Srinagar, September 9: Governor Satya Pal Malik today met the Councillors of Srinagar Municipal Corporation over tea, at Raj Bhawan, Srinagar, today. The Councillors of the SMC were specially invited to Raj Bhawan for an interaction with Governor.

Shri K.K. Sharma, Advisor to the Governor; Shri B.V.R. Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Shri Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Dev. Department; Shri Baseer Khan, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Dr. Shahid Iqbal, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar; Shri Khurshid Ahmad Sanai, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation; and other senior officers of the Housing & Urban Development Department, the Divisional and the District administration were present on the occasion.

Councillors informed Governor about problems being faced by them due to non-availability of communication/internet and also requested for suitable accommodation for them in the city. They also mentioned that the funds are yet to be made available to them in order to reach out to the people and fulfill the mandate given to them.

Governor was informed that the funds are not issue, but speedy execution and earliest resolving of issues is required to be done by the SMC. It was mentioned that during the current financial year, out of earmarked Grant-in-Aid, about Rs. 100.00 crores will be released shortly. Similarly, out of Rs. 500.00 crores to be made available to SMC under the 14^th Finance Commission Award, Rs. 86.00 crores has already been made available to the SMC. In addition, 5000 Street Lights is being provided in the city through various Councillors and after agreement, the EESL Corporation of Government of India will start the task of 100% Street Lights of Srinagar city for a period of 7 years. EESL will start the work once the situation will improve in the valley.

Governor announced an additional grant of Rs. 18.50 crores @ Rs. 25.00 lacs per ward to the SMC for developmental works. These works will be executed after the identification by the concerned Councillors.

Governor announced purchase and installation of 7,400 street lights for the Srinagar Municipal Corporation @100 per ward besides transfer of Street Light Division of Srinagar city from the Power Development Department to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

On the issue regarding Indian House Hold Latrines (IHHL), Governor assured that the verification of all the cases, which were pending, will be completed by 30^th of September.

          Regarding communication problems, Governor informed that 15 internet terminals have been made operational in office of the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, for usage by all the departments including the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. He also assured that mobile connectivity will also be restored very soon in J&K.

Governor observed that a delegation of Councillors will be sent outside J&K to study working of the Municipalities in other parts of the country. He advised the them to work devotedly for ensuring development of their Wards and providing uninterrupted basic facilities to people.

Governor noted that Raj Bhavan is open for public and every grievance reaching his office is addressed immediately. Besides, he said, his Advisors are regularly hearing and addressing public’s grievances.

Governor urged the Councillors to work towards making J&K peaceful, progressive and prosperous.

September 09: Police in Sopore today arrested 08 terrorist associates who were involved in threatening and intimidation of locals via publishing of posters.

Eight persons were arrested following the appearance of posters in Sopore area in which locals were threatened and intimidated. Consequently police registered a case FIR No. 220/2019 under relevant sections of law in the instant matter.

According to the initial investigations carried out by the officers in the matter, it is learnt that eight terrorist associates Aijaz Mir, Omar Mir, Tawseef Najar, Imitiyaz Najar, Omar Akbar, Faizan Latief, Danish Habib and Showkat Ahmad Mir were involved in the offence. They had prepared these threatening posters and circulated them in the locality. It is learnt that an active local terrorist namely Sajad Mir alias Haidar and his other associates Muddasir Pandith and Asif Maqbool Bhat affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT were the principal architects on whose behest the posters were published and circulated in the area.

The active terrorists who are part of this conspiracy had instructed the individuals to publish threatening posters.

Police has recovered the computers and other accessories which were used for drafting and publishing of the posters. All the incriminating materials including the computer have been seized by the police.

Police is also investigating the complicity of these terrorists in the recent killing of civilians in the area.

Further investigation in the matter is under progress.  

Srinagar, Sept 09 : Amid uneasy calm prevailing in Valley, the students preparing for various national level competitive exams are leaving for other states to continue their coaching classes. Most of the students who had enrolled themselves in coaching centres in Srinagar have flown to Jammu and joined the coaching institutes to prepare for upcoming competitive exams of various levels.

