Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar Nov 9: Administration is all set to implement the Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN), where people can get information about ownership details of land in Jammu and Kashmir.
An official said the move is aimed at making land acquisition easier for public projects besides ending dubious land ownership.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir office has written a letter to Director Land Records Kashmir seeking suggestions and inputs for implementation of ULPIN in J&K.
“The ULPIN shall provide flow of hibernation on any parcel of land or property to provide integrated land services to the citizens as well as stakeholders,” it reads.
The official said ULPIN will have ownership details of the plot besides its size and longitudinal and latitudinal details.
“The unique number ULPIN would subsequently be linked to the Aadhaar and revenue court system,” the official said.
Sources said the department of land resources, under the ministry of rural development, had roll-out the pilot project in various states in September last year and following the successful completion of the pilot projects.
They said this would facilitate real estate transactions, help resolve property taxation issues and improve disaster planning and response efforts.
“Henceforth, all issues related to collection of taxes and ownership of the plot can be traced using one single number,” they said.
Land disputes, validity of titles and records and rightful ownership account for two-thirds of the cases pending in the country’s courts and it takes over 20 years on average to resolve them, impacting sectors and projects, shows some estimates. (KINS)

Nasir Azam

Srinagar, Nov 9: The administration of Jammu & Kashmir has unveiled the draft Model Building Byelaws and Building Code-2020 for the areas falling under jurisdiction of urban local bodies in the Union Territory.
The draft “Jammu & Kashmir Building Byelaws and Building Code-2020” have been prepared by the Housing & Urban Development Department with assistance from experts/professionals from the relevant fields after taking into account the National Building Code-2016 and Model Building Byelaws-2016.

“The draft—Jammu & Kashmir Model Building Byelaws and Building-2020” are notified for inviting suggestions/ objections from all stakeholders- citizens, developers, builders, government departments, housing cooperatives and other agencies- to enable incorporation of useful suggestions to make the new Bye-laws / Building Code comprehensive, progressive and relevant to the state practice,” reads the notice of H&UDD. The suggestions/ objections can be sent to the department till November 29.

The Building Byelaws of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Jammu Municipal Corporation and other urban local bodies were last time notified in 2011. An official told KNO that the new building byelaws will simplify the procedure for building permits and streamline the entire process.

“Since 2011, large scale developments have taken place in the fields of sustainability, energy conservation building code, rain harvesting, green buildings etc. Besides, the byelaws of 2011 of did not provide an elaborate mechanism for the building permit process,” he said.

He said these building bye-laws will apply to the building activity in the Union Territory for all urban local bodies and urban development authorities after they are notified by the government. (KNO)

Fatalities mount to 1545, case tally nears 1 lakh mark
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, Nov 9: Jammu and Kashmir reported nine more COVID-19 deaths in last 24 hours, while 460 fresh cases were reported across the Union Territory, officials said on Monday.
The fatality count due to COVID-19 in J&K has mounted to 1545, while 99352 people have tested positive for the virus in the UT till date.
Among those who succumbed to the virus today include nine from Kashmir and one from Jammu district—a 55-year-old man from Arnia area of the winter capital of J&K.
Regarding the deaths from Valley, six belonged to Srinagar and one each to Baramulla and Kupwara.

Among others the deaths include a 95-year-old woman from Jawahar Nagar, a 70-year-old man from Bota Kadal, an 85-year-old woman from Lalbazar, a 70-year-old man from Syedpora Srinagar, a 61-year-old man from Goggibagh and a 55-year-old man from Natipora.
With these deaths, the fatality count has reached 1545 in J&K—1025 in Valley and 520 in the Jammu region.
Srinagar district with 381 deaths tops the list followed by Jammu (270), Baramulla (149), Budgam (94), Pulwama (83), Kupwara (75), Anantnag (76), Rajouri (48), Kulgam (48), Bandipora(47), Doda (48), Shopian (35), Ganderbal (35), Udhampur (32), Kathua (33), Samba (25), Poonch (23), Ramban (18), Kishtwar(15), and Reasi (8).
J&K reports 460 fresh cases, tally nears 1 lakh mark
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir reported 460 new COVID-19 cases including 34 travelers, a CRPF man and two minors in last 24 hours, taking the total count inch closer to the grim milestone of one lakh cases.

