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  • Implement MCI Recommendations in GMC Srinagar: DAK

    ‘Non Implementation Takes Toll on Patients’

    Srinagar: President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan today in a statement said that government has failed to implement Medical Council of India (MCI) recommendations in Government Medical Colleges (GMC) Srinagar. The enhancement in retirement age of medical faculty to 62 was long overdue and is not as per MCI recommendation which is 70 years. According to a statement issued to KNS, DAK said that these recommendations by MCI are made to produce more doctors and prevent Medical Colleges from shortage of experienced and talented doctors.

    “The existing traditional promotion system of medical faculty in GMC Srinagar  is in gross violation of MCI norms leading to stagnation. There is no research funding to faculty because of which there are no standard treatment protocols. There is gross disparity of salary of faculty of GMC Srinagar and other Medical Colleges with the result they takes refuge in private practice.”

    The statement added: “GMC Srinagar is without requisite critical departments like medical oncology, hematology etc creating lot of inconvenience to patients. Non implementation of MCI recommendations in GMC Srinagar has compromised quality of medical education and taken toll on patients.”

  • Baltal Bridge inaugurated

    Srinagar: The 50 feet Bridge constructed at Baltal by the Army was inaugurated by Mr Preet Pal Singh, Additional CEO, Shri Amarnath Shrine Board today. The bridge has been constructed by the Victoria Cross Engineer Regiment of the Chinar Corps with the close support of the civil administration and is expected to cater for the heavy rush of Yatris who will undertake the annual pilgrimage. The abutments for the bridge were constructed by Roads and Bridges, Ganderbal.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, Singh thanked the Army and District Administration, Ganderbal for constructing the bridge in record time. He stated that the Army had been approached to construct the Bridge after the existing bridge had been rendered unusable due to heavy snowfall in the Baltal-Domel area. The Bridge will facilitate smooth movement of the Yatris, Bhandaras, Security Forces as well as of their vehicles. The Bridge can also aid in any assistance that may be required in case of any unforeseen natural calamity. The preparatory work started on 10 June 2014 and actual construction of the Bailey Bridge was done on 18 June 2014. Mr Singh complimented the soldiers who worked with great enthusiasm and professionalism to complete their task stating that construction of the Bridge is an example of the excellent synergy that exist between the Civil Administration and the Army in the State. He stated that Chinar Corps is working in close coordination with the Shrine Board and State Govt for resolving all security and logistic issues pertaining to the Amarnath Yatra.

  • Tarigami’s remarks baseless: NC

    ‘He owes his place in politics to NC. Is a political accident’

    Srinagar: National Conference has lashed out at M. Y. Tarigami over his baseless and motivated remarks about Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and has termed his allegations as attempts to please some invisible quarters who are plotting intrigues against J&K’s identity, integrity and ethos.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, NC Spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu said that Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami owed his present political constituency and space in politics to National Conference and was otherwise a political non-entity who now tragically finds space and prominence in newspapers in proportions that are grossly disproportionate to his size and influence on the ground. “Before the 1996 Elections, Tarigami was a non-serious entity who found relevance in contesting elections for the sheer sake of it as his ideology was never and will never be in congruence with the history and ethos of this State. It was National Conference which ensured Tarigami’s victory in 1996 by deciding to not file a candidate against him in a broader effort to evolve a consensus on taking the Valley out of the grip of turmoil”, the NC Spokesman said.

    Junaid Mattu said that Tarigami’s remarks were surprising given the fact that Tarigami had praised the Omar Abdullah government at various forums in the recent past and had now suddenly, after the failure of his namesake “third front” decided to issue baseless statements to please new possible political patrons and bosses. The NC Spokesman said that Omar Abdullah had never remained silent on the 2010 killings but had ensured that legal action was necessitated in each and every case with FIRs registered and cases processed in the courts. In fact the Omar Abdullah  government had constituted a CoI under Justice (Retd) Syed Bashir-ud-Din to probe the killings of 2010. Out of 78 FIRs registered into the deaths the charge-sheets and final reports were submitted for 76 cases before the competent courts.

    Junaid Mattu said that Tarigami was not sure if he was in the opposition or in ruling coalitions over the last successive coalition governments and he, like his associates, shrewdly occupied a space somewhere in between to have the cake and eat it too. “Getting dead-wood political riff raff together and sewing a group of individual non-entities into a namesake front did not amount to politics but was an attempt to create a bargaining lobby that weighs it options and goes with the direction of the wind. There are those faces in Tarigami’s third front today who have come from the quarters of BJP and its current allies and were earlier also directly and unabashedly affiliated to various unknown quarters and agencies. And their high moral talk about the aspirations and sentiment in Kashmir is not only ironic but also hypocritical. They neither have a mandate, nor the credibility to talk about the sacrifices and sentiments of our people”, Mattu said.

