No Major Protests Against Panel Report: Govt

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J&K DELIMITATION PROCESS

No Major Protests Against

Panel Report: Govt

Soldier Injured In

Kulgam Gunfight,

Militants Flee

Observer News Service

Srinagar: A soldier was injured

during a predawn encounter

with militants in Yaripora area of

Kulgam district of South Kashmir,

officials said on Wednesday.

An official said that govern-

ment forces launched a search

operation in Brayihard Kathpora

village of Yaripora after receiv-

ing information about the pres-

ence of militants there.

“As the searches were on, mili-

tants who had taken shelter in a

nearby area came out firing guns

and lobbed a grenade,” he said.

He said that the exchange of

fire continued for a few minutes

after which the guns fell silent.

The official, according to

news agency KNO, said that

government forces launched

searches for hours | More on P10

‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ Campaign

Now, GMC Baramulla Seeks

Funds From Staff, Students

6514 KPs Still Living In

Kashmir Valley: Govt Tells RS

Gurez Youth Writes Quran By

Hand On A 500-Metre Scroll

Press Trust Of India

New Delhi: The Centre on

Wednesday said there were no

significant protests in Jammu

and Kashmir against the report

of the Delimitation Commission

even though various political

parties have expressed different

views on the report.

Union Minister of State for

Home Nityanand Rai said this in

Rajya Sabha replying to a ques-

tion whether there is wide-

spread resentment regarding

the report on the delimitation

of assembly constituencies in

Jammu and Kashmir.

"The government of Jammu

and Kashmir has intimated

that there were no significant

protest against the report of

the Delimitation Commission.

However, various political

parties have expressed different

views on the report," he said,

replying to a written question.

The National Conference, the

PDP and several other political

parties have slammed the report.

The NC said the report "de-

fies any and all logic" and no

political, social and adminis-

trative reason can justify the

recommendations.

The PDP said "delimitation

commission has become an

extension of BJP; we reject this

delimitation report as we don't

trust it. This is nothing but only

an attempt to disempower the

people of | More on P10

8th & 10th Muharram

Processions Unlikely

Processions Only Through Permitted Routes: Div Com

Observer News Service

Srinagar: A day after Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) leaders

and cadres held a strong rally

in the heart of Srinagar city,

a top administration offi-

cial on Wednesday hinted at

continued ban on traditional

Muharram processions in the

civil lines of Srinagar city.

“Definitely, the decisions

have been taken at an appro-

priate level. Muharram pro-

cessions will be allowed at the

already | More on P10

Auqib Javeed

Srinagar: The controversy

over the government’s much

hyped ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’

campaign refuses to die

down as the Government

Medical College (GMC),

Baramulla on Wednesday

issued a circular directing

the employees to contribute

“voluntarily” for the contri-

bution of the campaign.

The Chief Accounts Officer,

GMC Baramulla has issued a

circular on the directions of

the Deputy Commissioner

(DC) Baramulla seeking vol-

untary contribution of all

officials/ non-officials for the

‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign.

According to the circu-

lar, a copy of which lies

with Kashmir Observer, the

Gazetted employees have

been asked to submit an

amount of Rs 100 each toward

the accounts officer while as

the non-gazetted employees

has to submit Rs 50 each, self

Help groups Rs 20, school

students Rs 10, each and ben-

eficiaries / trainees of various

schemes Rs. 10/- each.

The order further reads

that the “all HODs/ Section

Heads are hereby asked to

collect Rs 100/- and Rs 50/-

in cash from Gazetted and

Non-Gazetted employees

respectively and submit the

same in Accounts Section

along with the list by or be-

fore 28.07.2022 (2 PM) for

its further deposit at District

Treasury Baramulla,”

Principal, GMC,

Baramulla Dr. Ruby

confirmed to Kashmir

Observer, that | More on P10

Press Trust Of India

New Delhi: Altogether 6,514

Kashmiri Pandits are still

residing in Kashmir valley

-- highest 2,639 in Kulgam

district, Union Minister of

State for Home Nityanand

Rai said on Wednesday.

Rai said in Rajya Sabha

that no Kashmiri Pandit

has left the valley in 2022.

The number of Kashmiri

Pandits who are still resid-

ing in the valley as on July

20 is 6,514, he said, reply-

ing to a written question.

The minister said the

highest number of Kashmiri

Pandits are living in Kulgam

district (2,639), followed by

Budgam (1,204), Anantnag

(808), Pulwama (579),

Srinagar (455), Shopian

(320), and Baramulla (294),

among others.

As many as 12 Kashmiri

Pandits were killed by

militants in Jammu and

Kashmir during 2020,

2021 and 2022, he said.

Replying to another

question, Rai said the gov-

ernment has a policy of zero

tolerance against militancy

and the security situation

has improved significantly

in the Union territory.

There has been a sub-

stantial decline in militant

attacks -- | More on P10

Press Trust Of India

Srinagar: In a laudable

achievement, a 26-year-old

man from remote Bandipora

district here has hand-

written the Holy Quran on a

500-metre-long paper scroll

- a calligraphic feat he com-

pleted in three months.

Mustafa-Ibn-Jameel, a

resident of Tulail area of the

frontier Gurez, in the north

Kashmir district, had em-

barked on the project last year.

It took me two months

to arrange for the special

art paper for calligraphy. I

got that from a factory in

Delhi as it was not available

in the open market. Then I

also got a special calligra-

phy ink for it, Jameel said.

He said even though the

project was concluded in

June this year, the calligra-

phy part - done in Naskh font

-- took three more months.

Border designing took

about a month. I designed

it with about 13 lakh dots.

Then the whole roll was

laminated, he said.

Jameel said the project

was completed in Delhi

with a cost of Rs 2.5 lakh.

It was my heartfelt de-

sire to write Quran, Jameel

said, adding, initially he

took calligraphy to improve

his handwriting.

Then, I started writing a

few chapters of the Quran

and felt so happy in doing

so, that it occurred to me

that I should use my God-

given gift to do something

unique, he said.

The Quran | More on P10

Banihal

Highway

Partially Opens

For Traffic

Press Trust Of India

Banihal: The strategic

270-km Jammu-Srinagar

national highway, which

was shut due to mud-

slides and shooting stones

in Ramban district early

Wednesday, was opened

for vehicular traffic par-

tially, officials said.

Authorities allowed

stranded vehicles, includ-

ing an Amarnath Yatra

convoy, to move towards

Kashmir, they said.

Shooting stones struck

the highway, the only

all-weather road linking

Kashmir with the rest of

the country, at Mehad in

Ramban besides mud-

slides triggered by heavy

rains, the officials said.

The highway| More on P10

J&K Logs 692

New Covid

Cases, 2 Deaths

Observer News Service

Srinagar: The daily

Coronavirus cases continue

to show an upwards trend

in Jammu and Kashmir

as 692 more people on

Wednesday tested posi-

tive for the virus while two

more persons succumbed

to the deadly infection in

the Union Territory during

the last 24 hours.

According to the officials,

Kashmir Valley reported

431 fresh cases of novel

Coronavirus while 261

cases were detected from

Jammu division, taking the

total number of people in-

fected since the onset of

pandemic in J&K to 46194.

Among the total cases,

17050 are from Jammu divi-

sion and 291427 from Kashmir,

they said. | More on P10

DISCLAIMER: KASHMIR OBSERVER MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION CARRIED IN DISPLAY/ CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS, APPEARING IN THE NEWSPAPER IS CORRECT. HOWEVER THE NEWSPAPER TAKES NO RESPONSIBILITY NOR DOES IT

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CALL +91-194 2502327

To place an advertisement

Monday - Saturday (9am - 6pm)

No 5- Dal Lake Boulevard Srinagar, 190001, Kashmir

B.N MG

FIR KO

Wednesday| 06-10-2021

Srinagar | Thursday| 28-07-2022

OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER

CITY DRAINAGE CIVIL DIVISION SMC

48- Samender Bagh Srinagar.

Phone 0194-2480569, Fax:0194-480569 | email:eecitydrainage456@gmail.com

NOTICE INVITING TENDERS

e_NIT NO._08_CDC_SMC_OF_2022_23

For and on behalf of the Lt. Governor of J&K UT, e- tenders are invited on item rate basis from the Registered / Approved PWD Civil Contractors,

whose enlistment cards are valid in terms of standing rules, for the

Below mentioned works strictly as per the terms and conditions given hereunder:-

S.No. Name of work Estt. Cost of work

incld. Depttl.

Materials (Amt.in

lakhs).

Earnest

Money

(CDR)

Class

Of Contract

Time for

completion

Cost of Tender

Document

In the shape of

e-challan

Head of Account

1. Construction of drain including road cross

near Help Foundation lane Gogo Bagh Tulsi

Bagh Jawahir Nagar D/S Jawahir Nagar.

12.13 24260/- BC&D 35 days 800=00 Capex

D/S Jawahir Nagar

2 Construction of drain at Masjid Ibrahim

Housing Colony Channapora (D/S Rose lane

Channapora)

9.86 19720/- C&B 35 days 750=00 Capex

D/S Rose Lane

Channapora

3. Construction of drain from House of Farooq

Ahmad Dar to House of Mohammad Ibrahim

at Mir Mohalla Dar Colony Barzulla (near

Playground (D/s Barzulla)

7.27 14540/- C&D 30 days 600=00 Capex D/S Barzulla

The NIT Consisting of qualifying information, eligibility criteria, specifications, Bill of quantities(B.O.Q), Set of terms and conditions of contract and

other details can be seen/downloaded from the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per the schedule of dates given hereunder:-

01- Date of Issue of tender Notice 25.07.2022

02- Period of down loading of bidding documents/

Sale of tender document.

26.07.2022 from 10.00 AM to 16.07.2022

03- Bid Submission Start date 26.07.2022 from 10.00 AM.

04- Bid Submission End date. 02.08.2022 upto 4.00 PM

05- Date and time of opening of Bids on line. 03.08.2022 at 11.00 AM. In the office of Executive Engineer City Drainage Civil Division SMC

sgr.

06 List of soft copies to be uploaded. Scanned copy of Treasury Challan (Cost of tender document) with S.No. of NIT/work.

Scanned copy of GST /Registration and PAN Card.

Scanned copy of Enlistment card with its validity

Scanned copy of Fresh CDR( Earnest Money)

The Bids shall be deposited in electronic format on the departmental website www.jktenders.gov.in as per the scheduled date mentioned above.

The bids uploaded on the Web Site upto due date and time will be opened on line in the office of the Executive Engineer, City Drainage Civil

Division SMC Srinagar. in presence of the bidders who wish to attend.

In case of Holiday/Office happens to be closed on the date of opening of the bids, same will be opened on the next working day at the same

time and venue.

4. The complete bidding process will be on line.

5. Bids must be accompanied with cost of Tender document in shape of necessary Treasury Challan Revenue/receipt in favour of Executive Engineer

City Drainage Civil Division SMC Srinagar and Earnest money /Bid security in shape of CDR/Treasury challan receipt pledged to Executive Engineer City

Drainage Civil Division SMC Srinagar

6. The bids for the work shall remain valid for a period of 90 days from the date of opening of bids. Important Condition :-

7. 01. All other terms and conditions shall remain unchanged as laid down in the detailed e-NIT/Tender Document issued for the work which can be

down loaded from www.jktenders.gov.in.

