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13.63 % Voter Turnout In First Leg Of III Phase Polls For Anantnag PC: Shailendra

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SRINAGAR, APRIL 23: Incident-free voting marked the first leg of three-phase polling for Anantnag Parliamentary constituency of J&K with a total voter turnout of 13.63 per cent.

Addressing media persons here this evening, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) J&K, Shailendra Kumar said that the overall percentage recorded in the District during today’s polling was 13.63 with the highest in Pahalgam segment, 20.37 per cent.

He said that for the smooth polling, the ECI had setup 714 polling stations in the district. The ECI had also established 21 model polling stations, 12 all women model polling stations.Divulging segment wise details of the district, the CEO informed that the percentage of the total votes polled in Anantnag segment was 3.47 per cent, Dooru, 17.28, Kokernag, 19.50, Shangus, 15.10, Bijbehara 2.04 and Pahalgam, 20.37 %.

The CEO informed that the total percentage of voting till date in various parliamentary constituencies in the state including Baramulla, Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur and Anantnag was recorded at 48.87 percent.

The CEO complimented voters, political parties, contesting candidates, media, polling staff and security forces for smooth and peaceful conduct of polling in the state.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mr Baseer Ahmad Khan, IGP Kashmir, SP Pani, besides other officers were present on the occasion.

J&K Bank inks MoU with NIT Srinagar, inaugurates refurbished Business Unit, 2 ATMs

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Srinagar, Apr 23 : Strengthening further its long-standing association with National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar, J&K Bank under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program today commissioned a water treatment plant at NIT Hazratbal. The bank also donated 60 Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) units for computers donated by NIT to five government schools, thus contributing to computer literacy in the state.

Chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmed and Director NIT Dr. Rakesh Sehgal jointly commissioned the treatment plant besides inaugurating the refurbished premises of the bank’s model Business Unit within the campus along with two Automated Teller Machines (ATM) in the presence of Registrar NIT Dr. S K Bukhari and the bank’s Executive President R K Chhibber.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairman and CEO Parvez Ahmed said, “As two prestigious institutions, both J&K Bank and NIT-the erstwhile Regional Engineering College- have been playing significant role in shaping the financial, technical and technological landscape of Jammu and Kashmir for quite a long time now”, adding “NIT has produced the best technocrats to build the infrastructure in the state and country.
Urging upon the Director and faculty to develop an ecosystem of Industry academia partnership for integrating the education with the skills, the Chairman said, “A lot of brainstorming needs to be done on issues like Integrating Education with skills in almost all the sectors like Software, manufacturing, services etc. and for that I would like to request the NIT Director and Team to show the way by collaborating with the major industries of the country in all the sectors and we at JK Bank will be more than willing to collaborate financially and logistically as it will also help us in clearing the perception about our state.”

Expressing the need to promote a start up culture in the state, he said,” We should collaborate and develop a start up culture in the institution so that we are not left behind in the emerging paradigm of value creation by the new generation start ups. We are looking forward to student and faculty of NIT Srinagar giving customized solutions to the problems we are facing on day to day basis. On the one hand whole world and leading companies are benefitting from the new revolutionary fields of Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud, Data Analytics which are the tectonic movements that are reshaping the world today and to get the most out of them let us also see some students and faculty members to introduce the same as an intervention for upgradation of Fintech in our state as a pilot which can be scaled up and implemented in financial institutions like the JK Bank.”
On the occasion, the Chairman also announced the donation of Ambulance to NIT for student welfare besides promising to institute J&K Bank Gold Medal for recognizing the Achievers of NIT Srinagar in the near future.
Director NIT Prof Rakesh Sehgal while felicitating the Chairman for his contribution in International Conference on Nano Technology hailed the socially empowering & colloborative vision of the Banks leadership. He commended the bank’s contributions towards society especially educational institutions, adding, “It is a great occasion for us because the bank has not only commissioned 2 ATMs that will go a long way in easing the access to modern banking facilities to the students and staff, but has also provided us with fresh water treatment plant in the campus, besides waiving off the transaction charges for students and donating high-quality dustbins to keep the campus clean in line with Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. I thank Parvez Ahmed for this personally.”

“We have a long association with the bank and recently we have joined hands for UNAT BHARAT ABHIYAN, under which NIT has adopted 5 villages in Kashmir to create awareness among the students and upgrading five schools to model schools. We have decided to provide them with computers and today J&K Bank has come forward with 60 UPS systems for these. For all this and more I express my sincere gratitude to the bank’s leadership”, he added.

Pertinently, the schools adopted by the NIT are Govt middle schools of Nanbug, Gutligund, Faker Gujree, Pucha, and Mukam.

Present on occasion, R K Chhibber said, “NIT has contributed a lot by providing and grooming engineers, scientists, and professors for decades. Today it has afforded us the opportunity to serve the student community and faculty by allowing us to commission ATM and water treatment plant”.

