12 Greater KashmirSRINAGAR | July 25, 2014, Friday

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What are parameters...

Examining Koul...

Govt jolt to Dal...

JK deficit in critical...

From the front page...

From page 07...

On Wednesday, the Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, told the Rajya Sabha: “Different stakehold-ers particularly the security agencies have expressed their apprehension to the government that the revocation of the Act from J&K will jeopardize their efforts in maintaining the security and law and order in the state. Hence, it has been decided that the time is not appropriate at the moment for withdrawal of AFSPA from the state.”

The Chief Minister today hit back saying some people will never find appropriate time for lifting of the law “even if we silence all the guns.” “Even if we silence 100 per cent of the guns here, they will say time is not appropriate for revocation of the law,” he said.

Omar said these people should spell out the “parameters of apt time for revocation of AFSPA.”

“I have no idea what parameters they want for that appro-priate time. Let them tell us what parameters are required for that time and we will try to meet them,” he said, accusing the Centre of buying time over the issue.

“Whenever we tell them that the time is apt for AFSPA to go, they tell us not this year but next year. And then the next year, they widen the goal post,” he said.

Omar said the matter of AFSPA revocation is being dis-cussed with the Centre. He exuded hope that their thinking will change and the process of revocation of the AFSPA begins.

Omar said he has taken up the issue of revocation of AFSPA with the Modi-led Government at the Centre. “It is an ongoing discussion. First, it was with the UPA and now the NDA government,” he said.

Omar, who is at fag end of his six-year tenure as CM, has been repeatedly telling over the past few years that the law would go in his tenure. “I can say with confidence that AFSPA withdrawal will take place during the tenure of this government and that day is also not very far,” Omar said on August 15, 2012.

ON ASSEMBLY POLLS Meanwhile, Omar also said that holding the forthcoming

Assembly polls was not a tough thing. “I consider holding of 1996 Assembly polls as toughest in the history of JK vis-à-vis security and administration,” he said, adding that the upcom-ing polls may be politically difficult for some.

ON SHIV SENA ACTThe Chief Minister termed the force-feeding of a Muslim

employee by a Shiv Sena MP as an act of “goondaism” (hoo-liganism).

ON KAVITHA REMARKS Asked about the remarks of daughter of Telangana CM

and Nizamabad MP K Kavitha on Kashmir, the CM said, “You should this question to her and not me.” Kavitha had remarked that “we need to come out clean on Jammu and Kashmir. Few parts were not ours, we should agree, we should redraw the international lines.”

“We have received the report yesterday evening and have referred it to the Home department for examination,” Omar told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

He said the government will take appropriate steps on findings of the report.

“As and when we will get the report from the Home Depart-ment (on the findings of the probe), we will conduct the inves-tigation which we need to,” Omar said.

On September 7, 2013, the paramilitary CRPF had killed four persons in Gagren area of Shopian, triggering wide-spread protests in Kashmir. The Chief Minister later ordered a probe into the incident to be carried out by Justice (retd) ML Koul.

In his report, Koul has indicted CRPF for killing three unarmed civilians while declaring the fourth one as a militant.

Sources told Greater Kashmir the Housing and Urban Development department this afternoon sanctioned the release of Rs 5.62 crore to LAWDA, the body entrusted with Dal conservation, for conservation of the lake.

“The funds were meant of maintenance and operation and other works like de-weeding. However, the release of the funds didn’t mature owing to the failure of the LAWDA to submit the UCs,” sources said.

A senior official said that finding itself in a fix, the LAWDA later in the afternoon submitted the UCs of the last year. “The funds are likely to be released on Monday,” he said.

“At least Rs 22 crore were released to the LAWDA last year for conservation purposes,” sources said.

The LAWDA Vice-Chairman Irfan Yasin said no utilization certificate was pending. “I confirmed it from my subordinates and I was told that the certificates have been submitted,” he said, when asked if the UCs were submitted today only.

The Dal conservation program was in the news recently over the Government’s decision of stopping the funds meant for Operation and Maintenance purposes. The Government’s move had forced the LAWDA to stop the de-weeding process in the Dal and had brought the Sewage Treatment Plants built around the Lake on the brink of the closure.

Meanwhile, the Housing and Urban Development Depart-ment (H&UDD) headed by Nawang Rigzin Jora today released Rs 1.5 crore to the Leh district under a centrally-sponsored program for the development of model towns, sources said. Jora hails from Leh. The sources said under the program another Rs 40 lakh were released to Kishtwar district.

said. “In Kashmir, a couch and occasional oxygen unit is the only difference between the ambulances and the load carriers. And most of the times, the patients die even before reaching a hospital,” he said.