Among the cases, 153 were reported from Jammu Division and 307 from Kashmir, taking the overall count to 99352.
Giving district-wise details, officials said that Srinagar reported 161 cases, Baramulla 33, Budgam 18, Pulwama 5, Kupwara 18, Anantnag 17, Bandipora 13, Ganderbal 31, Kulgam 7, Shopian 4, Jammu 99, Rajouri 3, Udhampur 19, Doda 10, Kathua 7, Poonch 1, Samba 2, Kishtwar 10 and Ramban 2.
A number of these cases were confirmed at SKIMS Soura’s diagnostic laboratories, they said.
The cases include male (49) and female (20) from Sugen, male (58) from Wani Mohalla Mochoowa, male (44) from Wanabal Nowgam, male (80) from Friends Colony Kanipora, female (27) from Chichilora, female (60) from Budgam, male (57) from Kangan, female (30) from Saloora, male (50) from Nunar, male (50) from Kangan, male (62) from Gund, female (40) from Arhama, male (25) from Kangan Ganderbal, male (18) from Lolab Kupwara, male (30) and female (28) from Alamgiri Bazar, male (25) from Rawalpora, female (50) from HMT, male (65) from Lal Bazar, male (25) from Peerbagh, male (55) from SKIMS, female (70) from Lal Bazar, female (37) from Nowshera, female (38) and male (02) from Lal Bazar, female (57) from Nowshera, female (21) from Khanyar, female (38) and male (66) from Lal Bazar, male (62) from Srinagar, two females (36, 03) from Alamgiri Bazar, male (45) from Khanyar, female (NA) from Noorbagh, female (NA) from Batpora, male (NA) from Bhagat Srinagar and male (32) from 79 Bn CRPF Sonwar Srinagar.
Moreover, they said, 564 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from various hospitals— 179 from Jammu Division and 385 from Kashmir. (GNS)

Jammu, Nov 9: An Army Officer of Major-rank was found dead under mysterious circumstances in army camp on Monday in Jammu’s  Rajouri district.
Police sources said that the officer was from Rashtriya Rifles and was posted in Thannamandi area.
A police official said that the officer was found dead in mysterious conditions this morning after which senior army officers and police officers reached to the spot.
“An investigation is underway,” said police.

Jammu, Nov 9: Army Commander for Northern Command, Lieutenant General YK Joshi Monday visited the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts and reviewed the overall security scenario.

General Officer in Commanding (GoC), White Knight Corps, Lieutenant General Suchindra Kumar, was also accompanying the Northern Command Commander.

Lieutenant General YK Joshi on this occasion visited various forward locations in Poonch and Rajouri districts that include in Mendhar Sub Division areas also.

During his visit, Lt Gen Joshi met with the troops deployed on forward posts on LoC and boosted their morale. He was also briefed about the prevailing situation on LoC especially in wake of ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

Lt Gen Joshi also took a review of operational preparedness of Army troops on LoC besides taking a detailed review of security scenario of both LoC and hinterland. (KNO)

Bhat Imran
Srinagar, Nov 9: At least 97 per cent of schools across Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are functioning with co-education system while only 2.42 per cent schools are running as per gender-segregation.
According to the figures of the Ministry of Education (MoE), a total of 2.42 per cent of schools across Jammu and Kashmir are functioning as per gender segregation.
The figures reveal that of the total private and government schools in Jammu and Kashmir, 97.58 were functioning with the co-education system wherein both male and female students were enrolled till the academic year 2018-19.
It was mentioned that there were 29,708 schools in Jammu and Kashmir during 2018-19 of which 28988 were functioning with co-education system while only 720 schools were functioning as per gender segregation.
The figures state that South Kashmir’s Anantnag district has a total of 1972 schools of which 1900 were functioning with co-education, 53 were specifically for girl students and 19 for male students.
Similarly, in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a total of 1581 government and private schools were established during 2018-19 of which 1554 were functioning with co-education system, 19 each for girl and boy students.
Likewise, in north Kashmir’s Bandipora, a total of 909 schools were functioning in the district while 887 are running with co-education system and 15 separately for girl students and only seven for male students.
The figures reveal that in Baramulla district 2398 schools were functioning in the district with only 34 schools for female and 13 for male students. In the district, 2351 schools were functioning with co-education system.
In Doda district, over 99 percent schools were functioning with co-education and less than one percent separate institutions were made for male and female students.
In Leh and Ladakh, a total of 436 government and private schools were functioning in the area wherein 403 institutions were having co-education, eight were separately made for girl students and 25 for male students. (KNO)

