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Will try to solve all issues: Advisor Bhatnagar

Srinagar: Despite Asia’s largest trout fish farm, the Kokernag fish farm in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district is facing immense dearth of staff.

Known for its natural beauty, Kashmir has the distinction of having Asia’s largest fisheries farm in Kokernag.

The farm is emerging best producer of Rainbow Trout fish across the world.
However, the fish farm is facing immense dearth of staff resulting it not being properly maintained.

“There are only 30 employees who have to look after the entire fish farm. We would engage daily rated workers for its maintenance like to keep it clean. But we are no longer engaging daily rated workers due to lack of funds,” an official of Fisheries Department told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

Similarly, the official said there was a lack of support on part of the government. “We are giving our best, that is the reason it is Asia’s largest fish farm and its fish production is increasing each year. But government should provide us with the required funds and staff to run the farm,” an official of the farm said.
The official said most of the lower rank officials are awaiting promotions for years.

“We provide seed to over 500 farmers. This farm generated revenue of Rs 1.73 crore during 2018 which went up to Rs 1.83 crore last year. In addition seed was sold for Rs 40 lakh to farmers,” the official said.

The Fisheries Department set up a trout farming project at Kokernag in south Kashmir with the European Economic Community’s assistance in 1984.

The project is managed by the local officials who are technically knowhow about trout seed production.

Trout is a highly nutritious food. An average-sized trout contains about 1.8 grams of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids that are needed for the development of the brain and retina in infants. Trout also contains 20 percent protein, vitamins A, B, B1, C2 and D and forms the basis of a healthy, low-fat and fibre-rich diet.

The introduction of trout in Kashmir for angling is credited to a Britain Frank Mitchell. In 1899, he reared the trout in the premises of his private carpet factory at Bagh-e-Dilawar Khan, located in Shahr-e-Khas. He established the first trout hatchery at Harwan in 1901 and trained the locals.

Advisor to Governor B R Bhatnagar said he will look into the matter. “I will discuss this issue with officials and try to sort out all these issues,” Bhatnagar told news agency KINS. (KINS)

Srinagar: Central government is coming up with a surrender and rehabilitation policy for the youth who want to give up militancy in Jammu and Kashmir. The Union Defence Ministry is deliberating over the issue with the Home Ministry in New Delhi. The Indian Army has drafted a Rehabilitation Policy for them which has been sent to the Government.

According to the Army, some changes are expected from this policy. Lt. General BS Raju, Commander of the 15th Corps of the Army, which looked at the entire Kashmir, said that the policy draft has been sent to the government but it has not returned yet.

He said “I constantly tell people whether there is a policy or not, but we will take whatever steps are necessary to bring people back from the path of terror. It would be good if the policy comes. This will give us more strength and we will be able to speak about it and offer them about their rehabilitation in a formal way”.

He said that “there is a policy in place but it is more for those who had moved to Pakistan before 2007 and were then allowed to return. A large number of people also returned. This new policy is for those who have taken up arms inside the valley. We are working on it”.

Lt Gen Raju said that it would bring some changes. The key for me is that I will be able to speak about it and will be able to propose the return in a more formal manner. It has to be approved by the Home Ministry. It is currently between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Lieutenant General BS Raju said that our effort is to bring back the youth on the path of terror. We have also been successful in bringing people back during the operation. Many families are now coming forward who are asking their children to go back on the wrong path.

He said that we will work more on surrender because it is more important to bring back our people than to kill them. He told that now many times the family members come and meet us and tell that their child is meeting the wrong people. The local company commanders then approach them and try to explain. Also advises parents. Many times we have been successful in preventing them from going wrong.

Lt Gen Raju said that the Over Ground Workers (OGW) who help the terrorists are also on our radar and they have been given different messages from our side that this path will not take you anywhere.

He said “we have been successful in keeping the number of militants under control in Kashmir. Currently there are around 200-210 Militants active, which was about 300 at the beginning of this year. (PTK)

Former J&K minister Sajjad Lone said the new Kashmir alliance was not averse to talking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top government functionaries if they listened to the sentiment on ground.

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Srinagar: In his first interview since the central government piloted constitutional change in Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, former J&K minister Sajjad Lone said the new Kashmir alliance was not averse to talking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top government functionaries if they listened to the sentiment on ground.

