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New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president and MP Srinagar Dr. Farooq Abdullah protests in front of Gandhi statue at the foreground of the Parliament house along with MP Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi against fake encounters and custodial killings in Kashmir.

According to statement issued to KNS said, both Dr. Farooq, Masoodi held placards depicting the pictures of the slain men who were killed in the Shopian fake encounter and alleged Sopore custodial killing.

They said that the magisterial inquiries announced by J&K government into the circumstances leading to the killing of Irfan Ahmed Dar of Sopore and Kaunsar Reyaz of Batamaloo is mere eyewash and demanded a thorough probe into the killings to establish the facts. The protesting MPs demanded filling of cases into the incidents as per the law of the land.

The Party has expressed outrage against the fake encounter and custodial killings in Kashmir and raised the issue inside and outside the parliament. The Party has unequivocally asserted that such incidents would not help the situation to improve and bridge the widening gap of mistrust between the government and the people. Party MPs headed by Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah had also called on the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and urged him to allow discussion on J&K in the Parliament.

The party MPs also moved calling attention motion in the Lok Sabha urging the Defense ministry to update the house on the status of the inquiry into the Shopian fake encounter. Party MPs also moved adjournment motion against the incidents besides raising the issue during the zero hour of the parliamentary proceedings.(KNS)

Two semesters fee being collected within a period of 04 months

Amid the fact that we had submitted and paid our semester fee in the month of June only, authorities at Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora came with another new Notification asking students to submit Semester Registration form along with the fee for the semester alleged a group of students.

Speaking with Kashmir Today, a group of students said that “The financial conditions at our homes aren’t good at all, since 5th August 2019 all the business establishments of valley are suffering. Hardly we are able to suffice to our day to day needs and just in the month June we asked for our university fee from our parents and now again university has published notification asking for fee but due to the financial hardship being faced due to post August 5, lockdown and COVID-19 we are not in a position to make payment of fee.”

They requested the University administration to look into the matter and in view of the prevailing extraordinary difficult circumstances to consider the matter regarding payment of annual/semester fee, tuition fee, examination fee, etc. sympathetically and if feasible, may consider offering alternative payment options to students till the situation returns to normal.”

A candidate part of the delegation, wishing anonymity, maintained that they had made several requests to the administration for ‘Fee Waiver’. However, according to the candidate, they are yet to see any significant follow-up from the varsity authorities.

“We had requested for fee-waiver on the grounds that no classes were held and no subsidiary charges incurred on the Varsity for the facilities it would have to provide us in normal circumstances, however that request too seems to have gone to the bin”, another student remarked.

“Even when Central University offered a 20% refund for regular cases and 50% for special cases, our Varsity stands an exception”, he said.

It may be noted that Earlier Higher education sector regulator UGC has already asked universities and colleges to not compel students into paying fees immediately and look into individual cases sympathetically.

Srinagar: Amid growing clamour for the restoration of high speed internet services for students of Jammu and Kashmir, the government is mulling to launch a new 2G application to cope with the low speed internet problem for online classes among the student community.

The government has said that it will launch a 2G app that will cater to the problems being faced by the students perusing the online classes.

The news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) has learnt that in a recent meeting held by the Principal Secretary to Government for School Education Department Asgar Samoon said, “New 2G App to cope with present low speed internet problem for online classes among the student community, shortly be launched across the Union Territory (UT) of JK.”

He directed the Directors of School Education of both Jammu and Kashmir regions and Chief Education Officers (CEO’s) to remain prepared for the wider publicity of the application.

Samoon said this during a meeting held on September-15 to review status of commitments made and direction issued during Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting 2020-21 of Samagra Shiksha and Mid Day Meal schemes.

Meanwhile, the students here have been demanding for the restoration of high speed internet services.

One of the students said, “In the name of education, the government has made mockery of education in Jammu and Kashmir and instead of restoring high speed internet they just resorting to different excuses.”

Another student said. “Earlier this year the government have adopted many tactics to streamline the online education system during COVID-19, however, a least of students were attending the online classes due to low speed internet.”

Pertinently, the government in the meeting also said that the schools in Jammu and Kashmir re-open from September-21 for higher classes (9th to 12th) and schools may allow students to join the classes only after obtaining the consent of parents strictly as per the guidelines of GoI and Project Director Samargra Shiksha shall put up necessary mechanism in place—(KNO)

PTI

Banihal: At least 28 shops and a house were gutted in a fire in Ramban district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Saturday.

The fire erupted in the main market in Khari, 16 km from Banihal town, at around 10.45 pm on Friday, tehsildar (Khari) Ashok Chakravorty told PTI.

He said fire and emergency services personnel put out the blaze after hectic efforts of over one-and-a-half-hour. Army personnel from the nearby camp and local residents also joined the fire fighting operation.

The fire consumed 28 shops and a residential house, destroying property worth crores of rupees, the official said, adding the final report about the loss is being prepared.

He said the fire broke out in a shop apparently due to a short circuit and within no time engulfed other shops in the market. A case has been registered and further investigation is on, the official said.

