MLA Shopian Adv. Mohd Yousuf Bhat has described the recent scale of relief under “State specific special natural calamity” for damaged orchards due to recent snowfall grossly inadequate and squarely against the expectations of affected orchardists and demanded adequate compensation to the those whose trees got damaged due to snowfall.

“The governor administration is morally and constitutionally bound to come to the rescue of calamity affected people who are in desperate need of some relief and the recent amount of relief announced amounts to adding salt to their wounds. Horticulture is the backbone of state’s economy and heavy snowfall has dealt a blow to it and this needed empathy, large heartedness and a positive effort to win the people in distress,” he said in a statement to KNS.

While reiterating his demand for implementation of crop insurance scheme, to give some cushion to the fruit growers, in times of natural calamities, Bhat said, “he had raised this issue of crop insurance scheme in state assembly and the same was announced by previous government but the same was not implemented by the incumbent government for the reasons better known to them.”

Bhat further urged upon the government for exemption of Kissan credit card loan to fruit growers whose harvest was damaged by the snowfall and have suffered huge losses and thereby are not in a position to repay the loans raised by them against their farming land and orchards. The loan waiver would benefit the farmers all over and will be a succor to the ailing horticulture sector in general and recently aggrieved farmers in particular.

Sharing concern of the snow affected orchardists about delay in payment of relief on account of colossal damage caused to their orchards and apple crop , Chairman PDF and MLA Khansahib, Hakeem Yaseen has urged the Government to complete the loss assessment exercise on war footing basis so that adequate ex-gratia is paid to the affected orchardists.
He said unexpected snow fury has wrecked a havoc with the livelihood of fruit growers who have pinned high hopes with the Governor administration for their relief.

In a statement to KNS, Hakeem Yaseen while sharing concern of snow damaged orchardists has said that the un-necessary delay being caused to finalize the snow damage assessment in favour of affected fruit growers was a cause of serious concern adding that the Government should come up to the expectations of the panic ridden farmers and provide adequate relief to them.

He said Government should also address concerns of the affected orchardists that the proposed scale of relief under local calamity relief fund for the affected orchardists was too in adequate as compared to the quantum of damage caused to their orchards and apple crop due to the un- expected snow fury.

Hakeem Yaseen has called for urgent measures to provide adequate relief to the panic stricken farmers adding that besides cash relief, they should be provided free ration for 3 months, free plant material, free fertilizers and fungicides. He said damage caused to the orchards due to snow has inflicted a recurring loss worth crore to the horticulture sector. He said fruit growers are desperately in need of out of way assistance both in cash and kind to withstand the natural calamity.

Hakeem Yaseen has also called for immediate restoration of power supply and road network in far-flung areas which, he said, was still in shambles aftermath the untimely snow fall. He said Governor Administration should gear up men and machinery and in advance, make all the required arrangements to meet any exigency during winter months on account of power, drinking water supply and snow clearance from various roads. He said unexpected snow fall should be a wakeup call for the Governor administration to ensure fool proof winter arrangements in the snow bound areas of Kashmir division.

A 24-year old youth who was working in a hotel at Zero Bridge area of Rajbagh here was arrested by a police team during a raid Friday night, family said.

Zubair Ul Islam, son of Mohammad Rafiq, a retired sub-inspector of police, is working as a cityward in restaurant Fine Dine in Rajbagh. He was held by a police team during a raid, the family said.

Zubair’s mother Nabla Bano told GNS that she received information that her son was taken by police station Rajbagh and was later handed over to police station Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

She urged police to release her son who she said is having a cyst and is scheduled to undergo a surgery on December 22 in SMHS hospital.

Meanwhile, sources said that police team of police station Pattan has also arrested Owais Ahmad Lone, son of Farooq Ahmad Lone at HMT in outskirts of Srinagar city.

A police officer meanwhile confirmed the arrests but did not divulge further details.

An army soldier was killed in a ‘sniper fire’ by Pakistan army at along the Line of Control in north Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning.

A police officer told GNS that Pakistan army in “violation of ceasefire” opened the sniper fire upon the army’s 8 JakLi posts at Keri area of Khour along the border.

A soldier Rifleman Varun Katal (Belt No: 9122247 K) died on the spot, the officer said.

A top security officer told GNS that “there is a possibility of a major incident” along the borders of Poonch, Rajouri, Samba and Akhnoor areas.

“The BAT action cannot be ruled out even there is also the possibility of more sniper attacks by Pakistan,” he said, referring to intelligence inputs.

The officer said that in wake of growing incidents of sniper attacks and intelligence inputs, the army has been put on high alert to prevent any eventuality.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Chief Mehmood Shah has paid tribute to militants killed in a gunfight with government forces in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

A spokesperson of LeT Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi in a statement issued to GNS quoted outfit chief Shah as saying that New Delhi will never be able to continue its “illegal occupation” of J&K through force.

“Today’s youth are very well aware of India’s vicious motives. This is the very reason they are resisting the occupation forces with their minimum available resources,” Mehmood Shah said, adding, “The sacrifices of martyrs will never go in vain and will bring freedom one day.”

LeT chief hailed the “great sacrifices” of youth and said, “Allah (SWT) will soon bring about the circumstances and lead the indigenous freedom struggle towards its goal”.

At least 119 H1N1 influenza (Swine Flu) tests were conducted in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) while as 12 persons were found positive, officials said.

Director SKIMS, Dr Omar Javaid while talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS) said that 119 H1N1 influenza tests were conducted in SKIMS till Nov 10, 2018 out of which 12 tested positive while as 107 were found negative.
He said that so far one death has occurred due to H1N1 in recent.

However, he said that the patient who died was actually suffering from cancer but was also suffering from H1N1 influenza.

Director SKIMS said that nobody among these patients is admitted at the institute, they are not in serious conditions.

“The institute is ready to tackle any kind of situation,” Director SKIMS said, adding that vaccination and other related medication to deal with H1N1 is available at SKIMS.

He also informed that as ‘precautionary measure’, the employees were given vaccination.