“We don’t have contempt for the high offices of the country. We have full respect for them. There should be no problem in talking, but in our humble way we will have to ensure there is no compromise to the dignity of people of Jammu and Kashmir. I think Delhi should talk to people since it took people’s rights away,” Lone told News 18 when asked if the new alliance will like to engage with PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.

“They took the decision (referring to August 5, 2019) and they should engage…if not with us then the people. And enquire from them why there is so much anger and bitterness. The ball is in their court,” Lone said, refusing to be drawn into detail over the issue.

The chairman of People’s Conference is considered to be an architect of the new alliance that was launched by veteran politician Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday. Six mainstream parties have come together to fight for restoration of special constitutional position that was taken away last year when Parliament struck down the contentious Article 370 that gave residents of the Jammu and Kashmir exclusive rights on jobs, education and land. Named People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration — a grouping of different parties who had vowed to safeguard J&K’s special laws as enshrined in constitution last year — it will soon assign roles and agenda for effective functioning.

“Our motive is to get back what was taken away from us forcibly, illegally and unconstitutionally and what rightfully belongs to us,” said Lone, who was incarcerated for months before being released.

“We aren’t seeking aazadi…all we are demanding is strictly within the constitution. We had said it before August 5, 2019 and we are saying it now. There is no change,” he said.

On Wednesday, Farooq Abdullah sought resolution of Kashmir issue through dialogue by inviting all the stakeholders ostensibly India, Pakistan and Kashmir.

Asked about BJP government’s repeated claim that there was no going back on Article 370, Lone said he does not believe everything is cast in stone. “People are entitled to opinions, there is one in Srinagar and another in Delhi, but the world is dynamic. It keeps on evolving. Nothing remains static.”

He said in the coming days, the alliance will reach out to leaders in Ladakh and Jammu to take their views on the issue. ”I am sure all shades of opinions would be accommodated. The collective mechanism of the alliance will ensure we are inclusive and holistic in approach,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Six major political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have come together under the aegis of National Conference (N.C.) president Farooq Abdullah to form the “People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration”, with the stated objective of fighting for restoration of Article 370, which was abrogated unilaterally by the Indian government on August 5, 2019.

The signatories include Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference (P.C.), Muzaffar Shah of the Awami National Conference (ANC), Yousuf Tarigami of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Javaid Mir of the People’s Movement besides Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah of the N.C. The Congress did not send any representative to the meeting that took place at Farooq Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar on October 15.

Farooq Abdullah told the media on the sidelines of the meeting: “We have named this alliance People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration. Our battle is a constitutional battle, we want the government of India to return to the people of the State the rights they held before 5th August 2019.”

He said that the alliance would press for a dialogue between all stakeholders for resolution of the Kashmir conflict, though he did not brief the media about the contours of the struggle they planned to launch. “We will be informing you about the future course of action in due course,” he said.

The meeting took place a couple of days after Mehbooba Mufti was released from detention on October 13. In her first audio message posted on her Twitter handle after her release, she described the Centre’s August 5 action as “unconstitutional, undemocratic and unlawful”. She said that “nobody among us can forget the day’s robbery and humiliation [of August 5, 2019].”

On October 14, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah called on Mehbooba Mufti at her Gupkar Road residence and agreed to hold an all party meet the following day.

Earlier, on August 22, the N.C., the PDP, the CPI (M), the Congress, the ANC, and the P.C. issued a statement reiterating their commitment to stand by the Gupkar Declaration of August 4, 2019. The Gupkar Declaration says that “any modification, abrogation of Articles 35A, 370, unconstitutional delimitation or trifurcation of the State would be an aggression against the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh”.

With inputs from The Hindu

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar: At least future of one lakh daily rate wagers engaged by successive governments in Jammu and Kashmir are uncertain, who are awaiting their regularization for years.

There are around one lakh daily rate wagers who are working in various government departments since years and have been seeking regularization of their services.

Chief Secretary BVR Subhramanyam Thursday claimed that the regularisation of services has been misused in Jammu and Kashmir to get into the government jobs by backdoor entries, thus snatching jobs from genuine candidates.
“Regularisation of services is a big issue.

Regularisation has been a way of misusing entry into government jobs, let us be very clear that regularisation was being used by those who had connections in power corridors to first enter as back door appointees, daily wagers, contractual and then get regularised. This has been depriving the genuine candidates’ opportunity to get into government services,” Chief Secretary said during a press conference of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here.