Srinagar, Nov 9: Former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) has decided to seek early hearing on petitions challenging abrogation of special status of J&K in the Supreme Court (SC).
Omar, who is Vice President of National Conference (NC), said the decision was made so that the petitions challenging August 5, 2019, move forward.
“As decided in the recent meeting of the People’s Alliance we are seeking early hearings in this matter so that the petitions challenging 5th Aug 2019 move forward,” Omar wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
He also retweeted a post which read, “J&K Peoples Conference moves Supreme Court seeking early hearing of the batch of petitions challenging abrogation of Article 370 and reorganisation of J&K.”
J&K Peoples Conference, which is a signatory of Gupkar Declaration and a part of People Alliance, has filed a plea in the SC, seeking early hearing on a batch of petitions challenging Centre’s August 5 decisions.
In the plea, Peoples Conference alleged that sweeping changes are being brought about by the centre that impact the rights of a large number of people, including dilution of the safeguards earlier available to the permanent residents of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir.
The signatories of Gupkar Declaration-2019 include National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party, Congress, Communist Party of India (M), Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, Awami National Conference and Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement.
The Declaration was signed at the residence of NC President Dr Farooq Abdullah on August 4, 2019, a day ahead of scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into two Union Territories by the BJP lead NDA government.

Mumbai, Nov 9: The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to grant an interim bail to Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami in a two-year-old abetment to suicide case of an interior designer.
Dismissing Goswami’s bail plea, the Division Bench comprising Justice SS Shinde and MS Karnik, however, clarified that the petitioner can approach the Sessions Court to seek a regular bail.
The Division Bench, in its order, further said that it will not be construed as an impediment to the accused to approach the Sessions Court under Section 439 of CrPC (released on bail).
The order was reserved by the High Court on Saturday. At that time also, the Court had said that the pendency of this matter, however, does not preclude the accused persons from approaching the sessions court to seek regular bail.
Goswami was arrested by the city police on November 4 for his alleged involvement in abetment of suicide of architect and interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother over non-payment of dues by his firm. He was later sent to 14 days of judicial custody by a local court.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson and Senior Advocate in the Supreme Court Gaurav Bhatia wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India SA Bobde urging him to take suo moto cognizance of “the blatant violation of basic human rights by Maharashtra Government and the Mumbai Police” during Goswami’s arrest.
“My humble appeal to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of India in Arnab Goswami ‘s matter. Like all citizens of India I have full faith in the temple of Justice, the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. Arnab will surely get justice”, Bhatia tweeted along with posting screenshots of the letter.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari spoke to Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and expressed his concern over Goswami’s security and health.

Srinagar, Nov 9: The administration on Monday issued three notices to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association asking it to clarify its position on terming Kashmir a disputed territory and prohibiting it from holding elections, besides imposing prohibitory orders in premises of the district court complex.

Srinagar District Magistrate Shahid Iqbal Choudhury issued the notices to the president of the bar association, asking them to explain the constitution of the bar which terms Kashmir a disputed area.

Citing Kashmir Bar”s constitution which states among its objectives “to find ways and means, take steps, for resolving the issues concerning the public at large including larger issue of peaceful settlement of Kashmir dispute…”

“You are required to explain your position on the subject since its not in consonance with the Constitution of India whereby Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of the country and not a dispute, and also in conflict with The Advocates Act of 1961…” the notice issued by the deputy commissioner said.

The bar has also been asked to submit a certificate issued by the competent authority, its Article of Association, its registered office, executive body and validity of registration among other details.

The notice said that the district magistrate had also received representation from advocates of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court wherein serious allegations were levelled and concerns raised regarding the election process and its motive.

“Therefore, after having considered the issue contained…and in absence of response from the JKHCBA on the serious matter (in) relation to sovereignty and integrity of the country….it is hereby ordered that the conduct of election to JKHCBA shall not be allowed” till it clarified its position.

The district magistrate also imposed section 144 of the CrPC in the premises of the district court complex in Srinagar.