02. The cost of tender Document should be collected by introducing e-chalan or simply uploading a copy of necessary treasury challan /receipt may

be credited to MH=0217 in favour of Executive Engineer, City Drainage Civil Division SMC sgr.

03. The successful bidder shall have to furnish the hard copies after opening of financial bid on line & also the CDR in original must be submitted

by the successful (lowest) bidder after opening of financial bid & 5% performance security of the allotted cost in the shape of CDR/FDR/BG by the

successful bidder. The same shall be released after successful completion of the Defect liability period of the work. The EMD 2% of successful bidders

shall lbe released after receipt of 5% performance Security.

Sd/

Executive Engineer,

DIPK-6752/22 City Drainage Civil Division Sgr.

No:CDC-SMC/1792-1815 Dated:25-07-2022

India's Millions Consume More Than The Country Can Sustain

360info

s the world uses natural resourc-

es faster than they can be replen-

ished, India looks to a future of

renewable energy.

Whether we're running a country or a

household, we always need to spend

within our budget. The Earth also has a

budget the ecological budget, where in-

come and expenditure take the form of

natural resources. Like every budget, the

Earth's is limited.

Today, humans are using the resources

replenished by one year of the Earth's

natural processes in only seven to eight

months.

Earth Overshoot Day is the date by which

all of the Earth's ecological resources and

services for the year are consumed. This

year, it falls on July 28. According to a

report from advocacy group Global Foot-

print Network, Earth Overshoot Day was

on December 25 in 1971 and has been

creeping earlier each year.

Currently, humans are consuming 1.7

times the resources the Earth can replace

in one year. By 2030, humans will require

the resources produced on two Earths. In

the Indian context, the country will re-

quire 2.5 times more natural resources to

meet its demand by 2030.

Overexploitation of resources by a grow-

ing population has reversed the demand-

and-supply relationship. Even if its birth

rate continues to decline, India is pro-

jected to be home to around 1.51 billion

people by 2030.

India has lower per-capita consumption

of natural resources than many countries,

but overshoot occurs due to its high popu-

lation and limited resources. India has

about 18 per cent of the world's popula-

tion, while its land, forest and clean water

make up a meagre 2.4, 2 and 4 per cent of

the world's respective totals.

Represented as land area, the natural re-

sources available to sustain people in In-

dia take up 0.5 hectares per person, while

consumption is around 1.1 hectares per

person.

According to the Global Footprint Net-

work report, overfishing, indiscriminate

deforestation and excessive carbon-diox-

ide emissions are the main reasons for the

Earth's overshoot. The Earth cleans the

atmosphere by absorbing carbon diox-

ide. The report finds the natural resources

needed to scrub carbon dioxide from the

atmosphere make up about 60 per cent

of the total ecological footprint. One hun-

dred and fifty years ago, the human car-

bon footprint was negligible.

The world relies heavily on carbon diox-

ide-releasing fossil fuels to meet its ener-

gy demand. According to the BP Statistical

Review of World Energy, about 61.74 per

cent of electricity demand in 2021 was

from fossil sources. About 78.5 per cent of

electricity in India comes from fossil fuels,

followed by renewable sources (19 per

cent) and nuclear sources (2.5 per cent).

Coal has the largest share (44 per cent) of

India's electricity supply.

India ranks third in global electricity gen-

eration and consumption. The energy sec-

tor in India is the largest greenhouse-gas

emitter. According to the GE Gas Power

report, although greenhouse-gas emis-

sions from the energy sector in India are

more than the global average, they have

declined mainly due to the shift in gov-

ernment policy towards renewable energy

since the 2015 Paris Agreement.

With a total installed capacity of more

than 160 gigawatts in March 2022, re-

newable-energy-generation capacity has

increased about 400 per cent in the past

nine years.

Electricity demand is expected to grow at

5 per cent each year over 2018 40, and In-

dia has rich potential for renewable-ener-

gy sources such as solar, hydro, wind and

biomass. As a tropical country, India re-

ceives plentiful sunlight. According to the

National Institute of Solar Energy, if the

country installed solar on just 3 per cent

of its degraded land areas, its solar-energy

potential would increase to 750 gigawatts.

The National Institute of Wind Energy

has estimated that the country has about

700 gigawatts of wind-energy potential

at 120 metres above the ground. About

230 million tonnes of surplus agricultural

residues are produced every year in India,

representing 28 gigawatts of electricity-

generation potential.

The country also possesses more than

7,500 kilometres of coastline for tapping

tidal, wave or offshore wind energy. In

short, India has the renewable resources

to meet its current and future energy de-

mands.

By 2050, India can achieve a net-zero car-

bon footprint by reducing emissions from

the energy sector and deploying renew-

able energy quickly and strategically. India

is very much on track to achieve 175 giga-

watts of installed solar-power capacity by

2022 and 500 gigawatts of non-fossil elec-

tricity by 2030.

The Government of India also has vari-

ous initiatives such as the National Clean

Air Programme, Bharat Stage-VI vehicle-

emissions regulation, the National Action

Plan on Climate Change and the UJALA

scheme to promote energy-efficient light

globes.

Overconsumption of the Earth's resources

means anything consumed after July 28 is

debt borrowed from the Earth's future. If

it is not slowly repaid, exhaustion of the

existing resources on Earth will put hu-

man existence in danger.

The Global Footprint Network report sug-

gests that if we make Overshoot Day later

by five days every year from now until

2050, the resources produced by the Earth

will be enough for human consumption.

This means natural-resource efficiency

and energy conservation are essential.

Only then can this Earth continue to sup-

port life for all.

Google Maps Launches Street

View Across 10 Cities In India

Press Trust Of India

oogle Maps has

launched its street view

service across 10 cities

in India in partnership

with two local companies, the

firm said on Wednesday.

The government had previously

not allowed showing of panoram-

ic images of roads and other sites

for security reasons.

In a statement, Google said Street

View is being launched in part-

nership with Genesys Interna-

tional and Tech Mahindra. "Start-

ing today, Street View will be

available on Google Maps with

fresh imagery licensed from local

partners covering over 1,50,000

km across ten cities in India, in-

cluding Bengaluru, Chennai, Del-

hi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune,

Nashik, Vadodara, Ahmednagar,

and Amritsar," it said.

Google, Genesys International,

and Tech Mahindra plan to ex-

pand this to more than 50 cities

by the end of 2022.

This India launch marks the first

time in the world that Street View

is being brought to life complete-

ly by local partners.

Also, Google Maps will now show

speed limits data shared by the

traffic authorities, starting with

Bengaluru.

Google also announced its part-

nership with Bengaluru traffic

police as part of its efforts to-

wards delivering models that bet-

ter optimise traffic light timings.

"This is helping the local traffic

authority manage road conges-

tion at key intersections, and

will eventually scale across the

city," the statement said, adding,

"Google will further expand this

to Kolkata and Hyderabad in part-

nership with local traffic authori-

ties." Speaking of the announce-

ments, Miriam Karthika Daniel,

VP - Google Maps Experiences,

said the launch of Street View in

India will be instrumental in de-

livering a more helpful user ex-

perience, from virtually visiting

locations to getting a better sense

of local businesses and establish-

ments.

Sajid Malik, Managing Director of

Genesys International Corpora-

tion Ltd, said, "We were the first

Indian firm to perform street im-

aging of all major cities in India.

Our fleet is still swiftly photo-

graphing Indian cities, bringing

to life our city's amazing tapestry

of streets and landmarks and al-

lowing us to comfortably visit our

old neighbourhoods or plan our

trips." Street View APIs will also

be available to local developers

enabling them to deliver richer

mapping experiences in their ser-

vices.

Additionally, Google announced

its collaboration with the Central

Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to

provide air quality information.

This information can be accessed

by tapping the 'Layers' button at

the top right in their Maps app

and selecting the 'Air Quality' op-

tion.

India has lower per-capita consumption of natural resources

than many countries, but overshoot occurs due to its high population

and limited resources. India has about 18 per cent of the world's popula-

tion, while its land, forest and clean water make up a meagre 2.4, 2 and 4

per cent of the world's respective totals.

Srinagar | Thursday| 28-07-2022

CITY

29 Rabi-ul-Awwal

1443

This Day In History

From KO Archives

Amnesty: Children

unprotected In J&K

Observer News Service

RINAGAR - The unlawful killing of three teenaged boys

and the serious injuries to a fourth boy during the last

weekend in Bangergund village in Kupwara throws into

sharp focus the lack of protection for children's right

to life and safety in the state, global human rights watchdog,

Amnesty International said today.

"Children are at risk of human rights violations from both

state agents and abuses from armed groups" Amnesty said in

faxed statement to Kashmir Observer. "Amnesty International

urges both the state government and armed groups to respect

the rights of children", the statement said adding the govern-

ment of Jammu and Kashmir is under an international obliga-

tion to promote and protect child rights in line with India's

ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of

the Child. Armed groups are under an obligation to abide by the

standards of humanitarian law which strictly forbid the torture,

killing and hostage taking of all civilians, including children,

amnesty further said.

An army spokesperson stated that 'the four Juveniles,

all between 11 and 15 years of age, were shot on 24 July 2005 in

Bangargund village in Kupwara district when troops of the 6th

battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles opened fire on the four teenag-

ers whom they mistook for militants. The boys had started to

run away when an army patrol called on them to stop in an area

close to the line of control.

Villagers claimed that the juveniles were part of a mar-

riage party and had gone for a stroll in the village in the early

hours of Sunday when soldiers opened fire before the boys could

reply to their commands. According to reports, there was no

curfew in the area. Local villagers claim that the village elders

had informed the army of the marriage party and that people

were likely to move about late at night.

An army spokesperson termed the incident as 'unfortunate'

and announced that the army would cooperate with a magiste-

rial inquiry set up by State Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad

Sayeed. The army also ordered an internal inquiry. Police have

registered a case against the army. On dozens of occasions the

armed groups have perpetrated indiscriminate attacks which

have affected children. They have exploded bombs close to

schools resulting in the deaths of several children and causing

parents to fear for the safety of their wards.