“Regularisation is nobody’s right, there is Supreme Court ruling, you read the newspaper about it and how the Punjab High Court struck down the regularisation order. But at the same time we are not throwing them out of the jobs who are seeking regularisation, we are trying to do it in a systematic way by looking at various aspects including financial implications.”

Mushtaq Ahmad, who is working as a daily wager in one of the government departments, said the Chief Secretary’s comments indicate the government does not want to regularize daily wagers who are working for years.

“No doubt there have been backdoor appointments over the years. But the government should frame a policy to regularize those who have worked departments for years,” Mushtaq said.

Another daily wager Mohammad Sidiq said, “We don’t know what will happen to us. It is we (daily wagers) who run essential departments like Jal Shakti, Power Department, Health, and Municipality. Government should clear it if there is no requirement of daily wagers in departments.”

Employees Joint Action Committee Jammu Kashmir (EJAC) has expressed its dissent over the comments of the Chief Secretary of Govt. of Jammu and Kashmir regarding the regularization of casual labourers, daily wagers, ITI workers and other types of temporary workers.

President EJAC Fayaz Ahmad Shabnam said that it is quite unfortunate that all the casual labourers, daily wagers, ITI workers and other types of temporary workers have paid and are still paying the price for the misdoings of some persons. He emphasized on the fact that the services of the majority of these workers and labourers have been utilized under proper norms and regulations as established by the government from time to time.

“Majority of these workers and labourers have been working in various departments for more than 25 years and are yet to be regularized. They have turned overage because of which they can’t apply to any jobs now. Their families are on the verge of starvation and they are being compelled to pull out their children from schools because of the non-availability of money to pay their fees,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

“The casual labourers, daily wagers, ITI workers and all types of temporary workers are the frontline warriors in every calamity that has befallen over the people of J&K and are working on the same parameters and capabilities as that of regular employees and to regularize them is not only the moral obligation of the government but also the genuine right of them” he said.

Shabnam also put forth that the regularization of casual labourers, daily wagers, ITI workers and all types of temporary workers is not a new agenda of the association but it has been there since decades.

“The previous governments have time and again made agreements with the EJAC leadership regarding the regularization of these workers but till now no positive outcome arose in this regard. Even the present government made promises to rehabilitate them including the implementation of Minimum Wages Act but till now that has not seen the light of day.

Also these temporary workers have continuously been given a cold shoulder by the government which has forced the EJAC to come out on streets and protest for their rights time and again,” he said.

He further added that EJAC will continue to strive for the genuine rights of casual labourers, daily wagers, ITI workers and all types of temporary workers and will always stand with them till their genuine demands are not fulfilled.
He urged the government to shed off its step motherly approach towards these labourers and workers and view them through the prism of humanity so that they will get their share of justice for which they have sacrificed a lot over the past few decades. (KINS)

Srinagar: National Conference leader Omar Adbullah said no government lasts forever, referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party at the Centre. He added that the recently-formed coalition, thePeople’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration, will continue to fight for the restoration of special provisions under Article 370 that was abrogated on August 5, 2019, reported India Today.

“We’re not begging the government of India,” Abdullah said in an interview with India Today. “Our fight is in the Supreme Court. I’m not going to go to PM [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi with a begging bowl. No government lasts forever. We will wait. We will keep the pot boiling. We will not give up.”

On the alliance, he said that it was not opportunistic but political. Abdullah said that the coalition was a continuation of the meeting of the parties of Jammu and Kashmir that took place a day ahead of the Centre’s August 5 move. “Today [Thursday], we met to give it a proper name, a formal structure, a proper agenda,” he added.

The former chief minister further said that politics in Jammu and Kashmir is now centred on the restoration of special provisions of Article 370. “It [politics] is a constitutional and peaceful way to get back what was snatched from us unconstitutionally and illegally,” he added.

Omar Abdullah also clarified his father and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah’s statement that Article 370 will be restored with China’s help. Omar Abdullah said that his father did not make the statement, adding that the statement was formulated by a BJP spokesperson. He clarified that Farooq Abdullah had said that China was commenting on Jammu and Kashmir’s internal affairs.

The NC leader also refuted that his father said Beijing had intruded into Jammu and Kashmir because of the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 and that the people of the Union Territory would prefer being Chinese citizens. Omar Abdullah reiterated that his father was not supporting China, added that the NC chief was only reflecting what the people of Jammu and Kashmir felt.

