Srinagar, Jan 17: Senior National Conference leader Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan today refuted the allegations of fielding proxy candidates in DDC elections in Kupwara district.

Talking to KNS he said, “The aim of the PAGD was accomplished. The DDC election held under the banner of PAGD was fought well. Only one seat was won by parties outside the PAGD. Twelve seats were bagged by PAGD candidates and one is yet to be decided”.

Replying to a question, he said, ” In Handwara, according to the PAGD decision,  two seats went to NC, one to PC. Yes there are some grivances, they have been brought into the notice of PAGD leadership and they are looking into the issue. For the first time so many parties had come together to fight elections, these issues happen.”

Regarding a question on election, he said, ” NC is always ready for elections. When EC will sound the poll bugle then leadership will decide on it. It’s upto Delhi to decide the timing of election. We are foot soldiers, we adhere to party decisions as was decided recently regarding DDC elections. People participated in the elections”.

‘System much weaker than previous one’
Jammu, Jan 17: A Western Disturbance would hit the two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from January 22, predicted weather officials on Sunday.
A weather official here said that Western Disturbance is most likely to affect J&K and Kargil district of Ladakh starting from the evening of January 22, and it’s effect is likely to last till 25th forenoon.
He elaborated that the disturbance is likely to cause fairly widespread to widespread light to moderate snowfall/rain in the plains of Jammu during above dates with its main impact taking place on Jan 24.
“This system is much weaker than the previous one. So we expect precipitation of lower intensity compared to previous one,” said the weatherman.

1048 vehicles carrying essentials reach Kashmir
Jahangir Sofi
Srinagar, Jan 17: Traffic will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu on Monday.
ADGP Traffic T Namgyal while speaking to KNO said that as soon as the Bailey bridge was given green signal on Saturday evening for traffic movement, 1048 essential supply vehicles, which included 48 Gas Trucks, 151 Oil Tankers, 39 Sheep Trucks, 108 Vegetable Trucks, 230 Fruit Trucks and 55 Gas Tankers, were allowed to move towards Kashmir Valley.
He said that on Monday, traffic will be allowed from Kashmir towards Jammu only as there are stranded vehicles in Kashmir and for tomorrow they will be allowed to move towards Jammu.
He further said that the restoration work on the bridge is going on and there will be strictly one-way traffic on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Srinagar, Jan 17: Freezing conditions continued in Kashmir as Srinagar recorded minus 7.6°C while Qazigund was coldest in the Valley, the weatherman said on Sunday.
Also, dense fog engulfed Srinagar and other parts of the Valley for the second day in running, causing traffic …disruptions.
A Meteorological Department official told GNS that the minimum temperature in Srinagar remained almost six degrees below normal in Srinagar for the fifth consecutive day.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded minus 8.4°C on January 14, minus 8.2°C on the previous night while it settled at minus 7.8°C on January 13, same as recorded eight years ago on 14 January 2012. In 1991, Srinagar witnessed a low of minus 11.8°C while the lowest ever temperature was recorded on 31 January 1893 when the mercury had gone down to minus 14.4 degrees Celsius. Dal Lake and other water bodies here have frozen further. Also, a thick layer of fog engulfed many areas in the Valley, including Srinagar. However, the conditions eased as the day progressed.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperatures continued far below normal in other parts of the Valley, settling at minus 8.7°C in Pahalgam against minus 9.4°C on the previous night in the world-famous health resort.
Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of minus 9.0°C against 10.0°C on the previous night and was the coldest place in the Valley. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 8.7°C, the same as on the earlier night.
Against minus 6.8°C on the previous night in Kupwara, the mercury settled at minus 6.2°C in the north Kashmir district, the official said.

Gulmarg, the world-famous skiing resort, recorded a low of minus 4.2°C against minus 5.4°C on the earlier night, the official said. Leh recorded a low of minus 12.1°C and Kargil recorded minus 17.4°C.
Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). Already, Kashmir Valley received heavy snowfall earlier this month, disrupting normal life.
The Weatherman has forecast “mainly dry weather with morning fog /mist at isolated places of Kashmir Valley and plains of Jammu division.” in the next 24 hours and “no significant change in next two days.

