SRINAGAR: Ahmedabad Crime Branch and the city police have detained four Kashmiri youths from the Motera area because of their suspicious movement near the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Deputy Commissioner of Crime Branch, Chetainya Mandlik, told media that the CB team and the local police detained the four Kashmiri youths from the Motera area because of their suspicious movement near Narendra Modi stadium late on Monday night.
The officer said that the four youths, all of whom are from Budgam near Srinagar, are being questioned about their presence in Ahmedabad.
According to sources, the youths were found in an area near the stadium, where ordinary citizens are not allowed to move. In the past, they had visited and stayed in a mosque in the Palanpur area. This time, after arriving in Ahmedabad, they had checked in at the Haj house.
The police suspected their movement because of the T20 international match between India and New Zealand scheduled at the stadium on February 1. Both teams have already reached the city and are practising at the stadium. (IANS)
SRINAGAR: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was again closed on Wednesday for vehicular traffic due to shooting stones at Banihal.
“Jammu-Srinagar NHW blocked due to continuous shooting stones at Rampari, Banihal,” the J&K Traffic Police tweeted.
Earlier, the vital highway had remained closed for two days in a row due to shooting stones and mudslides triggered by rain at several places between Chanderkot and Banihal before opening briefly on Tuesday.
The highway is the lifeline of the landlocked valley and the main road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
SRINAGAR: Nearly 6,56,309 hectares of state and ‘kahcharai’ land were retrieved during the ongoing anti-encroachment drive in eight districts of the Jammu and Kashmir.
On January 9, the administration had asked the DCs to ensure that all encroachments on state land, including grazing land and that granted under the Roshni Act, are removed by January 31.
The major chunk of 2,75,867 hectares of land was retrieved from encroachers in Rajouri, followed by 1,44,613 hectares in Reasi, 1,22,277 in Poonch, 47,552 hectares in Kishtwar, 33,000 Kanals in Bandipora, 15,000 in Kathua, 14,000 in Ganderbal and 4,000 in Kupwara districts so far.
Quoting official sources newspaper The Tribune reported that the anti-encroachment drive to retrieve the remaining land would continue even as the deadline ended.
Meanwhile, 40 kanals of land were retrieved on Tuesday from a hotel in Srinagar that belongs to close relatives of former CM Farooq Abdullah. In Anantnag, the boundary wall of the residence of former minister Peerzada Mohammad Sayyed (Congress) at Dahmal Khoshipora was demolished.
On Monday, the Jammu administration had retrieved over 23 kanals of land encroached allegedly by former Deputy CM and BJP leader Kavinder Gupta.
JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta on Tuesday remarked that after successfully digitizing all the services, focus should be laid on timely delivery of services and use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in managing the affairs of government departments.
Dr Mehta was speaking in the 14th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting of the Jammu & Kashmir e-Governance Agency (JaKeGA) attended by other members including Principal Secretary, Industries and Commerce; Commissioner Secretary , IT; Secretary, PD&MD; Secretary, GAD; DG, Codes; SIO, NIC besides other concerned officers.
The Chief Secretary stressed on moving towards use of AI/ML and IoT based technologies for better coordination and monitoring purposes. He maintained that technology is panacea for many of the problems. It is also the most effective tool for ensuring transparency. He impressed upon the officers and scientists from IT and NIC respectively to work towards use of modern technologies towards obtaining desired results especially for the purposes of work estimation and their identification.
Dr Mehta directed for making good use of technologies by bridging the gap between the government and those governed. He made out that the power belongs to people and technology has empowered them in unprecedented manner. He told the officers to have virtual inspections of the offices and works on daily basis. He even suggested for taking feedback from public and PRI’s about the quality of work being done in their areas or any grievances they have against any of the government departments.
The Chief Secretary also emphasized upon end to end use of digital platforms like e-office by all the government employees especially ground workers like Patwaris, JEs etc. He declared that the actual purpose of digitization would be served when it enhances ease of living. He asked for making the work of every office be it Police Stations, Tehsil Offices, Hospitals, Engineering Departments, ULBs, Block Offices fully online for efficient delivery and effective monitoring.
The Commissioner Secretary, IT, PrernaPuri gave a detailed presentation on the decisions taken during the 13th BoG meeting. She also detailed out the agenda for the meeting with a proposal for revamping the agency on more professional lines that would make the working of the J&K e-Governance agency more outcome oriented as per the requirements of present times.
It was revealed that in the previous meeting the decisions like establishment of 1012 ICT labs in schools, digitisation of office records, rolling out of National Generic Document Registration System, procurement of infrastructure for Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme and upgradation of State Data Centre was achieved as per the respective proposals.
Later on the Chief Secretary also launched the State Wide Area Network (SWAN) coverage for 168 blocks of the UT. He advised giving access to the 10 most vital offices at district level and 5 such offices at block levels for their easy access to safer network.
It was given out that the SWAN would provide the unhindered access to internet to these blocks even during internet shutdowns and aid them in working more efficiently without having need to rely on private service providers.