According to wire service — the move comes in wake of the prolonged closure of private coaching centres in valley particularly in Srinagar city. The students were left in a dilemma amid the prevailing situation in the Valley. All the private coaching centres in Kashmir including Srinagar city continue to remain closed from past one month following the government of India decision for abrogation of Article 370, 35 (A) and splitting Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

“The students were in a dilemma due to lockdown of coaching centres. They preferred to shift to other places including Jammu to continue their coaching,’ Rayees Ahmad whose son is preparing for GATE exams at a coaching centre in Srinagar told.

Approximately, there are over 550 private coaching institutes in Kashmir where more than 6000 students take coaching every year for various national level and local competitive examination.

As per reports, one of the leading coaching institutes in Srinagar- Akaash Institute has shifted its students to Jammu and accommodated them in Jammu branch of the coaching centre. The move has been taken as a damage control mode to avoid wastage of time and money of the students they have paid towards the coaching centre. “It was very difficult to take a chance and wait for coaching centres to reopen in Kashmir. We decided to send out kids to outside Valley to continue their coaching for exams,” Rashid Ahmad, a student from Kupwara told wire service .

All the cellular services and internet facilities are blocked from past one month in Kashmir. “The communication blockade has added to the worries of the students,” he said. Over the past few weeks, the administration stated that the schools up to high school level have opened across Kashmir Valley with very thin attendance of students, however no private coaching centre has resumed coaching classes in Srinagar or other districts so far forcing students to shift to other places outside Kashmir.

The prolonged closure o coaching centres has also taken a toll on the studies of students who are likely to appear in JK Board exams in October-November month. “We have not completed our syllabus in school or the concerned coaching centres. The students are in complete distress,” a student from Soura told wire service .However the school education department has asked the students to submit the examination forms for their annual board exams which are likely to commence from October-November month.
(KNO)

Locals say nothing precious than a life, shops remain shut even in relaxation hours

Shopian, Sep 09 : Fear has gripped South Kashmir’s restive Shopian district after observing peaceful shutdown for more than a month in the wake of revocation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir state on August 5. According to locals, the level of fear that has gripped southern district of Shopian this time, is more worse than ever in the past over three decades.

According to wire service since last week, the situation has turned “bad to worse” here, as the commercial establishments didn’t open even during the relaxation hours- particularly during morning and evening time.

“The fear has gripped the entire business community that even the medical store runners preferred to stay away from their shops,” said a local resident, wishing not to be named.

The business community is clearing their stocks behind closed doors, however, not taking new orders from the people or small shopkeepers. Also new supply orders are not forwarded to dealers. “In next few weeks, there will be dearth of everything in Shopian market as we have not taking purchasing stock till the situation improves,” a distributor told wire service—, adding, nothing is precious than your life.

He was referring after some posters have appeared in the main market warning a number of business men for selling their merchandise in the prevailing situation.

Banks, ATM services remained shut in the entire district, while all the Petrol Pumps- except one- wore deserted look from last few days in the district. Witnesses told wire service—that Petrol Pumps also fear for selling fuel to the people, after reports of thrashing of several pump operators in last some days.

The situation is no different in small towns and villages where hardly any shop remains open after 9 in the morning and evening prayers. Known as ‘Apple bowl of Kashmir’, growers here have not plucked a single variety of apples in the area, as the biggest fruit Mandi remained shut this season so far.

People have been told that no fruit would be exported to other fruit Mandi’s of India this year, stopping growers from plucking the ripe cash crop so far. “Last year the Shopian Mandi would do a business of around Rs 650 Crore on daily basis, but not a single rupee business was done this season,” an Apple commission agent told wire service.