‘Recruitment under control, working on suitable surrender policy’
Srinagar, Jan 17: Lieutenant General BS Raju, General Officer Commander (GOC), Chinar Corps, on Sunday said recruitment by militants is under control and 217 militants are active in Kashmir.
“The recruitment by militants in 2020 is fairly under control, especially when compared to 2018. The present strength of militants in the Valley is 217, which is the lowest in last decade. Pakistan’s desire to send weapons and drugs by drones/tunnel is definitely a challenge. Pakistan’s basic desire is to destabilise Kashmir. As we became strong on the LC and were able to plug the gaps, Pakistan began to adopt alternate means of using drones to drop weapons. To defeat the use of drones, we are using advanced surveillance devices to detect and jam these aerial platforms,” he added further.
“My main message to youth – is you can get back and we will take care of you. This is a message we have consistently given to all stakeholders, whether it is militants, the parents, and the community. We have demonstrated the same on the ground too. In the last 6 months, 17 of those who had strayed have come back and we will take care of them. Presently we are working with the government for a suitable surrender policy. My appeal to the youth who have gone astray is to come back. They can get back anytime, including during operations. They can call anybody, their parents, our helpline and we will organise their return,” he said.
He said that Pakistan continues to instigate youth from Kashmir into militancy by various means, indoctrinates and sends them back across Line of Control (LoC).
He said that militants from the neighbouring country also continue to target the security forces and civilians in crowded areas, expecting forces to react and cause more civilian casualties.
“Pakistan remains the key instigator to push youth towards militancy by various means. It has attracted many youths for studies. But along the way, a few have been indoctrinated. Some of them have trained and sent back through the Line of Control (LoC) as part of infiltrating columns as well as through the international border. Militants from Pakistan target security forces and civilians within the Valley in crowded areas. They expect us to react and cause more civilian casualties. They then use this as propaganda to tarnish our image and then go for reacting,” he said.
Accusing Pakistan of using social media to spread misinformation and attract new recruits, Raju observed that militants encourage overground workers to throw grenades or fire pistol at low-value targets and also initiate them into militant ranks. “The use of tunnels by militants is basically prevalent in the Jammu region. The Army and the BSF have found many. In fact, we discovered one just a few days back. We are using many techniques to detect them, including use of Ground Penetrating Radars. The bottom line is we need to remain alert to plug all loopholes. In fact, I would urge the local population must remain alert, especially for transportation drugs as it can weaken the system and corrupt the society,” he added.
The Army officer said that the technology and techniques are constantly being upgraded at Chinar Corps to prevent infiltration. “To begin with, we reworked our deployments with some analysis on the tech front. there is huge infusion of equipment for surveillance, for detection and subsequently for neutralisation our ability to detect and neutralise at night has also improved and that’s how we have a number of successful contacts at night,” he said.
Raju while speaking about Chinar Corps role to help the locals added, “We are conscious that people are the centre of gravity and within that the youth remain our focus. In fact , our company operating basis enmeshed completely with locals of villages and towns Often the Company Commander is the first responder to any emergency, be it Fire, an accident, or a Drowning case.
“Recently we have started the concept of a – Day with Company Commander. We also conduct large no of events – Sports, Village games, cultural, debates, skill development, painting all these are very well responded by the locals with great enthusiasm,” he added. (Agencies)

New Delhi, Jan 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 47th Summit of G-7, world’s seven most industrialized countries and strong democracies, to be held at Cornwall, a tiny seaside resort in South West England, from June 11-13.
UK had on December 15, 2020, officially invited India to attend the G-7 Summit meeting. The invitation was extended by British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during his visit to India.
“I’m pleased that PM Boris Johnson has invited PM Modi to join the UK-hosted G7 summit next year…We look forward to taking the spot in 2021 including the UK’s presidency of G7 and also our presidency of UN Climate Change Conference. We welcome India’s return to UN Security Council,” he had said.
Although there has not been any confirmation by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) yet, reports from Cornwall, the venue of the Summit, said Prime Minister Modi along with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and South Korean President Moon jae-in will be attending as ‘’guests.’’
The Summit will be attended by Joe Biden, presently US President-elect, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and President of The European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
India, Australia and South Korea have also been invited to attend although they are not regular members of G-7. All three nations have confirmed their attendance, Cornwalllive said.
They (the regular members) ‘’will be joined by the leaders of Australia (Prime Minister Scott Morrison), India (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) and South Korea (President Moon jae-in) who will attend as guests,’’ Cornwalllive said.
The Group which was previously G-8 (Group of eight most industrialized countries) with Russia included, was reduced to G-7 after Russia was excluded following Crimea joining the Russian federation in March 2014. Outgoing US President Donald Trump had assured Russia it would be included again. But UK, who are hosting the Summit this year, strongly opposed the move.

