG game, shot dead his mother and three siblings in the Kahna area. “Ali Zain shot dead his mother, two sisters, and a brother on January 19, 2022, and hid the pistol,” The News International quoting police spokesperson reported.

Repeated defeats in the PUBG game increased the stress and he fired shots thinking that everyone would come back to life like in the game. The spokesperson said that investigation into all aspects of the incident was underway and the accused would be severely punished after fulfilling the requirements of law and justice.–(ANI)

Body of one of the two siblings who had drowned while extracting sand in a tragic incident at Khawaja Bagh area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district was fished out of the river Jhelum on Friday evening.

Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the tragic incident that took place this morning at Khawaja Bagh area after two siblings – Hilal Ahmad and Naseer Ahmad -busy with sand extraction work drowned in the river Jhelum. Later, police launched a rescue operation with the help of locals.

The officials said that the body of Hilal Ahmad Malla son of Manzoor Ahmad Malla a resident of Laharwalpora Bandipora district was retrieved from the river this evening.

They said that the bodies will be handed over to the family after the post-mortem.

Meanwhile, one of the victims’ wife while wailing near the incident spot, said that her husband had gone to work early today and later she heard about this tragedy. “We were having a financial crisis, that’s why he went to work on Friday,” she said.

The locals termed the incident as unfortunate and appealed to the government to compensate the deceased family after losing their bread earners.

The official said that the massive rescue operation is still underway to locate the another body from the river Jhelum.

Contacts, family of positive person must remain in isolation for 7 days: HoD CM, GMC

Srinagar, Jan 28: Amid the steep surge in Covid-19, people who are infected but are having mild or no symptoms act as super spreaders, experts said on Friday.

Experts said that many people who become infected develop cough, fever and loss of taste and smell, while others have no symptoms.

“It is vital to understand the percentage of people who are affected with less symptoms and whether such ‘silent spreaders’ are fuelling the pandemic,” they said.

Experts said that a dangerous trend is setting among people with either no or mild symptoms, as they don’t go for testing but are self medicating and roaming freely.

“These persons roam freely, and become the super spreaders of the virus as they infect dozens of people with whom they talk and come in contact,” they said.

Dr Salim Khan Head of Department Community Medicine at GMC Srinagar while talking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that if one positive case is found in any family, his family members and other contacts with symptoms must remain in isolation for around seven days.

“The asymptomatic or mild symptomatic positive persons are continuing their activities normally and meeting dozens of people on a daily basis becomes the main reason for their spread presently,” Khan said.

Doctors said that people whenever they feel any symptom must go for testing and should isolate themselves.

“People must continue to follow CAB at this time. No one knows who is virus carrier and most positive patients have either no or mild symptoms,” they said—(KNO)

Srinagar, Jan 28: Anti-corruption Bureau Friday said to have trapped and subsequently arrested a clerk posted in Tehsil office at Singhpora Pattan for accepting bribe amounting to rupees two-thousand in lieu for settlement of a grievance.

“Anti Corruption Bureau received a complaint alleging therein that Hilal Ahmad, Clerk, Tehsil office Singhpora, Baramulla is demanding bribe of Rs. 2000 for settling a grievance of the complainant”, reads a Bureau statement issued to GNS.

“In the complaint, the complainant alleged that land measuring 1 kanal falling under survey No. 193, 192, 214, 264 Intikal No. 191, Khewat No. 38 situated at Daslipora Pattan District Baramulla is his ancestral property and the same has been grabbed by the Khatija (sister of father) resident of Guroo Bazar Srinagar. For settlement of the issue the complainant on many occasions approached revenue authorities of tehsil Singhpora but they keep on delaying the matter. The complainant had also applied before the Tehsildar Singhpora, Pattan, District Baramulla for settlement of grievances”, the statement reads.

“The application filed by the complainant with Tehsildar Singhpora was duly marked by Tehsildar Singhpora to the Naib Tehsildar concerned for verification and for taking appropriate necessary action. When the complainant approached the office of Naib Tehsildar Singhpora for redressing grievance and for conducting verification and taking appropriate action as directed by Tehsildar, they refuse to take any action and keep delaying the same because the complainant refused to give them any bribe which was demanded by a clerk namely Hilal Ahmad who is posted in Naib Tehsil office Singhpora”, it reads.

“As the contents of complaint prima facie disclosed the commission of offence as defined under section 7 of the P.C Act 1988, accordingly, a Case FIR No. 04/2022 was registered at Police Station ACB Baramulla against Hilal Ahmad, posted as clerk in Tehsil Office Singhpora, Baramulla.”

During the course of investigation a trap team was constituted”, it reads adding “the trap team caught Hilal Ahmad red handed while demanding and accepting the bribe of₹2,000 from the complainant. He was arrested and taken into custody by ACB Team. The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses.”

“Further investigations of the case is going on”, the statement concluded. (GNS)

Srinagar, Jan 28: Anjuman Auqaf Jama Masjid Srinagar has said that the authorities once again disallowed Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar and stated that its continuous closure has hurt the religious sentiments of Kashmiri Muslims. 

In a statement the Anjuman also termed it extremely painful and distressing that its head Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, continues to be under house arrest since August 5, 2019.

Anjuman, as per the statement, has asked the authorities to open Jama Masjid for Friday prayers and ensure release of Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir. (KNS)

Srinagar: A special police officer (SPO), posted with Government Railway Police, succumbed to injuries he had suffered after being hit by a train while trying to save a person on railway track near Kakapora Pulwama railway station earlier this week.

The civilian identified as one Showkat Ahmad Dar son of Abdul Rashid Dar, a resident of BKpora Budgam was killed on the spot while the SPO Shabir Ahmad posted at Kakapora succumbed to the injuries at hospital in Srinagar, officials said.

A police officer confirming it told GNS that the injured cop was admitted at Super Specialty Hospital at Shireen Bagh Srinagar where he however succumbed to his injuries this afternoon.

“Further investigations are underway,” the officer added.