(Kashmir Observer, 28 July, 2005)

• TRAFFIC POLICE : 9419993745, 01998-266686

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• 388 - Battle at Aquileja: Emperor Theodosius beats

emperor Magnus Maximis

• 1148 - Second Crusade: Crusaders abandon their

siege of Damascus

• 1330 - Battle of Velbuzd: Serbian forces defeats Bul-

garian army

• 1741 C - aptain Vitus Bering discovers Mount St Elias,

Alaska

• 1808 - Mahmud II succeeds Mustafa IV as sultan of

Turkey

• 1821 - Peru declares independence from Spain (Na-

tional Day)

• 1851 - Total solar eclipse captured on a daguerreo-

type photograph

• 1858- Nadar takes 1st airborne photo (in a balloon)

• 1883-Shocks triggered by volcano Epomeo (Isle of

Ischia, Italy) destroyed 1,200 houses at Casamicciola

killing 2,000

• 1914- Austria-Hungary decides against mediation

and declares war on Serbia - first declaration of war

of WWI

• 1926- US & Panamanian pact about safeguard of

Panama Canal

• 1933- Spain recognizes the USSR

• 1943- Italian Facist dictator Benito Mussolini resigns

• 1943- World War II: Operation Gomorrah: The British

bomb Hamburg causing a firestorm that kills 42,000

German civilians

• 1945- Japanese premier Suzuki disregards US ultima-

tum to surrender

• 1945- US Senate ratifies United Nations charter 89-2

• 1945- Physicist Raemer Schreiber and Lieutenant

Colonel Peer

• de Silva arrive on the Pacific island of Tinian with the

plutonium

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PUBLIC NOTICE

This is to inform the general public that we have lost four original sale

deeds of land measuring 05 Kanals and 04 marlas situated at Nowgam

Tehsil Chanapora District Srinagar. We have mortgaged/ are mortgaging

the same in favour of the Jammu and Kashmir Bank ltd Business Unit Hy-

derpora for various credit facilities. If anyone has found these original sale

deeds he may intimate and return the same to the undersigned or if any-

one has any objections he may intimate the same to the said Jammu and

Kashmir Bank ltd Hyderpora through mail or otherwise within two days.

He/ she may also please intimate the undersigned as well.

Imtiyaz Ahmad Bhat

S/O Abdul Ghani Bhat R/O Nowgam Srinagar

Parvez Ahmad Ganai

S/O Abdul Aziz Ghanai

R/O Chanapora Srinagar

Javaid Ahmad Mir ss

S/O Habibullah Mir

R/O Kathidarwaza Rainawari Srinagar.

Contact numbers. +91 91494 00261 : +91 90183 33330

mail addresses: [email protected] | [email protected]

2 Critically Injured As Tree Falls

On Load Carrier In Bemina

Observer News Service

Srinagar: Two persons were

critically injured when a poplar

tree fell, amid heavy rains, on a

load carrier near Government

Degree College in Bemina area

of Srinagar on Wednesday.

Officials said that there was

heavy spurt of rain in the after-

noon, leading to the falling of a

poplar tree near Government

Degree College in Bemina.

“A load carrier (JK13B-5083)

came under it as a result of

which two persons suffered crit-

ical injuries. Both the injured

were shifted to hospital,” the of-

ficials said.

The road was also blocked

due to the falling of the poplar

tree on the busy road.

Heavy Rain Leads To

Waterlogging In City

Observer News Service

Srinagar: Heavy rainfall in Sri-

nagar submerged the major roads,

lanes and bi-lanes of the City on

Wednesday, causing immense hard-

ships to the pedestrians as well as

the commuters.

The roads, especially in com-

mercial Hub Lal Chowk and other

places of Srinagar got submerged

today morning when the incessant

rainfall lashed Kashmir parts, bring-

ing respite from scorching heat.

Locals said that the few min-

utes of rainfall has punctured the

claims of the government about the

augmenting infrastructure related

to the drainage system in Srinagar.

“The people faced tremendous

hardships in the morning hours

when almost all the roads, lanes

and bi-lanes got submerged. The

pedestrians had to walk through the

muddy water, which is tantamount

to risking their lives and also can af-

fect the health condition of people as

well,” a local said.

They blamed the concerned

authorities for such a mess, saying

that the situation could have been

prevented in case the better drain-

age system would have been in place

The people faced

tremendous hardships

in the morning hours when

almost all the roads, lanes

and bi-lanes got

submerged. The

pedestrians had to walk

through the muddy water,

which is tantamount to

risking their lives and also

can affect the health

condition of people as well

Referrals Continue To

Put Burden On

Lal Ded Hospital

Agencies

Srinagar: The Valley’s lone ma-

ternity hospital known as Lal Ded

hospital in Srinagar continues to

get normal cases from peripheries

which otherwise could easily be

managed at lower-rung hospitals

at district and sub-district levels.

Doctors posted at LD hospital

said that LD hospital is Kashmir's

largest tertiary care Gynaecology

and Obstetrics facility but that

doesn't mean “you have to refer

every case here to put pressure on

limited resources.”

They said that despite gov-

ernment orders to avoid unneces-

sary referrals, they continue to re-

ceive 20-40 referral cases per day

and among them only 50 percent

are genuine while as 50 percent

are uncertain and can be easily

managed at Primary Health Cen-

tre, Sub district hospitals and dis-

trict hospitals.

The doctors further said that

besides unnecessary referrals,

pregnant ladies themselves come

here for check-ups from very far off

places who can get easily visit pe-

ripheral hospitals in their districts.

Patients from Lolab, Gurez,

Keran and far off places of other

hospitals are coming here them-

selves for check-ups once they

pregnant but they can avail this

facility at SDH and District hos-

pitals where gynaecologists are

posted already.

They said that these pregnant

ladies come here for ante-natal

check-ups to get LD card and come

here for regular check-ups to put

pressure on OPD as well.

“This is being done so that

whenever they have labour pain,

they get admit themselves here

without being called as referrals.

Despite that most of them have

normal delivery which can be eas-

ily managed at peripheral hospi-

tals,” a doctor at LD said wishing

not to be named.

A senior doctor at LD said

around 17000 patients were treat-

ed in OPD of the hospitals

He said that around 3500

deliveries were carried out at

the hospital in June month and

among them 800 were referral cas-

es. Among 3500 deliveries, around

1300 were C-section cased and

most of the cases among rest 2200

were normal deliveries. (KNO)

"Work In Wellness" Workshop

Organised For Women

Observer News Service

Srinagar: J&K Legislative Assem-

bly Secretariat on wednesday or-

ganized ‘Work in Wellness Work-

shop' for the Women employees of

Assembly at the Legislative As-

sembly Complex here.

The workshop was organised

on the instructions of Secretary,

J&K Legislative Assembly, Renu

Mahajan in association with En-

nobler Private Limited Corporate

Wellness Company.

workshop was conducted by

International Coach Federation

certified Corporate Trainer, Di-

vye Duheta Mahajan, Director of

Ennobler Private Limited Corpo-

rate Wellness Company with an

experience of more than 12 years.

The workshop covered Well-

ness aspects ranging from physi-

cal wellness to mental wellness.

The trainer customized the pro-

gram as per the need of employees

and conducted the session with

lots of activities involving them

completely.

The program also included

special reference to daily life chal-

lenges and helped employees to

build their own wellness strate-

gies. In addition to it, Women

employees felt encouraged to

participate in holistic wellness

in professional and personal life

through various strategic ways

learnt in the program.

The trainer made sure that

women employees get opportu-

nity to speak their mind without

fear and develop communication

to express themselves effortlessly.

The idea of the workshop was to

bring open mindedness in their

working style.

The immediate benefits of

the program were felt by the em-

ployees who made sure that they

will bring a new culture in the

workspace of their department

and bring in liaison with other

employees of the Legislative As-

sembly for better work culture.

The ‘work in wellness’ is

a unique initiative by the first

Women Secretary of Legislative

Assembly to bring in balance, ho-

listic Wellness and productivity

amongst the employees. This is

the initiative needed to be incor-

porated by all the departments

to increase the work life balance

and gain more productivity from

the employees of the department

for making functioning of govern-

ment department smooth and pro-

gressive. Around 30 lady employ-

ees participated in the workshop.

ECI Organises Workshop On First

Level Checking On EVM/ VVPAT

Observer News Service

Srinagar: Election Commission

of India (ECI) on Wednesday or-

ganized a Day long Workshop

on First Level Checking (FLC)

of EVM/VVPAT for District

Election Officers (DEOs) and

Deputy District Election Officers

(DDEOs) of all the Districts of

Kashmir Division here at SKICC.

The Program was organized

by the Election Commission of

India in collaboration with Chief

Election Office J&K and District

Election Officer (Deputy Commis-

sioner), Srinagar.

The proceedings of the work-

shop were presided over by Direc-

tor EVM, ECI, S Sunder Rajan

in presence of Secretary, ECI,

Madhusudan Gupta and Under

Secretary ECI, O P Sahani. While,

members from ECIL compris-

ing Deputy General Manager, P

C Mandal, Senior Manager, A

Sunil, Technical Officer-C, V

Dinesh Datta, and Technical Of-

ficer-V, Venkanna were also the

part of the programmer.

All District Election

Officers(DEOs) of Kashmir Divi-

sion including DEO, Srinagar, Mo-

hammad Aijaz Asad, DEO, Baram-

ulla, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, DEO,

Anantnag, Dr Piyush Singla, DEO,

Bandipora, Dr Owais Ahmad,

DEO, Pulwama, Baseer ul Haq

Chaudhary, DEO, Shopian, Sachin

Kumar, DEO, Budgam, Shahbaz

Ahmad Mirza, DEO, Kulgam, Dr

Bilal Mohi ud Din, DEO Kupwara,

Khalid Jehangir and DEO, Gander-

bal, Shambir, besides all Deputy

District Election Officers (DDEOs)

participated in the workshop.

Pic: Social Media

NEWS MAKERS

Over 18,000 Cases Of

Monkeypox Worldwide,

Majority In Europe, Says WHO

Agenceis

London: There have been more

than 18,000 cases of monkeypox

reported globally from 78 coun-

tries, with the majority in Europe,

the World Health Organization

said on Wednesday.

The WHO declared the out-

break a global health emergency

on Saturday.

So far, 98 per cent of cases out-

side the countries in Africa where

the virus is endemic have been re-

ported in men who have sex with

men, the WHO said.

WHO Director-General Dr

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

urged that group to consider re-

ducing numbers of sexual part-

ners and swapping contact details

with any new partners.

"This is an outbreak that can be

stopped... the best way to do that

is to reduce the risk of exposure,"

Tedros told a news conference from

Geneva. "That means making safe

choices for yourself and others."

Monkeypox is in the process of

being renamed, to avoid the name

being "weaponised" or in a racist

way, WHO emergencies director

Mike Ryan said.

The UN agency is recommend-

ing vaccination for high-risk

groups, including men who have

sex with men with multiple sexual

partners and healthcare workers.

It cautioned that it takes sev-

eral weeks after getting the sec-

ond dose of vaccine to be fully

protected, so people should take

other precautions until that point.

Around 10 per cent of patients

have been hospitalized in the cur-

rent outbreak and five have died,

all of them in Africa, the WHO said.

Monkeypox has been a globally

neglected public health problem in

parts of Africa for decades, but cases

began to be reported outside coun-

tries where it is endemic in May.

It generally causes mild to mod-

erate symptoms, including fever,

fatigue and painful skin lesions

that resolve within a few weeks.

Tedros said there were about 16

million doses of approved vaccine

available, but only in bulk, so it would

take several months to get them into

vials. The WHO is urging countries

with stockpiles to share vaccine while

supply is constrained, he added.

Blinken Non-Committal As Slain Palestinian

Journalist's Family Seeks US Probe

Agenceis

he top US diplomat invited

relatives of the veteran Al

Jazeera reporter, who was

killed on May 11 as she covered

an Israeli Occupation raid in the

occupied West Bank, for a meet-

ing in Washington after they

unsuccessfully tried to see Presi-

dent Joe Biden on his visit to the

region earlier this month.

"We are continuing to call for

accountability and for justice

for Shireen," Lina Abu Akleh, the

journalist's 27-year-old niece,

told AFP outside the State De-

partment after nearly an hour-

long meeting with Blinken.

