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  • Situation remained normal today; 62 persons arrested: Police

    Srinagar: The situation across the Kashmir valley remained normal and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere, police said.

    “During the day normal life was observed across the valley as normal flow of vehicular traffic including the public transport was seen on the city roads as also in the main towns and inter-district roads of the valley,” it said.

    According to the statement, Sunday market in Srinagar witnessed a huge rush of shoppers as people from different parts of the city and elsewhere thronged it to purchase different articles.

    The statement said that in its “sustained action to curb the activities of miscreants, police arrested 62 such individual involved in disrupting the public order in different parts of the valley during past 24 hours.”

  • “Landmark” Came At A Heavy Cost, Admits Hurriyat Geelani

    Srinagar: Admitting that Kashmir nation has paid a “heavy price” for sustaining more than three months old Tehreek, the Hurriyat Conference on Sunday said the last 100 days are a “historic landmark”. Tehreek, it said, forced the two countries to think “seriously” on Kashmir issue as it was raised in UN and most of the global media covered it.

    “As a nation, we paid huge costs to get the attention of the world,” a statement issued here said, “More than 90 people were killed, 14000 injured of whom 500 have lost eyesight, 15000 people are behind bars and the trade is losing Rs 140 crore, a day.” It said the transport sector suffered the worst of all because they could do no work.

    Showering praises over the medical fraternity, the statement said that they left their homes and worked for the injured day and night as hundreds of volunteers from various NGOs worked side by side. In flowing prose, the statement detailed the transfer and evacuation of the injured to the hospitals stuffing wards and the operation theatres.

    The statement also acknowledged the efforts made by the voluntary teachers who set up community teaching centres and the residents who created self help groups to help the needy in the crisis.

    Hurriyat said that the people who resort to stone pelting during relaxation hours are not supports of the Terhreek and should be taken care of.

    The statement attacked the ruling party for splashing blood on the roads which it had claims it would macadamize. They killing the youth, they had promised they will ensure good future for, the statement added.

    “After joining hands with the Achay Din regime, they used PSA to take father and the son to jail,” the statement said. “If the leaders who get elected by the same people they suppress after talking over, they lose the right to stick to the power on democratic, ethical and moral grounds.” Hurriyat said that people at large have a strong and a concrete logic not to humiliate their franchise and they have every reason to demand that “they (government) have lost legal, moral and even democratic right to represent them.”

  • People barred from broadband service in north Kashmir

    We will look into the matter: PRO BSNL

    Srinagar: Scores of people from different areas of north Kashmir on Sunday accused Bharat Sanachar Nigam Limited (BSNL) authorities shelving the norms while providing the service.
    “They delay the process without any reason while giving the broadband connection. They are not following any procedure,” a group of residents from Baramulla said.
    Non-availability of Internet services has caused immense inconveniences to common people and especially students.
    Javid Ahmad a customer from Bramulla said, “On 21 September I visited office of the Bharat Sanachar Nigam Limited exchange Baramulla for the broadband connection but till now I am not getting any reply from them despite repeated visits.”
    They are deliberately delaying it, he added.
    However, the authorities say that they don’t have internet ports system available.
    Due to delay in the process of broadband connection by the authorities, those who are in need of internet are seen visiting the Divisional Commissioners (DC) complex for the internet which shuts after 4 pm.
    People from Baramulla, Kanispora complained that they informed the higher ups of BSNL a number of times, but they have failed to take any action in this regard.
    They said that they are delaying the process of installing due to reasons best known to them.
    Locals from Barmulla alleged that there are agents in the exchange who take hefty amount of money from blue eyed candidates.
    People from Sopore and its adjoining areas also said that they are facing the same problem.
    “We applied for the broadband connection days before but till now the BSNL authorities haven’t installed the ports here. We are still waiting,” they said.
    They also said that the employees in Sopore exchange are asking us to go Baramulla. “For what purpose they are there,” they questioned.
    PRO BSNL division Kashmir, Masood Balla said, “We have received a number of complaints regarding the matter and we are ascertaining it with the help of vigilance. We will look into the matter.”
    He said, people can also log the complaints with the vigilance as well.
    “At some places there are technical problems and there is also non-availability of internet ports which is hindering the department to install the broadband connections there. The problem will be solved soon,” he added. (KNS)

  • Sniper kills army man on LoC in Mendhar

    “An army trooper manning a forward post in Tarkundi received sniper shot at about 5 PM and died on the spot,” they said.

