Precious Kashmir

3500 cases settled in National Lok Adalat held in JK

Jammu & Kashmir

19/04/2021

Srinagar: About 3500 cases were settled amicably during National Lok Adalat held across Jammu and Kashmir, an official said here on Sunday.

“As the entire citizenry including the litigants are in deep mental stress due to ill surge in COVID-19 Pandemic, J&K Legal Services Authority under the stewardship of Chief Justice, High Court of J&K & Patron-in-Chief J&K & Ladakh Legal Services Authorities, Justice Pankaj Mithal, and under the guidance of Executive Chairman J&K Legal Services Authority, Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Executive Chairman, Ladakh Legal Services Authority, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur, organized National Lok Adalat throughout J&K on Saturday,” he said.

He said this National Lok Adalat was organized in all the Districts of J&K to achieve the goal of Access to Justice for all and to help the poor litigants tide over their financial problems and untold mental stress.

“As per the information received from the districts, a total number of 5400 cases taken up by benches in the day long National Lok Adalat at various courts across the Union Territory,” he said.

Out of this, he said 3500 cases were disposed off and an amount of over Rs 21 crore was awarded as compensation/ settlement amount in civil, criminal, labour disputes, Electricity and Water Bills cases, Land Acquisition, Family matters, cheque dishonor and Bank Recovery cases.

Giving details about Kashmir division, he said a National Lok Adalat program was held on Saturday under the Chairmanship of Pr District & Sessions Judge Budgam, Mohammad Ashraf Malik at Court Complex Budgam, Chadoora, Chari sharief, Magam and Beerwah in which cases as per NALSA direction were fixed.

“During the program, Six Benches were constituted to take up the cases for amicable settlement,” he said.

The National Lok Adalat was held at district Kupwara by the District Legal Services Authority Kupwara.

“A total of 167 cases were taken up before seven benches constituted by Pr District and Sessions Judge/Chairman District Legal Services Authority Kupwara Tasleem Arif, across district Kupwara in the court complexes of Kupwara, Handwara, Sogam and Tangdhar,” he said.

He said 101 cases pending in various courts were disposed off by amicable settlements which even led to settlement of Rs 2, 53,639 as compensation and fine. “As many as 24 Pre-Litigation cases were settled including bank recovery and public utility services in the National Lok Adalat,” he said.

He said members of bar, revenue officers and bank managers, and people at large participated in the National Lok Adalat through Virtual means and physically on need basis after observing all SOPs of the Covid-19.

Water rises in Wular Lake

Front

Precious Kashmir

19/04/2021

By: Wahid Rafeeqi

Bandipora: Due to incessant rains, the water level in Wular Lake has increased prompting authorities to sound alert for peoples living along the Lake here in north Kashmiris Bandipora district.

According to the officials, the teams of SDRF, revenue and other departments have been kept on alert and government buildings have been identified incase need arises to shift any population facing flood threat.

They said all concerned Tehsildars have passed directions for preparing a complete list of people living near the banks of Wullar.

The district administration has advised peoples living on the bank of Wullar lake not to venture outside unnecessarily.

The locals said since past week, water level in Wular is continuously increasing.

“Our livelihood has been affected as we are not able to venture out in the Lake to catch fish,” said the locals.

They said the water was entering into the villages in low lying areas and it was worrying them.

5-year-old girl drowns in a nallah in Sopore

Front

United News Of India

19/04/2021

Srinagar: A 5-year-old girl drowned in a nallah in the apple township of Sopore in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.

Official sources said the minor girl, identified as Rabiya Shabir, who was staying at her maternal uncle’s residence in Ningli area in Sopore, slipped and fell into nallah Khrusu on Saturday evening.

They said some persons present at the spot also jumped into the waterbody to save the life of the girl but failed. “A search and rescue operation was immediately launched,” they said.

They said after strenuous efforts, the body of the minor girl was fished out from the nallah on Sunday. “After completing all the legal and medical formalities, the body of the deceased was handed over to her relatives for last rites,” they added.