"If there is no accountability

for Shireen's murder, then this in

a way gives a green light for oth-

er governments to kill American

citizens," she said.

Lina Abu Akleh, who was joined

by the slain journalist's brother,

said that Blinken acknowledged

the family's concerns about a lack

of transparency and promised "to

establish a better channel of com-

munication."

But she said he "did not com-

mit to anything" on the family's

calls for an independent US in-

vestigation into the death of the

leading Palestinian journalist,

who also held US citizenship.

The United States on July 4

released a statement saying Abu

Akleh was likely shot by Israeli

Occupation fire but that there

was no evidence her killing was

intentional and that the bullet

was too damaged for a conclu-

sive finding.

The family demanded a retrac-

tion of the statement, which was

based in part on US reviews of

the separate Israeli Occupation

and Palestinian probes.

- 'Accountability' -

State Department spokesman

Ned Price pointed to the July 4

statement when asked if Blinken

supported a new US probe.

"We believe that by publish-

ing the findings, it speaks to

our commitment to pursuing

an investigation that is credible,

an investigation that's thorough

and, importantly, an investiga-

tion that culminates in account-

ability," Price told reporters.

He said that the Israeli Occu-

pation Defense Forces have "the

ability to implement processes

and procedures to avoid non-

combatant casualties" and "to

see to it that something like this

cannot happen again."

Price said that Blinken voiced

"our deepest condolences" to the

family and hailed Abu Akleh for

her "fearless pursuit of the truth"

as a journalist.

The Israeli Occupation has an-

grily rejected suggestions it de-

liberately targeted a journalist. It

initially said that Palestinian fire

could have killed Abu Akleh, who

was wearing a vest that clearly

identified her as a reporter, be-

fore backtracking.

Blinken has publicly criticized

the Israeli Occupation for using

force at her funeral, when police

grabbed Palestinian flags and

pallbearers struggled not to drop

her casket.

The family is also meeting US

lawmakers who have been press-

ing for the FBI or other US agen-

cies to launch an investigation

into her death.

"If we allow Shireen's killing

to be swept under the rug, we

send a message that the lives of

US citizens abroad don't mat-

ter, that the lives of Palestinians

living under Israeli occupation

don't matter, and that the most

courageous journalists in the

world, those who cover the hu-

man impact of armed conflict

and violence, are expendable,"

Shireen's brother Tony Abu Ak-

leh said in a statement before the

meetings.

Ex-Israeli PM: Surgical

Military Action Against

Iran Won't Work

ormer Israeli prime minis-

ter Ehud Barak says surgi-

cal military action against

Iran is no longer effective, ac-

knowledging that Tehran is well

capable of “harassing” Israel.

In an article published in

Time magazine on Monday,

Barak claimed that Iran could

make a decision “this summer”

to become a nuclear power.

“This summer, Iran will turn

into a de-facto threshold nuclear

state. Yes, it will still take them

from 18 to 24 months to polish

their skills treating metal ura-

nium and packing it into a mis-

sile warhead. But these steps

can be executed in a small lab or

workshop and cannot be easily

followed, never mind stopped.”

He wondered why Washing-

ton and Tel Aviv did not launch

“a kinetic attack capable of

delaying the Iranian program

by at least several years” after

former US President Donald

Trump nixed the 2015 deal,

officially known as the Joint

Comprehensive Plan of Action

(JCPOA), in May 2018.

“Both Israel and (for sure) the

US can operate over the skies of

Iran against this or that site or

installation and destroy it. But

once Iran is a de-facto thresh-

old nuclear state, this kind of

attack simply cannot delay the

Iranians from turning nuclear.”

“In other words, unlike the

surgical operations that were

considered 12 years ago, or

could have been considered 4

years ago–operations which

could have substantially delayed

the Iranian program (while risk-

ing a war with Iran)–the present

possibilities bring all the risk of

war (especially for Israel) with

only scant likelihood of delaying

the Iranian nuclear program.”

Barak also admitted that

Iran, which he described as “a

tough and bitter rival” is capa-

ble of “harassing Israel.”

“However, when it comes to

nuclear capability, bear in mind

that creating a preliminary nu-

clear arsenal can take a decade

or more. It becomes a potential

existential threat to Israel only

in the longer term.”

In his article, Barak called

for several actions to face what

he claimed to be “the real new

phase” of Iran’s nuclear program.

“If a new agreement with

Iran, even a dubious one, helps

preserve the NPT, that would

still serve useful purposes…

Washington must establish a

small club of relevant states, Is-

rael among them, and make sure

that high investments in intelli-

gence minimize the risk of miss-

ing any crucial developments.”

He also called for equipping Is-

rael with the means “to enable it to

carry out an independent attack.”

Iran has repeatedly main-

tained that its nuclear program

is for peaceful purposes only.

Leader of the Islamic Revo-

lution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali

Khamenei has even issued a

fatwa (religious decree) against

the possession and use of

weapons of mass destruction.

Kamal Kharrazi, the head

of Iran’s Strategic Council on

Foreign Relations, has recently

rejected allegations that Iran

has intentions to make nuclear

weapons, saying this is while

the Islamic Republic “possesses

the technical capabilities.”

Job Quota For Agniveers

Not To Affect 50% Supreme

Court Ceiling: Centre

Agenceis

New Delhi: The 10 per cent

reservation to be given to Ag-

niveers in the recruitment to

posts of constables in central

armed police forces will be

horizontal and not affect the 50

per cent ceiling kept by the Su-

preme Court, Rajya Sabha was

informed on Wednesday.

Union Minister of State for

Home Nityanand Rai said this in

a written reply to a question.

"An in-principle approval has

been given for reservation of 10

per cent of vacancies for ex-Ag-

niveers in the recruitment to the

post of constable (general duty),

rifleman in the Central Armed

Police Forces and Assam Rifles.

This reservation will be hori-

zontal which will not affect the

50 per cent ceiling kept by the

Supreme Court," he said.

Mr Rai said relaxation in the

upper age limit and exemption

from the physical efficiency test

will also be given to the former

Agniveers. The Centre on June

14 had unveiled the ambitious

Agnipath scheme for recruit-

ment of youths aged between

17-and-a-half years and 21 years

in the Army, the Navy and the

Air Force, largely on a four-year

short-term contractual basis.

Those recruited under the

scheme will be known as Ag-

niveers. After the completion of

the four-year tenure, 25 per cent

of the recruits from each batch

will be offered regular service.

There have been protests by

job aspiring youths against the

scheme. Subsequently, the Union

Home Ministry had announced

that 10 per cent vacancies for re-

cruitment in the central armed

police forces or the paramilitary

forces will be reserved for the

Agniveers.

Replying to another question,

the minister said in January,

2016, it was decided to reserve

33 per cent posts at constable

level for being filled by women

in the CRPF and CISF to begin

with and 14-15 per cent posts at

constable level in border guard-

ing -- the BSF, SSB and ITBP.

The existing strength of women

personnel in central armed police

forces and Assam Rifles at present

is 34,151 and the recruitment is an

ongoing process, he said.

Israeli Army Razes

Homes Of Suspects In

Settler’s Killing

Agenceis

QARAWAT HASAN: Israeli forces

on Tuesday demolished the

homes of two Palestinians in the

occupied West Bank accused of

shooting dead a Jewish settler in

April, an army statement said.

The army said it had de-

stroyed the homes in Qarawat

Bani Hasan, in the northern

West Bank, belonging to Yusef

Aasi and Yehya Miri, accused of

perpetrating “a deadly shooting

attack at the entrance to the city

of Ariel, murdering the Israeli se-

curity guard Vyacheslav Golev”.

Aasi and Miri were arrested a

day after the April 29 attack and

are being held by Israel.

They have not yet faced trial

in Israeli military court, which

exercises jurisdiction over of-

fences committed by Palestin-

ians in parts of the West Bank, a

territory occupied by the Jewish

state since 1967.

“The demolition took place

after the petition from the ter-

rorists’ families was rejected by

the Supreme Court,” the army

statement said.

The army added that during

the demolitions, “hundreds of

Palestinians instigated a num-

ber of violent riots. The rioters

hurled rocks, Molotov cocktails

and burning tyres at the soldiers.

The forces responded with riot

dispersal means.” Golev was

killed during a period of surging

tensions in the Israeli-Palestin-

ian conflict, including regular

clashes between Palestinians

and Israeli security forces at

Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al Aqsa

mosque compound at the end of

the Muslim holy fasting month

of Ramadan.

Human rights activists say

Israel’s policy of demolishing

the homes of suspected attack-

ers amounts to collective pun-

ishment, as it can render non-

combatants, including children,

homeless. But Israel says the

practice is effective in deterring

some Palestinians from carrying

out attacks.

Roughly 475,000 Jewish set-

tlers now live in the West Bank

in communities widely regarded

as illegal under international

law. Ariel, where Golev was

killed, is one of the largest settler

communities.

3.66 Lakh Road Accidents

Caused 1.32 Lakh Deaths

In 2020: Nitin Gadkari

Agenceis

New Delhi: A total of 3,48,279

persons were injured in 3,66,138

road accidents across the coun-

try during the calendar year

2020, causing 1,31,714 deaths,

Parliament was informed on

Wednesday.

In a written reply to the Rajya

Sabha, Minister of Road Trans-

port and Highways Nitin Gadkari

said that as many as 4,51,361

people were injured in road acci-

dents in India during 2019, while

the total number of accidents

stood at 4,49,002.

According to the minister, the

road ministry has formulated a

multi-pronged strategy to ad-

dress the issue of road safety

based on education, engineering

(both of roads and vehicles), en-

forcement and emergency care.

Replying to a separate ques-

tion, Mr Gadkari said, construc-

tion works on National High-

ways were delayed to some

extent due to the COVID-19 pan-

demic and the loss of time was

estimated to be generally in the

range of 3-9 months depending

upon the project parameters.

The government has taken

several steps under Atmanirb-

har Bharat, like granting time

extensions for 3 to 9 months,

relaxation in contract provisions

for ensuring cash flow, direct

payment to sub-contractors and

release of retention/security

money to augment cash flow,

waiver of penalty in case of delay

in submission of performance

security (for new contracts), to

make up the loss and regain the

lost speed in highways construc-

tion, he added.

Responding to another ques-

tion, Mr Gadkari said 61 State

Transport Undertakings (STUs),

which are members of Asso-

ciation of State Road Transport

Undertakings (ASRTU), are op-

erating 1,45,747 buses, out of

which 51,043 buses have facility

for boarding and deboarding for

persons with disabilities.

Thousands Of Cows Buried At Landfill

After Deadly Heatwave In US

Agenceis

CHICAGO: Top US cattle feeding

companies sent 1,000-pound car-

casses to a Kansas landfill, where

they were flattened by loader

machines and mixed with trash,

after a June heatwave killed thou-

sands of cows, documents show.

Other cattle were buried in unlined

graves, a feeding company said.

Neither is a typical method for

disposing of bodies. But so many

cows died in the unusual heat and

humidity that facilities that nor-

mally convert carcasses into pet

food and fertilizer products were

overwhelmed, prompting the state

government and cattle feeders to

take emergency measures.