A controversy had erupted on Sunday after Farooq Abdullah in another interview with India Today had claimed that the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370 had spawned tensions between India and China, sparking off a months-long bitter standoff in Ladakh. However, the National Conference had on Tuesday denied accusations that Farooq Abdullah had justified Chinese action along the Line of Actual Control or suggested that the special status of Jammu and Kashmir could only be restored with Beijing’s help. Further, in an interview with The Wire in September, Farooq Abdullah had said Kashmiris do not feel like Indians and claimed that they would rather have the Chinese in the area. “Today, when China is advancing the other side, you know, many of them would rather have the Chinese coming in,” he had said.

During Thursday’s interview, Omar Abdullah also dismissed claims that the citizens of the Union Territory were angry with his family and the Muftis and said that the anger was not against them. “Show me a single piece of activity that these two entities have been able to do,” he said. “Mehbooba Mufti was in detention for 14 months, my father was in detention for months, I was in detention for nine months. There was enough time to create alternatives to us.”

When asked if he was angry at the central government, the Abdullah responded by asking if a person would come out happy after being detained. He added that he was locked up under the Public Safety Act and was considered a threat to his people. “Why don’t you ask those who locked us up?” he asked.

Omar Abdullah made the comments hours after the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, People’s Conference and other regional groups formed an alliance following a meeting of six Jammu and Kashmir-based parties to discuss the Gupkar Declaration in Srinagar.

The other parties include the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement and the Awami National Conference.
“Ours is a constitutional battle…we would strive for [the] restoration of the constitution (with regard to Jammu and Kashmir) as it existed on August 5, 2019,” Farooq Abdullah told reporters after the coalition was formally declared.

Under the Gupkar Declaration, regional parties and the Congress resolved to protect Jammu and Kashmir’s special constitutional status and fight any move to dilute it. On August 22, the six parties had reaffirmed their commitment to the declaration and vowed to fight unitedly against the Centre’s decision to alter the region’s status under Article 370 of the Constitution.

Almost all of the Kashmir Valley’s political leadership, including Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, were detained last year. PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti was on Tuesday released from a 14-month-long detention under the Public Safety Act. Omar Abdullah was released on March 24 as the Jammu and Kashmir administration revoked his detention order under the Public Safety Act. Farooq Abdullah was released on March 13. People’s Conference chief Sajjad Lone was released in July. (KINS)

Srinagar: A day after political parties gave formal shape to their alliance formed after revocation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5 last year, senior National Conference leader and Member Parliament Justice (Retd) Hasnian Masoodi Friday said they would strive till Article 370 is restored.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Thursday convened an all party meeting at his residence which was attended by leaders of six political parties including Mehbooba Mufti. After which Farooq said, “ People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration aims to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status as it existed before August 5 last year,” said Farooq Abdullah.

“The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration favours initiation of dialogue between all stakeholders for resolution of the J&K issue,” he added.

On Friday National Conference leader Hasnian Masoodi said all parties are united for restoration of Article 370.

“We had a special status given by the constitution in 1947. Those who revoked it did it illegally, unconstitutionally and are anti-people. New Delhi has also started realizing that the August 5 decision was wrong and did not serve any purpose,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).

The National Conference Member Parliament said they will strive till special status of Jammu and Kashmir is restored. “If there are domicile and land rights for people of North East then why our special position was snatched from us,” he asked.

The Gupkar Declaration is a resolution issued after an all-party meeting on August 4, 2019, at the Gupkar residence of the NC president. The resolution, passed a day before the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and split it into two Union territories, said the parties unanimously resolved they would stand united in their effort to protect and defend the identity, autonomy and special status of Jammu and Kashmir against all attacks and onslaughts.

The parties had met again in August this year and vowed to fight for restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

While BJP National vice president Avinash Rai Khanna said Article 370 won’t be restored. He said that people of Jammu and Kashmir have nothing to do “with this so-called Gukar Declaration”.

“Political parties in Kashmir are trying to sell another false dream to the people which can never be possible. The Gupkar agenda has been coined in Kashmir in an attempt to hoodwink the people and for Farooq and company to save themselves,” Khanna told KINS.