“In violation of the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, JK's Health Department is using ambu-lances without BLS system,” the official added.

The Health department official said that the Ambulances must be fully equipped and carry medications as per require-ment of treatment protocols. "It must meet any international standard for Ambulance Supplies specifications," a guideline by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare says.

The official said that a white Mazda vehicle or a pickup van fitted with a couch is termed as ambulance in Kashmir. “These so-called ambulances lack even the Basic Life Support system – installed Oxygen System, Portable Suction Unit, Traction Splints, Padded Board Splints, Ring Cutter, Adult Sphygmomanometer (Blood Pressure Apparatus), Defibril-lator cum Monitor etc,” the official said.

"These ambulances are no better than the passenger vehi-cles," says Dr Arif of SKIMS. "The ambulances of the Health department don't meet even the basic requirements. This increases the mortality rate as no emergency medical aid is available to the patients," he said adding the ambulances are not accompanied by any trained paramedic and the respon-sibility is taken by the attendants.

Officials said the ambulance system in Kashmir is prim-itive and results in increased mortality rate. "There are normal ambulances and critical care ambulances," they said. "We don't have any critical care ambulances. They are costly. Our ambulances are just better than the passenger vehicles as they provide stretchers," he said.

Pertinently, the international standards make it mandato-ry for the ambulance to have all the necessary equipments for the Basic, Advanced and Cardiac Life Support system. As per international standards, an ambulance van should be accom-panied by a first responder, an ambulance care assistant and a paramedic trained in Advanced Life Support system. The van should be air conditioned and have crash-resistant cots, Airway, ventilation, oxygen and suction equipment that consist of portable oxygen with a minimum 350 liter capacity, an in-ambulance oxygen system with a minimum 1200 liter capacity and other emergency equipment.

Srinagar, July 24: Con-demning the incident in which a Shiv Sena MP forced a Muslim employee to break his Ramadan fast, the Hurri-yat Conference (G) chairman Sayed Ali Geelani said, “with the establishment of new BJP government in New Delhi, all the communal minded people have got encouraged and they have started indulging in anti-Muslim activities.”

“Force feeding a fasting Muslim is not an ordinary and simple incident but it is the indication that in future the Hindutva agenda will be forci-bly thrust upon the Muslims of India and whoever opposes it, will either be killed or forced

to exile. Although Indian secu-larism has proved a deception in the Congress regime, but now this country is adopting the shape of a Hindu imperi-alist power. Now the commu-nal slogan like Bharat main agar rehna hain to Ram Ram kehna hain (if you want to live in India, you have to accept the Hindu religion is becoming the government policy of India,”

Geelani said in a statement today, adding that “starting of the Kounsar Nag and other yatras in Kashmir is also part of this process and it is an attempt to make the Hindutva a national religion of India.”

“Efforts are being made to eliminate the identity of the minorities particularly Mus-lims,” Geelani said, adding that such activities will be resisted tooth and nail in Kashmir.

Meanwhile, Geelani has termed the closure of United Nations (UN) office in Delhi as ‘stupidity’ .

“Closing down of the UN office in Delhi proves that the new government of India

is immature and unbalanced and they are acting in haste and it is an emotional deci-sion, but by doing this nether can India change the realities regarding the Kashmir dispute nor can be the international status of this issue affected,” said Geelani, in a statement today, adding that “The United Nations Organizations (UNO) is an Important contact link between the countries of the world. Its role vis-à-vis Kash-mir dispute is a historical fact and it can nether be neglected nor can it be termed unneces-sary.”

Geelani said that the real-ity can’t be changed by turning the face away from it.

Srinagar, July 24: Terming the closure of UN office in New Delhi as unrealistic, the Hurriyat Conference (M) today said such an action by the government of India won’t change the historical and disputed status of Kashmir.

Condemning the fresh spurt in arrests across the Valley, the Hurriyat Conference (M) senior leader Zaffar Akbar Bhat demanded immediate release of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in and outside Valley.

Zaffar Akbar Bhat along with other Hurriyat leaders includ-ing , Javaid Ahmad Mir, Hakim

Abdul Rashid, Abdul Majid Wani, Syed Bashir Andrabi and Zulfiqar Hamid was holding a protest demonstration at Press Enclave here against the new wave of arrests of youth in dif-ferent parts of Kashmir by the police.

Demanding immediate and unconditional release of Kash-miri prisoners ahead of Eid, the leaders said, “The authorities put the Kashmir youth in jails just to prevent them from partici-pating in the peaceful protests against the naked Israeli aggres-sion in Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Hurriyat has finalized its programmes for observing Jumat-ul-Widah as Youm-e-Qudus and Youm-e-Kashmir .