Earlier, welcoming the dignitaries, Tabassum Nazir emphasized on the need to strengthen the industry-academia relationship for the holistic development of the state and beyond. She said that the MoU shall forge a lasting relationship between the two institutions.

The occasion was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the institute, which was signed by Registrar NIT S K Bukhari and Zonal Head Kashmir Central-I Tabassum Nazir, wherein the bank conferred the Most Favored Client status to the NIT. Vice President Strategy & IT, Sushil Kumar Gupta Cluster Head Fayaz Ahmad Malik, and Head Business Unit NIT, senior faculty members of NIT and other senior officers of the bank were present on the occasion. Consequently, NIT has declared J&K Bank as a preferred Banker for its exclusive dealings regarding all banking related services.

A power point presentation was made on the occasion detailing all the features of MoU along with benefits to the NIT employees would get including loan disbursement in 2 hrs. Jan Mohammad Sofi Head of the Business Unit NIT presented the vote of thanks on the occasion. 

Green gold turns into ashes in Bandipora, locals blame official apathy

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Kashmir Despatch News

Bandipora, April 23 : A massive forest fire that broke out in north Kashmir’s Bandipora forests on Monday has engulfed a large portion of the forest.


Reports reaching Kashmir Despatch said that wild fire raging in the compartment number 145, 146 of north Kashmir’s Bandipora forests on Monday turned ‘green gold’ into ashes, while the administration, according to the locals, are turning a blind eye to the issue.


However, the authorities have so far failed to bring the situation under control, resulting in engulfing of fire to other forest areas locals added.


Local news agency had quoted Deputy Commissioner (DC) Bandipora as saying that officials along with the locals are on job to douse the fire.


The police officials told Kashmir Despatch that Police along with SDRF, forest officials and volunteers are trying their best to control fire spread in the forests of Bandipora.

World Book day celebrated at Srinagar, Kupwara

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Srinagar, April 23 : To commemorate the World Book Day, Department of Libraries and Research organized a day-long book exhibition at S.P.S. Library Srinagar.

The day is observed annually across the world to promote book reading culture.

Deputy Director Libraries and Research Shaheena Khan inaugurated the exhibition where collection of books including Quranic manuscripts,  paintings, references and some rare books were put on display.

Meanwhile, similar function to showcase rare books was held at District Library Kupwara. People from all walks of life turned up at the book exhibition.

Geelani concerned over deteriorating health of Yasin Malik

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Srinagar, Apr 23: Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani has expressed his serious concern over the deteriorating health condition of incarcerated Muhammad Yasin Malik and warned if any untoward happens to JKLF chairman, New Delhi shall have to face the consequences. He also condemned the continued grilling of his elder son Dr. Nayeem Geelani by NIA at New Delhi.

In a statement issued, Geelani said that people all over the world are fighting for their political rights but the state of Jammu & Kashmir is the only exception where the political voices are being crushed through “biased” investigating agencies which are not spearing even family members of the resistance leaders.

“By crushing the legitimate movement through military might, Indian authorities tried their best to muzzle our voice but have utterly failed to do so,” he said, adding that no power on earth can deter us from our much cherished goal of right to self-determination.

Hurriyat (G) chairman expressed serious concern over the plight of prisoners in and outside J&K jails, and said that Government of India has waged war against Kashmiris on every front.

He said that many pro-freedom people are arrested in the name of “terror funding” and are languishing in Tihar jail without any legal aid.

In the statement, Geelani mentioned Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Dr. G. M. Bhat, Altaf Ahmad Shah, Ayaz Akbar, Peer Saifullah, Raja Mehraj-ud-din Kalwal, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, Farooq Ahmad Dar, Shahid-ul-Islam, Syed Shahid Yousuf, Syed Shakeel Ahmad and businessman Zahoor Ahmad Watali.

“Even the females Syeda Asiya Andrabi, Fehmeeda Sofi and Nahida Nasreen are not spared. They too face the wrath of oppression and are lodged in far flung jails in India particularly Tihar jail,” he said.

Geelani further said: “On one hand, Samjhota Express bomb blast accused, even after accepting his crime, is bailed out, just because those killed were from a particular religion and region, and on the other hand, every conscious Kashmiri, not willing to became the turncoat and stooges of the ruling class, is intimidated, maimed, arrested and even eliminated.”

“Our prisoners are making history with their courage, steadfastness, patience and commitment, particularly those facing life imprisonment like Dr. Mohammad Qasim, Dr. Mohammad Shafi Khan Shariati, Gh. Qadir Bhat, Feroz Ahmad Bhat, Bilal Ahmad Kota, Bashir Ahmad Baba, Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, Mohammad Ayoub Mir, Mohammad Ayoub Dar, Ali Mohammad Bhat, Latief Ahmad Waja, Mirza Nisar, Ab. Gani Goni, Mehmood Topiwala, Javed Ahmad Khan, Parvez Ahmad Mir, Gh. Mohammad Bhat, Dr. Waseem and others,” he said.