The mass deaths and subsequent

scramble to deal with decaying bodies

sparked a push for changes in the meat

industry in Kansas, the third-largest

US cattle state. Kansas is forecast to

see more high temperatures that can

stress and potentially kill cattle this

summer, adding to the myriad prob-

lems caused by increasingly extreme

weather linked to climate change.

Although state officials autho-

rised companies to dispose of

carcasses at the Seward County

Landfill in Liberal, Kansas, they are

now considering alternatives to

decrease the risks for foul smells

and other problems if more deaths

occur, the landfill’s director said.

The disposal methods and identi-

ties of companies that lost cattle have

not previously been reported. They

were contained in documents ob-

tained from the Kansas Department

of Health and Environment and con-

firmed by some companies involved.

At least 2,117 cattle died after hu-

midity levels spiked, winds disap-

peared and temperatures topped 100

degrees Fahrenheit (38C) in south-

western Kansas during the weekend

of June 11, state records show. It was

early in the year for such heat and be-

fore some cattle had fully shed their

winter coats. Seward County Landfill

Director Brock Theiner estimated the

dump alone took in roughly 1,850 to

2,000 dead cattle.

Landfill workers used loading

equipment with steel wheels to

flatten the cattle to about eight

inches and mixed the bodies with

garbage, a process that took nearly

three weeks, Theiner said.

Russia Plans To Quit International

Space Station ‘After 2024’

Agenceis

MOSCOW: Russia has decided to quit

the International Space Station “after

2024”, the newly appointed chief of

Moscow’s space agency told Presi-

dent Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

The announcement comes as

tensions rage between the Kremlin

and the West over Moscow’s mili-

tary intervention in Ukraine and

several rounds of unprecedented

sanctions against Russia. Russia

and the United States have worked

side by side on the ISS, which has

been in orbit since 1998.

“Of course, we will fulfil all our

obligations to our partners, but the

decision to leave this station after

2024 has been made,” Yury Bor-

isov, who was appointed Roscos-

mos chief in mid-July, told Putin.

“I think that by this time we

will start putting together a Rus-

sian orbital station,” Borisov

added, calling it the space pro-

gramme’s main “priority”.

“Good,” Putin replied in com-

ments released by the Kremlin.

Until now space exploration

was one of the few areas where

cooperation between Russia and

the United States and its allies

had not been wrecked by tensions

over Ukraine and elsewhere. Bor-

isov said the space industry was

in a “difficult situation”.

He said he would seek “to raise

the bar, and first of all, to pro-

vide the Russian economy with

the necessary space services”,

pointing to navigation, commu-

nication, and data transmission,

among other things.

Soldier In Kanwar

Yatra Killed Allegedly For

Overtaking Other Kanwariyas

Agenceis

Haridwar: A 25-year-old army

jawan. who was part of a group of

kanwariyas from Uttar Pradesh was

killed in Haridwar allegedly by an-

other group from Haryana , police

said on Wednesday, adding six per-

sons were arrested. Kartik, a jawan

from the Jat regiment of the Indian

Army, succumbed to injuries on

the way to a hospital, Haridwar

Superintendent of Police (Rural)

Pramendra Dobhal said.

Six persons were arrested in

connection with the incident and

booked under different sections of

the IPC, he said. According to police,

Kartik was attacked with batons

and iron rods by the kanwariyas

from Haryana when the two groups

riding motorcycles were racing with

each other and he drove past them.

Angry with Kartik over this,

the kanwariyas from Haryana

thrashed him brutally, police said,

adding that the army jawan was

on leave. Kartik hailed from Sisauli

village of Muzaffarnagar district

and was returning from Haridwar

after collecting Ganga water along

with other members of his group

when the incident occurred on

Tuesday, SP Dobhal said.

Police identified the arrested

persons as Sundar (38), Rahul (20),

Sachin (25), Akash (21), Pankaj (22)

and Rinku (24). All of them are

from Chulkana village in Haryana's

Panipat district, the SP (rural) said.

SRINAGAR | THURSDAY | 28.07.2022

News

Srinagar | Thursday | 28-07-2022

STATE

KP Employee Not Eligible For

Transfer Outside Kashmir: MHA

Agencies

SRINAGAR: The Government on

Wednesday said that a Kashmiri

Pandit employee, recruited un-

der special drive, was not eligi-

ble for transfer outside the Val-

ley “under any circumstances.”

In a written reply to a query if

the government was consider-

ing transfer of Kashmiri Pandit

Employees’ to safe havens

outside the valley, Minister of

State in the Ministry of Home

Affairs, Nityanand Rai said that

in terms of Jammu and Kash-

mir Kashmiri Migrants (Spe-

cial Drive) Recruitment Rules,

2009 notified on 30 December

2009, the appointees shall have

to work within Kashmir Valley

and “shall not be eligible for

transfer outside the Valley un-

der any circumstances.”

“However, they have been

posted at safer zones in various

District/Tehsil/Headquarters

within the Kashmir Division,”

he said while responding to a

query by Vivek K. Tankha.

Besides, Rai said, the Gov-

ernment has taken several

measures to ensure safety of

minorities in the Valley. “These

include a robust security and

intelligence grid, day & night

area domination, patrolling and

proactive operations against

(militants), round the clock

checking at Nakas, deployment

of security forces at strategic

points to thwart any (militant)

attack,” he said in the reply.

Rai said that nine government

employees (excluding security

forces) including one Kashmiri

Pandit have lost their lives in mil-

itancy-related incidents in J&K.

“The Government has a policy

of zero tolerance against (militan-

cy) and the security situation has

improved significantly in Jammu

and Kashmir (J&K). There has

been substantial decline in (mili-

tant) attacks from 417 in 2018

to 229 in 2021,” he said, adding,

“Since the repeal of Article 370,

09 Government employees (ex-

cluding security forces) includ-

ing 01 Kashmiri Pandit have lost

their lives in (militancy)-related

incidents in J&K.”

He was responding to a ques-

tion by the parliamentarian

regarding the number of em-

ployees, including Kashmiri

Pandits, of the State and the

Central Governments in J&K

and Ladakh who lost their lives

in militancy-related incidents

since the abrogation of Article

370 on 5th August, 2019. (GNS)

J&K Cong Holds Protests Against

Harassment' Of Party Leaders

Press Trust Of India

JAMMU: The Jammu and Kash-

mir Congress on Wednesday

held protests against the alleged

vindictive action and harass-

ment of the party's top leader-

ship by the central government.

Led by J-K Congress working

president and former minister

Raman Bhalla, a large number

of party leaders and activists

took out an anti-government

rally in the Bahu Fort area of the

city and raised slogans against

the Enforcement Directorate

(ED) and the Centre.

They also torched effigies of

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

and Home Minister Amit Shah.

Speaking on the occasion,

Bhalla said the BJP-led central

government is harassing top

Congress leaders by implicating

them in "false" cases.

They called Rahul Gandhi for

five days, now they have called

Sonia Gandhi for the third time.

The ED has created terror in the

country, he said.

The ED on Wednesday ques-

tioned Congress president So-

nia Gandhi for over three hours

on the third day of her depo-

sition in the National Herald

newspaper-linked money laun-

dering case, officials said.

Party leader Rahul Gandi was

earlier questioned by the fed-

eral agency in the case.

Bhalla said by resorting to ha-

rassment in the garb of money

laundering cases, the central gov-

ernment is stirring a hornet's nest

for which the BJP and its leaders

will have to pay a heavy price .

He accused the government

of using its agencies as tools

against the opposition leaders.

"It is an irony that without

registration of an FIR or pres-

ence of money transaction re-

cords or evidence, the enforce-

ment directorate is making

every effort to book the reputed

senior leaders of the Congress.

In such situation and circum-

stances, how it can be a money

laundering case," Bhalla said.

He said laws should not be wea-

ponised to target and humiliate .

The Modi sarkar has un-

leashed a relentless campaign

of vendetta against its political

opponents and critics through

the mischievous misuse of in-

vestigative agencies, he added.

In Kathua district, Congress

activists held protests and sat

on a dharna for a few hours.

Some BJP supporters entered

into a verbal dual with the pro-

testing Congress activists, but

police intervened and brought

the situation under control.

Similarly, Congress activists

took out a protest rally at Bani-

hal in Ramban district against

Sonia Gandhi's appearance be-

fore the ED.

The protest was led by former

MLA Viqar Rasool.

Police stopped the protestors

on Banihal hospital road and

did not allow them to move to-

wards the national highway.

Congress leaders also con-

demned the detention of Rahul

Gandhi and other party leaders

by the Delhi Police on Tuesday.

Kashmiri Journalist Stopped From

Flying To Sri Lanka

Press Trust Of India

NEW DELHI: Immigration au-

thorities at the airport here

stopped yet another Kashmiri

journalist from travelling abroad,

citing restrictions imposed by

the Jammu and Kashmir Police,

officials said on Wednesday.

Akash Hassan, who hails

from Anantnag district of South

Kashmir, was on his way to

Sri Lanka on Tuesday evening

when his boarding pass was

cancelled and he was offloaded

from the aircraft.

Hassan is the second Kashmiri

journalist barred from travelling

abroad this month. On July 2,

Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri pho-

tojournalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo

was stopped when she was on

her way to Paris to attend a book

launch event and participate in a

photography exhibition.

Hassan informed on his un-

verified Twitter handle that im-

migration officials at the Indira

Gandhi International Airport

had barred him from boarding

his flight to Colombo. "I was

headed to report on the current

crises in the country," Hassan,

who writes for the UK-based

The Guardian newspaper, said.

He said immigration officials

took his passport, boarding pass

and made him sit in a room for

nearly four hours before an air-

line official informed him that his

luggage had been offloaded on

directions from the department.

"I was questioned by two of-

ficials about my background,

travel purpose," Hassan said,

adding after nearly five hours,

he was handed his passport and

boarding pass with a red rejec-

tion stamp that read "cancelled

without prejudice".

Hassan, whose father is a

teacher, completed his post-

graduation from Turkey.

People's Democratic Party

(PDP) chief and former Jammu

and Kashmir chief minister Me-

hbooba Mufti said stopping Has-

san from travelling abroad came

at a time when Chief Justice of

India N V Ramana stated that

independent journalism was the

backbone of democracy.

"It's no secret that GOI wants

to crush the very backbone and

fourth pillar of our democracy

because of its intolerance to the

truth," she said in a tweet.

Officials in the Jammu and

Kashmir Police confirmed that

Hassan had been placed on a

no-fly list.

Earlier, some Kashmir jour-

nalists, activists and academi-

cians were stopped at the air-

port too.

TAD Issues Selection List

Under Top 50 Coaching Scheme

Observer News Service

SRINAGAR: Tribal Affairs

Department (TAD), J&K on

Wednesday issued the selection

list of Top 50 coaching scheme

for tribal students preparing for

NEET/JEE examinations.

Earlier this month, the de-

partment had invited applica-

tions from desirous students

for availing this scheme which

aims to provide coaching to

meritorious and deserving tribal

students preparing for NEET/

JEE courses. The scheme is be-

ing implemented through the

Education wing of the Tribal Re-

search Institute.

