SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Chief Spokesperson and In Charge Constituency Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq on Sunday chaired a convention of party functionaries in Dug Mohalla, Rainawari in Zadibal Constituency. On the occasion he welcomed prominent businessman and social activist Irshad Ahmad into the party.
Addressing the workers Tanvir said that the government was busy swelling its coffers, but when it comes to passing on the benefits to the poor, it sidesteps its responsibility. “Despite charging hefty amounts from consumers, the rampant erratic power supply and unscheduled cuts is taking a toll on people during the ongoing winter season. The administration is further deepening the troubles of people by providing inferior quality of rice at FCSCA ration stores. There is no accountability on the ground,” he said.
“We have long been identified with J&K’s identity, dignity and historical uniqueness. The march of gradually increasing space for democratic forces in Kashmir is a result of NC’s historical efforts, people know this. This is why NC is the first and last choice of people. People of J&K have seen political parties surface and vanish. On our part we will continue to guard our people’s trust in us with our lives,” Tanvir said.
“There is no end to government apathy. Unemployment, development deficit, and administrative apathy have become the bywords of Jammu & Kashmir. Today’s J&K is defined by anxiety, fear and insecurity and there is no end to it.”
On the occasion, Tanvir welcomed number of socio political activists into the party fold, hoping that the party will benefit from their wide ranging experience in public life. The new entrants too vowed to strengthen the party at grassroot level.
JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir is all set to revolutionize its fruit industry with introduction of High-Density Plantation (HDP) system and production of quality planting material.
The Department of Horticulture, in collaboration with Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) and Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute of Temperate Horticulture (ICAR-CITH), have ventured together to provide technological intervention for this new project. The goal is to make Jammu and Kashmir a self-reliant bio-economy by harnessing the economic potential of its diversified fruit crops.
The project aims to enhance the production capacity of planting material to 111 lakh in the first five years, develop 390 hectare of nurseries in public and private sectors, rejuvenate 2,000 hectare of orchard areas and produce planting material to cover 5,500 hectare under HDP of 12 fruit crops. Additionally, the project aims to strengthen plant testing and quality control, tissue culture and virus indexing labs besides building capacity by training 5,000 farmers and 150 technical manpower from SKUAST and the Department of Horticulture. The project shall create 200 new enterprises in the form of HD nurseries and provide potential jobs to 25000 persons.
technological intervention for planting material production, the project will generate inputs for apple, pear, olive, walnut, mango, citrus, guava, litchi, stone fruits, kiwi fruit, almond, and dragon fruit plantations. The promotion of these fruit crops on a large scale will not only increase productivity and returns for farmers, but also raise the income of nursery growers by around Rs. 1.0 lakh per kanal per year.
This project is a game changer for the horticulture industry in Jammu and Kashmir and will help to improve the lives of farmers and increase the overall income of the region. By focusing on HDP systems and quality planting material, the region can achieve its goal of becoming a self-reliant bio-economy.
SRINAGAR: Under the revolutionary citizen centric ‘Aapki Zameen Aapki Nigrani’ initiative, about twenty eight lakh passbooks have been distributed among the beneficiaries of Jammu and Kashmir which is aimed to demystify land records for eliminating possibility of manipulation.
Pertinently, Aapki Zameen Aapki Nigrani initiative is one of the flagship programmes launched by the J&K government to bring ease, transparency and convenience for citizens about land records.
Under this initiative, public users can search and view copies of scanned data online on CIS Portal- http://landrecords.jk.gov.in/. The initiative facilitates easy online access to the Land Records System thereby reducing manipulation of revenue records besides improving the efficiency of Revenue offices substantially. This endeavor is part of Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) and Jammu and Kashmir has achieved an important milestone in providing the most transparent and accountable services to the common people under this initiative.
As per the official records, lakh of citizens have viewed their land records till date and the feedback of citizens has resulted in purification, updation of land records on constant basis.
Earlier, there was no mechanism to view or monitor the status of land records by the citizens who were dependent on the officials to check their land records manually.
An official said that through Aapki Zameen, Aapki Nigrani, land records have been made readily available to citizens, and the online revenue service delivery is preventing human intervention and mischief.
Similarly, the new land-use laws have ensured that people get a reasonable and fair price for their land and the interest of farmers is protected.
The programme aims to modernize management of land records, enhance transparency in the land records maintenance system, thus reducing scope of land/property disputes and facilitate conclusive titles to immovable properties in the country. The major components of the programme included computerization and digitization of land records, survey/resurvey and updation of all survey and settlement records, integration of property registration with land records and cadastral maps for enhancing authenticity and security of data, bringing utmost transparency in the system, Capacity building, and development of Land Records Information System.