    The NC Spokesman said that the re-constitution of the CoI under Justice (Retd) M. L. Koul was a reiteration of Omar Abdullah’s commitment to ensure that every single case is treated on the merits of justice and not a single case is hushed up. “Omar Abdullah has never changed his stand on the need for truth, justice and reconciliation and his efforts in those directions don’t need certificates from Mr. Tarigami and those of his ilk whose political affiliations are as much under the ground as above it”, the NC Spokesman said.

  • Azad Welcomes Govt Decision to Increase Age of Medical Faculties

    Srinagar: The leader of opposition and senior Congress LeaderShGhulam Nabi Azad on Friday welcomed the decision of State Government to enhance the regiment age of all the teaching faculties in Universities.

    According to a statement issued to KNS Azad termed it as a great decision of government adding that it will, in particular, ensure availability of faculty in the Medical Colleges of the State which were under severe strain due to shortage of faculty. “While I was persistently trying to persuade the State Government as Health Minister of the country for the last many years, knowing the difficulties that our Medical Colleges were facing in fulfilling the norms of Medical Council of India (MCI), at last State Government has taken the right step and I congratulate them for this much needed decision”, said Sh Azad.

    Sh Azad was addressing the people at Mogul Maidan, Chatroo, Chinghamin Inderwal Constituency on the fourth day of his tour to the Chenab Valley to express gratitude to the people, as also galvanize public support for his party in upcoming Assembly elections.

    Emphasizing that Chenab Valley has tremendous hydro-power potential, Sh Azad said that as Chief Minister, his Government in April 2008 took a landmark decision of laying down the policy framework for the development of Hydro-power in the State which led to the introduction of ‘Tariff-Based Bidding’ for the first time in the setting up of power projects in the State.

    The enunciated policy envisaged to make the establishment of Power projects more people-friendly by way of giving preference to local youth in terms of employment and rehabilitating the affected population, besides ensuring creation of basic infrastructure in the project area.

    Sh Azad further said that to fast-track the development of power generation and to bring in investment in the Power sector of the State in a Joint Venture mode, his Government took the decision to set up Chenab Valley PowerProjects Corporation and subsequently MOU in this regard was signed with NHPC by the State Government in October 2008 on the eve of inauguration of BaghliarHydel Project.

    Sh Azad said that he draws satisfaction from the fact that his initiatives have started showing positive result on the ground and, if given an opportunity by the people of the State, he will ensure that visible and substantial results are registered in the shortest possible time.

    Stressing that youth is the future of our society; Sh Azad said that if elected to power, Congress Party will launch a massive skill development drive under the Skill Development Mission launched by the UPA Government. He said that number of Polytechnics, ITIs and Skill Development Centres have been sanctioned by UPA Government for the State and that he will aim to speed up the building and optimal utilisation of this vital infrastructure for the creating a bright future for our young boys and girls.

    Responding to the aspirations of the Party workers and people of the area, He stressed the voters to ensure victory of all Congress candidates in the forthcoming Assembly elections so that we can restart the developmental boom in the State and make governance people- friendly and efficient.

    Advising Congress Ministers to focus on all the constituencies for the overall development and not to remain confined to their own constituency, Sh Azad observed that Ministers of the coalition Government have to be accessible to the people of entire State. “There is one problem when an MLA becomes the minister; he entirely focusses on his own constituency. But I want our ministers in the present regime to focus on all areas of state so that the people in general are benefitted,” he said.

  • KTMF delegation calls on Governor

    Srinagar: A delegation of Kashmir Traders and Manufactures Federation (KTMF), called on Mr. N.N. Vohra, Governor, here at Raj Bhavan today.

    The delegation apprised the Governor about the key problems, which the trading and manufacturing communities in the Valley are facing, such as difficulty in getting soft loans to entrepreneurs, levying of interests and penalties on electricity dues of business establishments and non-rehabilitation of traders whose shops have come under road widening projects. They also put forth other issues relating to illegal encroachments of road sides and footpaths, levying of heavy sanitation fee by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, lack of public utilities and inadequate parking facilities in the Srinagar city.

    The Governor assured the delegation to take up their demands with the State Government.

