Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Oct 14: In a significant political development, National Conference president and three-time Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has convened a meeting of signatories of Gupkar declaration on Thursday afternoon at his residence.
Talking to media persons after meeting Mehbooba Mufti, who was released last evening, at her Gupkar residence here, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah said that she has accepted invitation for attending the meeting of signatories of Gupkar Declaration tomorrow.
“She has kindly accepted Farooq sahib’s invitation to join a meeting of the Gupkar Declaration signatories tomorrow afternoon, “Omar said.
The meeting is being held two days after PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was released from 14 months detention- six months under the Criminal Procedure Code and eight months under the Public Safety Act. Hours before abrogation of the Article 370, the Central government detained all top mainstream including Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Sajad Gani Lone. They were kept in detention for period ranging between seven months to 14 months.
Gupkar declaration is a resolution passed by National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, Congress, Peoples Conference and some smaller parties on August 4, 2019 to defend J&K’s special status.
The signatories of the resolution met on August 22 this year and vowed fight for restoration of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as it existed pre-August 5, 2019, saying the measures taken were “spitefully shortsighted” and “grossly unconstitutional”.
The parties reiterated that they are bound, wholly, by the contents of the ‘Gupkar Declaration’. (KNO)

Mubashir Aalam Wani

Srinagar, Oct 14: A day after her release, the incumbent parliamentarian Dr Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah met the former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief at her Gupkar residence.

Peoples Conference (PC) chairman Sajad Gani Lone and PDP leaders including former minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, Khursheed Aalam and others also met Mehbooba Mufti.

Abdullahs this afternoon visited Gupkar residence of Mehbooba Mufti where the duo inquired about her health condition after being released from 14-month-long detention.

Soon after coming out from her residence, Omar spoke to the media about the meeting and said it was aimed to inquire about her well-being after being released from over one year long detention.

He said that they also invited her for an All Parties meeting on Gupkar declaration tomorrow at 04:00 PM at Dr. Farooq’s Gupkar residence.

Omar tweeted that Mehbooba has accepted his father’s invitation to jin a meeting of Gupkar Declaration signatories’ tomorrow.

“My father and I called on Mehbooba Mufti Sahiba this afternoon to enquire about her well-being after her release from detention. She has kindly accepted Farooq Sb’s invitation to join a meeting of the Gupkar Declaration signatories’ tomorrow afternoon (Thursday),” Omar tweeted.
Sajad Gani Lone, former minister and PC chairman also met Mehbooba Mufti at her house while Naeem Akhtar was also present on the occasion.
Many PDP leaders also met the party chief today and inquired about her well-being.

Veeri while talking to KNO said that several party leaders met the president today at her Gupkar residence and inquired about her well-being. “Nothing was discussed today. But the leaders met her only to inquire about her well-being,” he said.

Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday evening revoked Public Safety Act (PSA) detention of Mehbooba Mufti and released her from 14-month-long decision. The release of Mehbooba was welcomed by all the mainstream political party leaders.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Oct 14: BJP on Wednesday said if Abdullahs and Mehbooba Mufti stoke any kind of trouble in valley on Article 370, they should be ready to bear its serious repercussions then.
BJP J&K chief Ravinder Raina termed Gupkar Declaration as “anti-national” and “Pakistan sponsored” agenda.
He said Abdullah’s and Mehbooba Mufti during a fresh meeting have reportedly decided to carry forward the mission of Gupkar Declaration which BJP will never ever allow.
He said people of Jammu and Kashmir have already thrown the declaration into dustbin as Article 370 was proved a discriminatory law for the local people.
“Politicians like Abdullah’s and Mehbooba Mufti are trying to cover their crimes. In pretext of Gupkar Declaration they are planning to stoke trouble in valley. BJP want to make it clear here anyone whosoever will try to create disorder won’t be left unpunished”, Raina warned.
“Abrogation of Article 370 has become history now and no political party or a person can undo the decision” he said adding the law had given birth to numerous problems in J&K particularly pampering militancy and separatism.
Talking tough against the signatories of Gupkar Declaration, Raina said that these politicians wish to bleed Kashmir further for their vested interests however BJP will never allow them to do so.
He warned Abdullah’s and Mehbooba Mufti to desist from chalking out any troubled strategy against the decisions taken on August 5, 2019, saying it would have serious aftermath for the trio. (KNS)

