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Srinagar: In one of the shocking decisions triggering fresh unease in Kashmir, majority of the private schools are demanding the dues from parents for the last four months when schools across Kashmir Valley remained shut.

Scores of parents rang up Kashmir Life to express their concern.

“It is totally an insane move,” said Mohammad Ramzan, a parent from Srinagar. “Since July, our kids are sitting home without availing any facility from schools. And yet, these private-run schools are demanding all the dues from us including bus fares.”

Ramzan said on Monday he received a call from DPS Budgam inviting him to the school to collect worksheet. “While queued up for over an hour, I was told that I must first get the fees clearance slip from a department concerned.” Upon enquiring he learned that the school demands all the dues from the parents since July, including bus fares before issuing the worksheets.

“For last four months,” Ramzan said, “everyone including our children are sitting home. There is hardly any business going on in valley and here are these shameless schools demanding dues from us.”

Notably, the DPS — the school that raked huge controversy over hijab issue before the civil uprising this summer — was seen at forefront demanding dues for ‘No Education’ since July. It is said that private schools have an apparent official backing regarding the decision. What makes these claims credulous though is government’s inability to act against these schools.

Mushtaq Shangloo, a private-school teacher, termed the move “insensible” and totally anti-people. Shangloo like many other private-run schools has been teaching in a voluntary school since ending July.

“Actually these school administration demand fees for filling their own coffers,” Shangloo said, “without paying any salary to teachers.”

The disclosure—that most of the private teachers are without salaries since July—has apparently dented the claims of some private school that are justifying the move saying “they are charging the fees to pay salaries to their teachers”.

People who rang up said that when there was no activity that would help majority of the people earn something, wherefrom will they pay for the service they never got. “The only people who earned their salary were the government employees, mostly without putting in any service,” one caller said, “the employees are in a position to pay but what happens to other classes who are employed in private sector?”

Before the latest move, the state of education in Kashmir remains mired in issues and controversies. With chief minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti terming education as the “biggest casualty” of the uprising on the first day of Jammu durbar, the burning of schools remain a big challenge for the state to tackle. Already, valley-wide protests led by students erupted against the examination announcement, prompting the students to say: “education and ink can’t flow together”.

With state giving second thoughts to examination dates, the militarised school campuses have remained another blatant issue for state to tackle. Detention of students—some under draconian Public Safety Act—remains another serious challenge to normal state of educational affairs in Kashmir.

In backdrop of these issues, the decision of private schools to demand dues has further spiked up the issue. (Kashmir Life)

Says challenge lies in making up for lost time to achieve targets

JAMMU: Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti today asked the Administrative secretaries to push for the completion of all the ongoing developmental projects in the State and asked them to personally monitor the execution pace and remove bottlenecks expeditiously.

Chairing a meeting of the Administrative secretaries here, after opening of offices in the winter capital, the Chief Minister asked them to redouble their efforts in chasing the targets and meeting the deadlines in view of the fact that much of the summer season got wasted particularly in Kashmir Valley due to recent turmoil.

The Chief Minister expressed concern over the fact that many projects get stuck due to petty issues like land acquisition, compensation or any other issues and also due to litigation. She directed the Secretaries to remove these bottlenecks without wasting time so that the benefits of these projects and schemes percolate down to people for whom these are meant. She also asked the Secretaries to expedite the formulation of DPRs for the projects to be taken up under Prime Minister’s Development Programme and ensure their timely submission with the concerned agencies.

The Chief Minister complimented many of the Departments like Health, PDD, PHE, Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs etc for rendering their services to people despite trying circumstances during past four months adding that the challenge lies ahead in covering up the lost time in completing the development works which unfortunately got stuck. She directed the secretaries to follow the developmental works in Kashmir Valley during winter months and also ensure smooth delivery of services by their respective Departments and hold regular reviews on spot. She also directed the concerned Departments to clear pending liabilities of various works already undertaken.

In view of the coming winter, the Chief Minister sought details of stocking of essential supplies at far flung areas of the State like Ladakh, Marwah and Wadwan. She was informed that stock and supply position in these areas is by and large satisfactory. She directed the Power Secretary to ensure as minimum curtailment of electricity in Kashmir Valley in view of the coming winter as possible. She also directed augmentation of heating systems in the hospitals as well.

On the implementation of Public Services Guarantee Act in the state, the Chief Minister advised adoption of a transparent file tracking mechanism to avoid inordinate delays and ensure speedy disposals. She also asked the officers to be responsive to public grievances and try to mitigate the same to maximum extent possible. She also reviewed the status of biometric attendance in offices and generation of Aadhar cards and directed the IT Secretary to fill in the gaps in the enrolment process. She asked the Secretaries to ensure that the employees and their families are enrolled under Aadhar. She specifically asked the Education Secretary to complete the Aadhar enrolment in schools as many of the welfare schemes for students have now been linked to Aadhar.

