SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has formed a committee to evaluate bids for the development of a ‘world-class’ amusement park at Tattoo Ground in Srinagar, officials said on Tuesday, The Tribune reported
“Sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of a committee for evaluating bids of the project development of world-class amusement park at Tattoo Ground, Srinagar,” reads the order
The nine-member committee will be headed by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri.
Earlier in November 2015, former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, laid the foundation stone of a citizens’ park in the middle of a 200-acre military garrison at Tattoo Ground.
SRINAGAR: At least seven persons were injured after stray dogs attacked them in Minzgam Boniyar area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Reports said that a pack of stray dogs attacked and injuring at least seven persons including two childrens. They have been evacuated to GMC Baramulla for treatment.
When contacted Medical Suprident GMC Baramulla Parvez Masoodi said that we have received seven persons including two childrens with dog bite and provide them medical treatment immediately and they are all stable. (GNS)
SRINAGAR: The State Investigation Agency (SIA) Jammu conducted raids at three locations in Kashmir valley, including Pampore, Rajpora, and Barzulla, in connection with a hawala money case registered against former Minister Jatinder Singh, also known as Babu Singh. The SIA teams carried out the raids early in the morning to investigate the alleged hawala funds transactions in Babu Singh’s case.
During the raids, the SIA searched the house of Yasmeen Raja, the daughter of the late Ghulam Nabi Bhat, a female separatist Hurriyat leader, in Tulbagh, Pampore town, and two other locations. Mohammad Shafi Lone’s house at New Colony, Near Masjid Sharief at Rajpora, Pulwama, and Imtiyaz Ahmad Shah alias Imtiaz Autowala’s house in Barzulla were also raided. The searches were conducted after obtaining a search warrant from the Court in connection with a case registered at the Police Station Gandhi Nagar last year, which was later transferred to SIA Jammu.
During the searches, electronic gadgets were seized from Yasmeen Raja’s house in the presence of an Executive Magistrate and independent witnesses. The SIA has already produced a preliminary charge sheet in the case, along with three supplementary charge sheets. Nine accused are in judicial custody, while three accused are absconding and operating from Pakistan.
The court has initiated proceedings to attach the property of the absconding accused persons under Sections 82 and 83 CrPC. Sources said that the properties of the absconding accused are being identified for attachment, and the action is expected to be taken shortly.
SRINAGAR: Police on Wednesday said that two unidentified militants have been killed, while searches are underway in Machil area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara.
Updating about the ongoing gunfight, The Kashmir Police Zone tweeted, ” 02 militants killed. Search operation still going on.
SRINAGAR: An encounter broke out on Wednesday between militants and counter insurgent forces in Machil sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police said.
Police said a joint team of police and army launched a cordon and search operation at Pichnad Machil in Kupwara.
#Encounter going on near Pichnad Machil area of #Kupwara district. Army and Kupwara police on job. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) May 3, 2023
As the joint team of forces approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, triggering a gunfight, they said.
SRINAGAR: Weather department has forecast intermittent light to moderate rain while as several places recorded below normal temperature on Wednesday.
Quoting a meteorological department official news agency GNS reported that a brief spell of rain and thunderstorm was expected at scattered places towards late afternoon or evening today.
From May 4-6, he said, “weather was likely to be fair to partly cloudy. A brief spell of rain/thunderstorm may occur towards late afternoon/evening.”
From May 7-8, he said, rain was likely at “many places”.
He asked tourists to keep warmer cloths, saying that the weather was likely to be colder rill May 8. Regarding temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 10.4°C against 10.6°C on the previous night and it was 0.7°C below normal for the summer capital.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 8.8°C against 9.0°C on the previous night and it was above normal by 0.3°C for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of 5.2°C against 6.5°C on previous night and it was 0.3°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of 7.4°C against 8.3°C on the previous night and it was 1.0°C below normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of 3.5°C against 8.3°C on previous night and it was 0.8°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 8.7°C against 8.1°C on the previous night and it was 0.8°C below normal for the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 18.8°C and It was 4.0°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 10.8°C (above normal by 0.7°C), Batote 10.2°C (2.3°C below normal) and Katra15.4°C (3.8°C below normal).
