Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • ‘Tainted’ companies manage to transfer whistle-blower SMC Babu?

    Srinagar: While the case against the tainted companies allegedly found breaking FSSAI guidelines is still subjudice, the state government, in an unprecedented move, transferred whistle-blower official of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Shafqat Khan, who revealed their distribution of adulterated food in Srinagar.

    He has been transferred by the authorities to a lower rung post as the district immunisation officer of Pulwama. Khan, who joined as the health officer of the SMC in September 2013, has been prematurely transferred after seven months.

    In these seven months, Khan took on the Valley’s bigwigs, including Kanwal Foods and Spices and Khyber Milk, Shaan Masala of Pakistan and some New Delhi based spice companies after their products were declared unsafe and hazardous for consumption by forensic tests.

    Over 15 samples were sent to a laboratory in Kolkata and the forensic tests revealed that Kanwal Saunf powder contained harmful colouring agents which could even cause cancer.

    Sources said the transfer of Khan was long pending as he took on the big food companies of Kashmir in an election year.

    Sources told Authint Mail that Khan would receive messages from the officials close to these companies that “process was on to get him transferred.” They said the minister for medical education, Taj Mohiuddin was instrumental in getting Khan transferred.

    When contacted, Khan said it was an administrative decision and refused to comment over the issue.

    “I am ready to work for the benefit of general public at any place. It doesn’t matter, if they (administration) send me to any peripheral area of Kashmir, I will deliver my best,” he told.

    Taking a strong note of food adulteration row, High Court had directed three food companies including two from Kashmir –Khyber and Kanwal – to deposit an amount of 10 crores each with Director Sher-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura within two weeks, after they were found involved in resorting to adulteration.

    The division bench comprising Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar and Justice Tashi Rabstan directed the companies to deposit Rs 10 crores each with the directorate, SKIMS. The two Kashmir-based companies along with a Delhi-based manufacturing group whose turmeric powder was also found adulterated, were asked to deposit the amount before the prosecution in the cases is started. The order came following a report by Central Food Laboratory Kolkata which found samples of some of the products manufactured by the companies as “misbranded, substandard and unsafe”.

    Khan had also conducted regular field inspections. He fined more than 150 food outlets in Srinagar and collected fine of more than Rs 4 lakh from them.

    On finding adulterated food and unhygienic kitchen, he had recently produced a chargesheet against some prominent hotels across Srinagar City.

  • Secretariat employees union hails Govt decision

    Srinagar: The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) Convener and President Non-Gazzetted Secretariat Employees Union, Rouf Ahmad Bhat on Tuesday hailed the government decision on enhancement in retirement and recruitment ages.

    Talking to KNS, Bhat said: “The employees are jubilant on this decision and  the credit goes to the chief minister Omar Abdullah and his cabinet colleagues. We are also thankful to the chief secretary, principal secretary to the chief minister for this decision.”

    Bhat said that enhancement in retirement age was a long pending demand of the employees and the same will prove a milestone in better relationship between the government and the employees. He said that the government has taken a historic initiative by granting such a relief to  the government employees at a time when life expectancy has also increased.

  • IGP Kashmir promotes 205 HCs to the rank of ASIs

    Srinagar: Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, A.G Mir today promoted 205 Head Constables to the rank of assistant Sub-Inspectors, besides, in-situ grade promotion to 24 officers/officials of Kashmir Zone.

    According to a police statement issued to KNS, the departmental promotion committee under the chairmanship of Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, A.G Mir has approved the promotions of 205 Head Constables to the rank of assistant Sub-Inspectors and in-situ grade promotion to 24 officers/officials of Kashmir Zone.

    In his message, the Inspector General of police, A.G Mir felicitated the promoted officers and their families and hoped that they will work hard to serve the people and the department.

  • Raising retirement age of employees historic decision of Coalition Govt: Tara Chand

    ‘Decision for regularization of DWs top on Govt.’s agenda’

    Srinagar: Describing the decision of State Cabinet to raise the retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60 years as historic, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand has said that the Government has fulfilled the long pending demand of the employees.

    Interacting with media persons shortly after the Cabinet meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister said that decision for enhancing the retirement age of employees was under consideration of the Coalition Government for the past couple of years but no consensus could be evolved. Now after giving proper thought the Government has decided to raise the present retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60. Similarly, he said the Government has also enhanced the eligibility age for candidates applying for Government jobs from present 37 years to 40 years in case of general category and in case of reserved categories it will be 42 years.

    Replying to questions, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Government was contemplating creating maximum employment avenues for the unemployed youth in other sectors as this is one of the priority areas of the Coalition Government. Regarding regularization of daily wagers/contractuals engaged in different departments, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Government has been seriously working on it and a decision will be taken in next couple of months.

    Listing other priorities, Tara Chand said that making functional newly constituted administrative units in the State is top on the agenda and efforts are afoot in this direction. The upgradation of schools is another priority area and Government will take an early decision on this issue. He said there are so many other big decisions relating to the welfare of common masses in the pipe line and same will be taken shortly.