Centre’s exclusivist policies towards JK sans justice: Sagar

City

Precious Kashmir

19/04/2021

Srinagar: National Conference on Sunday said the exclusivist policies and the scripted mayhem of ruling dispensation at New Delhi towards Jammu and Kashmir has left a trail of destroyed economy, and smoldered democracy.

NC General Secertary Ali Muhammad Sagar expressed concern over the widespread administrative inertia, crumbling economy, soaring unemployment, and scathing alienation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said subsequent milestones achieved by the ruling dispensation were ill-conceived and back breaking. “The mutilating, downgrading, and disempowering Jammu and Kashmir has pushed the entire region into a limbo and on the terminal path of alienation.”

Sagar said the promises made by the ruling dispensation at the time of unilateral and unconstitutional abrogation of J&K’s constitutionally guaranteed status have fallen flat.

“On the contrary the spurious claims of the ruling dispensation at New Delhi have become apparent looking at the crumbling tourism, handicrafts, and health and education sectors in J&K. From being a revenue surplus state to a revenue deficit one, the development is before people. The only thing the ruling dispensation has ably done is to disenfranchise the local youth from employment opportunities. The apparent discrimination and regional bias in India post, JK Bank recruitment is a telling indictment of the wanton prejudice and unfairness being meted out to Kashmiri at every level. Outsourcing of security for JK Bank, outsourcing of contract for sand extraction and discriminatory new mining policy, disengagement of Self help groups of engineers are few glaring examples of the discrimination being meted out to Kashmiri. This has to end,” he said.

Sagar said there can be no redemption in the situation unless New Delhi doesn’t change its August 5th decisions. “New Delhi has to give a sense of entitlement to the people of Jammu and Kashmir by undoing its August 5, 2019 policy and restoring democracy to its pristine glory”.

12 vehicles, JCB involved in illegal mining seized in Jammu: Police

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

19/04/2021

Jammu: Police Sunday said that it has seized 12 vehicles and a JCB involved in illegal mining in Tawi river bed area of Jammu.

A police statement said Jammu police raided Tawi river-bed area and seized 12 different vehicles and JCB involved in illegal mining following inputs about illegal mining in Tawi river bed area police teams of P/S Domana, P/S Kahnachak, PP Chinore, PP Pounichak, BPP Sandwan, BPP Gajansoo were constituted .

It said the police teams raided Tawi river-bed area and seized 12 different vehicles and JCB involved in illegal mining.

The details of the vehicles seized include JK21E-0659,CH. No- 06524,JK02BX- 1621,CH. No -76767,CH. No-022417,CH. No-76747,JCB- CH. No- 291627,CH No-10835,JK02CH-5713,CH No-03969,CH. No-00474,CH. No-35590,CH. No-00378.

“The mining was done in violation of order of Jammu & Kashmir High Court. In order to strictly implement the drive against illegal mining and to tighten noose against the violators of the law, Jammu Police has initiated strict action,” added the statement.(KNS)

Div Com Jmu conducts city tour, inspects sanitation services

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

19/04/2021

Jammu: Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Dr Raghav Langer today conducted an extensive tour of Jammu city early morning and inspected the sanitation services being provided by Jammu Municipal Corporation in the city.

The Div Com was accompanied by Assistant Commissioner General Jammu, Rakesh Dubey; Secretary JMC, Tina Mahajan; Health Officer JMC, Dr Sanjogita Soodan; besides engineers of JPDCL and other concerned officers.

The Div Com started his tour from Gole Market Gandhi Nagar and visited Valmiki Chowk, Gandhi Nagar, Bakshi Nagar, Kachi Chawni, Pacca Danga, Old City and other adjoining areas and culminated at Town Hall.

He expressed satisfaction over the sanitation services being rendered by JMC for maintaining hygienic condition in the city and making available other civic amenities in these areas. He issued slew of directions to develop a clean and Green Jammu.

The Div Com also inspected the technical section of JMC where the Commissioner JMC, Avny Lavasa apprised him about the overall functioning of the technical section including the online services.