After 5th, August 2019, Jammu & Kashmir has embarked on an unprecedented development trajectory wherein transformational initiatives in all sectors have been launched. Transparency in maintenance and upkeep of Land records was an area which required an urgent intervention and “Aapki Zameen Aapki Nigrani” (AZAN) is a landmark intervention in this direction.
SRINAGAR: One day training program on Identification of Psychosocial and Mental Health issues was organized by CGWC IMHANS K in collaboration with Inclusive and Special Education, Guidance and counselling units at JKSCERT kashmir division on Saturday.
CGWC IMHANS K Trains Master Trainers Of JKSCERT On Mental Health, Psychological Issues
A team of resource persons from CGWC IMHANS K trained master trainers of inclusive education and guidance and well-being units.
Master trainers were trained so that they would institutionalize and replicate the training modules at their district levels.
Mohd Sultan khan HOD Academic unit 3, Dr Zahoor HOD academic unit and Riyaz Ah Dar, senior academic officer SCERT Spoke about the need for mental health among children in the inagural session.
Rubeena Salma, HOD inclusive education, also spoke on the occasion and stressed the need for such training programs for the larger good of student community.
The training program was cordinated by Syed Mujtaba, who talked about the need for sensitization of teachers about mental health and psychological issues and institutionalization of these efforts in mainstreaming of child mental health.
Baseerat ul Ain, speech therapist at CGWC, highlighted the developmental milestones and developmental delays in child development.
Shabnam shafi, remedial educator at CGWC, did an activity with the master trainers about the Developmental milestones. Dr Bilal, clinic psychologist at CGWC, talked about the specific learning disability and the educational concessions available as per the policy available.
SRINAGAR: Dr S Muhammad Salim Khan, professor and head, Department of Community Medicine (SPM), Government Medical College Srinagar has been conferred as a fellow of Indian Association of Preventive and Social Medicine (IAPSM) at ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad.
He was felicitated during golden jubilee annual national conference of IAPSM organised by Department of Community and Family Medicine, AIIMS, Bibinagar, Hyderabad. The fellowship was conferred during the inaugural function by the chief guest, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry to Dr. Muhammad Salim Khan to signify the recognition of his outstanding contribution in advancement of preventive and social medicine.
Dr Khan is also a fellow of the Indian Public Health Association (IPHA), Indian Medical Association – Academy of Medical Specialties (IMA-AMS), fellow of the ‘foundation for advancement of international medical education and research’ (FAIMER). He’s a member of over two dozen national and international professional associations and societies, and also a member of various committees constituted by the government.
During the IAPSMCON Hyderabad, Dr. Salim who was also the member of the national organising committee, chaired the inaugural plenary session on neglected tropical diseases. He was also declared elected as a member of the national governing council of IAPSM representing the north zone during 2023-24.
During the valedictory of IAPSMCON 2023, the delegation team of GMC Srinagar was felicitated with a special award for highest number of delegates from any institution in the country. The fifteen delegates from GMC Srinagar presented their research work through oral and poster presentations. During the general body meeting of the IAPSM conference, GMC Srinagar was selected to hold the annual national conference of IAPSM in 2025.
SRINAGAR: Pakistan Former chief of army staff and President Pervez Musharraf has passed away on Sunday at American Hospital in UAE after a prolonged illness.
Media reports quoting his family members said the former general succumbed to Amyloidosis. He was hospitalised for a couple of weeks due to a complication of his ailment, per reports.
Musharraf was the tenth president of Pakistan nation after the successful military coup in 1999. He served as the 10th CJCSC from 1998 to 2001 and the 7th top general from 1998 to 2007.
SRINAGAR: Weather department on Sunday forecast fairly widespread light snow on February 6 in Jammu and Kashmir.
Quoting a meteorological department official news agency GNS reported that partly cloudy weather was expected on February 7-8. “Light to moderate snow/rain was expected at many places during February 9 (night) -11th,” the official said.
Meanwhile amid cloud cover, the minimum temperature saw further increase except at a few places with Srinagar recording a low of 1.8°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was above normal by 2.2°C for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus o.4°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night and it was 1.1°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 5.4°C against minus 0.9°C on the previous night and it was 0.8°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.0°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 6.4°C against minus 5.5°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 2.9°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 4.9°C above normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 8.3°C against 8.9°C °C on the previous night. It was 1.2°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 2.2°C (above normal by 1.2°C), Batote 3.8°C (above normal by 1.6°C), Katra 9.1°C (1.7°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 2.2°C (2.5°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.8°C and minus 15.4°C respectively, the official said. While Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 has ended, Kashmir is under the grip of a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’. It will be followed by a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday flagged off a batch of nine undergraduate students from SKUAST-Jammu on an exposure-cum-training programme to Kansas State University, USA.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that the 60-day long capacity-building fellowship would expose the students to global learning ecosystem and industry establishment.