    Mendhar: An army man died after being hit by a sniper fire from across the border in Balakote Tarkundi forward sector in Mendhar area of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday evening, officials said.
    “An army trooper manning a forward post in Tarkundi received sniper shot at about 5 PM and died on the spot,” they said.
    “It was a single sniper shot and there was no firing going on at the time,” added an official.

  • Denied entry in NC, Vakil talks in frustration: Akbar Lone

    ‘Give up claim on council pension before seeking resignation from Ors’

    Srinagar: Senior National Conference leader and MLA Sonawari here on Sunday said former minister Ab Gani Vakil is talking in frustration against his party National Conference which according to him has rejected his application for joining the party on the grounds of dismal record in instigating factional politics in the Congress party.
    Akbar Lone told KNS “Vakil had submitted an application for joining National Conference which party President Dr Farooq Abdullah sent to me for comments. I recommended that application of Vakil for entry into the party should be out rightly rejected on the grounds of his unpopular record in instigation of factionalism in Congress party.
    Vakil was owned by late Gh Rasool Kar but he instigated factional war in the Congress party. He was later owned by Gh Nabi Azad to the extent of offering him a berth in legislative council and the state cabinet during PDP- Congress coalition government but again he instigated factional war in the Congress party and was finally expelled from the party”.
    Claiming that on his recommendation National Conference President Farooq Abdullah rejected his application for entry into the party Lone a copy of which is lying with him Lone said “Vakil now talks in frustration as is obvious from his statements against National Conference top brass”. Daring Vakil to give up claim on the pension which he draws as an ex MLC instead of asking present legislators to resign on moral grounds over the recent civilian killings, Lone asked Vakil to cite reasons for his repeated defeats in the assembly elections and advised him to try his luck in next panchayat elections. (KNS)

  • Devastated fire in Kishtwar

    Masjid, shrine, school, 80 houses, 75 cattle sheds, 5 shops gutted

    Srinagar: In a tragic fire incident in Sukhni village of Marwah Tehsil of Kishtwar District, at least 80 residential houses including a Masjid, shrine of Sufi saint and a school were gutted in a mysterious fire that broke out in the village on late Saturday evening.
    According to KNS correspondent, at least 115 families got affected after mysterious blaze devastated 80 residential houses in the village while 75 cattle sheds were also gutted in the mysterious blaze.
    Locals from the village told KNS that the fire broke out at around 06:30 pm on Saturday which devastated 80 residential houses including a Masjid, Sufi saint’s shrine, school, five shops and 75 cattle sheds.
    Officials said that the property worth crores got damaged in the blaze.
    Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kishtwar, Ghulam Nabi Balwan told KNS that 80 houses, Masjid, Sufi Saint’s shrine, school, 5 shops and around 80 cattle sheds got damaged in the blaze.
    He said that district administration has provided 80 tents, blankets, food and other essential items to the victim families.
    “I cannot talk about the numbers or figures of losses caused due to this unfortunate incident right now. Presently, authorities are busy in providing all necessary help the victim families,” he said.
    He added that on priority basis, the food items and cooking utensils have been distributed among the victim families.
    DC Kishtwar said that till the reconstructions of residential houses of victim families, government would bear the expenses of their rented accommodations. (KNS)