She briefed the Div Com about the e-services which are being provided to general public by JMC like provision of online Birth and Death Certificates, corrections in birth/death certificates, Licenses and NOCs for various trade activities, Dairy registration, Road cutting permissions, new sewerage connection, registration of pet dogs, registration of Pet Clinic, Bird/Pet Trade etc. she also apprised about the vehicle tracking system.

The Div Com instructed the concerned to provide more services through online mode for convenience of the general public.

Later, the Divisional Commissioner, alongwith other concerned officers, visited Bahu fort and inspected the arrangements for Navratra festival and progress on various ongoing works under beautification of Bahu Fort complex.

Economic Predicament

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Oped

Precious Kashmir

17/04/2021

Second wave of the covid-19 seems more severe than the first. On Friday, a record single-day rise of 2,17,353 covid-19 infections was recorded in India, taking total tally of the cases to 1,42,91,917, while active cases surpassed the 15-lakh mark. The daily new cases continue to break past records, and many states, including Maharashtra and New Delhi, have already imposed lockdown. In Jammu and Kashmir context, the cases are rising rapidly. On April 16, 1144 fresh covid-19 cases, the second highest single day spike in the infections this year, was recorded. The government has stated that the present covid-19 resurge is unprecedented as nearly 8000 fresh cases were added up to the burgeoning tally in the last one week alone and during the time, the highest single-day record of over 1250 cases was also breached.

The rising number of cases has brought back the spectre of a lockdown. While Maharashtra and New Delhi have already gone for limited lockdowns, the other states may be forced by the virus curve to follow the suit. Rather there is threat of a more stringent lockdown looming large over in the worst-affected ones.

While reviewing the situation, the top officials recently observed that there has been alarming increase in the number of fresh cases reported in last month and now.

Considering the “deterioration” in the Covid-19 scenario, officials emphasized that it is time once again for a comprehensive approach of the Government to meet the challenge.

They attributed the sudden rise in cases to complacency in the community as a result of slight improvement in the numbers ending last year. The vaccination alone was no panacea to the problem and they called for strict need for testing, tracing, containment and enforcement of Covid appropriate behaviour.

There is need for a clear message from top level to the entire government machinery that all weapons in the armoury are required to be utilized along with vaccination to deal with the problem.

Amid this disturbing scenario, several assessments of the effectiveness of the previous lockdown have already been made. The economic projections had revised favourably late last year and easing of lockdown restrictions actually augured well. That is not the case anymore. The second wave has come with a lag. In contemporary context, if the choice between getting grip of the situation and economic hardship was difficult last year, it will be even more difficult now.

Delimitation Commission orders can’t be challenged legally

Anchor stories

Ibni Maqbool

17/04/2021

Delimitation Commission orders can’t be challenged legally

By: Ibni Maqbool

Srinagar: Amid ongoing delimitation of Assembly and Parliamentary segments in Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory, it has come to fore that the body’s orders cannot be challenged in any court of law.

The law governing the delimitation process in Jammu & Kashmir makes it unambiguously clear that the body’s orders cannot be questioned in any court. “Upon publication in the gazette of India, every such order shall have the force of law and shall not be called in question in any court,” reads sub-section (2) of Section 10 The Delimitation Act ,2002.

The delimitation process in Jammu & Kashmir is being conducted in accordance with the provisions of The Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Act,2019 and The Delimitation Act,2002.

The statutory provision makes it clear that the body’s orders are final and cannot be questioned before any court.

As per law governing the delimitation process, the commission has to publish its proposals for the delimitation of constituencies, together with the dissenting proposals, if any, of any associate member.

The panel would then consider all the objections and suggestions received by it before publishing the final orders.

It is worthwhile to mention that Centre constituted a three-member panel on March 6, 2020 to redraw boundaries of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir.

Headed by former Supreme Court Judge Justice(retd.) Ranjana Prakash Desai, the panel comprises of Sushil Chandra, Chief Election Commissioner and Kewal Kumar Sharma, State Election Commissioner.

The proceedings of the commission, which has five MPs from Jammu and Kashmir as associate members, have been boycotted by the National Conference, citing that “The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act” has been challenged before the Supreme Court.