While announcing the Summit details the British Prime Minister said he wanted to use Britain’s presidency of the G-7 to forge a consensus that global economy must recover from the COVID-19 crisis in a pro-free trade and sustainable way.
“Coronavirus is doubtlessly the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced. It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future.” Mr Johnson said.
The Cornwall Summit will be the first face-to-face G-7 meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic started. The Summit will see delegates participating with full COVID restrictions in place.

Precious Kashmir News
Doda, Jan 17: Ganouri-Tanta Village in mountainous Doda district today saw the light of an electricity bulb for the first time, ending the decades of darkness from the lives of the villagers.
The electrification of the village was taken up on the order of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha after a group of locals projected the demand before him in the last LG Mulaqat.
Taking a considerate view of the matter, the LG asked the district administration Doda to ensure electrification of the remote village within one month.
Thanks to the quick action by the District Administration, the herculean task of electrifying the remote village was completed in a record time of 15 days.
Acting upon the directions of LG, the district administration, in coordination with the JPDCL and Shalaka officials, started the work on war footing despite the adverse weather conditions, which made the task extremely difficult.

To celebrate the historical moment with the villagers, DDC, Dr Sagar D Doifode visited the village and formally declared it as electrified by lighting up a bulb amid huge rounds of applause by elated locals.
Speaking on the occasion, the DDC congratulated the people of the area on getting the electricity supply for the first time. He reiterated the resolve of Lieutenant Governor’s administration to provide all basic amenities to the people, especially those living in the far flung areas.
The DDC said that the progress of electrification work was monitored on a daily basis, while providing every logistic support to the JPDCL team associated with the task. “The executing team demonstrated great resolve by finishing the work in just half a month- fifteen days ahead of the deadline,” the DDC added.
The villagers celebrated the accomplishment of the LG Administration and also showered praises on the district administration.
Among others present at the program were SDM Thathri, Athar Amin Zargar, BDC Chairperson Kahara besides other officials.

Adverse reactions minor, says Health Ministry
New Delhi, Jan 17: Over 17,000 people were vaccinated across 553 sites in six states on Day 2 of India’s coronavirus vaccination drive, the Health Ministry said Sunday evening, adding that the number who had received at least one shot was around 2.24 lakh. The six states that conducted vaccinations today were Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur and Tamil Nadu.
On Saturday (Day 1) 1.91 lakh were vaccinated at 3,006 sites across India after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the nationwide drive. The Health Ministry said the drop in the number of states was meant to avoid clashes with immunisation schedules for other illnesses.
“States/Union Territories were advised to plan COVID vaccination sessions on four days in a week to minimise disruption of Routine Health Services. Today being Sunday only six states conducted vaccination sessions,” Dr Manohar Agnani, Health Ministry Joint Secretary, said.
The government said a majority of states had planned to vaccinate people over four days per week, but Goa and Uttar Pradesh opted for two, Mizoram for five and Andhra Pradesh for six.
On Saturday three lakh people were to be vaccinated but fewer than two lakh were actually given the shot. The government has not spoken about this gap but states have cited the vaccine being voluntary as a possible reason for the difference.
There have been concerns raised about the safety and efficacy of one of the vaccines being used – Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. The drug was cleared for emergency use despite Phase III trials still pending. The government said it was cleared on the basis of Phase I and II trial data.
Yesterday the Prime Minister urged people not to believe rumours about the vaccine’s efficacy.
Today the Health Ministry also said that protocols were in place to respond to AEFIs (adverse events following immunisation). The ministry said the majority of such events were usually mild in nature – some swelling at the injection site, slight nausea or brief allergic reactions to the jab.
The ministry said only 447 AEFIs had been recorded so far, of which only three had to be hospitalised. Two have been discharged (from Delhi’s AIIMS and Railway Hospital), while the third is under observation at the AIIMS in Rishikesh.
Earlier Delhi Health Minister Satyender Jain said 52 AEFIs had been recorded in the national capital on Saturday after the vaccine roll-out.