Despite three prominent absentees’, the G20 Youth Summit in Ladakh was an impressive success, reports Raashid Andrabi
Some participants of the Y20, a G20 summit activity, in Leh on April 26, 2023
The Sino-Indian standoff has kept the world’s attention diverted towards Ladakh heights for the last two years. Now, the arid desert is in the news again, this time for playing host to around 100 delegates from 30 countries for the Y20 Pre-Summit, a precursor to the G20 Summit.
Ladakh already a preferred tourist destination for Western tourists ensured that the global event be celebrated to promote the brand Shangri La. The event kicked off with a grand flourish. The delegates descended upon the serene Sindhu Sanskriti Kendra Auditorium, transforming it into a melting pot of cultures, ideas, and aspirations. The air was abuzz with contagious energy as the guests were welcomed with traditional Ladakhi hospitality.
Soon, the guests were driven away on local excursions that left them spellbound. The pristine and spiritual monasteries of Hemis and Thiksey offered them a glimpse of Ladakh’s serene and mystic beauty. They also spent time at Sidhu Zanskar Sangam, Pather Sahab Gurdwara and Shanti Stupa.
Participants
Official sources said a total of 103 delegates attended the two-day event. As many as 68 delegates came from 17 members of the G20. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and China skipped participation.
There were 18 delegates from G20 Guest countries – five from Nigeria, four from Oman, five from Singapore and four from Spain. The global institutions that were invited and participated in the event and sent 17 participants included the ASEAN, Morocco, OECD, PAYU, UN and WHO.
Even though Turkey and Saudi Arabia skipped the event, various OIC members did attend the event. These included Indonesia – a permanent G20 member; Oman and Nigeria (G20 Guest countries) and Morocco, a special invitee.
Objective
The Y20 Pre-Summit aims to bring together leading experts, decision-makers, and youth leaders from G20 countries to discuss and formulate actionable plans for the growth and development of the people. The summit aims to address pressing issues facing young people today, including democracy, governance, innovation, climate change, disaster risk reduction, peacebuilding and reconciliation, health, well-being, and sports.
This event was the first major global event held in Ladakh since the region became a Union Territory, and it is significant in light of the ongoing political turmoil and protests that followed the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 A, which reserved special rights over land and jobs for locals.
The session was inaugurated by the Lt Governor of Ladakh, Brig BD Mishra (Retd), and graced by several dignitaries including TashiGyalson, Chief Executive Councillor, and JamyangTsering Namgyal, Member of Parliament, Ladakh.
Brig Mishra (Retd) set the stage with his speech about the potential of the youth of India and the great honour of hosting the delegates at the highest meeting point of India at 11,000 feet above sea level. He emphasized India’s famous philosophy of Athithi Devo Bhava(Guest is God) and assured the guests that they would be treated with the utmost respect and hospitality during their stay in Ladakh. The LG also spoke about the vision of G20 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and highlighted the intelligence, commitment, and focus of the Indian youth. In fact, the event saw the launch of [email protected], a book.
Pointing out that no other G20 member had organized a programme of this magnitude, Mishra referred to the delegates as ambassadors who would spread the word about India’s accomplishments when they returned home. To Mishra, G20 has become a household name in India.
In a vibrant display of Ladakhi culture, the LG Mishra cut the ribbon and inaugurated the much-anticipated Ladakh Haat stalls at the Y20 Pre-Summit in the scenic town of Leh. Over 40 skilled artisans from different corners of Ladakh have gathered here to showcase their exquisite handlooms, handicrafts, and processed food products, all steeped in the region’s rich heritage. The event showcased the culture, food, and traditions of Ladakh to familiarise the guest delegates with the unique lifestyle of the region. Things at display included a glimpse of the mountainous landscapes of Ladakh, Anganwadi or courtyard shelter for toddlers, handicrafts and handlooms by SHGs comprised of Ladakhi women, Pashmina wool, wood carving, apricots as a part of the horticulture heritage of Ladakh, sea buckthorn, and winter sports activities like ice climbing, ice skating, skiing, and frozen lake marathon.
