Srinagar: Militants on Friday evening triggered an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in south Kashmir district of Pulwama, official sources said.

They said panic gripped Dangarpora in Pulwama when militants detonated a low intensity IED near a shop.

However, there was no report of any loss of life or injury in the blast, sound of which was heard in the entire area.

Forces immediately cordoned off the entire area and started Cordon and Search Operation (CASO), they said.

However, no arrests were reported during the search operation.

Rusted grenade recovered at Kupwara Bus Stand

Srinagar: Suspected militants on Friday evening lobbed a grenade on police post Urdu Bazar in Fateh Kadal area of Srinagar, officials said.

Officials said militants hurled grenades at police post Urdu Bazar this evening.

They said no loss of life or injury was reported in the attack.

Officials further said that the manhunt has been launched to nab the attackers.

Meanwhile, police recovered a rusted grenade at Bus Stand in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kupwara, Shriram Ambarkar said a rusted grenade has been found in the bus stand area of Kupwara.

“It will be verified after accessing the CCTV footage to ascertain it was an attack or the grenade was only found lying there,” he said.

The SSP said that Police parties remain regularly deployed there but soon after it was found BDS was informed and the grenade has been recovered from the spot without causing any worry—(KNO)

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir on Friday recorded 81 new Covid cases. Besides, one person also died of the virus.

Of the 81 new cases, 20 were reported from Jammu division and 61 from Kashmir division. The total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir has risen to 1,26,853.

One death was also reported from Jammu division.

Moreover, 72 more COVID-19 patients recovered and were discharged from various hospitals including 31 from Jammu division and 41 from Kashmir division.

According to the daily medical bulletin regarding the novel coronavirus, out of 1,26,853 positive cases, 891 are Active Positive, 1,24,002 have recovered and 1,960 have died; 726 in Jammu division and 1,234 in Kashmir division.

The bulletin further said that out of 53,36,858 test results available, 52,10,005 samples have tested negative till March 5.

Till date 13,43,831 people have been enlisted for observation which included 32,561 people in home quarantine including facilities operated by the government, 891 in isolation and 1,10,892 in home surveillance.

Besides, 11,97,527 people have completed their surveillance period.

Directs for identifying Aadarsh panchayats, Aadarsh Blocks on set parameters

Jammu:  Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha Friday chaired a high level preparatory meeting of “Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav’’- India@75 for celebrating 75 years of Independence of India, at the Civil Secretariat here. Birth places of freedom fighters and martyrs viz Brigadier Rajinder Singh (Village Bagoona, Samba), Maqbool Sherwani (Baramulla Town) were selected for mega curtain-raiser events on 12th March.

Calling for grand celebrations with great enthusiasm & high zeal across J&K, the Lt Governor directed the Administrative Secretaries to organize various commemoration activities to mark the beginning of Azaadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav.

Instructions were also issued for holding Cultural Exhibitions and Programs, Khadi Exhibitions, Shikara rallies in Dal Lake, Seminars, Cyclothon/Cycle Rallies, Yoga Camps, Bike Rallies and variety of activities over 75 weeks prior to Independence Day 2022, to observe the 75th year of Independence.

The Lt Governor also called for identifying Aadarsh panchayats and Aadarsh Blocks, 75 each, on set parameters.

Involve elected public representatives, youth, school students, social and cultural organizations, NGOs, Civil society and all the sections of the society for ensuring maximum public participation in this National festival of the grand celebrations of 75 years of Independence, Lt Governor asked the officers.

Laying special emphasis on making large-scale publicity of the mega celebrations, Lt Governor asked the concerned officers to make optimum use of various online and offline media platforms so that the festival of 75 years of Independence reaches each and every citizen of the UT.

All departments were directed to submit their respective action plan with detailed Calendar of commemoration activities for 75 weeks, covering all Districts, with specific location of events to be prepared by the respective departments for the grand celebration of the festival.

Pertinently, the National Level celebrations will be launched by the Prime Minister on March 12, 2021 that marks the anniversary of Dandi March.

Baseer Ahmad Khan, Advisor to the Lt Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary;  Administrative Secretaries; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor; Divisional Commissioners; Deputy Commissioners; HoDs, other senior officers attended the meeting, in person and through virtual mode.

