Precious Kashmir

Cyber police Kashmir recover smart phones worth lakhs of rupees

Front

17/02/2021

Srinagar: Smart phones worth lakhs of rupees have been recovered by cyber police station Kashmir, a police spokesman said on Tuesday evening.

He said continuing its efforts to extend the services to the general public and to redress their grievances, Cyber Police Kashmir Zone (CPLZ) have recovered lost mobile phones worth lakhs of rupees and handed them over to the rightful owners.

Besides online frauds, scams and other cyber related crimes being reported to CPKZ, complaints regarding missing of mobile phones are also received on routine basis.

During the month of February 2021, CPLZ was successful in its efforts by tracing 52 such missing smart-phones of various makes and models worth lakhs of rupees, he said adding today the recovered smart-phones were accordingly handed over to the rightful owners at Cyber Police Station Headquarters Srinagar.

He said on the directions of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Zone Vijay Kumar, various awareness campaigns and programs have been initiated to sensitize the general public about various contemporary online frauds and scams.

The dedicated technical team of CPKZ under the supervision of SSP Tahir Ashraf is making constant efforts to investigate various cyber crimes, besides tracing out missing mobile phones by using advanced technological and conventional methods as well. Cyber Police is on the forefront in helping the citizens in various contemporary technological challenges being faced by the citizens in their day to day life.

Cyber Police Station has advised the masses not to fall prey to the online fraudsters by sharing the bank details, account details, personal details and OTP.

Zojila to open ahead of schedule

Front

Precious Kashmir

17/02/2021

BY: Raja Syed Rather

Ganderbal: The 434 km long Srinagar-Leh highway will be thrown open for vehicular traffic a month before the schedule on April 17.

Every year the Zojila pass remains closed for a very long period of time. However, this time around the road has been cleared prior to the estimated period of time.

This is the first time that this road has been cleared in February otherwise, it would have been resumed in March -April.

Snow clearance has been started from Sonamarg from 10th February. Till now 20 km has been cleared. On the regular basis, two machines are working in the clearance of snow.

However, the snow is still accumulated in the road banks in 2 to 3 feet. Beacon is working in full swing from Sonamarg and Sampark are working from Minimarg side.

An official from Beacon department said that if the climate remains favourable all the work shall be completed within week.

Further, 20 km are already cleared while 15 km are yet to clear, said an official.

Although, the winter of this season was very harsh and tough still the work by Beacon didn’t stop.

3 yrs on, DIET B’pora still without Principal

Front

Precious Kashmir

17/02/2021

Bandipora: District Institute of Education and Training in north Kashmir’s Bandipora has been functioning without principal from last three years, thereby hampering its smooth functioning.

An official document accessed revealed that the Bandipora DIET is functioning without principal from December 2018 when the then principal was promoted to joint director’s post and since then no one has been appointed as its principal.

The details also suggest that around six Head of Department (HOD) posts and eight lecturer posts are vacant in DIET for the years.

A source said that the government has failed to fill up these vacancies, which ultimately hampers the smooth functioning of the institution.

“Though a principal was posted for DIET some three years back from Jammu but he refused to join and since then it is functioning without the principal. The smooth functioning of the DIET has been marred due to non-availability of the head of the institution,” the source privy to the development said.

The DIET is a nodal agency for providing academic and resource support at the grassroots level for the success of various strategies and programs undertaken in the areas of elementary and adult education.

Chief Education Officer Bandipora Javid Iqbal said that ever since he took charge in Bandipora, he has seen the DIET without principal. “Although I have informed the higher authorities about it many times but no one has been posted here yet,” he said.

Pertinently, the DIET Bandipora was established vide order no: 1343-GAD of 2007 Dated 20-11-2007 with a staff strength of 46 officials, 24 Gazetted and 22 Non-Gazetted.

Kiran Bedi removed as Puducherry LG

Front

United News Of India

17/02/2021

New Delhi: Kiran Bedi has been removed as the Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement on Tuesday.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan has been directed to discharge functions of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, in addition to her own duties, until a new appointment is made, the statement said.

“The President has directed that Dr. Kiran Bedi shall cease to hold the office of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry and has appointed Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana, to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry, in addition to her own duties, with effect from the date she assumes charge of her office, until regular arrangements for the office of Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry are made,” the statement said.

