Jammu, Nov 25: Jammu Police on Wednesday advised people not to circulate content on social media triggering communal tension.
Police spokesman here said that people are advised not to circulate, forward any messages in the form of videos, audio and pictures etc on social media or any other platform having potential to cause or increase communal tension.
“This is an offence under law. Police is constantly monitoring social media and will take strict legal action against those found indulging in it,” said the spokesman adding that people are advised not to post anything incriminating.
He further added that it is also requested to the public to inform about the hate material circulated on social media by informing police by dialing 100 and not by posting on media platforms.
“Kindly do not believe on rumours,” he said.
Meanwhile, in view of security situation at Bhatindi, a special meeting with residents of Bhatindi area has been convened by DIG Jammu, SSP Jammu and other field officers.
“Detailed interactions with the inhabitants of area has been done,” he said adding that the grievances of all the prominent citizens of the area were listened and all the issues were addressed on spot.
“The situation is normal in the area. People are requested not to believe in rumours and manipulations of vested interests,” he said.
Jammu police asks people not to circulate content on social media triggering communal tension
ACB produces chargesheet against ex- BDO, storekeeper
Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Nov 25: The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu presented charge sheet against Bharat Bushan, then BDO Barnoti and Mohinder Singh S/o Lochan Singh R/O W.No 15, Patel Nagar, Kathua, the then Storekeeper, Office of Block Development Officer (BDO) Block Barnoti and others in case FIR No. 20/2012 U/S 5(1) (c) (d) r/w 5(2) J&K PC Act Svt. 2006 & 120-B, 201, 409, 467, 468 & 471 RPC registered in P/S VOJ (now ACB).
“The case was registered on the basis of a verification conducted into allegations of misappropriation of cement/ steel of BDO Block Barnoti during 2004 to 2007 by storekeeper Mohinder Singh and others to the tune of ₹9,21,735/- by making false /duplicate issuance entries of cement/steel in favour of different persons and fudging of stock registers. The above mentioned items were shown issued for undertaking work under various departmental schemes, whereas it was actually not issued. The verification has further revealed that, on the basis of departmental assessment made by the then ACD Kathua, a recovery of ₹3,27,918 was made in the month of March 2006 from the accused storekeeper on detection of shortage in the stores,” a spokesman of ACB said.
He said the omission and commission on part of accused public servant namely Mohinder the then storekeeper of BDO Block (CAD) Barnoti constitutes criminal mis-conduct under J&K P.C Act 2006 Svt. and accordingly FIR No. 20/2012 u/s 5(1) (c) (d) r/w 5(2) J&K PC Act Svt. 2006 & 120-B, 409, 467, 468 & 471 RPC was registered in P/S VOJ now ACB Jammu and investigation was set into motion.
“During investigation, it was found that Bharat Bhushan the then BDO Barnoti attested/ authenticated the fake entries of cement and steel in the stock registers without checking the corresponding Challans. During his posting period w.e.f. 2000-2004 as BDO Block Barnoti, Mohinder Singh the then Storekeeper fabricate the record by getting attested the fake entries of single challan/same challan of Cement bags/steel under different schemes in the stock registers. Mohinder Singh also diverted the material from one scheme to another scheme and issued excess material. Under a conspiracy, the accused BDO and storekeeper caused huge loss to the state exchequer. Thus the loss caused to the state exchequer on account of misappropriation of the material under different schemes was worked out to ₹ 11,63,421,” added the spokesman.
The ACB after investigation submitted the charge sheet of the case as envisaged U/S 173 Cr.PC against the above said accused persons in the Court of Addl. Judge Anti-Corruption Kathua.
KU, CUK organise joint conference on NEP-2020
VCs, experts bat for early implementation of key provisions
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Nov 25: The University of Kashmir and the Central University of Kashmir jointly organised on Wednesday a seminar-cum-webinar on implementation of the National Education Policy-2020 in the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory.
KU Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad presided over the national-level conference, organised by the departments of Education of the two universities to identify key issues in implementing the NEP provisions, with special reference to school and higher education systems.
