Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • NC to launch mass contact programme

    Jammu: Senior National Conference leaders of the Jammu Province on Tuesday decided to a launch mass contact programme and apprise the people about achievements registered by Omar Abdullah led government during the past five and half years.

    “The report card of the government is envious”, the leaders felt at a meeting held at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this afternoon, hoping that this odyssey will continue with renewed vigour in future as well, a statement issued to KNS said.

    Provincial President  Devender Singh Rana, S Harbans Singh,  Surjit Singh Slathia,  Rattan Lal Gupta,  Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, Thakur Kashmira Singh,  Mirza Abdul Rasheed, Babu Ram Paul,  Gurdeep Singh Sasan,  Jugal Mahajan, Haji Mohammed Hussain and Sheikh Bashir Ahmed were among others who participated in the meeting.

    The meeting took stock of the overall political scenario obtaining in the region, especially in the backdrop of the poll outcome of recent parliamentary elections. The meeting also discussed in detail the party affairs and felt the need for mobilizing basic party units at block and district levels for the ensuing Assembly elections.

    National Conference leaders said that National Conference holds promise for development and peace in the State, adding that while solid basis have been laid in this regard, much more is still required to be done.

    The leaders lauded the role of grass roots level functionaries and workers and acknowledged their tireless efforts in carrying forward the party agenda with focus on furthering the policies and programmes of National Conference. They noted with satisfaction the hard work put in by rank and file during the recent elections and hoped that given the enthusiasm, the party will emerge victorious in the upcoming elections.

    Complimenting the party cadre,  Rana said that history is testimony to the fact that National Conference has emerged with much more strength amid challenges. “We have to gear up for big democratic exercise in the coming months and given the enthusiasm of our workers at grass roots level, we are confident to steer the legacy of Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah to massive success”, he asserted.

  • JKLF pays tributes to Zahgeer

    Srinagar: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) has paid rich tributes to martyr Yasir Rasool Zahgeer on his martyrdom anniversary. Recalling the sacrifices of Shaheed Yasir and his family, JKLF said that Shaheed Yasir and his father Ghulam Rasool Zahgeers contribution for freedom movement can never be forgotten. JKLF while praying for the martyrs prayed for his family.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, JKLF has expressed heartfelt grief and sorrow over the sad demise of Gulam Mohammad Butt of Samerbugh Lasjan. The deceased was father of a JKLF well-wisher Muneer Ahmad. JKLF zonal president Noor Mohammad Kalwal and zonal organizer Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri visited the house of deceased and expressed solidarity with the bereaved family. JKLF has also expressed heartfelt condolences to its senior activist Ghulam Rasool Hazari on the demise of his close relative.

  • Unity of state will be defended at any cost: TeH

    Srinagar: The Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Kashmir has said the unity and integrity of the state will be protected at any cost. “No one will be allowed to harm anyone on the basis of religion, caste or creed. Any attempt by communal forces to create wedge between people will be neutralized through our message of love and communal harmony,” a statement issued to KNS said.

    Expressing his concern over reports of perceived threat to communal harmony in the state, Tehreek-e-Kashmir President Gen Mohammad Musa today said the state maintained exemplary communal harmony and tolerance even during the peak days of armed struggle and the majority community never got carried away to forget our rich values and traditions of tolerance, tranquility and harmony.

    Musa said in today’s world distances have shortened but gaps among people have not vanished; the need of the hour is to fill up gaps among people and communities by removing misunderstandings. He appealed religious and social leadership of both communities to work towards bringing the communities closer by removing doubts and misgivings.

  • Zahid Iqbal drowning case Inquiry officer starts inquest proceedings

    Srinagar: The Assistant Commissioner Nazool Srinagar who was appointed as an inquiry officer to probe the circumstances which led to the death of Zahid Iqbal Bhat has started inquest proceedings by issuing a public notice inviting people who have any sort of information regarding the matter to depose before him within 15 days.

    In his public notice, the AC Nazool has asked people having information with regard to the circumstances that led to the death of Zahid Iqbal Bhat son of Mohammad Iqbal resident of Padshahibagh to get their statements recorded before AC Nazool from 10 am upto 4 pm within 15 days of issuance of this notification.

    On May 28, District magistrate Srinagar had ordered magisterial probe into the death of Zahid Iqbal under section 176 CRPC and submit the report within the period of two months.