    The delegation comprised Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Darial, Chairman KTMF; Haji Advocate Mushtaq Ahmad Sagar, President; KTMF; Mr. Bashir Ahmad Wani, General Secretary; Mr. Nissar Ahamd Mir, Senior Vice President; Mr. Abdul Rahim Fafoo, Finance Secretary; Mr. Ghulam Rasool Shah; Mr. Sheikh Zahoor Ahmad; Advocate Gh. Nabi Dar; Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Kulla; Mr. Gh. Nabi Shah; Haji Ali Mohammad Malik; Mr. Irshad Ahmad Banday and Mr. Mohd. Abbas.

  • ‘J&K facing governance crises under NC rule’

    PDP to strengthen democratic institutions to ensure peoples’ participation in decision making: Mufti

    Srinagar: Reiterating resolve of his party to set up a new system of justice and equality in Jammu and Kashmir, patron of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today sought support of the every sections of the society to restore sanctity of democratic institutions in the State.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, he observed that for the last nearly six years credibility of the democratic institutions was badly eroded in this State due to the misdeeds of the present dispensation. Addressing a function to welcome large number of people from Handwara, Akhnoor and Bishnah areas who joined PDP here today, Mufti regretted that since formation of the government headed by National Conference a systematic move was brazenly launched, by those at the helm of the affairs, to undermine integrity of the institutions which are vital for the growth of any democratic system. He pointed towards various undemocratic steps taken by the present regime to deprive people of Jammu and Kashmir of their democratic rights. Coming down heavily on ruling National Conference for eroding sanctity of democratic institutions in the State, Mufti regretted that it was a historical fact that this party (National Conference) never allowed democracy to flourish in Jammu and Kashmir. “It is result of the deceit tactics of National Conference that unlike other parts of the country, people of Jammu and Kashmir never enjoyed real taste of democracy”, he said and mentioned that except sloganeering National Conference has nothing to maintain democratic character of democratic institutions. “To make democracy more vibrant, it is necessary to restore peoples’ faith in the democratic institutions”, he argued and added that as a responsible political party, PDP was committed to strengthen democratic institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.  “During our tenure of just three years, PDP had proved how to utilize such democratic institutions to ensure participation of common masses in the decision making process”, he reminded, adding, “three year is a very short period but PDP during its tenure had set an example of accountable, democratic and transparent system of governance”.

    Mufti said that PDP led regime had institutionalized development and recruitment process to ensure that every individual would get equal opportunity of growth and upliftment. “With its assiduous efforts the PDP had restored peoples’ faith in the democracy but the present government headed by NC has undermined democratic institutions”, he said and regretted that authoritarian attitude adopted by the coalition regime has badly shattered peoples’ faith in democracy. Listing priorities of his party, Mufti said that eliminating corruption and improving quality and efficiency of the governance in Jammu and Kashmir are focussed areas of PDP. “Apart from political uncertainty, Jammu and Kashmir State is also suffering from crises of governance during the last nearly six years”, he said while pointing towards failure of the present regime on all fronts. He added that PDP, during its tenure, had proved how to provide good governance to the people by improving quality and capacity to deliver.  Pointing towards joining of large number of people including some prominent persons, Mufti said there is a widespread public recognition of the fact that the credible leadership and pro-people agenda of PDP had positively transformed the State’s political, economic and developmental landscape after 2002. “People have realized that only PDP has vision to address grievances of all sections of the society”, he said. Prominent among those who joined PDP included FC Bhagat, who retired as Deputy Commissioner, advocate Abdul Rashid, adv Tahir Qadri, adv Nadeem Majid, Sheikh Parveez Ahmed, Nadeem Nazir, Nazir Ahmed Mir, Iryn Dar, Nazir Ahmed Dar, Dev Raj Bhagat, Dr Vishal Sapolia, Madan Lal Pargawalia, Bua Ditta and others. Abdul Haq MLA, G M Sofi, G N Panditpuri, Fayaz Ahmed Mir, Wahid Parra, Mohammad Shafi Dar, Mohammad Amin, Ghulam Mohammad Mir, Choudhary Hamid, Chatter Singh Saini, Satpal Charak, Thakur Suram Singh, Vikram Singh, Suman Sharma, Rashpal Singh Bittu, Chaman Manyal, Rehmat Khan, Daljeet Manyal and others were present on the occasion.

  • No Friday prayers at the Grand mosque

    Srinagar: Authorities on sealed all the roads – connecting to Kashmir’s Historic Jamia Masjid, located in the old city where already all its gates we closed for the devotes.

    Locals told KNS that there was no Friday call given from the mosque for the prayers as no person was allowed to enter into its premises. “We could not offer Friday prayers as there were restrictions all around the area,” said a local.