    Minister for Health and Medical Education, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister for Housing, Sports and Culture, Raman Bhalla, Minister for R&B, Abdul Majid Wani and Minister for Tourism, G. A. Mir were also present on the occasion.

  • Cabinet approves promotions in administration

    Srinagar: The State Cabinet which met here today under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah approved various promotions in the administration.

    The Cabinet approved promotion of 19 IAS Officers to the Selection Grade of IAS (Rs 37,400 – 67000 + GP of Rs 8700) w.e.f. 01.01.2014. These include Sanjeev Verma, Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Mohammad Afzal Bhat, Mohammad Shafi Rather, Sudershan Sharma  (Retd), Mehraj Ahmed Kakroo, Satesh Nehru, Parvez Ahmed  Malik, Anal Kumar Gupta, Raj Kumar Bhagat, Abdul Majid Mir, Mrs. Nirmal Sharma, Shafat Noor Barlas, Abdul Latief Deva, Ramesh Kumar Koul, Khurshid Ahmed Shah, Mohammad Sharif Sood, Zaffar Ahmad Bhat and Abdul Maajid Ganai.

    The Cabinet also approved promotion of 6 IFS Officers to the Super Time Scale – I (Conservator of Forest) in pay band of Rs.37,400 – 67000 + GP of Rs 8900 w.e.f. 01.03.2014. They include Ms Roop Avtar Kour, Preet Pal Singh, Naveen Kumar Shah, K. Ramesh, Javid Ahmad Indrabi and Zahoor Ahmad Jan.

    The Cabinet approved promotion of Darshan Lal Chief Accounts Officer, Directorate of Health Services Jammu and Mr Sanjay Kumar, District Treasury Officer, Udhampur  of the J&K Account Services to the Selection Grade of Rs 15600 – 39000 + GP Rs 7600 w.e.f. 17.04.2014.

    The Cabinet also gave approval to the promotion of Ishtiyaq Ahmad Hamal, Development Commissioner, Works (retired) w.e.f 17.04.2014 till the date of his retirement on superannuation on 30.04.2014 and Dr. Abdul Kabir Dar, Director, ISM, J&K prospectively, to a Common Pool of Posts for  HODs in the pay scale of Rs 37,400-67,000 +GP of Rs 10,000.

    It also accorded sanction to the regularization of Reyaz Ahmad Banday as Director General Economics & Statistics J&K w.e.f. 01.12.2013 in the pay scale of Rs 37400-67000 with GP of Rs 10000.

    It also accorded sanction to the regularization of Smt Satvir Kour Sudan, Tariq Ahmad Khan and S. Bilal Ahmad as Directors (Planning) w.e.f. from 02.01.2014 in the regular Pay Scale of Rs.37,400 – 67000 + GP of Rs 8700.

    The Cabinet also accorded sanction to the promotion of Ram Krishan Bhat, Senior Private Secretary of the Jammu & Kashmir Private Secretaries to Heads of Departments (Gazetted Service), as Principal Private Secretary, in the Pay scale of Rs 15,600-39,100 with GP of Rs 7600 with immediate effect.

  • Cabinet to meet on June 11

    Major reshuffle in civil, police administration on cards

    Srinagar: The state cabinet is scheduled to go for a major reshuffle in civil and police administration in its next meeting scheduled to be held on June 11.

    Informed sources revealed to KNS that some top and middle rung officers in bureaucracy are under the scanner of government and are likely to face transfers and postings as per their performance.

    “Rumours that the chief secretary will be appointed as Director General IMPA is baseless. However, some senior officers in civil and police administration will get reshuffled,” a cabinet minister told KNS wishing not to be identified.

  • Soz miffed at Omar’s ‘distasteful announcement’

    Cong-NC row over retirement age decision

    ‘Nothing will be accepted at the cost of Congress’

    Srinagar: The Congress has taken strong exception to what it called ‘distasteful announcement’ of government decision on enhancement in retirement age of employees without even mentioning about Congress proposal mooted out some two years ago.

    Talking to KNS, Prof Saifuddin Soz, president Pradesh Congress Committee said that the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should have talked to the employees delegations after the cabinet proceedings were over and he should have placed on record the cooperation and given by the Congress party in arriving at a major decision.

    Soz said that it was Congress which had mooted out the proposal of enhancement in retirement and recruitment ages over two and a half years ago and the party wanted a comprehensive employment package be created before the decision on retirement age is taken.

    “The way information department issued a handout on the enhancement of retirement age gives a wrong signal. It has been portrayed as if this relief has been granted to employees by NC all by itself. That is not the case.  Mr Vikar Rasool has taken this issue with the directorate of  information,” the PCC president told KNS. He said that Congress was already pushing its proposal to enhance the retirement and recruitment ages. He said that though the chief minister mentioned about Congress approval to the decision given at its meeting in Broadway but unfortunately he missed to mention this in his meeting with employees today. “Unfortunately not a single word has been uttered before the employees’ delegation which Mr Omar Abdullah met before the cabinet meeting today. This is distasteful,” he added. Soz remarked that Congress is prepared to cooperate with its coalition partner National Conference until the last day of the government but ‘nothing will be accepted at the cost of Congress.’