Asserting that G20 under India’s Presidency has set new milestones, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister, Anurag Singh Thakur told media that there was a consensus on the five themes of the Y20 summit among the participating countries and international organizations and important suggestions have come on the future challenges including reskilling and Upskilling. The five themes included Youth in Democracy and Governance; Future of Work: Industry 4.0; Innovation and 21st Century Skills; Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction: Making Sustainability a Way of Life; Peace Building and Reconciliation: Ushering in an Era of No War and Health, Wellbeing and Sports: Agenda for Youth. The minister interacted with the delegates in Yuva Samvaad. Without naming any country, the Union minister for youth affairs and sports said those who tried to “spread fear and confusion” would now be feeling the “pain” due to the “roaring success” of the three-day event.
The event which started with yoga sessions in the mornings, concluded with the recording of two short videos on Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan.
SRINAGAR: The Federation of Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) has called for immediate intervention by the UT government in resolving issues between J&K Bank and MSMEs, in order to put a stop to the maligning campaign launched by the former against non-performing assets (NPAs) without giving them a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
The demand was made in a marathon meeting between the FCIK Advisory Committee and Presidents of organized industrial estates, held at FCIK headquarters under the chairmanship of M.D. Qureshi, which was attended by Presidents of industrial estates including Lassipora, Khunmoh, Rangreth, Zainakote, Sanat Nagar, BAMK, Zakura, Anchidora Anantnag, Vessu, Ganderbal, Gagran Shopian, Shalteng, Sopore, Baramullah, Kupwara, besides other members of the Advisory Committee.
The Presidents of various industrial estates presented a detailed account of continued financial stress currently prevalent in MSMEs owing to a number of reasons which, among other difficulties, has also led to growing NPAs. They said that the unilateral withdrawal of marketing support to MSMEs committed under the industrial policy of 2016-26, coupled with long spells of business interruptions during re-organisation and Covid restrictions, had been the main reason for this financial stress. Further withholding or delaying of payments on account of supply of material and execution of works to government departments and PSUs had contributed to the stressfulness of hundreds of enterprises.
The meeting regretted that, contrary to acknowledgment of such difficulties, the bank has launched an unwarranted and undesired campaign of maligning and tarnishing the public image of entrepreneurs, adding that such tactics were detrimental not only to the cause of industrial growth and promotion but also to the cordial relations of J&K Bank with local MSMEs.
The meeting underscored the role of the UT government as mediator between J&K Bank and MSMEs in order to identify an acceptable solution to the issue for the benefit of both parties. The members made it clear that all MSMEs were willing to repay their loans to the bank on the launch of a uniform, non-discriminatory restructuring and OTS schemes with a reasonable timeline. The members reminded that the harsh provisions of SARFAESI Act in the UT required some dilution and relief for the reason that the enterprises here were working under most unconducive and disturbed conditions, unlike their counterparts in the rest of the country. The meeting expected the UT government to step in for the sake of reposing faith and confidence of entrepreneurs on their promoters and use its influence as majority shareholders to shape the desired restructuring/OTS schemes. The government also needed to link these schemes with the rehabilitation of sick industrial units under an existent revival and rehabilitation scheme.
Earlier, the President of Industrial Growth Centre Lassipora, Haji Muzaffar, presented a detailed account of the recent visit of MD and other top officials of J&K Bank and informed about their willingness to facilitate NPAs with a suitable OTS scheme besides enhancing access to credit for prospective and existing industrial units. Muzaffar said that during the extensive visit to various industrial units, the MD and his team had a complete idea and expressed satisfaction on the working of manufacturing units from grassroots.
The Advisory Committee, while endorsing the views and suggestions of its constituents, assured the meeting to put in their efforts for holding separate and joint meetings with bank authorities and government to find a lasting solution to all bank issues. The constituents vowed their full support to FCIK Advisory Committee in all its steps and programs which they deem necessary in the process of obtaining relief to the industrial units in distress.