The NEP-2020, Prof Talat said, is a game-changer flagship programme which focuses on encouraging and promoting creativity, innovation, skill-development and research inquisitiveness among students right from the elementary level to enable them to meet the global benchmarks on academics and research.
He said that digital education is a buzzword in today’s academic world and it’s time to remove bottlenecks in ensuring digital revolution in education across J&K in line with the NEP objectives.
CUK Vice-Chancellor Prof Mehraj-ud-Din Mir was the chief-guest on the occasion and highlighted the role of the universities’ departments of education in shaping the UT’s education system by enabling timely implementation of NEP-2020.
He said the KU and CUK will hold more such seminars and involve eminent academicians from across the country to formulate a concrete roadmap on early NEP implementation in the UT.
Prof Anita Rampal, former Dean, Central Institute of Education University of Delhi, delivered the keynote address. “We need to look at social trajectories, knowledge construction, institutional autonomy and student mentoring to make the 21st century learner relevant and competitive in the global market,” she said.
KU Registrar Dr Nisar A Mir and CUK Registrar Prof Mohammad Afzal Zargar emphasised on imparting-skill-based education and training to students, while instilling a culture of patenting in universities and colleges.
KU’s Dean College Development Council Prof G M Sangmi said: “We need to make our education systems attune to increasing the students’ employability and entrepreneurship prospects”.
Dean School of Education and Behavioural Sciences at KU Prof Showkat Ahmad Shah coordinated the even , while Prof Taslema Jan, Head, Department of Education, presented a welcome address.
Dean, School of Education at CUK Dr Syed Zahoor Ahmad Geelani said academics need to be proactive in implementing the NEP to ensure that all learners have access to quality education and research.
The seminar-cum-webinar was, among others, attended by noted academics including Prof Mehmood Ahmad Khan, Prof M I Mattoo, Prof Nighat Basu, administrators, teachers and research scholars from both KU and CUK, and many other academic institutions in the country (in online and offline modes).
SMC seals five illegal structures
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Nov 24: The SMC on Wednesday sealed one structure at 90 feet Soura and four at Karan nagar Balgarden in gross violation of building permission norms issued by Competent Authority….
All the five structures had building permissions for residential purpose however the applicants have grossly violated the sanctioned building permissions.
The four structures that were sealed down by Enforcement team led by Mehrajudin Buja at Narsinghgarh Balgarden were converted into commercial ones under the name of Johnson Tiles, Kashmir Clinic, Appolo shoes and RG Medicate agency and therefore the structures were sealed .
Meanwhile an encroachment on state land at Bagi Nund Singh was also removed in Ward 22.(KNS)
4 Shopian youth go missing in Delhi
Families plead for help; Efforts on to trace them, say officials
Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Nov 25: Days after two siblings from Kulgam district went missing outside J&K, who were later traced, four more persons belonging to South Kashmir’s Shopian district have went missing.
The missing youth have been identified as Yawar Ahmad Wani son of Gh Mohammed Wani, Dawood Ahmad Thoker son of Mohammed Yousuf Thoker, both residents of Chakoora Shopian, Sumer Ahmad Shah son of Abdul Hamid Shah, resident of Shahlatoo and Arif Bilal Dar, resident of Sharatpora, Shopian.
Mohammed Yousuf Thoker, father of Dawood Ahmad said since Tuesday afternoon, they have no whereabouts of Yawar Ahmad and Dawood Ahmad, as their phones went off suddenly.
He said that vehicle along with cleanear is lying at Azadpora Mandi, however, there are no traces of driver Dawood and grower (Yawar) whose apples were taken there since Tuesday 1 o’ clock.
“We have filed missing reports in Shopian as well as in Delhi,” he said while requesting authorities to help them in tracing the missing duo.
The families Sayar and Arif have also lodged their missing report after duo went missing from Jamia Masjid area New Delhi on Tuesday.
They also have requested authorities to act swiftly and help them in locating their loved ones at an earliest.