    According to KNS reports, on August 26, 2013 Zahid’s body was fished out of Jehlum. The primary investigation of police stated that his death caused due to drowning. DC Srinagar in its order for inquiry had stated that the office has received a report from SSP Srinagar regarding the inquest proceedings under section 174 CRPC initiated in the death of Zahid Iqbal’s case. The order maintained that whereas, the father of deceased has now approached this office with the request that a fresh enquiry may be conducted into the case of Zahid Iqbal. 

  • Govt reinstates IPS officer of J&K Cadre

    Srinagar: The state government has reinstated Alok Kumar, an IPS officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre who as Deputy Inspector General of Police was placed under suspension by Bihar government last year following unlawful activities allegations against him during his stint as DIG Saran in Bihar.

    Sources told KNS that under the government order number 257 of 2014 dated June 2, 2014  Kumar has been reinstated. His posting is yet to be decided by the government.  On February 5, 2013 Kumar was placed under suspension by Bihar government for allegedly demanding Rs 10 crore as extortion money from a liquor trader Tunnaji Pandey during his stint as the Chhapra-headquartered DIG of Saran range.

    This was for the first time that a DIG-rank officer was suspended in Bihar on corruption charges. Though a native of Bihar, Kumar is an officer of Jammu & Kashmir cadre of 1997 batch. He was in Bihar on interstate deputation.

    After his suspension, Kumar approached Patna high court where he got a relief which put a stay on his arrest. The Patna court had ordered police administration to submit case diary. Kumar’s counsel had filed an anticipatory petition on his behalf had argued that the officer has been implicated in a case of extortion and pleaded the court to grant him anticipatory bail.

  • Mirwaiz concerned about damages to Kashmiri handicrafts, skilled industry

    Srinagar,: Expressing serious concerns over the concerted efforts to damage and inflict harm to the world renowned Kashmiri handicrafts and skilled industry, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has said that if serious steps were not taken to eliminate the causes responsible for the gradual decline of Kashmir’s traditional arts and skills, an important sources of livelihood of thousands of skilled people would end besides leading to the strangulation of one of the important source of economic stability in Kashmir.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, in this connection a high level delegation of Kashmir Copper Workers Trader Union led by its head Mohammad Yousuf Kakru met Mirwaiz and apprised him about the issues faced by the copper industry. While listening to their grievances, Mirwaiz stated that the issues and problems faced by the people in copper industry were of serious concern, adding, it is important to provide security to the skilled workers of this industry to save the age old industry from extinction.

    The workers union told Mirwaiz that the conditions were being created to discourage the skilled workers engaged in the profession of the handmade copper utensils. The workers stated that some persons with vested interest were introducing machines in Kashmir to make copper utensils and selling them as handmade while as some were importing the copper items from outside the state thereby endangering the livelihood of skilled workers associated with the local copper industry. They said that though the state government has put a ban on use of machines; however, the law was not being fully implemented on the ground by the concerned Law enforcing agencies. Mirwaiz expressed concern over the inability of the government to protect the local copper industry in Kashmir. He assured the workers that he would raise the issues faced by copper workers at all platforms. 

  • JCC welcomes Govt announcement on retirement age

    Hopeful that all other demands will be met shortly: Wani

    Srinagar: The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) on Tuesday hailed the government announcement by virtue of which the chief minister Omar Abdullah has agreed to enhancement in retirement age of government employees from 58 years to 60 years.

    Talking to KNS, Abdul Qayoom Wani, senior JCC leader and president Employees joint Action Committee (EJAC) said that it was for the first time in National Conference led coalition government that the JCC has felt a positive approach from the government. “This is because of the honourable chief minister Omar Abdullah’s intervention that we saw this positive approach vis-à-vis our long pending demands,” Wani told KNS.

    The JCC leader said that the chief minister has agreed to almost all pending demands of the employees the chief secretary of the state has been directed to study all other demands of the employees outside the ambit of Finance Department for finalizing and reporting with its recommendations in a one month’s period.

    Wani also appreciated withdrawal of cases against employees who were booked in different agitations under ESMO and dies-non.   He said: “The meeting that last for around two hours was held in cordial atmosphere and we have put forth a charter of demands containing some 27 long pending issues. Now the ball lies in government’s court.”