SRINAGAR: A high-level security meeting was held in Srinagar on Tuesday where the top officials of the security grid framed a joint strategy to ensure peaceful conduct of the upcoming G-20 event and to counter the possible fidayeen, drone, vehicle-borne IED, stand-off and grenade attacks.
The meeting evolved consensus that NSG will be used along with the Special Operation Group (SoG) of J&K police to counter drone, fidayeen, standoff, V-BIED (Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device ) any untoward incident while as Marrine commandos (MARCOS) will be given the responsibility of “lake and river domination.”
The security meeting was chaired by the ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar at Police Control Room (PCR) Srinagar where officers of Police, intelligence agencies and security forces participated in the threadbare discussions regarding overall security arrangements to be adopted for safe and smooth conduct of upcoming G-20 being hosted at Srinagar.
“During the meeting, the ADGP Kashmir reviewed the security arrangements and emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to ensure foolproof security for the summit. The officials also discussed the deployment of security personnel, traffic management, and crowd control measures to be adopted for the peaceful conduct of the summit,” the spokesman said.
As per the spokesman, the ADGP directed the officials to ensure that the security arrangements are put in place well before the summit, and the deployment of security personnel should be done in a manner that does not cause inconvenience to the local residents & tourists.
“The ADGP also emphasized the need to be vigilant and take measures to prevent any untoward incident during the summit. He further advised them that additional security measures should be placed at the vulnerable locations to avoid any untoward incident during the G20 summit,” the spokesman said.
He said that during the meeting, special focus was laid on the emerging threat of VBIEDs and other modes of potential terror attacks including potential fidayeen attacks, standoff fire & grenade attacks. “Counter measures to counter these terror threats were also discussed,” the spokesman said, adding that “ADGP Kashmir instructed all districts SSPs to focus on busting of terror modules by apprehending terrorist associates & generating preventive intelligence regarding the presence of terrorists in the valley.
Besides, all SSsP were instructed to conduct anti-terrorist operations on specific inputs. The officials discussed the deployment of additional security forces & use of modern technology to secure the venues.”
The police spokesman said that during the meeting, the ADGP also stressed the importance of river and lake domination in ensuring the security of the summit. “He also emphasized the need for the Marine Commandos (MARCOS) to be put in place to provide a strong security cover for the water bodies around the summit venues,” he said.
The spokesman said that the officials were also instructed to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies to gather information about any potential security threats and take necessary actions to neutralize them. (KNO)
SRINAGAR: For the first time, Orbital Atherectomy and Orbital Lithotripsy procedures were performed at the Super Specialty Hospital Jammu on Tuesday. A doctor who was part of the team performing the procedures said that a 75-year-old patient from Nowshera Rajouri, who had suffered a major heart attack a couple of days ago, was referred from a private center to Government Medical College Jammu. The patient’s angiography, which was done at the same peripheral center, revealed massively calcified critical distal LMCA disease, which is a death sentence if not treated in time.
The doctor said that the treatment of left main coronary artery disease with massive calcification usually requires bypass surgery, but this patient was not willing and wanted an alternative therapy. “The clinical profile and angiography results of this patient were a goosebump feeling, but the patient had to be saved,” the doctor said.
After careful analysis, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS)-guided percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA)/STENTING was successfully done with satisfactory results with the help of Orbital Atherectomy and intravascular lithotripsy (IVL).
The doctor said that once somebody has severe calcification in their coronary arteries, the stents either do not cross or may not open properly, which can be detrimental both in the short and long term. “Hence, these patients require some form of calcium modulation therapy, and the oldest form of calcium modulation therapy is rotablation, which might fall short in vessels with larger diameter and calcium nodules,” he said.
The newer forms of therapy are intravascular lithotripsy and orbital atherectomy, which, if used in combination, can prove to be a game-changer at times, he said. This patient had large vessels, and the calcium was nodular; therefore, they used the combination of Orbital Atherectomy and IVL, which gave a result beyond imagination, the doctor said further.
“Orbital Atherectomy, with the help of a diamond burr, ablates the calcium into fine particles and creates micro-fractures in the calcium, while IVL sends shock waves and creates fractures in calcium,” he added. (KNO)