    Reports maintained further that forces had placed concertina wires and barricades at various roads to stop peoples’ movement towards the grand mosque.

    Chairman Huriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had called for the Lal Chowk chalo on Fridayand has asked the people to assemble at Jamia Masjid to take the procession forward after Fridayprayers.

    Locals of old city also stated that authorities didn’t allow them to offer Friday prayers n other mosque- located at the main roads. However, reports informed that Friday prayers were offered in the inner areas of the old city peacefully.

    Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest on Friday and curbs were put on the movement of the Huriyat (M) chairman to stop him from leading a March towards Lal Chowk.  Huge concertina wires and barricades were placed near the Mirwaiz Manzil Nigeen to stop the entry of outsiders into the house. Reports also maintained that huge party of police personnel were deployed near the street- connecting towards Mirwaiz Manzil. 

  • Lal Chowk Chalo Curfew like restrictions in old city

    Curbs put on Mirwaiz, shutdown observed

    Situation remained peaceful: Authorities

    Srinagar: State authorities Friday foiled the convention called by Chairman Huriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Friday at Srinagar’s municipal park at the completion of ’50 years of resistance’ of Awami Action Committee- the parent organization of Kashmir’s chief cleric.

    According to the KNS correspondent, Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest on Friday and curbs were put on the movement of the Huriyat (M) chairman to stop him from leading a March towards Lal Chowk.  Huge concertina wires and barricades were placed near the Mirwaiz Manzil Nigeen to stop the entry of outsiders into the house. Reports also maintained that huge party of police personnel were deployed near the street- connecting towards Mirwaiz Manzil.

    In other parts of the old city, curfew like restrictions were placed in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of seven police stations of the down town area.

    Deployment of police and paramilitary personnel was made in large number in old city with the barricades and concertina wires placed at various points to stop the pedestrian and vehicular movement. However- eye witnesses told KNS that police allowed the people and also the vehicles after necessary questioning

    Reports from Lal Chowk  and erstwhile informed that a complete shutdown was observed.  However, as the time passed vehicles began to ply on the roads with the shope keepers opening their shops. Hilal War, one of the leaders of the APHC, was detained while he tried to take out a march. He was detained near Jahangir Chowk. The state authorities when contacted by KNS stated that the situation remained peaceful on Friday with no untoward incident reported from any area.

  • Geelani continuously under house arrest, barred from Friday prayers: Hurriyat (G)

    Srinagar: Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani is continuously under house detention from 16 April 2014 and it is 10th consecutive Friday when he was not allowed to offer congregational prayers.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, Hurriyat (G) questioned Omar Abdullah that for what crime and under which law and provision, the pro-freedom leader is being imprisoned and for how long will this process continue. Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar today on 20th June in a press statement said that extra police personals were deployed at Geelani ’s residence on this day and some security personals were deployed in civics in the surrounding area.

    According to a statement issued to KNS, police vehicle is as usual blocking the main entrance of his residence and the visitors are also minutely observed. He further said that in the six year rule of Omar Abdullah, Geelani  were detained for 4 long years at his home and during this period government has never came up with any official explanation for such a long house detention nor has Omar Abdullah bothered to answer that why is he so scared of the pro-freedom leader and what does he get from his imprisonment? The spokesman said that Geelani  is a well know political leader and he is representing a strong ideology.

    Government should have faced him on political front and should have fought an ideological war with him, but Omar Abdullah doesn’t have any ideology except the ideology of power and chair, so he found it safe to silence Geelani  with state-power and adopted a permanent policy of keeping the pro-freedom leader away from the people.

    Hurriyat spokesman said that it is the height of state-terrorism and lawlessness to confine any political leader without any legal and constitutional justification and all the institutions of the entire state including the judiciary are maintaining silence on this grave injustice. Although a case in this regard was also registered in Srinagar High Court 3 years ago, but it also failed to provide any relief to the pro-freedom leader and till now no notice has been taken in this regard. In 2011 the Justice Barien Goush, chief Justice of that time have although announced Judgment over a writ that the imprisonment of Geelani  is an illegal act on the part of government and had announced his immediate release, but the police put that decision of High Court in the dustbin. Neither was Geelani  released nor where restrictions over his political, social and religious activities ended. Hurriyat Conference appealed all the human rights organizations to take serious notice of the illegal house detention of the pro-freedom leader and use their influence for his release.

    Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference (G) is organizing a day-long seminar on 22 June, Sunday, 10:30 am at Hyderpora office, which will be presided by its chairman Syed Ali Geelani and in which the speakers will present their view point on the topic “Moujoodah Surat-i-Hall kay Taqazay” (Demands of Present Situation).