  • Give present Govt time, space to deliver: Dr Drabu to people

    Pulwama: Minister of Finance, Culture and Labor & Employment, Dr Haseeb Drabu today appealed for calm while urging people to join hands for restoring peace in Kashmir and give the present Government the space to deliver.
    The Minister was speaking at a function at Town Hall here after distributing cheques among the beneficiaries of social welfare schemes run by the State Government and the Centre.
    At the function, 71 beneficiaries were given cash assistance worth Rs 21.53 lakh under Indira Awaas Yojana while Rs 73.40 lakh were distributed among 664 beneficiaries under Educational Assistance Scheme of J&K Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (JKBOCWWB).
    Minister for Public Work and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Minister of State for Forest, Environment & Ecology and Animal & Sheep Husbandry, Zahoor Ahmad Mir, MLA Tral, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah, Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama Muneer Ul Islam, Secretary JKBOCWWB Syed Murid Hussain and Assistant Commissioner Development Dr. Zahoor Ahmad were also present on the occasion.
    Briefing the Minister, Syed Muried Hussain gave a brief presentation about different schemes run by the board for the welfare of workers like Educational Assistance, Marriage Assistance, Disability Assistance and Healthcare Assistance.
    Giving details, the Secretary said that under Disability Assistance, the board gives up to Rs 75,000 to the beneficiary, Rs. 25000 per child for a maximum of three children under Marriage Assistance Scheme and up to Rs 2 lakh under Healthcare Assistance Scheme.
    He informed the Minister that the Board is making all efforts to bring transparency in its functioning while endeavouring to bring all labourers under its ambit. The Secretary informed the meeting that around 12000 workers are presently registered with the board in Pulwama district.
    Expressing the need to sensitize more labourers, especially those working in unorganized sectors, about various Financial Assistance schemes run by the Government for their welfare, the Minister directed the Secretary to organize awareness camps in the district.
    Dr Drabu assured all sorts of assistance from the Government, stressing that the dearth of funds will not be a hurdle in the smooth functioning of the Board. The Minister said the present coalition government is dedicated to provide good governance to the people.
    The Finance Minister also appealed people to work shoulder to shoulder with the Government to maintain peace so that the Coalition Government takes the State to new heights of development.

  • CM expresses grief over Kishtwar fire incident

    Directs divisional, district administration to provide immediate help

    Srinagar: Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed shock and grief over the tragic fire incident in village Sukhnai of district Kishtwar in which a large number of houses were gutted.
    The Chief Minister has expressed sympathy towards the affected and instructed the divisional and district administration to provide immediate help and support to all those affected due the devastating blaze.

  • Probe ordered after rats nibble newborn at Kishtwar hospital

    Jammu: In a shocking incident, a newborn was nibbled by rats in the maternity ward of a government hospital in Kishtwar with parents claiming that the baby died due to rodent bites.
    Ghulam Hassan, a resident of the remote Chhatru village of the district, had taken his wife to the hospital where she delivered a baby boy on Thursday, a police officer said today.

    He said that the baby was shifted to the maternity ward and when Hassan visited the ward yesterday, he found the baby dead with rat bites visible on his body.
    “There was blood all over the body of the baby and the rats were still nibbling him when Hassan saw this,” he said.
    Gurjeet Singh, Director of Health Services in Jammu, said that a probe has been launched into the matter.

    “I have already ordered an inquiry and the chief medical officer of the district will be conducting the inquiry.
    However, preliminary inquiry suggest that the baby had already died due to some illness and was nibbled by rats after his death,” Singh told PTI.
    Singh, however, said that if anybody in the health department is found guilty, strict action would be taken against him.

  • Shutdown in Kashmir as unrest completes 100 days

    Srinagar: The ongoing unrest in Kashmir, triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani in an encounter with forces, today completed 100 days even as the Valley remained curfew-free in view of the improvement in the situation.

    The unrest, which began a day after Wani was killed in an encounter in south Kashmir on July 8, has left 94 people dead and several thousand injured.
    The Valley has witnessed continuous shutdown for the past 100 days with periodic relaxation as announced by the separatists who are spearheading the current agitation.
    The strike has crippled normal life in the Valley as shops, business establishments and petrol pumps have remained closed except for the relaxation period.
    The shutdown has affected the education of the children as schools, colleges and other educational institutions have been shut in the Valley.
    Authorities also imposed curfew and restrictions on most of these 100 days, throwing normal life out of gear in the Valley.
    However, there was no curfew anywhere in Kashmir today, a police official said, adding restrictions on the assembly of people under Section 144 CrPc were in force throughout the Valley as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
    He said there was improvement in the situation with each passing day as more people were defying the Hurriyat-sponsored strike and coming out to carry their day-to-day activities.
    There is increased movement of public transport, except buses, on the days when there are no restrictions.
    Some shops also opened in some areas in the civil lines and outskirts of the city, the official said.
    He said forces have been deployed in sensitive areas to maintain law and order.
    The authorities had on Friday night restored outgoing call facility on prepaid mobile phone connections after three months in view of the improving situation.
    However, mobile Internet services continued to remain suspended across Kashmir