Secretary, TAD, Dr. Shahid

Iqbal Choudhary while speaking

on this initiative said that under

this scheme, 153 students were

shortlisted by the department

from hundreds of applications

received through portal. He add-

ed that after proper scrutiny and

evaluation, 50 tribal students

have been selected who shall be

imparted coaching through re-

puted Coaching institutes.

The Secretary highlighted

that the coaching process shall

commence in the month of Au-

gust and the students selected

for admission in professional

Courses like MBBS, BVSC & AH,

BDS, BAMS, BE etc. shall be pro-

vided an annual scholarship of

Rs 70,000 to 75,000 totalling

around Rs 4 Lakh for various

professional courses.

Notably, the cut-off point in

today’s selection list was de-

clared as 89.4 % with 20 girl stu-

dents figuring in the list of total

50 students.

Pertinently, TAD has launched

various initiatives for tribal edu-

cation including enhancement of

scholarship by more than 100%,

special scholarship scheme for

tribal children of seasonal Cen-

tres, Smart Schools in tribal areas,

four times hike in tuition fee, hike

in diet and uniform charges by

around 100%, operationalisation of

hostels throughout the year, Con-

struction of new hostels, Residen-

tial schools, awards to meritorious

students, IT related initiatives for

hostel students, among others.

J&K On A Mission To Become Largest Clean Energy-Producing UT: Govt

Samoon Reviews Status Of

Admissions In Govt Polytechnics

Asks Principals Of GPs For 100 Percent Enrolment

Bestsound Center Opens In Pulwama

With Hearing Help Private Limited

Observer News Service

SRINAGAR: J&K is on a mission to

become one of the largest clean

energy-producing UT in the country

with an objective to reduce depen-

dency on conventional sources of

energy and enable J&K in attaining

self-suciency in its energy needs, an

ocial spokesperson said Wednesday.

He said that J&K Government

recognizes that renewable energy can

also signiﬁcantly increase J&K’s and

the Nation’s energy security.

To achieve this milestone, the

work is going on to implement the

Government of India’s Grid-connected

Rooftop Solar Scheme, Phase-II for

the residential sector in Jammu to

ensure that the electricity needs of the

city are fully met from solar energy.

Under the project, 200 MW grid-

tied rooftop solar power plants will be

installed on 50,000 residential build-

ings in Jammu city by the Jammu and

Kashmir Energy Development Agency

(JAKEDA) under its “Solar City Mis-

sion” at an estimated cost of Rs 1040

crore. The project will be completed by

March, 2024 and will have a lifetime

of 25 years.

The Rooftop Solar Programme will

provide subsidized installation of solar

power panels on residential houses at

the cost of Rs. 58,739, Rs. 53,995, Rs.

52,594, and Rs. 51,309 for Category-A

(Up to 1 kW), Category-B (> 1 kW to 2

kW), Category-C (> 2kW up to 3 kW),

and Category-D (> 3 kW up to 10 kW),

respectively.

The Central Sector Scheme provides

a central subsidy component of 40%

of the project cost and a state subsidy

component of 25% of the project

cost for the installation of solar power

panels, below 3 kW capacity, beyond

which the central subsidy compo-

nent remains at 20%. The subsidy is

provided to the beneﬁciaries through

the DBT mode.

An ocial said that these rooftop

solar power plants will be connected

to the grid on a net metering basis.

The investments made by the ben-

eﬁciaries will be recovered at a rate of

25% annually on account of the sav-

ing of energy, with a payback period of

approximately 4 years.

With the implementation of the

project, J&K will beneﬁt from the

generation of approximately 280

million units of energy annually, with

a corresponding reduction in carbon

emissions of approximately 5.44

million tons, besides reaping gains

from savings on account of inter-state

transmission losses to the tune of 224

million units, he added.

The generation of solar energy

through the Rooftop Solar Programme

will also help the energy-deﬁcit UT

of J&K in supplementing its energy

needs, while assisting the DISCOMs

in achieving the Renewable Purchase

Obligation (RPO) targets of 10.5% as

ﬁxed by the Government of India.

The project will also provide em-

ployment opportunities to local youth.

Based on employment estimates, it is

calculated that the 1 MW rooftop solar

PV project generates a total of 40

full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs over

the 25 years expected lifetime of the

project, which includes highly skilled

personnel for business development,

design, sales, procurement, and

project management; one-time jobs

for construction and installation of

the rooftop PV system; and unskilled

resources required annually for clean-

ing activity of the plant.

The scheme mandates implement-

ing agency, viz. JAKEDA to provide

regular quality supervision and

certiﬁcation of the quality of material

to be installed; periodic monitoring of

physical progress and third-party qual-

ity checks from MNRE approved test

centres; provide free maintenance for

a period of 5 years post installation;

install bi-directional net-meters; and

ensure project completion within the

given timelines.

J&K has a good potential for solar

energy and the renewable energy

capacity would help to bridge a part

of its power requirement. Under

the new budget in PM KUSUM

Scheme, 375 Solar Water Pumps will

be installed in 2022-23 providing

electricity beneﬁt to 47159 souls,

direct agriculture beneﬁt to 18750

souls, and indirect agriculture beneﬁt

to 160000 souls.

Notably, Prime Minister Narendra

Modi inaugurated a 500-kilowatt solar

power plant at Village Pali of Samba

which will make it India’s ﬁrst “carbon-

neutral Panchayat.

Observer News Service

SRINAGAR: Principal Secretary

Skill Development Department

(SDD), Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon

on Wednesday chaired a meet-

ing of officers to review the

status of admission in the Gov-

ernment Polytechnic colleges

across Jammu and Kashmir.

Director Skill Development,

Secretary Board of technical

Education (BOTE), officers from

J&K Board of School Education,

Principals of all Government

Polytechnics, representatives of

AICTE and Private Polytechnics

attended the meeting in person

and through video conferencing.

The Principal Secretary held a

threadbare discussion with all

the concerned officers with re-

spect to the admission process

at all Polytechnics.

The meeting was informed

that BOTE invited applications

for the admissions in the three

year Diploma programme and

as on date 3060 applications

have been received by the board.

It was told that the date of re-

ceiving applications was started

in the first week of May and the

process is still going on with a

timeline to receive applications

extended three times.

It was also given out that the

admission process is at its final

stage and the final applications

would be sent to respective col-

leges for further process of en-

rolment of the applicants.

Dr Samoon asked the Princi-

pals of Government Polytechnics

to ensure 100 per cent enrol-

ment for the academic session.

He also asked the Principals to

give wide publicity to ongoing

admissions so as to encourage

maximum admission of stu-

dents in these Polytechnics.

He also directed the Principals

to retain hired buildings for hos-

tel facilities for far off students.

Observer News Service

PULWAMA: Signia, a leader in the

hearing aid industry on Wednes-

day announced the launch of its

BestSound Center (A Hearing

and Speech Clinic), in Pulwama

in association with Hearing Help

Private Limited where consum-

ers can experience new technol-

ogy hearing aids and take an in-

formed decision to enhance their

hearing journey.

The BestSound Center is set

to showcase the finest from Si-

vantos’ premium hearing care

brand, Signia. It is one of the

largest networks of hearing care

professionals with clinics

spread across the country and

aims at providing quality ser-

vices to people.

Hearing Help Private Limited

opened one more Signia exclu-

sive diagnostic clinic in Gole

Market Karannagar Srinagar

where world class diagnostic

facilities like BERA, OAE, Tym-

panometry is available.

As per WHO estimates in In-

dia, there are approximately 63

million people, who are suffer-

ing from significant hearing im-

pairment; this places the esti-

mated prevalence at 6.3% in the

Indian population.

Mr. John Zargar, MD of Hear-

ing Help Private Limited adds,

“In India, hearing impairment

or loss is often neglected which

leads to delay in diagnosis. Due

to the stigma associated with

hearing loss, there is a strong

social, physical and psychologi-

cal impact on an individual. As

an extension of our offerings,

we are glad to spread our wings

in the country. This expansion

is in line with our focus on tak-

ing hearing aids beyond devices

to help people hear better and

maximize every moment of

their lives.” We provide people

with all range of hearing aids

like invisible, chargeable and

super power with phone con-

nectivity so that

people can use hearing aids

like Bluetooth devices. We have

our branches in Jammu, Anant-

nag, Pulwama, at 3 places in

Srinagar and Sopore Baramulla

with intentions to open more

clinics in other districts soon.

Former Legislators, PRI

Representatives Call On LG

Army Commander Asks

Troops To Remain Steadfast

To Secure Frontiers

Press Trust Of India

JAMMU: Northern Army com-

mander Lt Gen Upendra Dwive-

di has said the troops should

remain steadfast to secure

the frontiers in any condition

against an unpredictable enemy

as he paid homage to soldiers

killed in the Kargil war.

The general officer command-

ing-in-chief (GoC-In-C) of the

Udhampur-based Northern Com-

mand said the sacrifices of the

Kargil war bravehearts should

instill a sense of pride, devotion

to duty and patriotism among the

armed forces personnel.

The troops deployed in the

Northern Command shall live up

to the spirit of Kargil (war) heroes.

They shall always remain stead-

fast to secure the frontiers even in

adverse weather and treacherous

terrain against an unpredictable

enemy," Lt Gen Dwivedi said on

the occasion of the Kargil Vijay

Diwas on Tuesday.

The spirit of our fallen brave-

hearts shall always inspire us,

he said.

When you go home, tell them

of us and say, for your tomor-

row, we gave our today! the

army commander said.

The day is not only special for

the Indian Army but for the en-

tire nation as it is the anniversary

of one of the most rare battles

won in treacherous terrain, in-

clement weather and fought

from the most tactically disad-

vantageous positions, a Northern

Command spokesperson said.

He said the unmatched valour

and devotion to the national flag

and the nation was displayed by

the Indian Army during Opera-

tion Vijay'.

On July 26, 1999, the Indian

Army announced the success-

ful culmination of 'Operation

Vijay', declaring victory after a

nearly three-month-long battle

with Pakistani troops on the icy

heights of Kargil in Ladakh.

The day is observed as 'Kargil

Vijay Diwas' to commemorate

India's victory over Pakistan in

the war

The day has been embossed in

gold by the blood of those who

never came back, the spokes-

person said.

Observer News Service

JAMMU: Former legislators, po-

litical leaders, delegations of PRI

representatives and Press Club

Jammu on Wednesday called

on Lieutenant Governor Manoj

Sinha at Raj Bhawan here.

Former Legislator, Devender

Singh Rana met the Lt Governor

and projected the issues pertain-

ing to Dogri Satellite Channel,

employment opportunities for

educated youth, regularization

of casual employees and daily

wagers, pending payments of

artists of Academy for Art, Cul-

ture and Languages, exemption

of Toll at Ban Toll Plaza for locals

residing within 20 kms etc.

Sham Lal Sharma, former

minister also called on the Lt

Governor and apprised him

about channelization of River

Chenab on the pattern of River

Jhelum, early completion of

bridge over Indri Patan, Degree

College in Sub-Division Chowki

Choura, speedy construction of

Mini Secretariat at Akhnoor.

Similarly, former legislator

Ranbir Singh Pathania, accom-

panied by DDC members from

district Udhampur expressed

gratitude to LG-led UT adminis-

tration for initiating revolution-

ary administrative reforms.

