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.

Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani has wholeheartedly thanked all those people who visited his ancestral village Duro to pay homage to his son-in-law late Gh Hassan Makhdoomi.

He said despite heavy showers and cold chilly weather, thousands of people mostly from adjoining areas participated in the last rites of the deceased.

According to a statement issued to GNS, Hurriyat (G) chairman thanked the leaders of the organizations especially Jamaat-e-Islami, Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Awami Action Committee, Anjuman-e-Share Shian, Muslim League, People’s League, Bar Association, Anjuman Moien-ul-Islam Sopore, Muslim Conference, Civil Society, all constituent parties of Hurriyat Conference and other political, religious, social and other organizations who travelled from far flung areas to condole and console the bereaved family.

He also thanked the all political, religious, social, print and electronic media personalities, lawyers, doctors, columnists, businessmen, neighbours and other personalities who came to Hyderpora and offered their condolences to him. He also thanked Pakistani High Commissioner in Delhi and other international dignities and non-resident Kashmiris living abroad who telephonically condoled the demise of his son-in-law.

Geelani thanked all women participants who despite their personal and domestic engagements took all the pains to reach the residence of his daughter. He also thanked the people especially youth who “enthusiastically and very warmly receive me after a long gap of about 8 years and showed their commitment and resolve to the freedom struggle. Their affection and love was unparalleled”.

Meanwhile, Hurriyat Conference (G) held a peaceful protest after congregational Friday prayers at various places across valley against the NIA charge sheet against incarcerated chairperson of Dukhtran-e-Millat Syeda Aasiya Andrabi and her two associates, Naheeda Nasreen and Fehmida Sofi and yet another detention under PSA of Hurriyat leader Masarat Aalam Bhat.

Hurriyat (G) said that the leadership and large number of people held peaceful protests in Hyderpora Srinagar, Anchar Soura and Gurpora Suzaith.

“Putting political leaders and activists including women in jails on fabricated charges and slapping Public Safety Act (PSA) repeatedly on political activists to prolong their incarceration is nothing but travesty of justice and democracy,” Hurriyat leaders according to statement said.

They also condemned the plight of prisoners at the hands of jail authorities and saluted the resolve of prisoners.

Hurriyat (G) leaders also condemned the slapping of yet another PSA on Masarat Aalam Bhat.

Hurriyat (G) made a fervent appeal to the United Nations Human Rights Commission and all other human rights organizations of the world to take a serious note of the “gross violations of human rights” at the hands of Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir, especially with reference to prisoners of conscience, the statement said.

It may sound bizarre but that is exactly what has happened in Mendhar area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir. A youth presumed dead nearly six months ago walked back home on Friday.

Muhammad Muzamil went missing from his home in Qasab village in Mendhar area six months ago. Soon there was an accident and the government railway police found a semi-decomposed body on the rail tracks in Vijaypur area of Jammu on March 9, following which Muzamil’s family mistakenly claimed it.

The family after completion of formalities gave a proper burial to the body as per Islamic ritual.

However, to the utter surprise of the ‘bereaved’ family, Muzamil called up his mother a few days ago. Finally, he returned home.

“Police has since recorded the statements of the family and the youth to set the records straight,” the sources said.

The identity of the dead person who was given the burial was not known.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Poonch Rahul Yadav has ordered the exhumation of the body of the unknown male person who was buried at village Ari, Tehsil Mendhar.

The DC passed the order underlining that the matter is of serious concern and needs further investigation to find out the facts by DNA profiling of the deceased.

“The chief medical officer, Poonch shall also appoint a team of experts for the purpose of DNA profiling,” he said.

Tarif Hussain Shah, Naib Tehsildar Mendhar (Executive Magistrate), a 1st class, has been appointed as a magistrate for the purpose of carrying exhumation and DNA profiling.

“The deceased body shall thereafter be reburied,” the order added.

In a significant development, chairman State Human Rights Commission (Rtd) Justice Bilal Nazki today issued notices almost all leading private schools of Kashmir asking them to file the detailed compliance report before the commission within two weeks as to what procedure they are following during the admission process and whether poor and downtrodden are given their due share.

The SHRC direction comes in response to the petition filed by the Chairman International Forum for Justice and Human Rights Muhammad Ahsan Untoo under case SHRC/395/SGR/2018. The petitioner has also urged the commission to ask the heads of all the leading private schools of Kashmir to divulge whether they have installed heating gadgets for the students in their respective schools.

The notices have been sent to schools that include Convent, Biscoe, Mallinson, G D Goenka, DPS Athwajan, Iqbal Memorial and others.

The petitioner has urged the Commission to seek the details of the admission procedure followed by these schools and whether poor and downtrodden are being given admission in these schools as per the Supreme Court guidelines. The petitioner said that there are allegations that these schools fleece the parents on the pretext of heating arrangements but it has come to fore that many such schools lack heating facilities for the students.

The petitioner has also urged the commission to go for the on-spot inspection of the admission procedure followed by these elite schools and the role of brokers who mint money from parents to get admission of their wards done.