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Oct 14: Traffic Police on Wednesday issued an advisory imposing restrictions on vehicular movement on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on all Fridays from October 16 to November 30, citing maintenance of the highway as a reason.

Additional Director General of Police Traffic J&K, Srinagar in an advisory said that in connection with the maintenance of NH-44, vehicular movement has been barred on every Friday starting from October 16, 2020 to November 30, 2020. He also said that routine advisories with regard to traffic movement other than Fridays shall be issued on daily basis.
“Security Forces are advised/requested not to ply against advisory/traffic plan in view of Road maintenance on the days mentioned in the order”, the order reads.
For Mughal road, the advisory reads that subject to fair weather and good road condition only load carriers carrying essential supplies shall be allowed on Mughal Road on these days. “Moreover, no passenger vehicle or pedestrian shall be allowed on Mughal road,” the advisory reads.
Advisory further said that people are advised not to undertake journey on NHW-44 on mentioned days, in case of any emergency they have been asked to contact Traffic Control Units of the respective destinations.

New Delhi, Oct 14: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved a special package worth Rs 520 crore in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh till the financial year 2023-24 for Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) on a demand driven basis without linking allocation with poverty ratio during this extended period.

This will ensure sufficient funds under the Mission, as per need to the UTs and is also in line with Government of India’s aim to universalize all centrally sponsored beneficiary-oriented schemes in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh in a time bound manner.

This is based on the outcomes of the evaluation pointing to potential of the Mission to improve the quality of life of rural households and women’s empowerment and given the changed circumstances in the in J&K and Ladakh.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is a centrally sponsored programme that aims at eliminating rural poverty through promotion of multiple livelihoods for the rural poor households across the country.

The launch of DAY-NRLM in June 2011 to address rural poverty marks a paradigm shift in poverty alleviation programmes which seeks to reach out to all rural poor households, estimated at about 10 crore households, and impact their livelihoods through universal social mobilization by inter alia organizing one-woman member from each rural poor household into Self Help Groups (SHGs), their training and capacity building, facilitating their micro-livelihoods plans, and enabling them to implement their livelihoods plans through accessing financial resources from their own institutions and the banks.

The Mission involves working with the community institutions through community professionals in the spirit of self-help. This is the unique proposition of DAY-NRLM and that is how it is different from the previous poverty eradication programmes. The other distinguishing features of the programme is that it is implemented in a Mission mode by special purpose vehicles (autonomous state societies) with dedicated implementation support units at the national, state, district and block levels, using professional human resources in order to provide continuous and long-term handholding support to each rural poor family.

New Delhi, Oct 14: Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and banks to clarify whether they are implementing the waiver of interest on interest or not for the Covid 19 moratorium period.
“What have you done till now. Can you (Centre) and banks, let us know,” a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said while hearing petitions seeking appropriate directions to waive off interest on interest during this Covid-19 moratorium period.
The Apex Court observed, when the government has taken a decision to waive off interest, why is it taking so much time to implement.
Why you (Centre) are seeking time till November 15, why will it take an entire month to effect a simple waiver scheme, the Apex Court asked and adjourned the matter for further hearing till November 2.

