Srinagar, May 17 : The transfer by lease of Horticulture land by the governor administration to CPRF at Zakura in Srinagar outskirts has evoked sharp reactions from political parties, calling it “against the interests of common people”.

National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar said that such decisions “are not right and are against the interests of the people”.

“Is it in accordance with the precedence of norms that in a civilian population government can transfer land to security forces?” Sagar asked.

He hit out at PDP for “bringing BJP and Governor rule in the state” and blamed the party for such kind of decisions.

“It is a question to PDP which had promised vacating of land occupied by security forces for civilian use. However, against such promises PDP brought BJP here,” Sagar told news ageny.

PDP said that such decisions will squeeze the space for civic activities.

“This (Zakura) is very important part of Srinagar city and if this is militarized permanently then it will squeeze the space for civic activities. This is against the basic understanding of PDP. They have to reduce the presence of security forces and instead earn the trust of the people and win their hearts and minds. Muscular policy will not lead anywhere,” PDP senior leader Naeem Akhtar told.

As per an order of the Srinagar district administration, the government has leased out 60 kanals of state land, belonging to the JK Horticulture Produce Marketing Corporation (JKHPMC), to CRPF, first for 40 years which is extendable to 99 years, for Rs 80 crore.

The order said the sanction to the handing over of the land had been given by the Revenue Department on March 6 this year. (KNS) 

Food Safety Department today declared snacks “Fun Fine Puff” Brand Name “Parul Fun Fine Puff” “unsafe and misbranded,” under the provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 Rules and Regulation, 2011.

The department issued the notice after they lifted the sample of the snacks Batch No: 696, which was declared by their laboratory as “Unsafe and Misbranded”.

The department has advised the public in general and the Stake Holders in particular in their own interest to discontinue use / stop sale

Kashmir Despatch News

Kreeri, May 17 : Government forces on Friday evening launched a cordon and search operation in North Kashmir’s Kreeri village of Baramulla district.

Reports reaching Kashmir Despatch said a joint team of Army’s 29 RR, 176 bn CRPF and SOG Kreeri laid a siege at Tele Mohalla area of Kreeri.

Reports said forces conducted house to house search operation in the area.

A police officer also confirmed this search operation and said following inputs about presence of some militants in the area search operation has been launched.

Pertinently earlier this day forces conducted searches in Kunzar area which later ended on peaceful note.

Srinagar: Authorities on Friday did not allow the mandatory weekly congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar.

Kashmir’s head priest and Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq termed locking down of the Jamia Masjid as ‘hurting the sentiments of the people’.

“In the holy month of Ramadan also, the biggest mosque of valley is locked down and put under seige. Thousands of Muslims are denied the right to pray there. Such measures reflect the rulers utter disdain for people’s religious rights or hurting their sentiments which is very sad. (sic),” Mirwaiz said in a tweet.

The authorities had locked down the Jamia Masjid and also imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city in view of shutdown called by the separatist leadership against the recent killings.

The JRL had asked people to observe shutdown to protest the unfortunate killings. JRL also asked the Imams and to raise their voice against the bloodshed in their Friday sermons.

Restrictions imposed in Downtown, Srinagar; No Friday prayers allowed in Jamia Masjid

Srinagar: Normal life was crippled as Kashmir valley observed a complete shutdown on Friday against the killings of militants and civilians.

The shutdown call was given by JRL (Joint Resistance Leadership) comprising of Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Hurriyat (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front) Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik against the recent killings of civilians.

All shops, schools, business establishments etc remained shut in the Kashmir valley and traffic movement was also not visible on roads.

Meanwhile, authorities have imposed restrictions in Downtown area of Srinagar city on Friday to prevent any protests.

On second Friday in holy month of Ramadan, authorities barred people from offering Friday (Congregational) Prayers at Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar city.

As a precautionary measure authorities have suspended Baramulla-Banihal train services on Friday.

Due to shutdown, Kashmir University, Cluster University and IUST Awantipora postponed all the examinations scheduled on (Friday) 17th May, 2019.