On Monday, several roadside vendors were thrashed by the public for selling good and fruits in the market. They were warned for putting their stalls for tomorrow. With the increase in number of stone pelting incidents in the area from last week, the movement of private vehicles has reduced, however, cars ferrying patients have been seen plying on the roads.
(KNO)

JK Political Movement for mass contact over prevailing situation, wants GoI to clear stand on setting up factories, outside investment, urges authorities to restore mobile services, release detainees

Srinagar, Sep 09 : Jammu and Kashmir Political Movement (I), a new political party, on Monday stated that it was saddened by the Centre’s move of scrapping the Article 370 and the bifurcation of the State into two Union Territories (UTs), said that Government of India must restore statehood and maintain a status quo on the domicile rights in the erstwhile State.The new party said mass contact was a must to build pressure on GoI to clarify doubts on certain issues that include setting up factories, the outside investment and any reservation for outsiders in jobs in Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference here at the Media Facilitation Centre, according to the wire service—, JKPM (I) spokesman, Muhammad Shahid Khan, a counsellor by profession said that their party was in a state of “grief” over the revocation of Article 370 and was pushing hard for a mass contact program with the students and other sections of society so that a pressure is built on the GoI to clarify its stand on certain important issues. Khan, who was flanked by almost four of his more party members, was the first political activist to address the media post abrogation of Article 370 at a time when almost all the political leaders are under custody at sub-jail Centaur.

“We believe that the time has come for all of us to understand and rethink to find the better ways and best possible solutions to improve the future of our future generations,” Shah said. “We believe that there are better possible ways to find out the solutions for every problem without resorting to violence and bloodshed.”

He said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been promised that the statehood will be restored. “We only want to know when,” Khan said. Elaborating the demands, he said that the JKPM (I) demands  status quo to be maintained regarding the domicile rights in J&K, as is being maintained in different states of India already facing, so as to restore social security among the masses in Jammu and Kashmir. “Furthermore we would like to request the central government to provide statehood back to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said as per wire service.

According to news agency, Khan said that Jammu and Kashmir being a small state is already facing a lot of problems due to its hilly topography as we are already facing a huge problem of unemployment, therefore the jobs in Government institutions should be only restricted to the people of J&K.

“Environment being one of the concerns, and also the fact is that J&K in general and Kashmir in particular is a tourist resort hence no hazardous industry should be allowed to set up here,” he said. “We urge the government to restore the telecommunication, mobile and internet, since today’s life is totally dependent upoun communication, be it a student, businessman or a common man. It is pertinent to mention, here that the most of the landlines had been closed by the people since past one decade, and today’s life is totally dependent on telecommunication services, viz, mobile and internet.”

Further,the JKPM (I) urged the government to release the detained youth arrested so far, keeping in view their career and age and not to arrest more youth.  “This will serve as a confidence building measure among the people and bring life to normalcy,” he said.

Asked repeatedly by the media men that whether the party was in favour of revocation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the State, Khan gave guarded reply, saying that “We want statehood back and status quo on the domicile rights of people. As far the Article 370 is concerned, we are saddened and at the same time we have so many doubts that the GoI must clarify, sooner the better,” Khan said.

(KNO)

Ailing CPM leader Mohd Yousuf Tarigami was on Monday shifted from Srinagar to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital, following directions from the Supreme Court. This comes just days after the Supreme Court had allowed senior CPM leader Sitaram Yechury to visit Tarigami in Srinagar, which is under an unprecedented security cover in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

The top court had, however, directed Yechury to refrain from any other engagement apart from visiting his ailing friend.

After his return from Srinagar, Yechury had appealed before the top court that Tarigami should be shifted to AIIMS as his health condition was deteriorating. Taking cognisance of the affidavit, the Supreme Court directed the authorities to shift him to the national capital. The top court had said that the former Jammu and Kashmir MLA should be shifted to AIIMS”at the earliest”.Tarigami was kept under house arrest following the abrogation of Article 370 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government. He is a member of the Central Committee of the CPM and has served as a four-time MLA of the dissolved Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

Yechury’s visit to Srinagar last month was probably thefirst visit to Kashmir by any member of the opposition. Prior to that, adelegation of opposition leaders, led by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, had landed in Srinagar but was sent back by authorities from theairport itself.After Yechury landed in Srinagar, he was whisked away in a VIPentourage of more than seven cars to take him to Tarigami’s residence. The government authorities did not allow Yechury to hold any political meeting or media interactions apart from meeting his party colleague as per the apexcourt’s order.