Meanwhile, the Hurriyat senior leader Mukhtar Ahmad Waza on Thursday detained by the police at Dialgam while he along with other leaders was on his way to Dahruna Wantpora, Kokernag, in south Kashmir Kashmir to express sympathy with the family of Ahsan-ul-Haq who was injured by armed forces a few days ago while was playing football.

Geelani condemns force-feeding of fasting Muslim

As government rules...“Mir Saifullah assured us that he will take the case to a

genuine level,” said Javaid Ahmad, another member.“But now we have reason to say that government, includ-

ing Omar Abdullah and Mir Saifullah, is not with us but with army.”

They also slammed the government-appointed public pros-ecutor for “only seeking extensions.”

“We just don’t need government’s favors,” said Abdul Ahad. “We want justice which court will give us. But govern-ment always humiliates us.”

A minimum of Rs 2 lakh was to be given to each victim as relief amount, according to them.

“We keep on attending hearings in Kupwara and Srinagar courts,” Abdul Ahad said. “But where is the justice?”

On July 1, the HC had slammed the state government for not taking seriously the SHRC recommendations.

Once a Constitutional body has made a recommendation, the court had observed, there should be no impediment in carrying out the process of relief for the victims.

The HC had also noted there was no reason to delay the reinvestigation of the case.

Parvez Imroz, counsel for the victim families, earlier this month pleaded before the division bench that “the investiga-tion stands nowhere saying since 13-6-2013 when the judicial magistrate Kupwara directed that the probe be completed within three months.”

Since then, four extensions have been granted to the Inves-tigating Officer to complete the investigation, he had said.

“The IO seeks extension after extension and the last exten-sion was granted to him on June 14, 2014.”

Also on Thursday, the victims said no investigation in the case has been carried out for more than a year now.

In June last year, a court in Kupwara ordered reinvestiga-tion of the case after police filed a closure report.

J. A. Geelani, Judicial Magistrate Kupwara, had directed police to further investigate the case “to unravel the identity of those who happen to be perpetrators.”

HC expresses...Earlier after the CB had pointed out that in respect to the

investigation of CET-2010 scam some evidence was found and for 2009 and 2011 the agency was to close the investigation for lack of evidence, the division bench had not appreciated the contention with the observation how investigation in respect of admission made with respect to 2011 could be closed when the evidence is readily available in respect to admission made in year 2010.

Advocate General, M I Qadri, had sought some more time for the investigating agency to collect evidence in respect of year 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Following the submission by CB that cellular companies do not cooperate in providing the call details of certain num-bers, the division bench once again directed cellular compa-nies - Vodafone, Airtel, Aircel -to cooperate by furnishing information required by the investigating officer.

Closure of UN office in Delhi unrealistic: Hurriyat (M)

D A RASHID

Srinagar, July 24: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday ordered clo-sure of five stone crushers and hot mix plants along Nallah Mawar in North Kashmir.

Hearing Public interest Litigation , a division bench of Chief Justice M M Kumar and Justice Hasnain Massodi passed the direction following the perusal of a report by court Commissioners- Advocates R A Jan and M Y Bhat.

Pointing out the violation of law by those who have set up the units illegally, the bench said:“The violation of various laws by the Stone Crushers and Hot Mix Plants has been highlighted by the Court Com-missioners. Apart from the Units having been set up on kahcharai and Abi Awal land, the citing parameters have

been violated with impunity”.The units ordered to be

closed include M/s Fair Deal Macadam Plant and Stone Crusher, M/s Sunshine Stone Crusher, M/s G K Stone Crush-er, M/s Imperial Stone Crush-er and M/s Bismillah Stone Crusher

The court directed the units to close down their operations forthwith and stop extrac-tion of any minor mineral like stones etc from the bed of Nallah Mawar.

“The Units have completely violated the Rules governing the citing parameters for set-ting up the Stone Crushers/Hot Mix Plants. Therefore, the conditional stay orders passed by the Single Judge in con-nected writ petitions cannot be relied upon for the purposes of continuous operation of such units merely because an inter-im order has been issued,” the

court stated in its order while ruling out the directions of writ courts.

Observing that in some cases there are no interim orders, the bench said, “there-fore we find no impediment in vacating the interim orders and directing the aforesaid Units to close down their opera-tions forthwith and stop extrac-tion of any minor mineral like stones etc. from the bed of the Nallah”.

The bench directed the Deputy Commissioners of respective Districts to ensure immediate compliance of the order and file report within one week.