    The seminar will start at 10:30 am at Hyderpora and will last till 04:00 pm during which a one hour break will be given at 1:00 p.m. for Salah (prayers) and lunch. All Parties Hurriyat Conference had earlier announced a seminar on 11 June, Wednesday but police disallowed that, after which to protest this government action, Geelani  defied his house arrest and led a sit-in for half an hour on the Srinagar Airport road along with the other companions.

  • NC continuing with its old vindictive approach: Mirwaiz

    Denounces arrest, imposition of curfew, detentions  

    Srinagar: The Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has denounced the action of the state government’s action of foiling the holding of a public rally in connection with the 50th foundation day celebrations of Awami Action Committee (AAC) scheduled to be held today at Municipal Park Srinagar.

    Talking to KNS, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said that National Conference has been always scuttling the programmes framed by Awami Action Committee for the last many decades. He termed foiling of the rally, house arrest of APHC Chairman, arrest and house arrest of leaders and activists of Hurriyat and AAC as glaring example of dictatorial politics. Mirwaiz said that policies pursued by the National Conference led government has always been based on retribution, adding, restrictions on Hurriyat leaders and placing curfew and lodging leaders and activists in jails in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of AAC by National Conference Government is the continuation of its old vindictive approach.

    Terming the action of government as draconian and vindictive Mirwaiz said that to foil the proposed rally government had imposed undeclared curfew in most parts of Srinagar city and sealed off all the routes leading to the Jamia Masjid Srinagar by laying spools of concertina wire, besides the government had put under house arrest as well as arrested the entire Hurriyat leadership and leaders, workers and activists of AAC. Mirwaiz said that the action of the government was worst example state terrorism.

    He further stated that the ban on conducting rally, forcible restrictions on people, widespread crackdown on Hurriyat and AAC leaders and workers, was a reflection of defeat and frustration on the part of the government against the resolve of resistance leadership. Police arrested senior Hurriyat and AAC leaders including GN Zaki, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Ronga, Advocate Nazir Ahmad Baba, Advocate Mohammad Ashraf from TRC, Mohamamd Shafi Khan from Sarai Bala Amira Kadal,, Mohammad Yaqoob Masoodi Bilal Masjid, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi, and Ghulam Qadir Beigh, Farooq Ahmad Saudagar, Mohammad Sidiq Hazar, and Abdul Aziz Mir Abi Gulzar were arrested by the police on their way to the rally venue at Municipal Park Srinagar.

    The authorities also resorted to wanton arrests by arresting district president Islamabad Nazir Ahmad Sofi, district president Pulwama Habibullah Andrabi, district president Kulgam Abdul Salaam Khanday, district president Badgam Hakim Ghulam Nabi, and hundreds of activists and workers of AAC from across the valley while they were on their way to Srinagar to participate in the proposed rally at Municipal Park.

    Mirwaiz stated that aggressive measures taken by the government against the APHC would in no way affect our freedom movement; neither would it stop Hurriyat from pursuing their political agenda.  He stated that the leadership would soon announce new programme in connection with the 50th AAC foundation day celebrations.

    The spokesman strongly condemned the house arrest of Chairman APHC Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq and other senior Hurriyat leaders including Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, Agha Syed Hassan Al Moosvi Al-Safvi, Bilal Gani Lone, Moulana Abbas Ansari, and Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam to foil the golden jubilee celebrations.

    He also condemned the arrest of senior Hurriyat leaders Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, arrested and lodged at Sherbagh police station, Islamabad, Zaffar Akbar Bhat arrested at Chanapora, Syed Bashir Andrabi and Engineer Hilal Ahmad arrested by Kothi Bagh police station, and Hakim Abdul Rashid arrested at Lal Bazaar. The spokesman condemned the use of unprovoked force against hundreds of Hurriyat activists and workers while they were protesting against the restrictions laid on the Hurriyat leaders and people to prevent the rally from taking place.

    The spokesman said the head of Hurriyat Jammu chapter D.R Sharma, Kanwaljeet Singh from Poonch, Abdul Gani Shah from Kishtwar and scores of other leaders and workers were stopped while going to Municipal Park Srinagar.

    The spokesman stated that Hurriyat or AAC had not given any call from strike or protest. He however, he hailed people for observing a protest strike on their own against the atrocities of administration and curbing the proposed rally by arresting and house arresting leaders and workers of AAC and Hurriyat, besides imposition of curfew, and unprovoked use of force against people protesting against the undemocratic measures taken by the government.