Earlier in the day, Puducherry Social Welfare Minister Kandasamy said the cabinet headed by Chief Minister Narayanasamy will resign after the resignations of Congress legislators in Puducherry ahead of the assembly elections later this year.

In a video, Kandaswamy said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Puducherry L-G Kiran Bedi have been harassing the Congress government for four and a half years. They are trying to dissolve the regime. We are working to dissolve the cabinet headed by CM Narayanasamy and win the assembly elections again.”

Orientation programme to conduct census of migratory birds held at Hokersar

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

17/02/2021

SRINAGAR: The Wetlands Division of Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Department today organised an orientation programme to inculcate the census techniques amongst the participants at Camping Ground, Hokersar, here.

The orientation programme was conducted ahead of the census of Migratory Birds and other endemic birds nesting in the Valley Wetlands on 17th, February, 2021.

The aim of the programme is to identify the current status of Valley Wetlands viz. Hokersar, Mirgund, Narkara, Hygam, BadiNambal, Shallabugh, Anchar, Dal Lake, Wular Lake, Chatlum, Kranchoo, Manibugh, Freshkrori Wetlands which harbour sizeable number of migratory birds and to check the population fluctuation of migratory species in the Valley Wetlands during Winter migration.

The participants from Kashmir University, Central University, S.K.U.A.ST-K, Wildlife Conservation Fund, Kashmir Bird Watchers Club, Wildlife SOS, Wildlife Research & Conservation Foundation, Volunteers and freelancers are taking part in the said census.

The Wildlife Warden, Wetlands Division Kashmir, Ifshan Deewan stated that coordinated effort by the Department of Wildlife Protection to conduct the Annual Water bird Census (AWC) this year shall go a long way in establishing the numbers of various water bird species particularly the migratory Waterfowl that visit the wetlands of the Valley during Winter months.

This annual practice conducted by the Wildlife Protection Department shall help in creating a sound data base of the wintering Waterfowl population in the Valley Wetlands, she added.

Absence of Haq Khan, Fayaz Mir from Mehbooba’s rally in Kupwara raise doubts

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

17/02/2021

Kupwara: Former minister Abdul Haq Khan and ex-member parliament Fayaz Ahmad Mir were conspicuous by their absence from the public meeting addressed by former Chief Minister and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Haq, who was minister in PDP- BJP government and Mir, who was member Rajya Sabha, skipped the first public meeting addressed by Mehbooba Mufti in Kupwara after abrogation of Article 370 and reorganization of J&K into two Union Territories.

A senior PDP leader in the district told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said they were told by the high command not to invite them as they will be intimated from the party headquarters.”

“We don’t know the reasons for their absence,” he said, adding that there are rumors that both have been looking to find an alternative political party for further journey.

The absence of both the leaders has raised eyebrows over the party functioning in the politically -significant Kupwara district which records healthy voter turnout during the polls—(KNO)

Delegations, individuals call on Advisor Khan

Jammu & Kashmir

Precious Kashmir

17/02/2021

Jammu: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Farooq Khan, Tuesday met several delegations and individuals who apprised him of their grievances and demands.

Various delegations including Rehbar-e-Khel, Indian Oil Corporation, Supervisor ICDS Project besides delegations and individuals hailing from various districts of Jammu and Kashmir called on the Advisor and raised their demands related to road connectivity, water supply, power supply, healthcare, lane and drain and related development issues.

Advisor gave a patient hearing to the deputations and individuals and assured an early redressal of their genuine concerns and issues. He said that the issues projected by several delegations would be taken up with the concerned departments for immediate redressal.

He passed on-spot directions for redressal of various grievances.

7 years on, vital MCH Bemina awaits completion

City

Jahangeer Ganaie

17/02/2021

Srinagar: Even after elapsing of over seven years, the vital Maternity and Child Care (MCH) in Bemina area of Srinagar is awaiting completion.

The under-construction hospital will be a big relief for the patients of the valley, however, authorities seem to be careless in completing this vital project which has already missed half a dozen deadlines.

Officials within the health department said that as per the performance of the Roads and Building department, the project is likely to miss more deadlines.