GAD revises circular for promotions while protecting interest of reserved categories

Jammu: The Government Friday issued circular instructions aimed at proper implementation of reservation rules and bringing clarity in the procedures being followed by the departments/Departmental Promotion Committees while making promotions. These instructions have been issued to amplify the advisory earlier issued by the Government in furtherance of the interim directions passed in SLPs viz. Mohammad Haneef Lone, Vinod Kumar Bhagat and Nasib Singh cases, by the Supreme Court.

Noticing that the reservation rules and the instructions issued on the subject were resulting in utilization of two reservation roster points for a single candidate and as such adversely affecting the career prospects of the employees and efficient cadre management, the Government has now clarified the entire procedure to be followed by the Appointing Authorities while making promotions. The issuance of these instructions was necessitated to bring about uniformity in application of the rules in all departments of the Government and also to address the administrative difficulties which arose on account of inconsistent application of the rules.

Preparation of promotion proposals in accordance with these instructions would safeguard the interests of the employees, while protecting the interests of the candidates belonging to the reserved categories as no vacancy shall remain un-utilized except where the same is warranted under rules or is necessary to comply with the court orders. On the governance front, the practice of assigning additional charges necessitated due to non-utilization of vacancies/rosters leading to adhocism having bearing on the efficient delivery of public services would be largely addressed. Apart from this, the avoidable litigations which were a direct off-shoot of the improper application of the reservation rules would be minimized and the stated objective of the Government to minimize adhocism in different departments and timely referral of direct recruitment vacancies would be achieved.

Srinagar: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti in an alleged money laundering case on March 15.

Official sources said a notice was issued by ED on Friday, directing Ms Mehbooba to appear before the directorate on March 15 at 1130 hrs at New Delhi.

The notice comes months after the residence of Mehbooba’s close aide Anjum Fazili was raided by ED in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial fraud at the J&K Bank.

Mehbooba had in the past alleged that ED is being ‘weaponised by the ruling party to hound political opponents’.

Mehbooba was released last year after remaining under detention for about a year since August 5, 2019, when centre abrogated Article 370 and Article 35 A, besides divided J&K into two Union Territories.

Reacting to the ED summon, PD chief tweeted, “GoI’s tactics to intimidate and browbeat political opponents to make them toe their line has become tediously predictable. They don’t want us to raise questions about its punitive actions and policies. Such short sighted scheming won’t work.”

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) President and Members of Parliament (MP) Farooq Abdullah has moved to J&K High Court (HC) challenging an Enforcement Directorate (ED) order attaching his properties worth Rs 12 crore in a case of alleged money laundering.

Official sources said Abdullah approached the J&K HC on Wednesday and filed a petition challenging the ED’s December last year order, attaching the property of the former chief minister under Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The ED had alleged that between the years 2006 and 2012, Abdullah took advantage of his position in the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association by making illegal appointments at the JKCA and misused those appointments by giving them financial powers in order to launder funds. ”The investigation conducted into the money laundering case revealed that the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was instrumental as well as beneficiary of the laundered funds of JKCA,” ED had said while attaching the property of Abdullah.

However, Abdullah in the petition has asserted that the properties were either ancestral or acquired before the alleged offence took place. ”Therefore these properties were not involved in any money-laundering or related criminal activity,” it added.

Questioning the validity of the case, the petition further said that on the date of the registration of the Enforcement Commission Information Report (ECIR) and the initiation of investigation, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was governed by the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, 1956, and had special status under Article 370 of the Constitution of India.

In the petition, Abdullah said that the case under the Ranbir Penal Code (which was substitute to Indian Penal Code in the erstwhile state of J&K) was registered by the ED on December 28, 2018 without asserting whether it had any jurisdiction or not. On the next day, the ED issued a provisional order attaching the properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The attached properties include Abdullah’s Gupkar Road residence in Srinagar, where he lives. They also include two other residential properties in Tangamarg and Sunjwan, apart from commercial properties on Srinagar’s Residency Road. Lands owned Dr Abdullah at four different places in Jammu and Kashmir has also been attached by the ED officials.

