Ishtiyaq Ahmad

Srinagar, Sep 14: A first visit of the Delimitation Commission to Jammu and Kashmir Union is to take place soon to set the ball rolling for the much awaited exercise so that polls can be held in Union Territory.

The Delimitation Commission was set up to ‘redraw’ J&K’s assembly constituencies.

Sources said the commission has completed data collection and is now preparing a framework to carve out assembly constituencies.

They said after completing its report, the commission will visit J&K to seek views of political parties and people (on it).

Sources said the first visit of the commission will discuss how to ensure equal distribution of assembly seats among the two regions.

As per the reorganisation act of J&K 2019, Ladakh UT will have no Assembly while J&K UT will have an Assembly after elections but prior to elections delimitation exercise was a must.

National Conference’s three MPs who were nominated as the members of the delimitation commission, had dragged their feet and decided to stay away from the exercise on the pretext that taking part in the process will amount to accepting all developments that unfolded post August 5 last year.

Sources said it will be interesting to see if the Government of India in consultation with the Election Commission of India will add more members for the commission to make it vibrant and transparent.

On March 7, Government of India announced a delimitation commission for J&K, Assam, Aurunachal Pradesh and Manipur. From BJP MoS in Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendera Singh and MP Jugal Kishore were announced as members while as from NC Dr Farooq Abdullah, Muhammad Akbar Lone and Justice (Retd) Hasnain Masoodi were also nominated as members.

Top BJP leaders that include party’s J&K Affairs Incharge and national vice president Avinash Rai Khanna and BJP General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul said they would like the delimitation commission to keep the population, topography, geography and area in mind while making recommendations. “Our motive is to end regional balance,” they had said. (KINS)

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Sept 14: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha chaired the 16th Board of Governors meeting of J&K Sainik School, Manasbal at the Raj Bhavan here Monday.
The Lt Governor took stock of the functioning of J&K Sainik School, Manasbal and appreciated the role being played by them in imparting quality education. He also directed the board to encourage more and more students to join the Armed Forces in addition to other civilian disciplines. He also congratulated the school for substantial improvement in the academic results over the past 4 years and producing a number of successful candidates who have excelled at national and international platforms.
During the meeting, the Lt Governor called all stakeholders for devising an institutional mechanism for sustained handholding of students and for incorporating novel methods for imparting education taking benefit of the information technology. He also encouraged to seek students’ feedback for bringing improvements in the curriculum and teaching methodology.
Terming education as the catalysing force behind every positive change in the society, the Lt Governor said that education transforms humans into assets for the society. He also hailed the New Education Policy and said that it would empower the youth for nation-building.
The Lt Governor impressed upon the school administration to take the school at par with the best schools of the country for which the government would continue to provide all necessary support. He also appreciated the exceptional results shown by the students in board exams during the past couple of years.
Principal of the School, N. A. Dar also informed the Lt Governor that the entrance exam for class 6 and class 9 for session 2020 have been postponed due to Covid-19 and shall be conducted in the first week of October 2020.
Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, KK Sharma; Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam; Financial Commissioner, Finance Department, AK Mehta; Principal Secretary, School Education, Dr. Asgar Hassan Samoon; Principal Secretary to Lt Governor, Nitishwar Kumar; Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, M. Raju; Chief of the Staff, XV Corps, Maj. Gen GS Kahlon; Director School Education Kashmir, Mohammad Younis Malik and Principal J&K Sainik School, Manasbal, N. A. Dar were also present in the meeting.

Tasaduq Husaain
Ladakh, Sept 14: Amid the growing demand for the 6th schedule in newly carved out Union Territory of Ladakh, the union minister of youth affairs and sports Kiren Rijiju Monday said that only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fulfil the aspirations of Ladakhi.
A year after the abrogation of article 370 and 35A, the people in Ladakh have been demanding constitutional safeguards for the region under 6th schedule to protect land, identity, mass migration, jobs and keep everything available exclusively for the permanent residents of Ladakh.
Rijiju said that only the Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fulfill the aspiration of Ladakhi people and the central government looks at Ladakh in a very different manner.
He said the situation in Ladakh is quite different from other parts of the country and the central government in Delhi is also looking to it in a very different way.
Referring to Punjab, Delhi and UP, he said “We can’t look at Ladakh in the same way and there won’t be solutions to the problems it is facing,” he said.
He said he has been repeatedly saying that only the Prime Minister has the leadership qualities to protect Ladakh and fulfill the aspiration of Ladkahi people.
“The sports activities here are a result of Prime Minister’s thinking. The people here have been demanding their own houses for long now since the region has its separate past and identity and considering the same it was the PM Modi who turned the entire region into a union territory with that it became a totally new house,” he said.
He said that when a new house is prepared everything has to be done from the very beginning and afresh.
The minister said that under the leadership of PM Modi the government is inculcating a sports culture in the country which in turn keeps the people healthy and fit.
He also said that a good sports culture must be created here. “If we manage to engage youth in sports activities they can also take it forward as a career. Sports hostel will be made for the sports people and outside participants will also come and a sort of exchange will happen with that Ladakh will be on a sports map while there is a lot to do yet,” he said.
Rijiju laid the foundation of synthetic track and Astro Turf for football at Leh and for the gymnasium in the presence Lt. Governor, RK Mathur and other officials. (KNO)

Jahangeer Ganaie
Pulwama, Sept 14: Family members of a youth who went missing last week from Tumluhal village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, on Monday appealed to him to return back.
A first semester student of GDC Pulwama, Junaid Rashid Wani (20) son of Abdul Rashid Wani, a resident of Tumluhal Village in Lassipora area of Pulwama district went missing seven days ago, according to his family.
His father, Abdul Rashid said they were preparing for the engagement of their other son who is an army soldier and Junaid went to bring fodder for animals, however, he didn’t return.
“We tried to contact him but his phone came repeatedly off, after which we called all relatives and his friends but couldn’t find him,” he said.
He said that on September 10 they lodged his missing report at police station Lassipora.
Meanwhile, his parents and other family members appealed to all organizations including militants and forces that if he is with anyone, “kindly return him back.”
A senior police officer while confirming his missing report said that all angles are being checked and efforts are on to trace him and bring him back.
Pertinently, brother of another army man namely Yasir Ahmed Wani son of Abdul Rahman Wani from Wangund area of Dooru also went missing a few days ago, who later announced his joining militant ranks through an unverified audio—(KNO)

Baramulla, Sept 14:  Fire broke out at District Hospital (DH) Baramulla in north Kashmir this afternoon damaging one of the block, official sources said.

They said panic gripped in patients and their attendants in the DH when fire broke out in one of the block this afternoon. Patients in the nearby block were evacuated to safe place.

Fire tenders were rushed from different parts of the town to control the leaping flames.

They said fire was later brought under control before spreading to other blocks. No one was injured and all patients and their attendants are safe, they added.

The cause of fire was not known, they said adding police has registered a case and initiated proceedings.