Officials said that in 2013, the hospital was proposed to be a 200 bedded maternity care hospital but in 2015, the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed added a childcare block to it and laid the foundation of 500 bedded maternity and child care hospital on 17 October 2015.

They said that due to shortage of funds the project missed many deadlines and concerning agency weren’t able to complete it on time.

Officials at Lal Ded hospital and GB Pant also said that if MCH will be completed at an earliest it will ease the burden on these two hospitals.

“We have to manage patients every nook and corner of Kashmir but if Bemina hospital will be completed patients from parts of Kashmir will prefer there,” they said.

They further added that Lal Ded Hospital and GB hospital are around 3 km’s from each other and if the Bemina hospital will be completed, this will remain convenient for both mother and child care.

The administration recently has accorded sanction to the creation of 343 posts for the 500 MCH hospital Bemina.

Moreover, the government enhanced the budget allocation for the health and medical education sector by Rs 500 crore to Rs 1268 crore in 2020-21 budget.

Chief Engineer Roads and Buildings(R&B) Kashmir Showkat Jeelani said that due to shortage of funds, the project missed deadlines as it was kept in languishing projects.

“The work is going on at a full pace and hopefully by June end this year, it will be handed over to health department,” he said—(KNO)

JNU sedition case: Delhi court issues summons to Kanhaiya Kumar, 9 others

National

United News Of India

17/02/2021

New Delhi: A Delhi court has issued summons to former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, eight others in connection with the 2016 Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) sedition case.
The court has taken cognisance of the charge sheet filed by Delhi Police, a year after the Delhi Government granted sanction to prosecute persons charged with sedition for raising anti-national slogans during the 2016 protest march.
The Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate has summoned all 10 accused in the case, including Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya and Kanhaiya Kumar, and directed them to appear in person on March 15.
Other persons named in the charge sheet are Aquib Hussain, Mujeeb Hussain Gattoo, Muneeb Hussain Gattoo, Umar Gul, Rayees Rasool, Basharat Ali and Khalis Bashir Bhatt.
Delhi Police in its charge sheet had claimed that Kanhaiya Kumar led a procession and raised seditious slogans on the JNU campus on February 9, 2016, during an event to mark the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
However, the chargesheet was rejected by the Magistrate on January 19, 2019, citing lack of requisite sanctions.
As per Section 196 of CrPC, prosecution for the offence of sedition under Section 124A in Chapter VI of IPC cannot be carried forward without the sanction of the state government.

Prepare For School Reopening

Edit

Precious Kashmir

16/02/2021

For the last two months now, the covid-19 cases are on the decline in Jammu and Kashmir. The daily cases are less than 100 for quite some time now. As on February 14, the active covid-19 cases stood at 622—160 in Jammu and 462 in Kashmir. The number of active positive cases fell to 1000 on January 28 last, first time in over eight months. The trend inspires confidence that the pandemic is waning and as such encouraging enough for the smooth reopening of the school in Kashmir Valley from March 1.

While it’s true that the pandemic has surprised time again and again, the fact remains that only a few fresh cases are surfacing, and as such all elementary, middle, and high schools should reopen for in-person instruction.

Caution demanded schools to remain closed due to a lack of reliable data about how the coronavirus affects children.

At the same time, time proved that home schooling is all but a poor substitute for professional teaching within the schools. The absence of in-person lessons, in classrooms, has had a very bad impact on various fronts.

Everyone wants young people to be educated and those extremely concerned by the prospect of educational inequalities widening are very much justifiable at their own place.

The government has already announced to open schools after the end of the winter vacations in the Valley. The schooling has already started with effect from February 1 in Jammu and as such should be smooth in the Valley also. The students have already lost two years of valuable time, first due to severe clampdown on account of 5 August 2019 decisions followed by the pandemic. The reopening schools is a necessary step for Kashmir’s children and it can be done safely, if it is done smartly.

The opening up process of schools has to be strictly on the condition of observing the usual mandatory compliance to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for covid -19.

There is a need for close surveillance. No child should come to school if he or she has any symptoms. To detect it, there ought to be an effective mechanism in place. There is also a need for a comprehensive SOP that effectively addresses the local demands. Ventilation is important. There has to be good cross ventilation in classrooms. If weather permits and where there are no space constraints, schooling should be done under trees and as per experts it is better.

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