He drew attention of the Lt

Governor towards the issues of

Udhampur district pertaining to

the constitution of Udhampur

Development Authority, master

plan for Surinsar Mansar De-

velopment Authority, building

complex for Government Medi-

cal College, Udhampur, road

connectivity etc.

A delegation of PRI represen-

tatives including DDC members

and BDC Chairpersons led by

former legislator Pawan Gupta

apprised the Lt Governor about

important issues pertaining to

Udhampur district, including

water supply in town area, solid

waste management, establish-

ment of transport yard and

warehouse, payment of works

under MGNREGA.

Later, a delegation of Press

Club Jammu led by its president

Sanjeev Pargal met the Lt Gover-

nor and projected various issues

related to journalists fraternity,

parking facility at Press Club,

free passage of media persons

at toll plazas on the pattern of

other states, implementation of

DAVP rates in the UT of J&K etc.

Meanwhile, acclaimed Dogri

Singer, Sonali Dogra along with

Akash Dogra and Kabul Bukhari

also called on the Lt Governor

and informed about the activi-

ties being undertaken by Natya

Roots Productions to bring

awareness and inculcate love for

art & culture.

A poster of Folk Studio, a pro-

gramme of Natya Roots Produc-

tions for promoting folk music

in the region was also unveiled.

The Lt Governor while inter-

acting with the members of the

delegations observed that the

UT Government is committed to

the equitable development of all

the regions and sections of the

society.

He assured them that their

genuine issues and demands

would be taken up for examina-

tion and early redressal.

The Lt Governor further urged

the public representatives to

continue their sustained en-

deavours for promoting the wel-

fare of people.

...

KASHMIR

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Email editorial: [email protected]

Srinagar | Thursday| 28-07-2022

Uncertain Normalcy

ammu and Kashmir has seen nine-fold increase

in police encounters in 2021-22, highest in the

country, Union Minister of State for Home Nity-

anand Rai told Lok Sabha on Tuesday. This was

followed by Assam where such cases rose by over four

times against the previous year. According to the data

tabled in Lok Sabha, there were just five police encoun-

ters in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020-21 but in 2021-22, the

number has increased to 45.

f anything, this reveals the renewed surge in vio-

lence in the union territory, most of it concentrated in

the Valley. Militants have escalated their attacks on mi-

norities and outsiders as the figures tabled in Lok Sabha

reveal. What is more, there is now evidence of more for-

eign militants infiltrating in Kashmir and that too with

an array of arms left behind in Afghanistan by the US.

Several attacks in recent weeks have made the situa-

tion very challenging for the security forces. The surge

in violence has come despite the fact that the number

of militants has dwindled under 200 over the last year,

the first time this has happened since 2015 when the

slain Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani re-

invigorated the then flagging militancy. Ever since the

withdrawal of J&K autonomy in August 2019, around

500 militants have been killed in the UT, most of them

local youth. Though this has reduced the number of mili-

tants, the violence has continued unchanged. And over

the last year, the violence has increased as militants

have chosen to attack soft targets - civilians, panchayat

workers, J&K police personnel visiting home, outsiders

and minorities - instead of engaging security personnel.

Security forces, as a result, now not only have to combat

militancy but also protect a large section of population

including many from among their own ranks.

The resurgence in violence hasn’t, however, dented

the larger drift of normalcy in the Valley yet. While

the violence has become more conspicuous in recent

months, it is still on the margins in so far as its impact

on the daily life. Tourism is at an all time high after

many years. Between January and May 15 of 2022, the

tourist arrivals in the Valley have jumped to 700,000 -

over four times the 125,0000 seen in the same period dur-

ing pandemic-hit last year - according to the data from

the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department and the

Union Tourism Ministry. Here’s hoping that the situa-

tion further improves in the coming months and tour-

ism continues to grow.

OTHER OPINON

Point Made: On Droupadi

Murmu as President

change of guard in Rashtrapati Bhavan is a solemn

moment. The departing president, Ram Nath Kov-

ind, spoke with becoming solemnity in his farewell

address about the founders of this modern nation

that exemplified liberty, equality and fraternity. Without this

‘trinity’, the purpose of democracy would be defeated. The

address, however, with the recitation of great names from

Rabindranath Tagore to Subhas Chandra Bose and allusion

to Jawaharlal Nehru as well as Shyama Prasad Mookerjee,

could seem more of an enactment of solemnity than mean-

ingful inspiration. Mr Kovind’s identity as Dalit had been

flaunted by the Narendra Modi government to prove its egali-

tarian credentials and draw the scheduled castes close. Yet

under Mr Kovind’s watch, crimes against Dalits and indig-

enous peoples grew instead of dropping as other crimes did,

especially in the pandemic years. In 2020, a scheduled caste

person was subject to a crime every 10 minutes. Since 2018,

1.3 lakh cases of crimes against Dalits were registered. Even

that was not easy. Upper castes and the administration make

it difficult for Dalits to complain, and cases may take years to

reach the courts. Meanwhile, in 2019, crimes against sched-

uled tribes rose by 26.5 per cent. Equality seems elusive.

The new president, Droupadi Murmu, is from an indig-

enous community. In her speech, Ms Murmu presented her

rise from a poor family to the position of First Citizen as

proof of the strength of India’s democracy. The solemnity of

these moments was undermined not just by the triumphal

commentary of BJP leaders celebrating the Modi govern-

ment’s egalitarian credentials in having brought a Dalit and

then, in the 75th year of Independence, the member of an in-

digenous group, to the presidential chair, but also by the op-

pression and cruelty that afflict the country. Liberty did not

mean anything for Stan Swami, and means little for protest-

ers against citizenship laws, critics and dissenters, who are

in prison. Fraternity is hardly the experience of those facing

the unchecked bullying and violence of majoritarian vigi-

lantes. The cultivation of hate, the distortion of education

and of independent institutions, or the destruction of social

harmony may be achievements, but not those envisioned by

the leaders whom the former and present presidents men-

tioned. Rather, this may be the watershed Mr Modi dreams

of. Unless, of course, the people think differently.

Telegraph India

KO VIEW

ith great respect and

faith in the columns of

your newspaper, I want

to voice my concern re-

garding the improper disposal of face

masks. Face masks are widely being

used for safety against Covid-19 and

to prevent virus transmission, but

these marks are being discarded at

inappropriate locations by a large

segment of the population.

Face masks are being worn by a

growing number of individuals to be

safe from the disease, but disposing

them away anywhere is not accept-

able as it can cause many health re-

lated as well as environmental issues.

People dump these masks carelessly

in places like roadsides, pavements,

gardens, etc. The elastic bands on

these can pose a death threat for the

animals who mindlessly chew them.

Also, these are a hub of germs and

microbes and can spread infections

and diseases. Moreover this prac-

tice leads to land pollution, further

contributing to an unclean environ-

ment. Proper disposal of face masks

is crucial for prevention of spread of

diseases.

I would like to request the resi-

dents, through the columns of your

prestigious publication, to stop care-

less discarding of their used masks.

The government agencies should

sensitize people regarding this issue,

fines should be imposed upon people

who are found disposing off masks

mindlessly and unethically.

Yasmin Rashid

Kashmir Observer

Friday, 01 February, 2013

OPINION

ASHMIR

BSERVER

ASHMIR

BSERVER

SRINAGAR, Friday, February 01, 2013

Striking at Roots

OCIETAL TRENDS guided by the political elite have shorn

the teaching profession of its status and sanctity, turning it

into just another vocation with little to distinguish it from,

say, hawking garments on the streets. The adventurous, glam-

orous and challenging enterprise of kindling, illuminating and en-

lightening tender young minds has become a lack-lustre and

uninspiring activity devoid of its sorely-needed spirit, mainly be-

cause successive leaderships (if they deserve that name) have been

too occupied with other, more lucrative, concerns to bother about

what is the corner-stone of the well-being of a people. This has had

a direct bearing on the condition of schools and their performance.

By an ironic twist of circumstance, the teaching profession has

been for long, the last resort of the capable and the destination of

choice for those who are unable to fit in anywhere else. When the

screening process for entry into this field - on which the entire social

edifice rests - should have been highly stringent, it had largely be-

come a hit- and-trial exercise with the barest minimum regard for

talent, skill and temperament.

Having been active partners in ruining the state-run school sys-

tem, the ruling classes now abdicate all responsibility by dumping

the educational sector into the private lap. This is seen in the lavish

support to fashionable and prohibitively expensive private schools

and the mushrooming of lesser copycats who are making a finan-

cial killing in the absence of a dependable and affordable public

structure. It is nothing short of a scandal that parents should avoid

sending their wards to government schools on account of the latter’s

dismal record, and prefer seedy and crowded private options no

matter how mercenary they are.

Students cleared by the state-run school system in Kashmir

often barely make the grade in rudimentary literacy, particularly in

rural and remote areas. This is sought to be cloaked by the perfor-

mance of a handful of private schools, with no thought for the

colossal amounts spent on running a vast network of under-per-

forming institutions. Howsoever sound the system may appear on

paper, on the ground it is as rickety and run-down as the school

houses spread all over rural Kashmir chronically starved of staff and

proper equipment. Reports of under-manned schools, particularly

at the primary level, are a routine feature such areas, while insti-

tutes in the city appear to bursting at the seams with needless

staff, Schools in far-flung areas function at the sweet discretion of

their often lone teachers, and instances of just one or two tutors

handling multiple classes and hundreds of students are common.

The standards of such schools and the education they impart can

well be imagined.

The situation has been allowed to drift for far too long in the

hope that with time the growing, engineered preference for pri-

vate schools would phase the government system out of existence.

It remains to be seen how well measures taken in desperation, like

recruitments scrounged in haste, are able to turn the tide for soci-

ety, particularly low-income, rural and agrarian classes for whom

state-run schools were the mainstay of hope.

OTHER OPINION

.....................................................................................

HE PAKISTAN women’s cricket team’s visit

to India for the World Cup has turned into

a security and logistical nightmare. First, the

team could not go to Mumbai, where its

matches were originally scheduled, after the

Shiv Sena started issuing its usual threats

against visiting Pakistani teams.

Now, hotels at the alternative venue of

Cuttack and neighbouring city

Bhubaneshwar have refused lodging to our

players out of fear.

Our cricketers now have to play this all-im-

portant tournament under virtual house ar-

rest, with their accommodation being pro-

vided at the clubhouse of the stadium in

which all their matches will be played. Every

other team will be staying in five-star hotels.

Discrimination Against Cricketers

NO HOLDS BARRED

.................................................................................................

MAIL YOUR LETTERS

P.O. Box # 337, GPO, Srinagar-190 001

email:

editor@kashmirobserver.net

OBSERVER MAIL

All letters intended for publication must include the writer’s name and address, even if a pseudonym is used. Letters are edited as clarity, space

and accuracy of expression require. Our publishing a letter does not mean we agree with everything or even anything in it. -EDITOR

VIEWPOINT

This discrimination is undoubtedly unfair

and puts our team at a significant disadvan-

tage. The team has been conciliatory about

its treatment but the International Cricket

Council (ICC) should take note of this.

