Jammu: Dr Darakhshan Andrabi was today unanimously elected as the first woman chairperson of the Wakf Board in a maiden meeting held by the newly appointed members here at Haj House.

On the occasion Dr Andrabi said that the responsibility she has been given is pivotal. She maintained that it is not only construction and maintenance of religious places that would be her focus but creation of assets like schools, universities and hospitals as that of Narayana Hospital and SMVDU are also worth emulating.

Terming her work as worship she maintained that the utilities created by the Board would be beneficial to all irrespective of colour, creed or religion. She declared that the protection of Wakf property and its best use is their priority.

She said that the actions of new body are going to be louder than the words. She stated that people are going to feel the difference in the working of the board after its working for some time.

Andrabi thanked Members of the Board for reposing their trust in her and electing her as the Chairperson of the Board.

It was given out that Wakf has been entrusted with looking after of some 32000 properties including shrines and mosques. It was further said that out of these 25000 have been geo-tagged in the last year by the active efforts of concerned Deputy Commissioners and other basic revenue workers. It was also stated that the rest of the properties would be demarcated and geo-tagged soon by the support of the district administrations.

Pertinent to mention here that it was the first meeting of newly nominated J&K Waqf body recently appointed by Ministry of Minority Affairs, GoI. Its term is going to last for five years.The newly appointed members of the board also includes Dr Ghulam Nabi Haleem, Suhail Kazmi, Syed Mohammad Hussain and Nawab Din.

Besides the members the officers of J&K Waqf Board also participated in this meeting.

Srinagar: Government on Wednesday nominated Lieutenant Governor’s advisor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar as chairman on the Board of Directors of five PSUs and Corporations.

“In supersession of all previous orders on the subject, sanction is hereby accorded to the nomination of Advisor(B) to the Lieutenant Governor, as Chairman on the Board of Directors of PSUs/Corporations of following (five PSUs and Corporations),” reads a movement order.

They include J&K State Industrial Development Corporation Limited (SIDCO); J&K Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Limited (SICOP); Jammu and Kashmir Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Limited and Jammu and Kashmir Cements Limited (IKCL) besides Jammu and Kashmir Industries Limited (JKI).

Bhatnagar holds portfolios of Health & Medical Education, Public Works (R&B), Jal Shakti, Transport, Animal/ Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Revenue, School Education and Higher Education, Skill Development.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to give an urgent hearing to a plea by six students who challenged a Karnataka High Court judgement upholding the ban on wearing hijab while in classrooms.

A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana said: “We will see it.”

It refused to give it an urgent listing. Senior lawyer Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the six students, had mentioned the matter.

The Bench also included Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli. The Supreme Court said the matter will be heard after Holi, which falls on March 18.

The six girl students stated that they won’t attend their classes without the hijab. Hegde requested the court for an early and urgent hearing “as the examinations were approaching” but Ramana declined the request.

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed the petitions filed by a group of Muslim girl students against the PU Government College for denying them entry with the hijab. The court said that hijab was not an essential practice under Islam and thus does not fall within the ambit of Article 25 of the Constitution. (UNI)

New Delhi: A total 16 Chinese nationals have granted Indian citizenship since 2007 while 10 applications are pending with the government, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

As per data available in the online citizenship module, 10 applications of Chinese nationals are pending for grant of citizenship, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a question asked by DMK’s Tiruchi Siva on asylum and citizenship requests of communities from China, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Mongolians since 2019.

“Only nationality-wise data is maintained. Community-wise data is not maintained,” he said.

Officials in the Ministry, however, said that the government has not offered asylum to the Uyghur community, which faces repression at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party.

The minister also said that all foreign nationals (including asylum seekers) are governed by the provisions contained in The Foreigners Act, 1946, The Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939, The Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and The Citizenship Act, 1955.

He also said that India is not a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol thereon and that also the data on requests for asylum is not centrally maintained. (IANS)

Srinagar: Bhaderwah area of Jammu division on Wednesday recorded the hottest day, surpassing all the previous records in the month of March as for the first time, the temperature went above 30 degree Celsius.

Earlier, on 31 March, 2018, the area had recorded 30.0 degree Celsius temperature, which was the all-time highest.

However, as per the details available, the area has recorded 30.4 degree Celsius temperature today, which is the all-time highest so far.

Official figures also said that Jammu, the winter capital of the Union Territory, has recorded the hottest day of the season today at 35.0 degree Celsius.

Pertinently, the weather conditions improved across Jammu and Kashmir while the temperature is witnessing an upsurge from the last couple of days.

According to the details, Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K has recorded 25.4 degree Celsius temperature today. (KNO)

New Delhi: Six days after the Congress’ near washout in five Assembly elections, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday appointed five senior leaders to assess the post-poll situation in these states.

The leaders would suggest organisational changes after interacting from MLA candidates and important leaders.