The Chief Minister was informed that so far 94 lakh people have been enrolled under Aadhar out of which 84 lakh cards have been issued so far. In case of the remaining, the enrolment process is on, the Chief Minister was informed.

Mehbooba Mufti asked the Chief Secretary to work out a plan for construction of individual bunkers and community bunkers for the people of the border areas who usually become targets of cross border shelling. She also directed expediting project report formulation for solid waste management at Jammu and Srinagar.

The Chief Minister also touched upon a host of issues like welfare of and facilities being extended to move employees, status of upcoming AIIMS, reports of alleged harassment of members of Gujjar community, traffic arrangements in Jammu city,  drug de addiction etc. and directed the administration to take prompt and appropriate steps where ever required.

Earlier, the Chief Secretary, Mr. B. R. Sharma apprised the Chief Minister about the activities of various Departments and the new initiatives being taken to make the administration much more responsive.  

Financial Commissioner, Agriculture Production, Mr Pramod Jain, Financial Commissioner, Planning & Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Commissioner-Secretaries and Secretaries were present in the meeting.

Srinagar: The State Government, on the initiative of the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti has launched All Terrain Bike (ATB) scheme for meritorious boys on the pattern of Scooty scheme for the girl students.

Srinagar | Nov 06 (PTK): Lambasting Centre Govt over its’ repeated attempts to interfere in Religious affairs of Muslims, JKPCC Chief G.A. Mir today said that BJP Leadership was misinterpreting the Triple Talaq Issue to create a confusion in order to implement Uniform Civil Code in the Country.

Mir said that India being a great democracy, multi religious, multicultural cannot tolerate interference in any religion. The much-hyped Triple Talaq issue which is being debated and discussed continuously is a direct interference in the Religious Affairs of Muslims and a ploy to implement Uniform Civil Code in the Country.

He said that Uniform Civil Code cannot be implemented, as the people cannot practice the things which are being practiced by other religions, everyone has a right to practice his or her own religion according his or her belief.    

Terming Triple Talaq issue as an attempt to divide the Muslim Community on the Part of Narendra Modi Govt, Mir said that Centre Govt is willfully misinterpreting Triple Talaq issue, while as this law is based on certain situations that are irrevocable in Muslim jurisprudence and cannot be challenged, Mir said.

The BJP Leadership is targeting Muslims on the pretext of Triple Talaq, they should desist from misinterpreting Triple Talaq merely to create divisions to implement Uniform Civil Code, but they must accept the fact that they lack any knowledge on the subject and should desist from interfering in religious affairs of Muslims. Mir said.

He warned that interference in Religious Matters of Muslims or any other Religion in the country by Narendra Modi led Govt is fraught with dangerous consequences, he added.

Mir said how can the people of any religion exercise the same laws that are being practiced by the people of other religion with regard to their marriage contracts and vice versa. Everything in the Muslim religion is practiced on the basis of sharia laws which cannot be challenged even by the Muslims, but this is unfortunate that BJP Leadership is hell bent upon to disintegrate the country on religious lines to divert the attention of people from its failures.

Mentioning that it is a vicious campaign and a ploy to create confusions in the Country, PCC Chief said that Prime Minister should focus on his governance and should take effective measures to address the concern of the people. He also advised PM to leave the triple Talaq issue to Muslims, as they are fully conversant with their religious laws.

He said BJP is hurting the sentiments of Muslim Community and one wonders as to why the BJP is so eagerly raking up the Triple Talaq Issues, there is a situation behind Triple Talaq or other types of Talaqs understandable to Muslims only, the misinterpretation of Triple Talaq by certain quarters at Centre is aiming to abolish it  inorder to implement Uniform Civil Code, which will never be acceptable to people of the Country, as  every community in the country have equal right to practice their religion  without any kind of interference, from any quarter.