The court also arrayed M/s Paramount Hot Mix Plant as a party respondent in the present proceedings following a sub-mission by G Murtaza, counsel for the petitioners. “ The Office is directed to carry out neces-

sary corrections in the cause title of the Public Interest Liti-gation and issue notice to the newly impleaded respondent.” The bench said.

With regard to the policy required to be framed by the State Government for setting up the Stone Crusher Zones or zones for Hot Mix Plants, Advocate General M I Qadri, pointed out that a Committee has been constituted which is headed by the Chief Secretary along with the Secretaries of concerned Departments. He stated that the Committee is debating the issue of setting up of Stone Crusher Zones/Hot Mix Plant Zones and the report is still awaited.

The court directed the government to file the report within two weeks in this regard.

Another issue highlighted in the orders passed by the

court pertained to the policy of the State with regard to extrac-tion of minor minerals.

“The minor minerals which are extracted by the private parties, apparently, belong to the State. Whether they are to be sold by holding an open auction or by other acceptable method has not been clarified to us. It appears to us that there is no policy of the State and there is a free hand given to the Unit Holders to extract minor minerals from water bodies or from the hills,” the court said.

The Advocate General however stated that the status report with regard to the policy of the State shall also be filed and if there is no policy then the same shall be finalized in the days to come.

“Let the status report be filed within two weeks with a copy in advance to the counsel opposite.”

HC orders closure of 5 stone crushers, hot mix plants along Nallah Mawar

Feroz, Nazir assigned portfolios Srinagar, July 24: The Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday assigned the portfolios to two junior ministers in his government.

As per a GAD order, the Minister of State Feroz Khan was assigned MOS (Independent Charge) of Science & Technol-ogy and Information Technology. He was also given charge as Minister of State for School Education, Youth Services & Sports, Floriculture and Horticulture.

As per the order Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi) was vested with the charge as MOS (Independent Charge) of Animal & Sheep Husbandry and Minister of State for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Agriculture and Health & Medical Education.

PDP nominates office bearersSrinagar, July 24: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presi-dent, Mehbooba Mufti has nominated Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan as vice president of the party, Choudhary Zulfikar Ali as a member of recently constituted manifesto commit-tee, Zaffar Iqbal Manhas as chief election coordinator for Kashmir province and Choudhary Abdul Hamid as chief election coordinator for Jammu province, a party spokesman disclosed today in a statement here.

NF condemns Nayeem Khan’s detention Srinagar, July 24: Jammu Kashmir National Front (NF) Thursday condemned the continuous house detention of its chairman Nayeem Ahmad Khan, terming it political reprisal.

“The continued house detention of Nayeem Khan proves that government is scared of his growing popularity. The rulers want to keep him away from the people to deprive them of his guidance and leadership,” said the deputy chair-man of Front Altaf Hussian Wani, in a statement today.

Casual announcers hail resumption of Yuva-VaniSrinagar, July 24: The Casual Announcers and Compares Association of Yuva Vani service of Radio Kashmir has hailed Minister of State, Information and Broadcasting, Prakash Javadkar, for accepting proposal regarding resumption of Yuva-Vani service from August 1.

“Yuva-Vani is a major outlet for youth in terms of encour-aging the talent in broadcasting and art and is providing an outlet for grievances of the young,” the Association said in a statement today.

According to the statement, an emergency meeting of casual announcers of Yuva-Vani service was held which was attended by senior casual announcers Mushtaq Khanday, M Shafi Mir and Showkat Fareedi.

The Association thanked the people of Jammu and Kash-mir in showing their deep interest in supporting to restore Yuva-Vani service once again.

Members of Hurriyat Conference Jammu Kashmir protest outside UN office in Sonwar on Thursday. Aman Farooq/GK

Hoarding tearing: NC refutes allegation

GK NEWS NETWORK

Srinagar, July 24: The National Confer-ence on Thursday refuted the allegations by the Peoples Demo-cratic Party that the party was involved in tearing down the PDP’s hoarding at Rambagh here.

National Confer-ence spokesman said it is a matter between Srinagar Municipality and the PDP. “From our information it appears that the requi-site permission was not sought by the PDP (for erecting the hoarding) and that is not our mis-take,” the spokesman said.

The PDP, NC spokes-man said, doesn’t have right to hurl wild accu-sations without any substance and cred-ibility.

Governor hosts IftaarSrinagar, July 24: Governor N N Vohra on Thursday evening hosted Iftaar at Raj Bhavan, here. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mubarak Gul, Speaker, Legislative Assembly; Min-isters; Legislators; Northern Army Commander; GOC-XV Corps; Vice Chancellors; senior Civil, Police and Security Forces officers and prominent citizens participated in the Iftaar.

The participants offered prayers after breaking their fast.