He condemned the PSA on Masarat Aalam Bhat and others like Mohammad Yousuf Falahi, Abdul Gani Bhat, Moulana Sarjan Barkati and recently Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Dr. Hameed Fayaz, Advocate Zahid Ali, Moulana Mushtaq Veeri and others.

Geelani appealed the international community, prisoner’s rights forums and human rights bodies to impress upon Indian authorities to “at least honour and obey their own laws and stop the revengeful attitude towards the political prisoners”.

LS Elections: Policeman Killed, 10 CRPF Men, Govt Employees Among 20 Injured In Kokernag Accidents

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Srinagar, April 23 : A policeman was killed and over twenty persons including ten CRPF troopers, returning from poll duties, were injured in accidents, one of them allegedly caused due to stone pelting, in Kokernag area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday evening.


Reports reaching said that a speeding vehicle (TATA 407) turned turtle near Zalangam, resulting in on the spot death of the Selection Grade Constable Hilal Ahmad Khan of Tral, Pulwama and injuries to several other persons including CRPF personnel on board it.


In another accident at Sagam, allegedly caused after a group of youth pelted stones on a vehicle carrying poll staff and government force personnel. In both these accidents, twenty persons were injured besides the death of the driver. The injured include 10 CRPF men and all the injured have been admitted in District Hospital Anantnag and SDH Kokernag, officials told.


All the injured were taken to Sub-District hospital Kokernag where from seven critically wounded were referred to district hospital Anantnag, they said.


Medical Superintendent of district hospital Anantnag, Dr Abdul Majeed Mehrib confirmed the death of Hilal Ahmad and said the injured are being treated.


SSP Anantnag, Altaf Khan told that accident took place at Zalngam in which the constable died and several others on board the vehicle were injured. (GNS)

LS Polls : Dad’s workers will ensure my victory : Mehbooba

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Srinagar, Apr 23 : Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday exuded confidence that people will once again vote her to ensure her victory.

After casting ballots in Bijbehara area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Mehbooba said that “this time my father Late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed is not with me but his workers who have worked for him are still there.”

“I hope the workers of my father will ensure my victory in this election,” Mehbooba told reporters.
Asked about low voter turnout in the polls today in Bijbehara, which is her home constituency, Mehbooba said, “I am hopeful of good results.”

Mehbooba is among the 18 candidates who are in fray for South Kashmir Lok Sabha constituency.

Earlier in previous 2014 parliamentary elections, Mehbooba emerged victorious but later she took oath as first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving the MP seat vacant.

The parliamentary by-election for the Anantnag was not held since then keeping in view of the situation in South Kashmir.

Notably, South Kashmir was considered as the bastion of PDP till 2014 elections. (KNS)

Mughal road to be thrown open for traffic very soon

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Single track up to Pir ki Gali restored

KD NEWS SERVICE


SHOPIAN, April 23: The single track of strategic Mughal Road that connects Kashmir valley with Rajouri and Poonch areas of Jammu province up to Pir ki Gali has been restored from km 36 to 41km on Kashmir side at 6pm today.


“Tomorrow as promised we will restore double track,” Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Dr Owais Ahmed told Kashmir Despatch on Tuesday evening.


This strategic road was expected to be thrown open for traffic in third week of April this year.


Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Dr Owais Ahmed along with officials of Mechanical Engineering Department, R&B and Mughal Road Division Shopian on Tuesday took a detailed stock of snow clearance work on this road.


The authorities had started the snow clearance process on this road last month.


However, avalanches on most of the areas hampered the work promting authorities to urge officials to make proper use of safety gadgets while executing works.


The DC Shopian had also advised people and tourists to visit the area after consulting the authorities to avert any kind of accident, adding it would take more time to clear snow from the road.

Sri Lanka blasts : ISIS claims responsibility

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Without giving evidence the Islamic State on Tuesday claimed responsiblity for Sri Lanka Easter Sunday bombings that killed 310 people.

Earlier, the Sri Lankan deputy defense minister said that according to initial investigations by the government, the bombings were intended as retaliation for last month’s attack against Muslims in Christchurch, without providing evidence or explaining where the information came from.

On March 15, a white supremacist gunman opened fire on worshippers in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 50 people in what was the country’s worst-ever mass shooting.

“We believe [the massacre] was carried out by an extreme Islamist group as a reprisal to the Christchurch mosque massacre in New Zealand,” State Minister for Defense Ruwan Wijewardene said in a statement to parliament.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for coordinated bombings in Sri Lanka, the group’s AMAQ news agency said on Tuesday, providing no evidence to the claim.

PhD scholar arrested in ‘militancy related activities’ by J&K police

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Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir police on Tuesday arrested a Kashmiri PhD student in militancy related case.

According to ANI police has arrested a student from Central University of Punjab in Bhatinda; an arrest warrant was issued against him on suspicion of him being involved in militancy-related activities.

Police has identified detained scholar as Hilal Ahmed, a PhD student at Central University Bathinda