A Police official said that they have taken cognizance of the issue and efforts are on to trace the missing persons. The four youth went missing days after two siblings from Kulgam disappeared but were traced and later handed over to families—(KNO)
Use of unparliamentarily language by public representatives hurts peoples’ sentiments: Kovind
Agencies
Kevadia, (Gujarat), Nov 25: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday said that elected representatives should engage in a healthy dialogue in Parliament and legislative assemblies and refrain from using unparliamentary language during debates.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 80th All India Presiding Officers’ Conference at Tent City in Gujarat’s Kevadia village, his first outdoor public event in the last eight months, Kovind said such indiscipline by public representatives in legislatures hurts the sentiments of the people.
It is expected from elected representatives that they remain committed to democratic values. The biggest challenge for elected representatives and democratic institutions is to fulfil the expectations of the people, he said.
“I believe that people of this country expect that their elected representatives will follow parliamentary norms. People get hurt when their elected representatives use unparliamentary words or indulge in indiscipline in Parliament or in the assembly,” Kovind said.
He also asked Speakers to facilitate a healthy dialogue in the House to keep away unnecessary bitterness in the discussion, as there has been a steady increase in the hopes and awareness of the general public.
Underlining the significance of opposition in parliamentary democracy, Kovind said it has an important role along with the ruling party, and so there is a need for understanding, cooperation, and meaningful exchange of thoughts between the two.
“The ultimate goal of a democratic system is public welfare, which can be assured with the uplift of the backward and deprived of the country. I believe all three wings of state together will continue to work towards achieving this goal,” Kovind said.
Concluding his speech, Kovind paid tribute to Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Ahmed Patel, passed away this morning.
Admin to tighten noose on coaching centers for violating Covid SOPs
Bhat Imran
Srinagar, Nov 25: The district administration Srinagar on Wednesday said the Private Coaching Centers were not following the COVID-19 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) during the classes.
The administration said that it has observed that there was a non-implementation of COVID-19 SOPs by coaching centers in district Srinagar.
The administration has constituted a committee that was tasked to visit the spots and seal all those coaching centers found violating the guidelines.
“It has been observed that the coaching centers in district Srinagar are not implementing the SOPs and necessary guidelines of COVID-19 during the coaching classes,” the order reads.
The order said, “In this backdrop and in order to ascertain the facts, a committee of following members is constituted who shall visit the spot personally and seal the coaching centers who do not follow the COVID 19 SOPs and guidelines.”
The four member committee includes Deputy Chief Education Officer Srinagar Anjum Raja, Principal government Girls Higher Secondary School Amira Kadal Affeefa Ashaie, Tehsildar Concerned and District Recourses Group (DRG) Srinagar Showkat Ahmad.
The district administration directed the Personal Assistant to Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Fayaz Ahmad Qureshi to give full assistance to the committee if necessary. KNO
Invisible Epidemic
The United Nations commissioned November 25 as International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. Ever since the covid-19 pandemic confined people to their homes, there has been an increase in the violence against the fearer gender which to a certain degree has been reflected in the complaints received by the National Commission for Women. While cogent data has been missing, one can say, looking in the society and news which we come across, the incidences have been far higher.
The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 which came into effect in October 2006 defines domestic violence as any act, omission or commission that causes injury to a woman’s physical or mental health and includes specific forms of violence such as physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse. The Act seeks to provide relief to women in the form of protection order, residence order, monetary relief, custody order and compensation orders. Breach of any protection order is a criminal offence. Authorities needed to act fast. While data is lacking regarding it, there are not means for registering the complaints at the first place either.
It is also not just confined to domestic violence but there have been increased incidents of rape, harassment and other such undesirable acts against women.
It is not the case that anticipation or forewarning against the rise were no there. Most rapes are perpetrated by people known to the victim but there are hardly befitting punishments. Most of the rapes are not reported for the reasons well known and also specifically documented. One does not know exactly how many women were raped or trafficked? One does not know how many were married forcibly and under-aged in desperation to see them safe and fed. One can with a degree of certainty say that violence is the ominous, omnipresent, obvious reality in the lives the fairer gender. The sexual and gender-based violence was the most predictable consequence of the lockdown and as a society, we have collectively failed to prove apprehensions wrong. Systematic creation of a support infrastructure like easy access helplines, secure shelter services with enabling cultures and sensitisation of people against violence has not been done in the manner as it ought to have been.