A large group of people assembled at the scene on Saturday morning and staged a demonstration against the administration for its alleged failure to provide a fire station in the Tehsil.

It is our long pending demand to have a fire and emergency station in our Tehsil. The fire tenders were rushed from Banihal and it took them nearly half-an-hour to reach the spot, causing a little delay in the fire fighting operation, one of the protesters said.

Later, the protesters dispersed peacefully after the local tehsildar’s assurance that their demand would be brought to the notice of appropriate quarters. (PTI)

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

PTI

Jammu: Three suspected militants were arrested on Saturday in a counter-insurgency operation in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

A huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the suspects, they said.

They said those arrested are residents of south Kashmir and in the 19-25 age group.

With inputs from PTI

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

PTI

Srinagar: Two associates of militants were arrested in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and incriminating material was seized from their possession, police said on Saturday.

The two were arrested from Awantipora and Khrew areas of the south Kashmir district, a police spokesman said, without disclosing their names.

He said incriminating material of outfits Hizb-ul-Mujahdeen and Al-Badr was seized from the possession of the militant associates.

Cases have been registered and investigations initiated, the spokesman said. (PTI)

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

Srinagar: Former Union minister and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abduallah on Saturday said if we are holding talks with China for disengagement of troops on the LAC, we should also hold talks with Pakistan to resolve issues that are pending between the two countries.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Farooq Abdullah as per news agency KDC said, “Today, India is planning to hold talks with China for disengagement. We should also start talks with Pakistan to resolve pending issues.”

The National Conference (NC) president was speaking in Parliament for the first time since his release from detention.

“Border skirmishes have been rising and people are dying. A way has to be found to deal with this. Except for talks…As you are talking to China to attempt that it withdraws (from Ladakh border), we should also talk to our (other) neighbour to find a way to get out of this situation,” Abdullah said in his speech amid protests from treasury benches.

Farooq Abdulla also expressed his happiness at the findings of an Army inquiry into the killings of three men from Rajouri in Amshipora Shopian in an encounter.

“I am happy that the Army has admitted that three Shopian men were killed mistakenly. I hope the government gives a hefty compensation,” he said. (KDC)

Srinagar: Authorities at Horticulture Department Kashmir may be making tall claims they were working for development of this vital sector but the ground situation tells a different story with farmers unhappy over the functioning of the department.

Every day authorities have been issuing statements that they were providing all possible help to farmers. Take instance, authorities recently said that steps are underway for ensuring increase in horticultural produce of Jammu and Kashmir so that the quantum of fruit produce gets increased resulting in enhanced income of horticulturalists. They also reviewed Apple High density Programme.
Advisor to Lt. Governor, KK Sharma stressed to cover all the feasible areas under High Density Programme.

He said that “we have to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme so that all areas of Jammu and Kashmir are covered having potential of producing apples”.

However, farmers from different parts of Kashmir said they did not get any benefit under the scheme.

The Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) visited various parts of Kashmir to know whether they have got any benefit by various schemes of the Horticulture Department.
Shabir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Gopalpora Mattan Anantnag said the Horticulture Department did not provide them with any varieties of hybrid plants.

“The Horticulture Department is only misleading the common masses. They give benefit only to their relatives,” Khan told KINS.
He said not a single official came to the area to review the losses due to deficit rainfall and scab disease.

The farmers are worried as rainfall deficit and scab infection have damaged crops in Kashmir.
Kashmir produces over 18 lakh metric tones of apples every year.

Farmers however said they fear over 50 percent damage to apples due to dry weather and scab disease.

“Reason for scab infection is substandard pesticides. There is no check on pesticides by the authorities,” another farmer Firdous Ahmad from Shopian said.

Tauqeer Ahmad, a resident of Gopalpora Mattan Anantnag too shared similar grievances.

“Horticulture Department did not provide any relief to this village and surrounding areas. No one is checking what kind of chemicals we are using. We are facing heavy losses but officials from the Horticulture Department are not concerned,” he added.

Residents from scores of villages like Brenti Dialgam, Kambad, Kabamarg, Sagam, Kokernag, Kheribil from South Kashmir made similar grievances who said the Horticulture Department failed farmers in Kashmir and are only spending money on publicity.

Many farmers also said the department provided plant saplings to people but that too were poor quality. “Under a scheme, Department had to provide better quality saplings. But they only give saplings with poor quality saplings and have been procured from blue eyed persons at higher rates,” farmers claim.

Horticulture Officer Anantnag said people should visit his office to get benefit of various schemes.

“Once people approach us, we see the land feasibility whether high density plants can grow there and help farmers accordingly,” he added.(KINS)

Demands timely completion and fair probe in Sopore incident

Jammu: Apni Party president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Saturday said the Army’s probe findings in Shopian encounter admitting violations of Standard Operating Procedures and Army conduct rules will significantly reduce the trust deficit and alienation among people in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference at the Party office in Gandhi Nagar Jammu, Bukhari extended gratitude to the country’s top leadership, NSA and the army top brass for fulfilling their commitment to a fair and transparent probe in the incident. “The firm stand taken by the Army in this case will go a long way in restoring lost trust and confidence among people,” he said.