The LG interacted with the students and congratulated them upon their selection to the fellowship.
The students would be visiting the Kansas State University under the Student Overseas Fellowship Programme of National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) funded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and World Bank.
The group includes undergraduate students of Faculty of Agriculture, School of Biotechnology and Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry from the Agriculture University.
Vice Chancellor SKUAST Jammu Prof Nazir A Ganai and other associated faculty members were also present at Raj Bhavan.
In Pics: Land subsidence in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district
Doda: A resident shows cracks that have appeared in his house in Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: Wide cracks at a building in land subsidence affected Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: Residents shift with their goods from their unsafe home in land subsidence affected Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: A resident reacts in the land subsidence affected Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: A resident shows cracks at his house in the land subsidence affected area of Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: Security personnel in the land subsidence affected area of Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: A woman carries her child in the land-subsidence affected Nai Basti area, in Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: Affected residents sit on a road after cracks appeared in their houses in Nai Basti area, Doda district, Jammu & Kashmir, Saturday, Feb 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: Police personnel near the spot after incidents of land subsidence, in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Doda: Combo photo shows cracks that appeared in houses at Nai Basti area in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir. A few structures in the village started developing cracks a couple of days ago but the situation was exacerbated by a landslide on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Srinagar is expanding fast as hoards of rich, professionals and fortune hunters from Kashmir periphery are making Srinagar their home. Raashid Andrabi explains the trend
This is the main Srinagar city called the down-town where congested housing is the norm. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
Syed Ishfaq, 42, a resident of border Tanghdar town shifted to Srinagar in 2017 when his son started preparing for his Board examination classes. He chose Lawaypora, almost 150 km from Karna, where his relatives were already living. Ishfaq, a teacher, headed a 4-member nuclear family but found it difficult to educate his children in his hometown with negligible exposure and facilities.
“I was born in Tanghdar, and I used to visit Srinagar very less, mostly when I had to visit any of my relatives here or for any medical or official emergency,” Ishfaq said. Tanghdar, 67 km from Kupwara, is literally located on the Line of Control, the de facto border between two halves of Kashmir. “It isn’t just about the future of my children alone. It is about a place where you can receive all basic services. Moreover, the chances of work here are better than in the villages.”
A New Trend
Over the years, a huge population from the Kashmir periphery moved to Srinagar for one or the other reason. Mostly, it was the education of children that was a key factor. However, there are countless families that migrated – partially or fully, even in certain cases seasonally, to Srinagar for a professional career, better life, and fortune hunting.
In certain cases, migration was dictated by development. Gurez is one of the best illustrations where the NHPC required the depopulation of a vast belt to set up the dam for the Kishangaga Hydroelectric Power Project. This area was routinely inaccessible for nearly half of the year as the Razdan Pass would remain snow-covered.
After the residents, mostly Shina-speaking Dard people lost their battles against the power giant, they took the compensation and moved out of the beautiful valley. Though in Bandipore, they have a housing colony, where most of them live but most of them have decided to move to Srinagar directly. In various parts of Srinagar city, there are clusters of people who have acquired small properties in recent years.
Root Reconnect
While a section of these neo-migrants felt consumed by the comparatively fast urban life, there are many who still live with the “loss”.
Aleem, 23, sitting on the banks of Dal lake to watch the lovely sunset was snapping pictures of it. “It’s stunning, isn’t it? I frequently think about how much quiet and tranquillity there is in my home village back in Ganderbal,” Aleem said. “My parents purchased a home here in Srinagar after my brother finished his 12th grade with excellent grades. They believed that life in the city is better. For the last three years we have been living in the city, we hardly visit the ancestral home.”
Aleem sees city life as monotonous, and misses the get-togethers with his peers and neighbours, playing cricket in just-harvested rice fields and taking a dip in the riverside. He feels lonely and does not know even the names of his neighbours as everybody is preoccupied with moving on in their lives. Social life is completely neglected. My village resembled a big family,” Aleem regretted.
After spending 23 years in Srinagar, Abubakar Hakeem, now a resident of Zainakote, has opened a 24 x7 business in Bandipora, his ancestral home. In 2011, his family moved to Srinagar, leaving their home, agricultural land uninhabited.
“We left Bandipora for a decent education. I wanted to start a new business after studying business,” Hakeem said. Lured by the departmental store concept, he decided to start his own store. “In 2022, I started construction of my store in Bandipora. It helped me reconnect with my root and address a deficit.” His Blue Basket is up and running and he has hired the entire human resource locally.