Rajya Sabha MP Rajani Patil will oversee Goa, Jairam Ramesh Manipur, Ajay Maken Punjab, Jitender Singh Uttar Pradesh and Avinash Pandey Uttarakhand.

The development comes just one day after the state unit chiefs of these states were asked to tender resignation by the Congress president.

The step came even as the Congress dissenters, called the ‘G23 group’, are meeting at senior party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad’s residence to chalk out their strategy after the humiliating defeat of the party.

Sonia Gandhi in the meeting of the Congress Working Committee – the party’s highest decision-making body — on Sunday offered to step back from the leadership along with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, but her offer was rejected by the CWC members. (IANS)

Srinagar: The international flight operations resumed at Srinagar airport with GoFirst Airline’s Srinagar-Sharjah flight operating on Wednesday.

A senior officer of the Airport Authority of India said that the flight carried 108 passengers.

“This is also the first international flight after inauguration of the International Cargo operations from our airport,” he said, adding, “This flight will now be regularly operating on every Tuesday and Wednesday at 1945 hours.”

The flight can carry a maximum of three tonnes of cargo to Sharjah, he said.  “The doors have now opened wide for export of our industrial, agricultural, and handicraft products,” he said, adding, “We call upon all the business houses and exporters of Kashmir to make full use of the facility.”

The direct flight connecting the Valley with the UAE, was started on October 23 last year, after being flagged off by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. However, due to the challenges posed by the surge in the Omicron-led Third Wave of COVID19, the direct flight were discontinued in January this year.

Srinagar: The Government on Wednesday ordered transfer of two JKAS officers in the interest of administration with immediate effect.

According to a government order, Rajesh Lakhan, JKAS, Project Officer, Wage Employment, Poonch, has been transferred and shall await further orders of adjustment in the General Administration Department.

Abid Hussain, JKAS, Assistant Labour Commissioner, Poonch, has been transferred and posted as Project Officer, Wage Employment, Poonch. “He shall continue to hold the charge of the post of Assistant Labour Commissioner, Poonch, till further orders,” reads the order.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Wednesday reported 17 fresh cases pushing the number of active cases to 163 while as no death was reported in last 24 hours in the UT.

With no more death, the death toll in J&K stands at 4,750 and 17 fresh positive cases reported on Wednesday have pushed the tally of positive cases to 453,493.

Officials said that among 163 new cases, 106 belong to Kashmir division while as 57 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir division have reached to 287,291 including 284,762 recoveries and 2,423 deaths while as total number of positive cases in Jammu division have reached to 166,202 including 163,818 recoveries and 2,327 deaths.

The officials said that the total number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 163 including 106 from Kashmir division and 57 from Jammu division.

With 39 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached 448,580 which is 98.92 percent of the total cases.

“Cases tested positive in J&K include 08 from Srinagar, 00 from Baramulla, 01 from Budgam, 00 from Pulwama, 00 from Kupwara, 00 from Anantnag, 00 from Bandipora, 00 from Ganderbal, 00 from Kulgam and 00 Shopian in Kashmir division while as 08 from Jammu division include 06 from Jammu district, 00 from Udhampur, 00 from Rajouri, 02 from Doda, 00 from Kathua, 00 from Samba, 00 from Kishtwar, 00 from Poonch, 00 from Ramban and 00 from Reasi,” officials disclosed.

Meanwhile, authorities said that no fresh cases of Mucormycosis popularly known as black fungus was reported in the UT and the tally stands at 51.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Legal Service Authority (LSA) has accorded sanction for the release of three lakh rupees in favour of Srinagar acid victim as financial assistance.

The order issued by LSA reads that sanction is accorded to the release of Rs 3 lakh in favour of District Legal Services Authority Srinagar for further disbursement to the victim as financial assistance recommended by Chairman District Legal Service Authority (DLSA).

The compensation, as per order, has been released under the Victim Compensation Scheme, 2019.

The development came after Advocate Mir Naveed Gul who has been appointed as free legal aid counsel for acid attack victim, submitted an application before DLSA, seeking release of compensation for the victim.

Advocate Gul submitted before DLSA that the victim has suffered grievous injury in the acid attack.

“The victim is entitled to the compensation as envisaged under the victim compensation scheme mentioned in section 357A, 357B, 357C Crpc. It is therefore requested to kindly release the victim compensation in favor of the grievously injured acid attack victim so that the victim will receive the required necessary treatment at an earliest,” he submitted.

On 22 February, this year, Police filed a charge sheet before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar against two persons accused in a recent acid attack case on a girl in Srinagar on 1 February this year. It also filed a separate challan against the juvenile in the case before JJB Srinagar.

The Police has sought punishment for the accused on two counts under Sections 326-A (voluntary throwing acid to cause grievous injury) and, 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code—(KNO)