Targeting PDP which is the main ally of BJP for remaining silent on this issue, PCC Chief said that PDP’s silence on this issue is very unfortunate. He said PDP for sake of remaining in power supports every wrong initiative of the BJP at Centre and does not bother about the emotions of the people. It is evident that PDP has surrendered its principles and conscience before the RSS with the fear of losing power in the State, but they must know people not only in Kashmir, but in other regions are watching its anti-people activities. (PTK)

Srinagar: Amid shutdown in Srinagar, an increased rush of shoppers and sellers were witnessed today in the weekly Sunday market at commercial hub Lal Chowk.
Witnesses said that the rush of shoppers led to the traffic jam in the areas, which forced the commuters to take alternative routes.
The weekly market stretches from Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) to Polo View area, a distance of half a kilometre.
The shoppers from different areas thronged the market to buy items like clothes, blankets and other stuff.
The vendors who had installed stocks in the market said that by noon they had sold more than half of their stock.
Hundreds of street vendors had arrived early morning today to get space in the market while some among them didn’t find any space in the market and installed their stocks at an extended stretch of the market.
A local vendor told KNS that the market remained fully flooded with the shoppers. “It was a good day as I managed to sell around 80 per cent of my stock. Hopefully I would vend the entire stock by evening,” Manzoor Ahmad, a local vendor said.
He said that the winter collections like sweater, blankets, jackets and other things were in great demand.
Manzoor said that the people had thronged the market from various places and purchased several goods here.
Fazil Hameed, a shopper told KNS that besides second hand items, the vendors are selling fresh products as well in affordable prices. “It seems that there was 50 per cent sale on the products today,” he said.
Pertinently, reports said that the weekly flea market had opened partially on October 02 when it was the 86th consecutive day of shutdown and witnessed a few shoppers.
There was some increase in the rush on October 9 which further increased on October 16. (KNS)

Srinagar: National Conference today demanded that the Government should conduct a transparent forensic inquiry to ascertain the cause of death in the case of the Shalimar teenager, Qaiser Sofi who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in Shalimar and later admitted to the hospital where he finally succumbed.

Demanding a time-bound, transparent inquiry, Former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and MLA Eidgah Mubarak Gul and NC State Spokesperson Junaid Azim Mattu have strongly condemned the barbaric police action on the young boy’s funeral in Eidgah and said this heartless behavior had become an indelible trademark of the Mehbooba Mufti Government.

“There are varying and different accounts and narratives explaining the circumstances that led to the death of the young boy and it is hence imperative that the Government – through a completely transparent and objective process – conducts an inquiry to ascertain the truth. Regardless of the cause, the loss suffered by the family is inconsolable and our hearts go out to them. We stand in solidarity with them in this time of mourning and grief”, the party statement said.

Former Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Mubarak Gul said the incident of teargas shelling on the funeral of the deceased was shameful and reflected poorly on the belated softness of the Chief Minister in pretending to be grieved by the loss of young lives in the current unrest. “You cannot fool the people by talking about clemency for the youth while teargassing funerals of young children. These are contradictory signs that expose the hypocrisy of the PDP-BJP Government. They have waged a war against the youth of the State and their alternating rhetoric cannot conceal their sadism”, Mubarak Gul said in the statement issued to PTK.

NC Spokesperson Junaid Mattu, while expressing heartfelt condolences with the family of young Qaiser, said a transparent probe into the circumstances and causes of his death would ensure the truth is not distorted to further add to the misery of his grieved family. “The Government should deal with this – and all such cases – with utmost sensitivity and an underlying sense of responsibility. There is an enormous trust deficit in the State and the people are extremely doubtful of all government accounts and hence the Government should be even more professional and systematic in conducting such investigations”, the NC Spokesperson added.

Former Speaker Mubarak Gul and Spokesperson Junaid Mattu also condemned the unabated wave of indiscriminate arrests across the Valley and said repression wasn’t going to assuage the anger on the ground but would further compound it. “When the Government was expected to finally behave in a reconciliatory and humane manner in dealing with the aggravated youth, they are rather going out of their way to torment, intimidate and hound thousands of young boys across the Valley. While thousands of young men are languishing in jails and thousands more are being held up in Police Stations, Mehbooba Mufti’s claims of leniency and clemency are ridiculous. Her deeds speak louder than her words”, the statement further added.

“National Conference is also extremely alarmed at the enormous mess and chaos that is plaguing our vital education sector and wants the Chief Minister to take the responsibility for her misplaced priorities in projecting a false sense of normality instead of restoring actual, sustainable normalcy in the State. We hope the Chief Minister realizes how her Government is toying with the future of thousands of young children and hence with the future of our State”, the statement added. (PTK)

