Kashmir Valley on Saturday saw over 64 per cent electorate cast vote in the first of the 9-phased Panchayat elections, officials said. The polling like the Urban Local Body elections remained incident-free, they said.

Giving details, the official said Kupwara district in north Kashmir recorded the highest turnout of 71.9 per cent followed by 69.1 per cent in Baramulla, 55.7 per cent in Bandipora, 11.9% in Ganderbal, 21.8 per cent in Srinagar and 30.1 per cent in Budgam. There was 59.7 per cent voting in Leh and 70.9 per cent in Kargil, they said.

The total polling percentage in Jammu division was 79.5 per cent as 2.35 lakh voters out of 2.95 lakh voted, they said.

In Jammu region, polling per cent in Kishtwar was 74.1 per cent, Rajouri 78.9, Poonch 78.7, Udhampur 83.6, Doda 80.8, Kathua 80 and Ramban 78.2 per cent, they added.

There will be eight more phases of panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir.

The first phase polling was held in 47 blocks, including 16 blocks in Kashmir, 21 in Jammu and 10 in Ladakh region.

There were 3296 polling stations across the state, including 1303 in Kashmir and 1993 in Jammu Division. 5585 candidates were in the fray for 420 Sarpanch and 1845 Panch seats in Phase-I. 85 Sarpanchs and 1676 Panchs have already been elected unopposed in Phase-I.

687 polling stations were categorized as hypersensitive including 491 in Kashmir and 196 in Jammu Division.

In the areas going to polls in the Phase-I, 445059 electors were eligible for voting for Sarpanch seats and 272792 for Panch constituencies.

The District Development Commissioner, Anantnag, Mohammad Younis Malik, today convened a meeting of the officers and engineers to review the status of languishing projects recently approved by a High-Level Committee for the overall development of the district under various key sectors.

The meeting was informed that an amount of Rs 119.08979 cr has been approved for district Anantnag under the sectors of Health, Education, PWD(R&B), Industries & Commerce and PHE.

The DDC directed the concerned departments to expedite and complete the work on all the ongoing projects and schemes under the sectors. He added that since all the sectors are of utmost importance in day to day life, therefore, development under these sectors should be prioritized.

The DDC also stressed for projecting issues of public importance, most of which are related to scarcity of drinking water, construction of filtration plants in the district, road connectivity, Health & Education facilities in the district and the need to expeditiously complete several languishing projects.

He emphasized on the key sectors like PHE for which an amount of Rs 67.26479 Cr has been approved, for the completion of various ongoing water supply schemes and for the construction of other approved schemes throughout the district. Similarly, an amount of Rs 7.4242 cr has been approved for the health sector for the development of the basic infrastructure and health facilities in the district. Likewise, an amount of Rs 1.315 cr, Rs 05.54 cr and Rs 37.5458 cr have been approved for the Education, Industries & Commerce and PWD (R&B) sectors for the overall development of the district.

Among others, the meeting was attended by CEO Anantnag, CMO Anantnag, all the Exens of PHE, R&B & I&FC, District Statistics and Evaluation Officer Anantnag. Exen Mechanical PHE Awantipora and Functional Manager DIC Anantnag.

Srinagar: Three youths have been abducted by unknown gunmen at Saidpora Payeen area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Saturday morning.

Official sources said that the three youths Youths identified as Shahid Ahmad Ganie Son of M. Amin, Farooq Ahmad thoker Son of Ab. Aziz Thoker (handicapped) and Raja Qandur were abducted by the gunmen from Saidpora Payeen Village.

The duo Shahid and Farooq are residents of Saidpora Payeen Village while as Raja is resident of Manzgam Kulgam.

A Police officer said that they have launched searches to trace out the trio.

Residents of Sever Thandipora in frontier area of Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday staged a protest demonstration against the arrest of two youths, beating of locals and ransacking of public prosperity last night during a raid by police’s ‘task force’.

The residents alleged that uniformed personnel vandalized their houses and thrashed several locals in the area last night.

They alleged that the personnel entered the village around 11 pm and ransacked the property without any provocation. They also thrashed several locals, the residents said.

“The forces also arrested two youths from the village. The arrested youths were identified as Abass Shafi Malla son of Mohammad Shafi Malla and Ishfaq Ahmad Malla son of Ghulam Mohd Malla”.

They said that there were no protests or clashes during the day or in recent past in the village and that the forces action was unprovoked.

Demanding action against the personnel involved in vandalizing the civilian property, the residents said the police must register FIR against the erring cops.

SSP Kupwara Ambarkar Shriram Dinkar said that a police team detained two youths and the duo are involved in stone pelting.

He said FIR no 87/2018 under section RPC sections of 149, 148, 336 besides section 3 PPD stands registered the youth.

Regarding the allegations of ransacking, SSP said that he will look into it.