Before Parliament enacted The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, the effective strength of the J&K Assembly was 87, including four seats from Ladakh, which is no longer part of the erstwhile state of J&K.
The strength of the Jammu and Kashmir UT Assembly is 114 now, of which 24 seats will continue to remain vacant as those are reserved for Pakistan administered Kashmir(PaK).

Under AB PM-JAY scheme, Govt distributes Rs 42 Cr in J&K

Anchor stories

Gul Owais

17/04/2021

Under AB PM-JAY scheme, Govt distributes Rs 42 Cr in J&K

By: Gul Owais

Srinagar: The Centre has given Rs 42 crore to Jammu and Kashmir under Ayushman Bharat–Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) scheme since the day scheme was launched, the figures reveal.

The figures revealed that nearly six lakh families have been covered under the scheme as on December 2020.

According to the figures available with Precious Kashmir, there has been a total claim of Rs 53 crore since the initiation of the scheme in Jammu and Kashmir, adding that out of which Rs 42 crore has been paid so far.

It added that the number of eligible families covered under the scheme has gone up to 5,97,801 in Jammu and Kashmir. The figure may have crossed six lakh-mark as well as the figure available is of December 2020.

The figures reveal that 56.5% of eligible AB PM-JAY families in J&K now have at least one member in the family having one Ayushman Card, adding that a total of 99,440 hospital admissions worth Rs 58 crore have been authorized under the scheme.

About e-cards of the scheme, a total of 11.4 lakh e-cards have been issued in Jammu and Kashmir as of December 2020.

Pertinently, AB PM-JAY was launched on 23rd September 2018 in Jammu and Kashmir as a part of a nationwide launch and recently, J&K formally e-launched the AB PM-JAY SEHAT scheme on December 26, 2020, giving coverage to all the residents of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir irrespective of their economic and social background.

After the launch of AB PM-JAY SEHAT, Jammu and Kashmir has become the second State, Union Territory after Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh to provide free and cashless health insurance coverage to the entire population.

Under this scheme, the government has announced a free of cost insurance cover to all the residents of J&K and also a financial cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family on a floater basis to all residents of the UT.

Covid 2.0 may claim 2,320 lives per day in India by June: Report

Front

Indo Asian News Service

17/04/2021

Covid 2.0 may claim 2,320 lives per day in India by June: Report

New Delhi: The lethal second wave of Coronavirus will likely claim nearly 1,750-2,320 lives per day in India by the first week of June 2021, if proper steps are not immediately taken to curb its spread, warned a report by the Lancet Covid-19 Commission.

Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat will likely remain the most affected, according to the report titled “Managing India’s second Covid-19 wave: Urgent steps”.

The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic hit India hard with the number of new infections rising from 11,794 in the first week of February 2021 to 152,565 as of April 10, 2021. Death rate also touched new heights daily — from 116 in the first week of February 2021 to 838 as of April 10, 2021.

The second wave also took less than 40 days to reach the 80,000 mark. From 10,000 new cases per day in February to 80,000 new cases per day in April. In September, this journey took 83 days. Many positive cases are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic, the report said.

Fiscally, India may need to spend more than $7.8 billion on testing and $1.7 billion on health care utilisation due to Covid-19 infections leading to death by September 2021, it added.

“All efforts need to be made to break the transmission chain and reduce the rate of new infections, with minimum disruption to the economy and to the livelihood of its people,” the report said, noting that accelerating vaccinations is key.

“The past year has shown us, both within India and in other countries, that strong political will, together with building preparedness in the health system, and individual and community behaviour change can yield powerful results. We hope that strong, decisive actions taken now will spare India a long second wave and set in place actions to prevent further waves of Covid-19 infections,” the report said.

To combat the spread of Covid-19, the report suggested measures such as ensuring vaccinations for all adults, including those below 45, need to ramp up manufacturing capacity, address vaccine hesitancy among others.

In the last 24 hours, India reported over 2 lakh new Covid-19 cases, the biggest single-day spike ever, according to the latest Health Ministry data. The overall number of confirmed cases stands at 1,40,74,564.

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