Srinagar: Listing women empowerment as one of the top agendas of the State Government, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, today said the female folk are important stakeholders in making Jammu and Kashmir a peaceful and progressive State.
“Women have huge stakes in peace as they are the first casualty of any trauma or violence. Also, the brunt of the societal losses is borne more by the women than the men. In our world which is full of chaos, investments must be made to empower women. If you empower a girl or a woman, you are empowering the entire nation,” Mufti said.
The Chief Minister was speaking during two separate functions at SKICC in Srinagar and Dak Bungalow Baramulla while launching ‘Empowering the Girl Child’ scheme. Ahead of her speech, Mufti handed over keys of scooters to 300 girl students of Government Colleges for Women MA Road and Nawa Kadal College in Srinagar and 150 students of Government Women’s College Baramulla. Under the scheme, the Government provides subsidy on scooters for meritorious girl students.
Noting that women in our society struggle throughout their life starting right from their birth and have to face various difficulties, the Chief Minister said that this scheme is part of an endeavor of the State Government to empower the girl child and to facilitate her independent mobility. She said under the scheme the State Government will facilitate 50% sponsorship of the cost of Scooty for college going girls in the State. These vehicles, will enable girl’s independence of mobility and at the same time promote confidence in them, she added.
The Chief Minister reiterated her Government’s commitment to work for the safety, development and empowerment of J&K’s womenfolk and added that this scheme will not only help girls in commuting but will also bring in her courage, self confidence and a feeling of self dependence. She added that the scheme was supposed to be launched in the Kashmir valley in the month of July, however due to the unfortunate situation it was delayed.
Referring to the education sector, the Chief Minister said that it has suffered the most during the recent turmoil and added that while people who can afford shall manage the education of their children outside the state, however the students from poor families have suffered massive academic loss. She further said that even those who can afford also think twice in case of female child, who ultimately suffers again.
Hoping that the prevailing situation will improve and better time shall prevail, Mehbooba said that “as Mahtma Gandhi saw a ray of hope in Jammu & Kashmir in 1947, I also see a similar ray of hope that things will be back to normal soon”.
The Chief Minister also announced All Terrain Mountain Bike (ATMB) scheme for meritorious boys on the pattern of Scooty Scheme for girl students. She said under the scheme any boy in the 10th standard belonging to lower economic background who has to cover a distance of more than 2 k from his home to school and shall secure above 58% in his 10th exa will be eligible for a mountain bicycle if he gives in writing that he shall continue to pursue his education.
Recalling her college and university days, the Chief Minister said she has firsthand experience of the harassment suffered by girl students on the roads and during travel in public transport, “In Kashmir, the proble are more complicated. While education has suffered due to ongoing situation, the girl students have borne the brunt. They have been confined to their homes. While riding these scooters, keep your head high and feel proud of your achievements,” she said while addressing the girl students.
Lauding the efforts of the State’s Finance Minister, Mehbooba said the State Government is endeavouring to make positive contributions for the welfare of girl child and women in J&K. “Keeping this in mind, our Government launched a scheme called ‘Laadli Beti’ so that a girl child is not seen as a burden by her poor parents,” the Chief Minister said. She said the ‘Laadli Beti’ scheme has been launched to create a strong positive disposition towards the girl child and ai to reverse the alarming trend of declining child sex ratio. The scheme addresses the concerns of girl’s right from birth to adulthood by providing financial security to them, she added.
She said another initiative in this regard is starting of ladies special buses meant exclusively to facilitate safe and easy commutation for women.
The Chief Minister said that the Government has increased the number of woman police stations across the state and it is an important initiative towards ensuring safety of women folk and will help women to put forth their grievances or complaints like domestic violence, without any hesitation.
She said that the Government is also considering establishment of institutes for entrepreneurship development specially for women so that they could benefit from it and earn their living. The Chief Minister added that education is the most important tool that a girl can have to make her feel and be independent. To the exam going children the Chief Minister said that, exa are approaching that those who wish could appear in November and others in March and wished them all the best.
Describing in length the virtues of Islam and the place of women in The Holy Quran, Mehbooba said: “Islam has great regard for women, but unfortunately, she is seen as a burden. The reality of Islam is being hidden from us. Hazrat Khadija (RA), wife of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), was a businesswoman. Hazrat Aisha (RA) was a great horse rider and she also led a battle”.
The Chief Minister said Islam gives enormous rights to women but certain vested interests distort the real message to suit their politics. “If we want peace and stability, women should also have stakes in our social and political processes. Looking after parents is not the job of sons only in the same way as cooking is for women,” she said.
The functions were also attended by Minister of Finance, Culture and Labour and Employment, Dr Haseeb A Drabu, Minister of State for Health, Asiea Naqash, MLC, Mohammad Khursheed Alam, MLAs, Abid Ansari, Noor Mohammad Sheikh, Mohammad Ashraf Mir, Anjum Fazili, Javaid Hassan Beigh, Yawar Dillawar Mir and Mohammad Abbas Wani, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan, Inspector General of Police Kashmir, SJM Gilani, DC Srinagar, DC Baramulla, Principals of various colleges and other senior officers from the civil and police administration.