IANS

SRINAGAR || University of Kashmir, Central University Kashmir (CUK) and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) suspended examinations and entrance test while there will be no class work in other educational institutions in the valley, as a complete shutdown is being observed on the call of Joint Resistance Leadership on Friday against civilian and militant killings.

The KU has postponed the entrance test which was scheduled to be held on Friday.

  An official said that the entrance test for admission to postgraduate programs which was scheduled to be held today has been postponed. He said the test will be held on May 23 and time and venue would remain unchanged.

   Class work in most of the educational institutions remained suspended for the past few days as a precautionary measure following protests by students against the rape of a 3-year-old girl in Sumbal area of Bandipora on May 8. 

  However, today class work and examinations were postponed for security reasons following strike called by Joint Resistance Leadeship (JRL), a police official said.

  Class work in IUST, Awantipora, Pulwama in south Kashmir, remained suspended for the past four days as a precautionary measure. A fresh notification issued on Thursday night said that there will be no class work and all examinations which were scheduled to be today have been postponed. 

 The CUK has also postponed examinations and class work today. The next date of examinations will be announced later, officials said.

    Most of the educational institutes, including colleges and some Higher Secondary Schools, remained closed for the third successive day in the valley as a precautionary measure on Friday.

The decision to suspend class work in these educational institutes on Thursday comes against the backdrop of the death of a youth, injured during clashes at Pattan in Baramulla. Arshad Ahmad Dar was critically injured on Monday during clashes which broke out against the rape of a three-year-old girl in Sumbal area of Bandipora, sources said that authorities have ordered suspension of classes in all colleges and Higher Secondary Schools (HSSs) in Srinagar as a precautionary measure on Friday also.

 “Colleges in Budgam, Ganderbal in central; Baramulla, Sopore, Bandipora, Kupwara in north Kashmir also remained closed,” they said.

They said Higher Secondary Schools (HSSs) in some towns in the valley remained closed for the second day on Friday as a precautionary measure. (Agencies)

‘Media report deflates development balloon of BJP-PDP’

KD NEWS SERVICE

SRINAGAR, May 16: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday blasted former BJP-PDP government over their dismal performance in expediting the work on vital projects of the state saying that the inefficiency that has bequeathed by former Mehbooba led government into the state administration is primarily responsible for diminutive spending on Jhelum-Tawi flood recovery project.

In a statement issued from party headquarters Nawa-e-Subah, provincial Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said that the state government’s capacity to spend funds on infrastructure projects was now being questioned as the state government has just spent Rs. 71 Cr of the Rs. 1500 Cr world bank funded project in last three years as per media reports. “With this kind of report card the state would not be able to get its other vital projects funded by the internal funding agencies. This also deflates the development balloon of BJP-PDP combine. The report that came other day in the local daily has debunked the high sounding assertions of former PDP-BJP government on the development of state,” he said.

Imran said that the pace of work on the projects didn’t pick up during the former BJP-PDP coalition government. “However it was expected that the pace of work on the vital flood recovery project, sanctioned after then CM Omar Abdullah held a series of meetings with World Bank, will pick up in the governor’s rule that followed the coalition government. The deadline for completion of the Jhelum Tawi flood recovery project is 30 June 2020. Spending more than Rs. 1400 Cr in a year seem rather impossible given the scope of the work is very immense. Spending so much money in the remaining 13 months seems to be a tall order for an administration that wasn’t able to cope with the scope of work in past three years,” he said.

Imran said that it was expected of the administration to learn lessons and add to the flood preparedness and precautionary measures of the state. “However with the BJP-PDP in the vanguard of the state government from 2014 to 2016 nothing of that sort happened. On the contrary the former coalition squandered the time and mandate of the people. The fateful coalition was vision less and sans clarity of thought on the issues that the state is facing,” he said.

Imran said that the incumbent governor administration also didn’t rise up to the expectations of the people. “We had thought that the work on the vital projects will pick up however it didn’t happen. Now I urge the incumbent governor administration to speed up the work even if it requires multiple shifts for completion. The flood recovery projects are of pristine importance to the state and should have been personally monitored by governor of the state,” he said.