    Wani said that the demands that were discussed with the government include revocation of draconian laws like ESMO and Dies-non, regularization of daily wagers, causal labourers (drawing regular salaries) and regularizing  the salary of casual labours, need based, HDF, KGBV, Prariks, gender coordinator and framing of policy for their regularization,  removal of pay anomalies in pre-revised grade of Rs 6500-10500, clerical cadre and police personnel,  inclusion of five years service (notionaly) in favour of ReT’s, adhoc, contractual and migrant substitute employees, release of 6th pay commission arrears in favour of urban local bodies, municipal corporation employees and regular payment of their salary, budgetary support and revival policy for public sector undertakings to generate employment and implementation of 6th pay commission and release of arrears in their favour, pensionery benefits to PSUS and Anganwari workers on the analogy of SKICC,   merger of 50 per cent DA with basic salary, enhancement in medical allowances from Rs 300 to Rs 2000, transfer policy in favour of ReTs after their regularization, especially in favour of females, strict implementation (time bound) of cabinet decision regarding the confirmation of adhoc, contractual employees after seven years, regularization of all in charge officers in all departments especially joint directors, CEO’s, principals, ZEOs, ZEPOs, headmasters and lecturers of education department, non vocational status to the officers of education department, holding DPC meeting (one man one post) in agriculture department, additional increment to junior agriculture extension officers/BSC agriculture than non technical officers as prevalent in engineering department, removal of incompetent, trained, and corrupt officers from key posts, time bound action against corrupt and tainted officers, officials, to create job avenues academic arrangements be made on war footing bases in education department on more than 20,000 vacant posts of teachers and similar arrangements in other departments, independent monitoring system for schemes in vogue like SSA, RMSA, NRHM, PMGSY, NERAGA, command area development, IAY, MDM and constitution of 7th pay commission.

    “The chief minister was receptive to our demands. He said that he will meet us after every month and will strongly advocate for fulfillment of all these demands put forth by us,” Wani told KNS. He said Omar agreed to enhancement of retirement age in totality and assured that all other demands will be fulfilled after the Chief Secretary led committee studies their feasibility.

  • Govt to enhance retirement age of its employees from 58 to 60 years

    Omar announces this in a meeting with EJCC

    Upper age limit for recruitment to be also raised to 40 years: CM

    Fixes one month deadline for Finance Department to finalize regularization cases

    CS led committee to finalize report on all other pending issues in one month

    Srinagar: Amid thunderous applause of hundreds of government employee representatives, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this afternoon announced his intension to enhance the retirement age of employees from 58 to 60 years and the upper age limit for youth to obtain government job from 37 to 40 years. He further announced the deadline of one month for finalizing the regularization of adhoc employees whose cases are under process in Finance Department.

    “I will strongly advocate the enhancement of age issue in the Cabinet and make sure that it is approved to the best satisfaction of the employees”, he said directing Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey who alongwith Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas and Secretary General Administration Department, Mohammad Ashraf Bukhari was flanking him in the meeting he took with leaders of Employees Joint Consultative Committee (EJCC) here, to take action for withdrawing all cases instituted against agitating employees under ESMO. He said he has already given orders for withdrawal of dies-non against agitating employees.

    The Chief Minister constituted a Committee comprising Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary General Administration Department to study all other demands of the employees outside the ambit of Finance Department for finalizing and reporting with its recommendations in a one month’s period. “I will personally monitor the functioning of this Committee and all other issues pertaining to the welfare of employees and talk to representatives of employees myself without any mediators. We will be meeting in every month here in the Banquet Hall to sort-out issues and cement the relations between the government and its employees”, he said adding that after a period of month he will share the findings and recommendations of the Committee he constituted in the meeting led by the Chief Secretary with the representatives of the employees.

    The Chief Minister fixed a deadline of one month for the Finance Department to finalize the recommendations on casual employees. He said his government has always been employee-friendly and it took historic and hard decisions in favour of its employees despite severe financial conditions. “We provided you with 6th Pay Commission benefits, its arrears and host of other facilities to improve your conditions and are ready to sort-out all pending issues with you in a friendly and amicable atmosphere”, he told the representatives of employees of all government employee associations of the State.

    The Chief Minister said that much politics has been done on the issue of enhancing retirement age of government employees. “Many played double role in this regard and while talking to employees they extended their support to them and to youth they told that it would be counter-productive for the interests of unemployed youth”, he said that enhancement of retirement age will have no effect on recruitment of youth as the government will continue the recruitment process to fill up the vacant posts in different government departments. He said no wrong impression should be given to the youth in this regard and no politics needs to be done on this important welfare measure any more.