SRINAGAR: The Civil Engineering Department of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has been selected for financial support of Rs 1.06 Crores. The proposal was recommended in Level B Category by Department of Science and Technology (DST) based on the recommendations of FIST Advisory Board (FISTAB).
Under the project, the Department of Civil Engineering will get Rs 106 lakhs for Level B under the FIST program to strengthen the research facilities in the department. The duration of the grant is for a period of 5 years.
The Project Implementation Group (PIG) was constituted of faculty members who will be responsible and accountable for the smooth implementation of the DST FIST Project at the Department.
SRINAGAR: The District Administration Srinagar Tuesday launched massive scale anti-encroachment operations in all Tehsils of District to evict Government Land from the illegal occupants and retrieved over 494 kanals of prime land worth ₹ 509 crores from land grabbers. Besides 2 hotels were also sealed.
Special Anti-encroachment squads constituted by District Administration Srinagar were headed by Tehsildars who conducted mass scale anti encroachment drives while taking assistance of Police and other departments.
A team of Revenue and Police Officers/Officials headed by Tehsildar Eidgah, Ishfaq Ahamd Khan launched a massive anti-encroachment drive in Palpora area and retrieved over 50 kanals of State land from the land grabbers.
Similarly, in a major anti-encroachment drive launched at Balhama and Khonmoh under the supervision of Tehsildar Pantha Chowk, Rakib Ahmad as many as 25 kanals of Kacharie land was retrieved. In addition, 27 kanals and 12 marlas of State land was also evicted from the encroachment.
Likewise, in Tehsil North, 36 kanals of Kacharie land was retrieved in Rakh e Zakura and 26 kanals of State land in Ahal area respectively. Similarly, in Khimber 5 kanal 10 marla Kachraie land and 10 marlas of State land was also retrieved by a Revenue Team headed by Tehsildar North, Kaiser Mehmood.
In South Tehsil of the District, a team headed by Tehsildar, Moean Azhar conducted a massive anti-encroachment drive and retrieved over 40 kanals of State land in Maisuma 8 kanals in Nursing Garh areas from the encroachers.
The team also evicted 4 kanals of prime land in Tashwan halqa of the Tehsil.
Similarly, in Khushipora area of Central Shalteng Tehsil over 12 kanals of Kahcharie land and 6 kanals of State land has been evicted in Rakh eGund Aksha areas.
In Chanapora Tehsil over 250 kanals of Kahcharie land was also evicted from land grabbers in Estate Nowgam area under the supervision of Tehsildar Chanpora, Saqib Saleem.
In Khanyar Tehsil 2 hotels namely Hotel In and Hotel Goodwill Commercial cum residential Hotel constructed illegally over 1 Kanals and 11 marlas of land in Brari Nambal were sealed and taken in possession under the supervision of Tehsildar Khanyar Aailya Tabasum
Pertinent to mention that LG Administration has clearly said that common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing encroachment drive launched to retrieve state land from encroachers. It has been also said in the statement that the government is concerned to safeguard the interests of poor people and only those who have illegally occupied the Government land by using their positions will be dealt strictly. Accordingly District Administrations have been stressed to launch anti encroachment drives to retrieve land from encroacher so that all Government land is evicted from the illegal occupants.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar has lauded the efforts of the concerned Tehsildars and their teams, the Deputy Commissioner asked them to continue the anti-encroachment drives in their respective jurisdictions as per standing instructions with added zeal and dedication so that all State/Kahcharie land is retrieved.
SRINAGAR: At least three persons were injured after a floriculture shed collapsed inside a park in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday.
Quoting an official, news agency KNO reported that a shed collapsed at Green Park Chawalagam, resulting in injuries to three persons who were sitting there.
The injured were identified as Umair Ashraf, Aahil Ahmad and Fasial Yousuf—all residents of Chawalgam Kulgam.
He said they were immediately shifted to a nearby hospital where from one of the critically injured person was shifted to SKIMS Soura for further treatment.
SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir on Tuesday postponed the examinations of MBBS, LLB and BA LLB which were scheduled to be held on February 1, 2023 (Wednesday).
Controller of Examinations Dr Majid Zaman said students from snow-bound areas of Kashmir requested for postponement citing inaccessibility due to heavy snowfall.
“Fresh dates for the deferred examinations will be notified separately later,” he said.
It was interesting to see Rahul Gandhi publicly snubbing his senior party colleague and former Chief Minister, Digvijaya Singh, over the latter’s remarks about the surgical strike. Rahul called Digvijaya’s remarks ridiculous. He, thus, conveyed he was very much the leader of his party.
Rahul Gandhi never impressed me before. Nor did he impress several of his own party colleagues who clamoured for a leadership change in Congress. And hardly ever did he add to the electoral fortunes of his party. But now I guess Rahul has reinvented himself.
While in Jammu and Kashmir on the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), he came across as a confident and mature politician. However, I have my doubts as to whether his BJY was a success in the Valley.