  • Body of newly engaged woman found in Budgam

    Srinagar: With no let up in crime, body of a new engaged woman was recovered in central Kashmir’s Budgam district in less than 24 hours after she went missing, official sources said.

    Official sources on Tuesday told GNS that body of 26 year old Gulshan alias Mitha daughter of Ghulam Hassan Sofi resident of Krimshore was recovered from Reshnad Nallah with head injuries.

    “It seems as if the woman has been hit hardly,” they said, adding: “however it is being investigated whether she was hit or injured due to fall.”

    Gulshan, as per sources, had recently engaged with a man from Gogo Humhama.

    Meanwhile, police have registered a case under section 174 CRPC and started inquest proceedings in the matter, official sources added.

     

  • Police’s counter-Insurgency wing detains two Srinagar youth in Keran

    Srinagar: The police’s Counter-Insurgency Wing Kashmir (CIK) on Tuesdaydetained two youth in Keran sector near Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, official sources said.

    The detained youth have been identified as Irfan Ahmad Nagoo son of Ghulam Mohiddin Nagoo and Sajad Ahmad Bhat son of Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, official sources told GNS, adding the duo hails from Qamarwari area of summer capital Srinagar.

    They said the youth were detained at Kudiyan near Neelum River in Keran on suspicious grounds. The duo, official sources said, are currently in the custody of CIK and are being questioned.

    “We suspect the duo was planning to cross LoC for arms training. However, the facts are being ascertained and we are not in a position to say what actually was in the mind of these youths,” official sources added.

    Keran sector falls close to LoC or ceasefire line which divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Keran has been used as infiltration route by militants.

    Last year, Keran sector grabbed the media attention after massive infiltration by militants. Though many of them were killed, army had said.

     

  • PDP emerged as genuine voice of people of J&K: Mufti

    Asked workers to rededicate themselves to espouse the cause of peace, prosperity

    Jammu: Calling upon the cadre to spread message of the party in every nook and corner of the State, patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, today said that PDP has a vision to address aspirations of all regions and sub-regions of the State.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, while addressing two separate meetings of the senior leaders of Jammu province and members of the district committee Udhampur to review performance of the party in the just concluded Parliamentary elections, Mufti said that people of the State have endorsed visionary and progressive agenda of PDP.

    “PDP through its works has earned credibility of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the masses are looking towards PDP to get their aspirations addressed”, he observed and added that people have realized that only PDP has the vision and conviction to solve their problems.  He said that PDP also has restored peoples’ faith in democracy and democratic institutions.

    “It is high time to further spread message of the party in every village and hamlet of Jammu and Kashmir”, he said and asserted that policies and programmes of the party were formulated by incorporating wishes of every section of the society.

    He said that agenda of his party was to restore peace and tranquility in the State and to ensure balanced development. He said that PDP through its visionary policies has already changed political discourse of the State and the party would continue to pursue its pro-peace and pro-development agenda.

    General Secertary Yashpal Sharma, Vice President T S Bajwa, MLA Sardar Rafiq Khan, Ch Zulfikar, Sr leaders Ved Mahajan, Shanti Devi, Damamn Bhasin, Ch Hamid, Rashid Malik, Hussain Ali Waffa, Bharat Bhushan Gupta, Surinder Choudhary, Fallail Singh, Jagjeet Singh Jagga, Sukhdev Sharma, Dalveer Singh, Mohan Lal Gupta, Bejeshpal Gupta, Kuldeep Manhas, Rakesh Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Javaid Ahmad Chadail, Nasir-ud-din Wani, Gulzar Ahmad, Yudhveer Raina, Prshottam Singh, Ashwani Pandita, Ashok Bhat were present in the meeting.

    Highlighting achievements of the PDP, Mufti reminded that PDP-Congress during its tenure had fulfilled the promises which the party had made with the people of Jammu and Kashmir in 2002 Assembly elections. “Although we had only 16 members in our kitty yet we had changed socio-economic scene of the State besides creating a sense of security among the common masses”, he said. He called upon the workers to educate the people about policies and programmes of the PDP regime which aimed at shaping up a political stable, economically vibrant and socially emancipated Jammu and Kashmir.

    Reiterating commitment of his party to strengthen reconciliatory policies, he said that PDP resolves to rededicate itself to espouse the cause of peace, prosperity, process of dialogue and dignified and amicable solution of state’s political and economic problems. He further said that PDP has emerged as a genuine and authentic voice of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the party has to play a crucial role and great responsibility. He said that the PDP had translated its promises into realities so people of the State have high hopes from our party and it is duty of the party workers to come up to the expectations of the common masses.