The Apex Court observed, this year’s Diwali of public is in the hands of the government.
We will expect the implementation of government’s interest waiver by then and will review the implementation, the Apex Court said.
Justice MR Shah, another judge in the bench, said that this court have already passed an order prohibiting classification of NPAs and without a fiscal policy, proposals cannot be altered.
Petitioners sought to stop capitalizing on loans by banks.
Harish Salve, appearing for Banks Association, objected to it.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that this issue was examined on issue of whether there can be interest on interest.
Justice Bhushan said, “You (Centre) have already taken a decision to give benefit to people who have taken loan up to 2 crore. What about the implementation?”
Justice Shah said, people are worried in terms of their accounts and for interest on interest.
The Supreme Court was hearing petitions seeking appropriate directions to waive off interest on interest during this Covid-19 moratorium period.

Jammu, Oct 14: Jammu and Kashmir Health Department ranked second in the country with 93 percentage Immunization Coverage.
Talking to UNI, Financial Commissioner (Health) Atal Dulloo here said that even during the COVID-19 Pandemic, routine immunization programme is one of the important initiatives for preventing children from Vaccine preventable Diseases of Childhood.
“Inspite of Pandemic, full immunization coverage of children in the UT of J&K is 2nd highest among other state, UT in the Country for the period of April to July 2020 in the recently released Immunization dashboard by Ministry of Health and Family welfare,” Dulloo said.
He added that in the country only 3 States/UT have shown minimum impact of COVID 19 pandemic on immunization services with more than 90 per cent full immunization Coverage, which includes J&K having a Full immunization Coverage of 93 percent with only Telengana and Uttarakhand ahead with 95 per cent Full Immunization coverage.
As in the current pandemic, World Health Organization has already warned countries that there are high chances of Vaccine Preventable disease outbreaks like Measles, Diphtheria and Pertussis etc due to decline in immunization coverage throughout the world.
“The Department of Health and Medical Education Government of J&K, has kept immunization programme on priority during this Pandemic, immunization services had been going on at all the health facilities since April 2020 and the department had issued SOPs for conducting Immunization sessions and ensured that elaborate arrangements at the session sites like social distancing, wearing face mask and handwashing facilities for the beneficiaries are in place and as a results of these proactive efforts we have been able to achieve 93 percent Fully immunized children,” the FC said.
As per the guidelines issued by Government of India, Health and Family Welfare Department couldn’t conduct sessions in the red zones (Containment Zones) declared by the administration but these children were later covered so that no child is left unimmunized and 100 percent Full Immunization coverage of children in the UT is ensured, Dulloo added.

Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, Oct 14: The University of Kashmir (KU) is likely to commence new academic session via online mode for various Post Graduate (PG) courses from this week for the fresh batch.
Officials of the varsity said that tentatively the varsity has notified to commence with a new academic session for the fresh batch of 2020.
KU’s Dean Academic Affairs, Akbar Masoodi told KNO that the academics for the fresh 2020 batch is tentatively to be scheduled to commence from October-15 and the new academic session for the already enrolled students has started from October-10.

Masoodi, however, said that the admission process for the new batch was going on.
“We have already notified the academic calendar for the first semester of 2020 batch and if the admission process is getting completed by October-15, then we will begin with the same, but if the admission process is taking more time then the varsity will extend the date of the new academic session,” he said.
KU’s Registrar, Dr Nisar Ahmad informed KNO that the varsity will continue to hold the online classes till the government notifies new rules or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Meanwhile, the varsity in its tentative notification for the fresh batch has said that the academics will commence from October-15 to January-01-2021.
The university notification further reads that the examination preparation for the Open Elective (OE) and Generic Elective (GE) courses will be 16-18 January 2020 and the examination preparation days for departmental courses (Core and DCE) will commence from 19-21 January 2021.
The academic calendar notified by the KU reads that the examination preparation days for departmental courses for the fresh 2020 batch will commence from 19-21 January-28 to February-10 2021.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Oct 14: In connection with the “My Town My Pride” Programme being held on 19th and 20th October 2020, the government has ordered deployment of officers assigning them their Municipal Corporation/ Councils/ Committees of operation.
An order in this regard was issued here today by the General Administration Department.