No doubt quite a few thousand people came out, but I have seen and reported far too bigger crowds turning up for any local leader. Observers say that many of those who joined the yatra did so out of hatred for the BJP.
Tall claims of the Congress and its allies apart, ordinary Kashmiris were least excited about the yatra. They have bad memories of the Congress and have not forgotten that it was this party that diluted the erstwhile state’s special status before it was altogether removed by the BJP government. People also recall that it was the Congress government that hanged Afzal Guru out of turn for electoral gains. Rahul carried this baggage and failed to strike a chord with ordinary Kashmiris until his last day in Srinagar.
During his yatra, he made a commitment to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s “statehood and democracy”. But he never said he would undo the bifurcation of the state into two union territories. Likewise, though he quite often reiterated that Art 370 of the Indian constitution was abrogated in a wrongful manner, yet he did not make any promise that his party would undo this wrong and restore Jammu and Kashmir’s internal autonomy.
At every press conference in Jammu and Kashmir, Rahul avoided a direct answer to the oft-repeated question about Article 370. Every time, he said his position was the same as taken by the Congress working committee in its resolution in August 2019. That resolution, indeed, says the manner in which Article 370 was revoked was unconstitutional. But it does not go beyond that. The BJP always had abrogation of Article 370 in its election manifesto. There is no hint that Congress would make the restoration of this Article part of its own manifesto.
Displaying characteristics of a shrewd politician, Rahul was very tactful in avoiding straight answers to quite a few other questions. For instance, he was reminded that his great grandfather and first prime minister of India, Jawahar Lal Nehru, had while unfurling the tricolour at the same Lal Chowk in Srinagar more than 70 years ago, made some promises to the people of Kashmir. He was asked whether it pained him to realise that the promises had not been kept. He did not touch upon what Nehru had said or done; he said he would not look to the past and would, instead, look to the future.
At the conclusion of the 134-day-long Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed a news conference in Srinagar on January 29, 2023. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur
But while Rahul may have offered nothing substantial to the people of Kashmir, he showed empathy with them, which was widely noticed. Addressing a public rally at Sheri Kashmir Stadium in Srinagar, he said that the people of Kashmir have suffered deep pain – the pain of losing their loved ones. He said he understood this pain because he himself had lost his father and before that his grandmother.
For the first time, an Indian leader acknowledged that the ordinary people of Kashmir had long been in pain. This a far cry from the Kashmir Files which even Pandit leaders like Sanjay Tikoo of the Kashmir Sangharsh Samiti say has demonised Muslims of Kashmir by misrepresentation of facts. The BJP govt promoted the film and celebrated it.
Rahul did not pour out his heart for any particular section of the people in Kashmir. He empathised with all. He also empathised with the families of Indian military and paramilitary soldiers who have lost their lives or faced risk to their lives.
His speech was received well by many in Kashmir. Its video is being forwarded on WhatsApp. A lady who watched it on TV, said “tears welled up in my eyes when Rahul spoke about his father.” Rahul recalled how he had been informed about his father’s and before that his grandmother’s assassination by phone. He said many Kashmiri families have received similar phone calls (about the killing of their loved ones). “These phone calls should stop. That is the goal of my yatra“, he said.
But despite appreciating his speech, Kashmiris have not pinned their hopes on Rahul or his party. As I said, he did not promise anything except the restoration of statehood and that too without clarifying whether Ladakh would be made part of the state again. Pertinent to mention, it was the Congress party that encouraged the agitation in Leh for union territory status way back in the late 1980s. That agitation was characterized by a social boycott of the Muslim minorities there.
Rahul said quite often that his BJY was the first and small step towards setting things right in India. He, however, did not say how he proposed to fight the politics of hate which has taken deep roots across India. And I wonder whether he has realised that the Congress party is much to blame for affording space to the BJP and its right-wing politics. After all, Congress compromised its own ideology on so many occasions and demolished democratic institutions besides failing to govern well.
Tailpiece
It was interesting to see Rahul Gandhi publicly snubbing his senior party colleague and former Chief Minister, Digvijaya Singh, over the latter’s remarks about the surgical strike. Rahul called Digvijaya’s remarks ridiculous. He, thus, conveyed he was very much the leader of his party.
(The author is a freelance journalist; formerly North India Correspondent of the BBC, he also worked with the Times of India. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Kashmir Life.)
SRINAGAR: Air traffic to and fro Srinagar international airport resumed on Tuesday, a day after poor visibility and continuous snowfall forced cancellation of all 68 scheduled flights.
Quoting official sources news agency GNS reported that two indigo flights landed at the airport a short while ago.
Earlier Director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), Srinagar Airport, Kuldeep Singh said that the visibility is good and the surface stands clear of snow for smooth arrival and departure of the flights.
Meanwhile the train services from Banihal to Baramulla and vice versa resumed this morning after a day-long suspension on Monday last due to snowfall.
However, Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley with the outside world, remained closed. “People are advised not to take any journey on NH-44 (highway) till the restoration work is completed,’ a traffic department official here said.