Two vaccines have been cleared for emergency use in India – Covishield (developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and manufactured by Pune’s Serum Institute) and the wholly-homegrown and manufactured Covaxin.
In the first phase around one crore healthcare staff and two crore frontline workers, like police, community care workers and sanitation department employees, will receive the shots. (Agencies)

Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, Jan 17: Jammu and Kashmir did not record any COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours but reported 126 new virus cases, including fourteen travelers and two minors, during the time which took the total infection tally to 123343, officials said on Sunday.
Among the fresh cases, 61 are from Jammu Division and 65 from Kashmir Division, the officials said.
Giving district-wise details, they said, Srinagar reported 34 cases, Baramulla 4, Budgam 7, Pulwama 4, Kupwara 5, Anantnag 4, Bandipora 0, Ganderbal 4, Kulgam 1, Shopian 2, Jammu 48, Udhampur 1, Rajouri 1, Doda 0, Kathua 2, Samba 2, Kishtwar 0, Poonch 6, Ramban 1and Reasi 0.
A number of these cases were confirmed diagnostic laboratories of SKIMS Soura, CD hospital and GMC Annatnag.
SKIMS cases include female (70) from Hafroo Budgam, five females (57, 32, 08, 06, 45) and two males (32, 34) from Larsun, male (26) from Search, male (70) from Beehama, two males (47, 18) from Saloora, male (25) from Gutlibagh Ganderbal, male (64) Manigam, male (75) from Kangan Ganderbal, male (38) from 19 Garh, male (37) from Salkoot, female (70) from Kupwara, male (60) from Kuhroo Kupwara, female (75) from Lolab Kupwara, male (40) from Bilal Colony, female (30) from Bemina, male (75) from Bemina S D A Srinagar and male (36) from Ladoo Pulwama.

he CD cases include female (55) from Sumerbugh Budgam, female (35) from Doodmarg, female (22) from Budgam, male (69) from Alibagh Buchpora, male (35) from Baramulla, male (16) from Qamarwari, male (40) and female (38) from Kathidarwaza, female (75) and male (73) from Lal Bazar.
The GMC Anantnag cases include female (40) from Cherimarg, male (68) from Badigam Ashmuqam.
Moreover, they said, 182 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from various hospitals—133 from Jammu Division and 49 from Kashmir Valley.
As no fresh death due to coronavirus was reported, the death toll in the J&K stayed at 1,921. This is for the second time this month that no covid-19 related death was reported in J&K.
So far 1921 people have succumbed to virus in J&K— 1206 in the Valley and 715 in Jammu region.
Srinagar district with 453 deaths tops the list followed by Jammu (367), Baramulla (172), Budgam (115), Kupwara (94), Pulwama (88), Anantnag (84), Doda (64), Bandipora (61), Udhampur (57), Kulgam (54), Rajouri (55), Kathua (51), Ganderbal (46), Shopian (39), Samba (39), Poonch (24), Ramban (21), Kishtwar(22), and Reasi (15).(GNS)
US registers 198,000 new Covid cases in 24 hours

Sputnik
Moscow, Jan 17: The United States has registered more than 198,000 new coronavirus cases and over 3,200 coronavirus-related fatalities within the past 24 hours, according to Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
According to the data, the total US case tally amounts to 23,760,080, with 395,851 deaths.
US authorities have begun vaccination campaigns across the country but the rollout has proven slower than earlier projected figures.
The university COVID-19 database shows that overall tally of more than 94.5 million confirmed cases across the globe, including 2,024,006 fatalities.