Power woes amid harsh winter
The 40-day harshest winter period in Kashmir, known in the local parlance as ‘Chillai-Kalan’, is almost a month away. It’s followed by a 20-day ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). It does not however mean that winter is yet to start. Given the present weather condition, it rather signifies that harsh winter is all but going to be harsher. The harshness invariably gets stronger in absence of electricity and despite the claims by the successive governments regarding improvement in the scenario, it remains the same as in the past. Despite augmenting power supply, the uninterrupted supply or providing it even as per the time schedule announced by the PDD seems a far cry. Rather it appears to be unattainable. The people have been craving to see the concerned department improves its performance, and to provide electricity for a reasonable time length. The absence of electricity makes life miserable, irrespective of whether it is spring, summer, autumn, or winter. However, in terms of severity, it ought to be winters. The scale of hardships caused by it is not something one needs to explain. The importance or dependency on electricity is simply more in contemporary times than the past when people would do with burning woods or utilize charcoal differently. This year, the dependency for a few is more than fighting the harshness of the winter. They need electricity for survival against covid-19 giving importance to oxygen they need through machine run by the electrical energy.
Routines of life are determined by the supply of electricity. Almost all aspects of life are reliant on power. The household chores are now entirely dependent on electricity. The administration must bear that this is the season for examination, and students have to put in extra effort in their studies which is inevitably dependent on light. Without electricity, everything turns upside down.
The water level in the rivers recedes the generation of power substantially and as a consequence, there is less electricity to be distributed. The reasons for the shortfall are well known. The problem has been discussed over and over again. Unfortunately, the solution eludes, the reasons are well known also. Given the importance, the frequent and unscheduled power cuts are nothing short of violating the basic requirements of life. The justification that people put a lot of burden on the system is out of place as it is for the government to ensure it is judiciously used. The administration should ensure the primary supply and that too without pesky cuts.
Alliance partners caught in seat sharing wrangle, opponents see it as an opportunity
Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Nov 24: Differences over seat sharing arrangement for the forthcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections within the Peoples’ Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) seems to be ray of hope for the opponents of the alliance.
According to media reports small constituents of the PAGD have been complaining that they are being deprived of their seat share and the PAGD leadership is taking the decisions “unilaterally.”
It’s in place to mention here that PAGD is an amalgam of Kashmir based parties headed by the National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah. It comprises of Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Conference, Awami National Conference, CPI, CPI (M) and other smaller parties.
A politician while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “There have been some instances about where the candidates who were denied mandate by the PAGD are contesting as independents. You can expect such scenes as the elections are going to be held for 250 DDC seats across Jammu and Kashmir.”
He said, “Such small incidents don’t mean that any cracks have developed within the PAGD. The political parties that were not expecting the alliance to jump into the poll fray are trying to play up these issues to create a notion that PAGD is a divided house but the fact is that the alliance is intact and the opponents are feeling the heat.”
An analyst said, “PAGD’s decision to contest the forthcoming DDC polls surprised many people including their opponents. They have realized that winning these elections won’t be a cake walk and they are out to face a stiff competition. But the differences which have cropped up within the PAGD have made them hopeful about these parties having an outside chance as the division of votes can prove beneficial for them.”
He said, “During the past few days some issues have come to fore and it appears that the disgruntled party workers of the big political formations in both Jammu and Kashmir regions have decided to contest as independents. These contestants are not taking part in the elections as the NC, PDP or PC representatives. In a democracy everyone has his own rights and if any party worker decides to contest the elections on his own, no one can stop him.”
An observer said, “The PAGD is confident that it would win maximum number of seats in Kashmir but the same cannot be said about the Jammu region. There it faces an uphill task. The forthcoming DDC polls are more about Jammu versus Kashmir, but the Valley based parties coming together have made these elections interesting.”