    The Chief Minister made a mention of the role played by Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey in advocating and justifying the need to enhance the retirement age of government employees and extending him the highest support in this regard.

    Earlier, the President EJCC, Abdul Qayoom Wani and its Convenor, Rouf Ahmad in their speeches expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for his keenness to ensure redressal of all grievances of the employees.

    “It is the historic fact that you intervened at all junctures to approve 6th Pay Commission recommendations in favour of government employees as also payment of the huge amount of Rs. 4200 crores as arrears to the employees. We also want to place it on record that your sagacity and employee-friendly approach made all problems easy to solve”, they said and complimented the Chief Minister for taking initiative to resolve all issues with employees. They said that they convey the gratitude of all the employees of Jammu and Kashmir to the Chief Minister for his keenness for the welfare of government employees.

  • KOTAK ISSUES ADVISORY, ASKS BANK TO MAINTAIN REDUCE

    Srinagar: Referring to reports that according to it indicate that the JK Bank has 25 billion rupees of loans that is technically unsecured and nonperforming, Kotak Mahindra a financial firm stated the events that unfolded today on the exposure outside Jammu and Kashmir—lumpy assets can move NPLs sharply.
    “Despite a steep correction and inexpensive valuations, we are hesitant to change our rating. Lack of confidence in the reported numbers becomes a key source of concern. Maintain REDUCE with TP at rupees 1,550 (from rupees 1,800 earlier),” reads the advisory issued by the Kotak.
    It maintained further that accepting the view of the management would also not be completely correct. “We have consistently been worried on the loans outside the state. They tend to be lumpy (the loan accepted as stress is ~1.4% of loans) and part of consortium/multiple banking where the risk is high. The management’s positive view on its top few corporate clients is not a perfect argument as the probability of slippages from large corporate exposure is anyway fairly low. For example, SBI has the bulk of the stress in mid-corporate and SME exposure and limited on the large corporate book. It is the smaller loans that need to be worried about.”
    Kotak stated that the management’s acceptance of stress in one of the larger accounts substantiates our view that slippages can be fairly lumpy for the loans outside Jammu and Kashmir. This implies that credit costs would be higher and NIMs could head downwards from here to reflect the rising slippages, broadly reiterating our view on the bank over the past few quarters. Besides, the bank has one of the highest exposures to commercial real estate, ~7% of total loans (~12% of loans outside J&K, Exhibits 3-4) of which ~30% was towards one single corporate client as of FY2013, and 25% of total industry exposure is to stressed sectors (infrastructure, textiles, iron and steel and construction, Exhibit 5). “Further, our cautious view on loan impairment within the state remains as well. We expect an increase in stressed assets within J&K as the bank looks to grow in PSL loans, which tend to be highly delinquent in nature.

  • Govt invites JCC leaders for deliberations on Tuesday

    Will attend the meeting with appositive mindset: EJAC (Q)

    Srinagar: The state government has invited Joint Coordination Committee of the employees unions for deliberations on their pending demands which include enhancement in retirement age from 58 to 60 years.

    Confirming to KNS, Abdul Qayoom Wani, President Employees joint Action Committee (Q) and senior JCC leader said: “Yes we have been invited for a meeting on Tuesday and we will attend it with a positive mindset.”

    Sources in the government told KNS that the meeting will be held in Banquet Hall Srinagar at 2 pm. The meeting will be attended by almost the entire leadership of JCC.  Besides the enhancement in retirement age, the main pending demands which will come to fore for discussions include inclusion of five years of services o Rehbra-e-Taleem (ReT), pay anomaly, release of 6th pay commission arrears in favor of municipal corporation employees and local bodies, confirmation of daily wagers, casual laborers and inclusion of services rendered by adhoc employees.

    “We do not want any confrontation with the government but we hope that the government addresses our long pending demands,” Wani stressed. As reported by KNS earlier, the government has decided tocall a meeting of Cabinet Sub-Committee (CSC) headed by finance minister Abdul Rahim Rather on enhancement of retirement age of government employees from 58 to 60 years very soon.

    Talking to KNS, Ali Mohammad Sagar, minister for rural development had confirmed that the government is seriously considering the enhancement of retirement age of government employees. He had told KNS that National Conference government never wanted a confrontationist approach to deal with the demands put forth by the government employees.

    In February this year, the government had asked the Chief Secretary to talk to the employees’ leadership and issue the necessary directions to chalk out a proposal on the enhancement of retirement age taking all the prerequisites into consideration.