International teams have refused to visit

Pakistan over justified security fears. It seems,

however, that if we simply put international

teams at clubhouses in stadiums and refuse

to let them go anywhere else, the security

problem would apparently be solved.

No country, of course, would accept such

conditions to play cricket in Pakistan. Yet, our

women cricketers are expected to put up with

this in India. Additionally, the final of the

tournament is supposed to be held in

Mumbai. India needs to explain how our crick-

eters will be able to stay in Mumbai in the

current climate if we reach the final.

The ICC also needs to consider if India should

be allowed to hold multi-nation tourna-

ments at a time when it can’t guarantee safety

of all players.

It is now too late to reschedule the World

Cup and our pulling out of the tournament

in protest will only heighten tensions. We

should make clear that we are only playing

under duress and that such conditions are

unacceptable if any of our sportspersons tour

India again. Instead of appeasing the anti-

Pakistan extremists, the Indian government

must ensure the safety and comfort of our

players.

-EXPRESS TRIBUNE

ILOOFAR

URESHI

Kashmir’s Fate is Just Consequential!

DEAR EDITOR,

I would like to comment on the

letter, written by one Shoaib Bhat,

Kashmir Observer, Jan 22, titled, "Who

is Responsible For LoC Killings?" I

must say to Shoaib that, you seem to

know a lot.

If it is true, there should be

investigation and appropriate action

taken against those who provoked

peace and created this environment

of mistrust. Could you also tell us who

beheaded and mutilated the bodies of

the Indian soldiers? This should not

have happened in any case.

UN roles in Kashmir has been

minimised post 1971 for India. It is

just symbolic now.

It seems that the United Nations

has not played any role in this sector

for a long time. In my view, it is more

a political point on part of both these

countries, one wanting to and the

other avoiding its role in Kashmir.

It is not in the interest of any of

two countries India and Pakistan to

indulge in any misadventure here or

anywhere.

No one should man Kargil or other

higher reaches, the rough terrain and

all this is in the extreme frigid cold

and hostile environment. The military

on both sides should be minimised but

there is something that seems to

invite and incite the elements to

Kashmir. It is part of the history of the

sub-continent.

We need to overcome it for our

eternal peace. Unfortunately,

Kashmir's fate is just consequential!

Shoaib, keep writing and stay safe.

Khuda Hafez!

-VORSHAL

Via: email

FOR THOSE WHO HAD

PLACED THEIR BETS ON

‘AMAN KI ASHA’, 2013 HAS

CERTAINLY BROUGHT

BAD NEWS. BUT AREN’T

THEY THEMSELVES TO BE

BLAMED FOR EXPECTING

THE IMPOSSIBLE?

A LONG WAY TO GO

XPECTING THAT the

venom of hatred infused

into their people over the

years by the leaders on

both sides could easily

and quickly be remedied merely by

the antidote of ‘Confidence Build-

ing Measures’ (CBMs) while they

themselves continue to foster an en-

vironment of mutual mistrust!

The reaction of New Delhi and

Islamabad to the recent incidents on

the LoC serves as a grim reminder

that the basic philosophy of ‘build-

ing bridges’ through CBM initiatives

by increasing ‘people to people’ con-

tact is flawed.

Flawed, not because the concept

in itself is wrong, but because the

leaders themselves don’t seem to be

interested in setting an example by

displaying confidence in each other.

Though, both countries are now

showing some sanity in their deal-

ings, the damage done to the pre-

carious bilateral relationship between

the two by irresponsible statements

like “there can be no business as

usual” and “war mongering” has

undone whatever little may have

been achieved by the CBMs.

However, despite both sides re-

iterating that the bilateral ties had not

been derailed, the recent turn of

events suggest otherwise. New

Delhi, suddenly like a bolt out of the

blue, raked up the

issue of the rel-

evance of the UN

Military Observer

Group

(UNMOGIP) on

the LoC in Jammu

and Kashmir.

Declaring that

“UNMOGIP’s role

has been over-

taken by the

Shimla Agreement

of 1972 between

India and Paki-

stan, signed by

the Heads of the

two governments

and ratified by

their respective

parliaments,” the

Indian representa-

tive suggested its

termination.

As expected,

Pakistan strongly

denounced New

Delhi’s contention

by saying that no

bilateral agree-

ment between the

two nations had

“overtaken or affected” the role or

legality of the UNMOGIP.

New Delhi initiated the

UNMOGIP debate under the garb of

better spending of resources allo-

cated for the Observer Group else-

where in difficult economic times.

However, as expected, this

‘noble’ proposition with fiscal import

failed to cut any ice as the issue un-

der discussion was an open debate

on peacekeeping and not on auster-

ity measures.

Why New

Delhi decided to

deviate from its

age-old policy of

‘letting the sleep-

ing dogs lie’ to

bring up the

UNMOGIP issue

and the timing it

chose to do so,

defies compre-

hension. So,

while nothing

came out of this

debate, old

wounds were re-

opened and

normalisation of

the bilateral ties

between New

Delhi and

Islamabad has

taken yet another

body blow.

Islamabad too

seems to be itch-

ing for a chance

to ‘take on’ New

Delhi. Just a day

after the Jamaat-

ud-Dawa Chief,

Hafiz Saeed offered ‘asylum’ to

Bollywood star Sharukh Khan, Paki-

stani Interior Minister Rehman Malik

too joined in by saying that though

Sharukh Khan “is a born Indian and

he would like to remain Indian, but I

will request the government of India

(to) please provide him security.”

Not content with his ‘request’ to

the Government of India, Malik went

on to appeal to the Indian public that,

“I would like to request all Indian

brothers and sisters and all those

who are talking in a negative way

about Shah Rukh, they should know

he is a movie star."

While New Delhi may be an-

noyed at Malik’s ‘request’, the

people of India will perhaps remain

ever grateful to the Pakistani Inte-

rior Minister for enlightening them

with the fact that Shahrukh Khan is

“a movie star!”

Can bilateral ties between India

and Pakistan improve if Pakistan

agrees that the UNMOGIP is not re-

quired any longer in J&K and India

reciprocates by providing Shahrukh

Khan ‘Z’ category security?

Though the recent exchanges be-

tween New Delhi and Islamabad may

bring a whiff of humour into our lives,

the dismal future of the bilateral rela-

tions, which the present ‘line of en-

gagement’ portends, is disquieting

and sends shivers down the spine.

It is high time that leaders of both

countries stop behaving like school-

children and remedy the serious

‘foot-in-the- mouth’ disease, which

seems to have afflicted them. Till this

happens, ‘Aman ki Asha’ will remain

a distant dream and bilateral rela-

tions will become another ‘comedy

circus’!

NILOOFAR QURESHI is based in New Delhi and

can be reached at:

niloofar.qureshi@yahoo.com

DEAR EDITOR,

Apropos news, ‘AFSPA Immu-

nity For Forces’ Sex Crimes Must

End’, Kashmir Observer, January

28, I want to say that we the

people of Kashmir appreciate

what Dr.Kiran Bedi said but who

has to initiate the action.

It is India who has to take the

action, but this country is never

ready to bother for innocent

killings and heinous crimes

committed by its army and such

all other agencies that too with

the help of Indian puppets of

Kashmiri origin.

-M. R. BABA

Via: email

‘IN CONCLUSION’

was a favourite

phrase of a teacher of mine — a man of scien-

tific qualification; a man who looked at you

and perceived atoms and molecules. Mr P, let’s

call him, for he very well may still be alive

monitoring the masses that passed through

his hands.

It was the Sixties, of course. The Hippie

Movement was winking naughtily from out-

side classroom windows, “Come out and taste

the freedom!”

The band Uriah Heep did indeed sing,

plaintively, Free Me, which may well have

been the anthem of many a classroom bound

schoolboy of that time.

It was also still the Years of Collusion —

between teacher and parent to ensure at all

cost that Johnny put his head down peered

into the laboratory microscope and averted

his gaze from the classroom windows. The

world outside can wait, a good education

couldn’t.

Tired of Thinking? Come to a Conclusion

If he were a cricketer — which I rather

doubt since he possessed not one jot of cricket

vocabulary in his speech — but if he were a

cricketer Mr P would have been categorised

as an all rounder. This is because he was three

science teachers rolled into one. He taught

Physics, Chemistry and when the frogs were

plentiful he was found in the

Biology rooms giving lessons

on dissection which non-bi-

ology-inclined ones like my-

self found hard to stomach,

especially the drawing of

blood or the severing of flesh in order to peer

at the undercoating and the insides.

“One has to have a stomach for these

things,” Mr P would instruct, directing his

words at the ones who’d gone a whiter shade

of pale and generally stood in the back rows

at the dissecting table so they missed a good

deal of what was going on.

PREPARING TO FACE LIFE: “Life is going to

toss things at you that are a lot harder to take,

so get used to it. In any case, you have to do it

yourself come exam time. It carries a good deal

of marks, remember.”

This generally got the ashen-faced ones

moving a few feet forward in a determined

effort to overcome their resisting wills.

Chemistry periods were about tables

with cryptic symbols and water that changed

colour magically with the introduction of dif-

ferent powders. I once remem-

ber naively being drawn into

taking a deep sniff from a

bottle of chlorine that nearly

took my sinuses for a walk

right out of my body.

Physics was about equations, balance

and sticking pins in paper while trying to

trace angles of reflection and refraction

through a thick glass slab.

Most things in Mr P’s class started out as

premises before gradually working their way

through a series of reasoning stages to a finely

drawn conclusion.

Dispute that, he’d say, pointing to a

solved equation on the blackboard. Of course,

who could? Especially who could who had his

head wrapped around other notions — those

of total freedom to pursue the pathways of

one’s own mind, frolic in the fields of an idyl-

lic nature and dream of writing lines that

rhymed and described life in a more natural

way — a way that had nothing to do with

science?

A young man dreaming is how I come to

view my school reports of that day and age

when I glance at them occasionally these

days yellowing in a plastic sleeve. Mr P obvi-

ously had a kind heart too for his marks

awarded to me in their own scientific way

reflect a kindness.

If the dissecting of a frog taught me any-

thing it pointed me in the direction of veg-

etarianism and a kindness to all animals great

and small. Science provided me with an in-

sight into laterality. That is, you could be

seated in the lap of science and be totally at

ease contemplating poetry.

Science didn’t care because ultimately it

seems everything is relative. There is no end,

no conclusion to be drawn because like some

wise person once said, “A conclusion is the

place where you got tired of thinking.”

EVIN

ARTIN

LIFE IN A

CLASSROOM OF

THE SIXTIES

Why New Delhi

decided to deviate from

its age-old policy of

‘letting the sleeping

dogs lie’ to bring up the

UNMOGIP issue and

the timing it chose

to do so, defies

comprehension. So,

while nothing came out

of this debate, old

wounds were reopened

and normalisation of

the bilateral ties

between New Delhi

and Islamabad has

taken yet another body

blow. Islamabad too

seems to be itching for

a chance to ‘take

on’ New Delhi.

Hail Kiran Bedi

OBSERVER

MAIL

All letters intended for publication must include the writer’s name and address,

even if a pseudonym is used. Letters are edited as clarity, spaceand accuracy

of expression require. Our publishing a letter does not mean we agree with

everything or even anything in it. -EDITOR