White Collar Issues
Kashmir’s agricultural land is already in so short supply that families are unable to manage their livelihoods from small pieces of land. Coupled with the stigma of being a farmer, they move towards cities. In elder generation is either getting agricultural implements to replace the lost manpower or simply have abandoned the small patches of land and surviving on the earnings of their younger generation.
Section of the people who are posted in Srinagar gradually decide to have a flat or small home of their own. At some point in time, this home becomes their new permanent address.
Mubashir Dewani, a public servant, is from Bandipora. Currently, he divides his week between his residence in Srinagar and his hometown of Kunan. Father of two young girls, he struggled with the choice of letting his children pursue their education in his hometown or relocating to Srinagar.
“We didn’t choose to send our children to study in Srinagar; we had no choice but to do so,” Mubashir said. “How could I leave my daughters in Bandipore, when their mother works in Srinagar?” Mubashir believes urbanization has two sides. People flourish in rural areas before leaving for urban areas due to societal stigma after achieving some success there, he said.
Most of the rich people in the periphery own a house in Srinagar. The same is true with the best professionals who eventually had no option but to work in Srinagar. In most cases, however, they retain their inheritance and belongings in the villages and usually manage their time between the two homes.
Unlike the rich, who can afford to manage their incomes from their rural and urban properties, people like Mubashir could not. “My family moved to Srinagar, and I lost my herds, chickens, and fishery farms, all of which had a positive impact on both me and my village’s economic well-being,” Mubashir said. “As I was sucked by my 10 am – 4 pm career, the farms collapsed.” He regrets that he is not alone. “Individuals who had the capacity to contribute to the betterment of the village relocated as a result of which the villages continue to be as primitive.”
The internal migration has created a situation that Srinagar is now a huge city. It has already got into Budgam, Ganderbal and Pulwama and within a few years, parts of Baramulla will be included in Srinagar Municipal Corporation. Gradually, this is adding to the unfair and uneven distribution of populations between the city and the periphery.
This is enforcing choices on people. Many of the Srinagar neighbourhoods were rural or semi-rural villages. As the cost of the land escalated, they sold out their lands, changed their lifestyle and culture and are as urban as Zaina Kadal.
Opportunities
Over the years, the Kashmir villages are better moneyed, thanks to the cash crops that replaced the rice in most of the south and parts of north Kashmir. In Srinagar’s expansion, a lot of them see fortunes. The land in Srinagar is perhaps one of the most lucrative investments.
Ibrahim Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar’s Natipora neighbourhood, relocated to Srinagar with his wife, three children, and parents from Pulwama. “I purchased this piece of land back in 2018, and throughout the following few years, its value has increased substantially,” Ahmad said. “Before the end of the year, I sold a portion of it and gained a respectable profit. I then used the same money to build my house, and after my kids were admitted to some colleges in Srinagar, we decided to move here.”
There are dozens of people who had invested in land in the city periphery in the last century. All of them are millionaires now. In most cases, the appreciation is more than 100 per cent. No land in Srinagar sells at Rs 70 lakh a kanal. In certain cases, it is as high as Rs 3.5 crore.
A 21-year-old cluster university student from Srinagar, Zuhaib Ahmad Bhat recently launched a Srinagar-based real estate firm. Given that he has sold a significant number of homes to residents of Zainakote, Bemina, Soura, and other locations, Zuhaib has been pleased with the prospects of this firm. “More than half of my buyers were from Kashmiri villages,” he said. “People primarily move here from these areas due to the greater opportunities and facilities.”
The massive escalation in land prices has created an interesting trend. Now a section of people from the city moves towards the periphery. They sell their belongings in the heart of the city and get better land plots on extreme borders of the city. The reverse migration from the city is the outcome of the failure of the governance structure in offering some way out to the hugely congested Srinagar city, especially the Shahr-e-Khas.
Insiders in the real estate sector suggest that while education and jobs could be a reason, the claims that Srinagar has better facilities do not sound plausible. “You can reach Anantnag in less time than SKIMS from Batamaloo,” Abdul Rashid, who buys and sells property around the so-called 90-Feet said. “You have train connectivity with Sopore and Baramulla that is cheap and fast. There are better roads, good schools and most of the uptown brands in almost all major towns. In fact, the market in Anantnag is better and cheap than in Srinagar. Yes, the only issue is that of power supply that is slightly improved in Srinagar.”
Rashid believes that migration to Srinagar is being seen as part of “upward mobility” and not dictated by the absence of infrastructure. This might be true in a section of the neo-migrants but this is not the whole story.
