Srinagar, Dec 30: Jammu and Kashmir High Court has sought a status report regarding the construction of a slaughter house at Srinagar even as it imposed Rs 5000 personal costs on Commissioner Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, underlining that the “mindset of non-compliance of the orders passed by the Court need to be changed.”
Hearing a Public Interest Litigation, a Division Bench of Chief Justice (Acting) Rajesh Bindal and Justice Sanjay Dhar observed that that November 19, the Court had directed the Commissioner/Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department to appear in person through video conference but he did no comply with the orders.
Senior AAG S. S. Nanda submitted that a status report has been filed mentioning that Animal Husbandry Department has nothing to do with the construction of slaughter house. .
“There is no status report on record in the soft copy of the paper book. No application seeking exemption from personal appearance has been filed,” the court said, adding, “Though the status report is not on record in the soft copy of the paper book, however, the same was produced in the Court separately from the Registry of this Court. There is no separate application filed by the Commissioner/Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Department seeking exemption from his personal appearance.”
This, the court said, only shows “arrogance” on the part of the officer concerned.
“Neither he has filed any affidavit with the status report under signatures, when he had been called to appear in person nor any exemption application for personal appearance has been filed by him,” the court said underling that when he was directed to appear in person, either he should have appeared or filed his own affidavit mentioning details along with prayer for exemption from appearance.
“The mind set of non-compliance of the orders passed by the Court need to be changed. For his non-appearance, the Commissioner/Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, Jammu is burdened with personal cost of Rs 5,000,” the court said and asked him to deposit the same with the court’s Registry within four weeks.

Meanwhile Ashish Gupta, Joint Commissioner Jammu Municipal Corporation informed the court that the work on slaughter house construction shall be allotted to the successful bidder within two weeks.

As per the conditions in the DPR, Gupta said the project is to be completed within 12 months. In so far as the construction of the slaughter house at Srinagar was concerned, the court observed that as per statement made before it on 26 February this year, the construction was in progress and was likely to be completed within next 7-8 months. S. Nanda, the Sr. AAG, submitted that the work was in progress, however, because of COVID-19, the same was delayed. “Let the present status of the construction of the slaughter house at Srinagar be apprised to the Court on the next date of hearing and the time required for completion thereof,” the court added. (GNS)

‘83 Kgs of heroin worth Rs 300 Cr recovered’
Vishal Bharti
Jammu, Dec 30: At least 18 militants were killed in different encounters in Jammu region and 25 over ground workers (OGWs) arrested by police in 2020.
Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone, Mukesh Singh, sharing annual round up about said that during 2020, 18 militant were killed and eight arrested in 13 militancy related incidents in Jammu region.
“Besides, huge quantities of arms and ammunition recovered in different militancy incidents,” he said.
The IGP said as many as 25 OGWs were also arrested in different militancy related cases in the province during the year 2020.
On war against drugs, Singh said a total of 616 cases were registered out of which 466 cases have been challaned in the court of law and 1293 persons were arrested.
“The seizure of heroine (83 Kgs) worth Rs 300 crore in the international market is one of the largest recovery in recent times. Besides, an amount of Rs 50, 33, 295.00 and three Cheques worth Rs. 3, 19,044.00 also seized,” he said.
He said that in the outgoing year, 415.3 kg Charas, around 84 grams heroin, 12,962.8-kg poppy straw, 322918 intoxicant capsules, brown sugar 61 grams, opium 12 kg, 3107 intoxicant syrup and 1.170 kg opium were seized from parts of the region.
The IGP said overall law and order situation remained normal in Jammu Zone.
“However, a close watch was kept over the activities of anti-national and anti-social elements, mischief mongers, criminals as well as on social media throughout Jammu region to thwart their nefarious designs,” he said.
He said that some incidents from Law and order point of view reported in Jammu region which were effectively handled by local police.

Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Dec 30: The government has set the ball rolling for appointment of ombdusman for probing charges of corruption and maladministration in Panchayat Raj institutions in Jammu and Kashmir.
The process for appointment of ombdusman for Panchayats was initiated last month by the administration with appointment of a four-member committee mandated under “The J&K Ombdusman for Panchayats Act, 2014”.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the panel headed by Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar (advisor to Lieutenant Governor) and comprising Farooq Khan (advisor to LG), Baseer Ahmad Khan (advisor to LG) and Chief Secretary will submit its recommendation for the appointment to the LG.
In March 2019, the government appointed KB Aggarwal as first ombdusman of Panchayats in J&K. But his tenure was cut short by reorganization of erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir as he was deemed to have held the office till only October 31, 2019.
Subsequently, the Centre made amendments in “The J&K Ombdusman for Panchayats Act” in view of the change in legal and constitutional position of Jammu & Kashmir.
In 2014 Omar Abdullah-led government enacted the law for ensuring complete transparency in the functioning of the democratic institutions in rural areas of the State.
The ombdusman is empowered to enquire into any complaint in which corruption or maladministration of a public servant or Panchayat is alleged.
The ombdusman shall, for the purpose of any investigation or enquiry under this Act, have the same powers as are vested in civil court while trying a suit under the Code of Civil Procedure in respect of the summoning and enforcing the attendance of any witness or examining him; requiring the discovery and production of any document; receiving evidence on affidavits; requisitioning any public records, or copy thereof, from any court or office etc. (KNO)

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 30: National Conference on Wednesday sought time bound inquiry into the circumstances leading to the killing of three persons at an encounter site in Lawaypora area of Srinagar suburbs, saying the justice must be immediately delivered by investigating the matter on impartial, fast track basis.
Party’s additional spokesperson Sarah Shah said versions of people and family pertaining to the killing of three people at an encounter site in Srinagar suburb are contradictory, therefore the situation necessitates the constitution of a fact finding team that could reveal the circumstances that will probe the matter on a fast track basis.
“The police version is that the trio was militants who refused to surrender during the gunfight were killed, but the version of families of the slain is contradictory to that of the police version. It is for the government now to clear the ambiguity leading to the death of the three persons. We have been hearing from government quarters that there would be zero tolerance for human rights violations but on ground such high-pitched claims emanating from government stand debunked in wake of such killings. Therefore we demand a thorough inquiry into the incident on behalf of my party. I also take this opportunity to express my unison with the bereaved families in their hour of grief and pain,” she said.

Srinagar, Dec 30: Former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said that it is worrying that in the past few months after the Shopian fake encounter other families too in Jammu and Kashmir have alleged that their sons were innocent and killed in a staged encounter.
Mehbooba said that the authorities need to come clean on this.
“Worrying that in the past few months after the Shopian fake encounter other families too in J&K have alleged that their sons were innocent & killed in a staged encounter. Authorities need to come clean on this,” Mehbooba wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
The PDP president was responding to allegations by the families of three ‘militants’, who were killed in an encounter with security forces in Srinagar outskirts, that they were innocent.
The family members and relatives of the three slain youth assembled outside Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar and staged a protest, claiming that trio left their respective homes on Tuesday to submit examination forms. “The trio yesterday left home to submit examination forms in the University. My brother left home for the first time after three months as he had undergone an operation. He went out because he had to submit form. They must have picked him up from the road,” the sister of one of the slain, identified as Ajaz Maqbool, told reporters.
The Army on Wednesday said that three militants were killed in encounter with security forces at Umarabad Lawaypora in the city outskirts on Srinagar-Baramulla highway.

Agencies
New Delhi, Dec 30: The government on Wednesday extended the deadline to file income tax return (ITR) for individuals by 10 days to January 10, 2021.
The deadline for filing tax returns by businesses too has been extended till February 15, the finance ministry said in a statement.
This is the third time that the government has extended the deadline to file ITR — first from the normal deadline of July 31 to November 30, 2020, and then to December 31, 2020.
Also, the due date for filing declaration under the direct tax dispute resolution scheme Vivad Se Vishwas has been extended by a month till January 31.
Besides, the date for filing GST annual return for 2019-20 fiscal has been extended by two months till February 28, 2021.
The extension of the deadline till January 10 is for filing ITR for 2019-20 fiscal year (2020-21 assessment year) and is for those individuals whose accounts are not required to be audited and who usually file their income tax return using ITR-1 or ITR-4 forms, as applicable, the statement said.
The deadline for other taxpayers whose accounts are required to be audited (including partners of a firm) and/or those who have to submit report in respect to international financial transactions has been extended to February 15, 2021.
Amid a blip in the number of ITRs filed by individuals vis-a-vis last year, the finance ministry said the extension in various deadline was given in view of the continued challenges faced by taxpayers in meeting statutory compliances due to the outbreak of COVID-19.