Srinagar: Since re-organisation of Jammu & Kashmir, the Election Commission of India has not undertaken its annual exercise of revision of electoral roll in the newly carved out Union Territory, sources disclosed.

Sources said the poll-body will not undertake special summary revision of voters in the UT till delimitation exercise is not completed.

“The ECI doesn’t carry out special summary revision of electoral roll in the States and Union Territories where the delimitation exercise is underway or where polls are scheduled,” they said, adding that Special Summary Revision-2020 and SSR-2021 were not carried out in the UT due to the delimitation exercise.

A delimitation commission was set-up by central government on March 05, 2020 to fix boundaries for Assembly and Parliamentary segments of the UT.

The panel headed by former Supreme Court judge, Justice (retd.) Ranjana Desai and comprising Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra and J&K’s State Election Commissioner Kewal Kumar Sharma was given one-year extension earlier this week.

The panel is empowered to fix boundaries for 90 Assembly seats and five parliamentary segments of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory. It has also been tasked to reserve seats for schedule castes and schedule tribes in the Assembly.

Going by the laws and parameters governing reservation for SCs and STs, 18 seats are likely to be reserved in the UT Assembly.

It is worthwhile to mention that Assembly of the erstwhile state of J&K had 87 seats, of which four seats were Ladakh. Ladakh is no more part of Jammu & Kashmir from October 31, 2019 when it started functioning as a separate Union Territory—(KNO)

By: Faizan Wani

Srinagar: The wholesale mutton dealers on Friday said they would end four month strike’ provided the government fixes mutton prices in consideration of its own rates and that of the fact-finding committees.

Mehraj-ud-Din Ganai, general secretary of the wholesale Mutton Dealers Association (WMDA) said the dealers too suffer the way common masses do in the wake of four months deadlock over mutton prices.

He said they want to resume their business as stalemate over the prices has taken toll on people ever since the government fixed rates of per kilogram mutton @ 480.

“If the government has fixed rates then why we are adamant on strike, why don’t we agree?  We really do not want people to suffer; a lasting solution needs to be found to end the deadlock, if the government wants us to end strike, let it fix prices of mutton as its own assessment and that of the twin committees,” Ganai told reporters.

He said the fact-finding committee headed by Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) in its report submitted to the government has shown wholesale mutton @ 418.5 per kilogram while as the governments’ own committee has shown mutton per kilogram @ 497.

“The only way-out to end the stalemate is dialogue, we don’t want to suffer anymore as the government despite rates suggested by the fact-finding committees protracted the issue afresh. Let’s come to some conclusion. Let our retail sellers also open their shops as they too suffer for long,” he added—(KNO)

Shanghai: Despite a high-profile visit to China by a team of international experts in January, the world is no closer to knowing the origins of Covid-19, according to one of the authors of an open letter calling for a new investigation into the pandemic.

“At this point we are no further advanced than we were a year ago,” said Nikolai Petrovsky, an expert in vaccines at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, and one of 26 global experts who signed the open letter, published.

In January, a team of scientists picked by the World Health Organization (WHO) visited hospitals and research institutes in Wuhan, the central Chinese city where the coronavirus was identified, in search of clues about the origins of Covid-19.

But the mission has come under fire, with critics accusing the WHO of relying too much on politically compromised Chinese fieldwork and data.

Team members also said China was reluctant to share vital data that could show Covid-19 was circulating months earlier than first recognised.

The open letter said the WHO mission “did not have the mandate, the independence, or the necessary accesses to carry out a full and unrestricted investigation” into all theories about the origins of Covid-19.

“All possibilities remain on the table and I have yet to see a single piece of independent scientific data that rules out any of them,” said Petrovsky.

At a press briefing to mark the end of the WHO visit to Wuhan, mission head Peter Ben Embarek appeared to rule out the possibility that the virus leaked from a laboratory in Wuhan.

But Petrovsky said it “doesn’t make any sense” to rule any possibility out, and said the aim of the open letter was “to get an acknowledgement globally that no one has yet identified the source of the virus and we need to keep searching.”

“We need an open mind and if we close down some avenues because they are considered too sensitive, that is not how science operates,” he said.