He was flanked by the party’s vice president Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, general secretary Vijay Bakaya, provincial president Jammu province Manjit Singh, provincial president women’s wing Jammu Namrita Sharma, party leaders Bod Raj Bagat, Madan Lal Chalotra and others.

Bukhari hoped that a stern action would be taken against the guilty and the victim families of Rajouri are paid adequate compensation at an earliest. “Though the loss of human lives can’t be compensated through any means, but the speedy justice can heal their wounds to a large extent,” he observed.

Apni Party president also demanded the time bound completion of magisterial probe ordered in Sopore youth’s killing in a fair and transparent manner.

“These measures are not only essential for improving the accountability mechanisms but imparting more credibility to the security institutions in itself. We need to understand patterns of human rights violations and be firm to end the impunity. Zero tolerance against human rights violations is indispensable for successful transformative processes in J&K,” Bukhari pleaded.

On the sudden spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in J&K, Bukhari highlighted the gaps and measures that need to be taken to combat the pandemic effectively. He censured the administration for its contradictory claims about the healthcare infrastructure in government run hospitals, the inadequacy of which is also a contributing factor in the rising number of fatalities by this deadly pandemic.

“There is an acute shortage of oxygen supply, ventilators and beds in the COVID dedicated hospitals across J&K. There is bad management of the COVID situation in J&K and we need a dedicated approach from the government to stem the spread of this deadly pandemic. I call upon the government of India to help out the J&K administration at this critical juncture.”

Welcoming the Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha’s announcement of Rs 1350 Cr. economic package for the revival of ailing business sector, Bukhari said though a good beginning has been made but the Government of India needs to be more liberal in its packages in view of the magnitude of J&K’s shattered economy.

“Since the Lt. Governor has announced this package today, we will go through it before making some opinion. However, according to estimates made by the chambers of commerce and industry, J&K has witnessed a loss of over 40,000 Crores since August last year. The government of India needs to keep this whooping loss into consideration if it is serious in revival of our ailing economy,” Bukhari remarked.

Apni Party president also demanded a comprehensive job policy for redressal of rising unemployment in J&K. “It is highly unfortunate that instead of generating more employment J&K government has rendered around 3000 engineers jobless by abolishing the Self Help Group scheme. It needs to be revived again.

Similarly, the government must go for immediate regularisation of daily wagers, Daily Rated Workers, Casual Workers, Workers on Consolidated wages, ITI Skilled Labourers, HDF workers and Contingency Paid workers,” he said, and pressed for early absorption of Rehbar-e-Khel aspirants on the pattern of ReTs.
Bukhari also demanded registration and issuance of license to more than 25000 qualified Pharmacists and medical assistants who have completed their course before 5th august 2019. “This is a humanitarian issue and we need to deal with it more compassionately,’ he observed.

Highlighting the plight of Kashmiri Pandit community, Bukhari laid emphasis on fast tracking of recruitment for PMs Migrant Employment Package so that the sufferings of the community are lessened to some extent.
On the restoration of 4G internet services, Bukhari said the government of India needs to look beyond exaggerated security concerns and provide high speed mobile internet in J&K at an earliest.

“This is absolutely a cruel joke with the people of J&K especially its tech savvy youth who want to excel in every field of their life. The union home ministry should lift the ban and order restoration of 4G internet in J&K,’ he demanded.

Bukhari also urged the government of India to consider inclusion of Punjabi as well as Pahari and Gojri languages in the official languages announced for J&K recently. “This will remove the sense of neglect among a large section of Punjabi and Gojri speaking people in J&K,” he observed.

Apni Party president also called for abolition of SRO 202 and immediate repatriation of J&K Employees from Ladakh UT. He also demanded revised and comprehensive policy on minor mineral rights for J&K residents.

Bukhari also spoke on restoration of passenger traffic on vital regional road connectivity links like Mughal Road and Kishtwar-Sinthan roads.

“The government of India should also go for construction of tunnels at Peer Ki Gali on Mughal Road, Singhtur and Vailoo on Sinthan Road and at Sadhna Top in Karnah Kupwara in order to reduce the distance and make these routes all weather regional connectivity links. Besides this there is a dire need for speedy completion of Jammu-Srinagar Railway line,” he demanded.

On this occasion, Mr. Faqeer Nath, SC leader and former MLA from Chenani, Prem Lal SC leader and former MLA from Hira Nagar joined Apni Party. Pertinently, Mr. Nath has remained General Secretary of the Panthers Party.

Several other political activists like Shakti Gupta Chairman of trade union (PDD), Vijay Mangotra Senior Vice President Masha Sadar Sabha J&K and Mohammad Sadeeq Ahmad, Sarpanch Baboor (Doda) also joined the party today.
Welcoming the new entrants, Bukhari said their joining will further strengthen the Apni Party at the grassroots level.

“The joining of all these veterans reflect the rising acceptability and credibility of the Apni Party agenda among the people. I am sure our party will gain from their vast experiences and their joining will further boost our cadres on the ground,” Bukhari added. (KINS)