“People know that when they were in power, they committed sins with impunity. The controversial Articles did nothing except digging an ocean of misunderstandings and retarding the growth and development of the erstwhile state,” he said. (KINS)

A former minister in the BJP-PDP government in Jammu and Kashmir, Sajad Lone was a key architect of the new bloc named “People’s Alliance”.

Srinagar: The BJP deserves the credit for uniting all Jammu and Kashmir parties in an unprecedented alliance to demand the restoration of the former state’s special status, Kashmiri politician Sajad Lone said on Friday, asserting that as “inhabitants and not tourists” they will outlast the central government.
The decision to scrap Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional autonomy by the centre was “short-sighted and borne out of hatred”, Mr Lone told NDTV, a day after the regional outfits shed decades-old rivalries to fight unitedly for the restoration of the Article 370 of the constitution.

The former minister in the BJP-PDP government and now a key architect of the bloc named “People’s Alliance”, Mr Lone said he “felt like a stranger” after he was released from year-long detention and saw “outsiders” had taken over the reins of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Lone, who was detained along with hundreds of political leaders after the centre announced the move last August, was released on July 31 this year. He said the joint fight for the restoration of Article 370 will be within the framework of the constitution and seek to end the violence and uncertainty.

“This is a collective mechanism and primarily what was ours has been taken away from us. We will struggle peacefully, within the ambit of the constitution as is the right in every part of the country,” said Mr Lone.

“We are here to stay, as inhabitants of the state. We are not tourists. National governments come and go. We should resist any national government decisions for which our children will have to face consequences. It is our moral duty to stand up against it,” he said.

He said the centre did not display “sense ownership” by detaining and jailing leaders in Kashmir. He alleges that the August 5 decision was “borne out of hatred”.

“August 5 decision was very short-sighted borne out of hatred, unfortunately. The national government is a “maai baap” (patents) for everyone. Maai baap does not lock you in, jail you. The onus today is on them to show that they treat us at par with the rest of the country,” he said.

Traditionally bitter political rivals, the National Conference, People’s Democratic Party or PDP, People’s Conference and other groups have decided to keep their individual rivalries in suspended animation and fight together to get Article 370 restored.

The new political block will be led by National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, said Mr Lone, adding they should thank the BJP-led central government for the unthinkable match-making in Kashmir.

“We should thank Delhi for this alliance, to get us together. Delhi has become perfect match-maker,” he said.

He alleged that air-dropping officials from other states to take the reins of governance in Jammu and Kashmir was “a disaster”.

“Everything has changed. People who don’t belong to this place have taken over. It is a bunch of people who have no idea about the problems and the history of this place. It is a very disastrous situation,” he said.

With inputs from NDTV

The Pakistan army resorts to heavy firing and mortar shelling in forward areas along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Friday, a defence spokesman said.

The Indian Army retaliated befittingly, he added.

Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration formed.

National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday, chairing a meeting of around six regional political parties, announced a new grouping named ‘Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration’, comprising all the parties that signed the Gupkar Declaration on August 4 last year “to fight for J&K’s special status”.

“Our motive is to fight for the restoration of the August 04, 2019, position. It’s a constitutional battle to assure the return of all the rights which the people of J&K, including Ladakh, enjoyed before the abrogation of Article 370”, three-time Chief Minister Dr. Abdullah said after the meeting.

Among others, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Conference (PC) chief Sajad Lone and CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami, were part of the meeting held at the residence of Dr. Abdullah at Gupkar Road in Srinagar in the afternoon.

Dr. Abdullah, who is a Member Parliament, pointed at the larger lingering political problem and underlined the need to address it. “We want steps taken for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. All the stakeholders should be taken on board in this regard,” he said.

In a shift, the alliance of these regional forces, which also include the Awani National Conference, the J&K Peoples Movement, the Awami Ittehad Party and the Peoples Democratic Front, has not restricted its goal of restoration of J&K’s special status but also included the final settlement of the Kashmir issue in its agenda.

Dr. Abdullah also hinted at taking into confidence members from all the regions of the erstwhile J&K State, including Ladakh, in the next meeting. “The next meeting will be held soon”, he stated.

Congress leader G.A Mir did not attend the meeting citing “medical emergency”.

Mehbooba visits father’s grave

Ms. Mufti, released after 14 months, on Thursday visited the grave of her father Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in Anantnag district and offered prayers.

Several leaders accompanied her as she drove to south Kashmir’s Bijbehara town, where the late Mufti is buried.

With inputs from The Hindu

(This story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)