Vol 10●No 12●Pages 16●JULY 30, 2017

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म त U N IR IV M ER H SITY OF KAS MERCMEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH TIMESCENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR

FILM APPRECIATION COURSE CONCLUDES @ MEDIA DEPARTMENT, KASHMIR UNIVERSITY

Village devoid of basic GST hiked prices rue Jamait tulba organizes amenities commoners inter-college debate P2 P7 P14 ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म त U R NI I VE HM RSI AS Vol 10●No 12●Pages 16●July 30, 2017 TY OF K 2

Village devoid of INTER-DISTRICT MARTIAL ARTS basic amenities COMPETITION CONCLUDES v Abid Rashid Baba v Adil Amin Bhat of Budgam bagged Gold medal, Salman Khan of Srinagar and Hamid Mustaq of Bandipora bagged BARAMULLA: Hundred minute drive from Srinagar towards BUDGAM: The championship organised by Silver and Bronze medals respectively.Under Wu- north of Kashmir takes you into a picturesque sleepy hamlet of Department of Youth Services and Sports concluded, Shu 52 kg weight category, Wali Tabish of Budgam Baramulla district. From NH-1A, you zoom inside and feel the in which players from all the districts of Kashmir bagged Gold medal, Ali Raza of Kargil and Sayar typical pastoral smell. Cow dung scattered, animals grazing. Giggling province participated. In Inter-District Martial Arts Tariq of Pulwama begged Silver and Bronze medals women with wicker baskets and Samovars are heading towards competition Budgam won overall championship title. respectively. paddy fields. Sun is shining overhead. Welcome to my village. The competition was held in different games in different In Sqay 50 kg weight category, Asrar Javid of A nation is considered developed if its roads are well maintained. weight categories: Kick-boxing in weight categories 52 Srinagar begged Gold medal, Waseem Ahmad of A bumpy 3 Km ride from National Highway may ache your back. kg and 48 kg, WU-SHU in weight categories 48kg and Ganderbal and Umar Majeed of Budgam bagged Silver When elections were around, our MLA had promised road 52 weight kg, Sqay in 50 kg weight, Taekwondo in 54 kg and Bronze medals respectively. widening and macadamizing but five years down the line, nothing weight, Jeet–kune-do 61 kg weight, Thang-Ta in 60 kg Aashiq Majeed of Budgam bagged Gold medal, happened. The condition of the road is such that the mini-buses weight, Judo in weight 55 kg. Mohmmad Muslim of Srinagar and Mohd Haqi of refuse to fly on the route now. Once a student boards a bus, the In Kick-boxing 52 kg weight category, Anayat Abas Kargil bagged Silver and Bronze medals in Taekwondo amount of dust which billows makes him difficult to recognize in of Budgam bagged gold medal, Mohammad Nayam 54 kg weight category. the classroom. of Baramulla and Adnan Bashir of Bandipora bagged Mujjahid Mustaq of Srinagar begged Gold medal, Some four years ago, our representative at the assembly had Silver and Bronze medals respectively. Momin Ahmad of Ganderbal and Sahil Ahamd of sanctioned a public park in my village. The belly of the hill was Rakib of Baramulla bagged Gold medal, Mohd Shopian bagged Silver and Bronze respectively in axed. It became a plateau. It is neither a playground, nor a park. Faheem of Srinagar and Sameer Ahmad of Budgam Thang-Ta 6o kg weight category. Even a slight downpour drains muddy water towards the village bagged Silver and Bronze medals respectively in Kick- In Judoo 55 kg category, Saleem Ahmad Bhat of which floods the households living beneath it. It creates chaos boxing 48 Kg weight category. Srinagar bagged Gold medal and Noor-ul-Jamal of and confusion. With nearly 800 souls, my village lacks a public In Wu-Shu 48 kg weight category, Ubaidullah Bandipora bagged Silver medal. convenience. With 75% literacy late, there is no public library. Most of the villagers are dependent on agriculture and livestock. No official from Agriculture, horticulture or Animal Husbandry visits my village. We are a neglected lot. We have been ignored. Health is a key sector. We have to travel either to Sub-District Poetry verses reverberate in Hospital Kreeri or District Hospital Baramulla. We continue to ask for a Primary Health Centre, but our pleas fell on deaf ears. We had pinned hopes on a local MLA but all hopes are dashed. Kashmir University

Ali Saifudin uncerenmonious events are very rare in Kashmir. Although institutes like JNU, Delhu University, unattended garbage irks SRINAGAR: “Rising buildings and rising machines, Jamia Millia are known to host such student oriented, have taken away all my teens. Taken away all my fields independent and informal events of expression Kupwara people to play, taken away all my sunny days.” but for Kahshmir University it is something new v Shaheen Shafique Recited one of the performer named Ovais and out of the box. “It is interesting to see students Ahmad on the occasion of Open Slam Poetry and sharing their poetry written on the back of their class KUPWARA: Residents of baber lane byepass alleged Art installation session independently organised by notebooks” said one of the spectators who appreciated that heaps of waste garbage are lying scattered in their students from different departments of the University the concept behind this slam peotry event. Last year a area. The foul smell is ubiquitous in the areas with the of Kashmir. It took place in Naseem Bagh area near documentary named ‘In the shade of fallen chinar’ was surroundings becoming breeding ground for many the Department of Music and Fine Arts,the place has released which focussed on the art scene of students diseases,” a resident of baber lane byepass said. Many a reputation for being a meeting point for different of Kashmir university. Events like these are a good non-biodegradable garbage which includes polythene, artists of the University. In this event many young example of how the students are engaging in artistic domestic waste and medical waste are lying scattered in students with a passion for poetry orated their poems forms of expression. baber lane gali. “Sweepers are hardly visiting our localities under a Chinar tree while many had gathered to listen Speaking on the occasion, one of the organisers and there are large mounds of garbage lying unattended as an audience. Different poets used different styles of Faakirah said that the primary objective behind for days together,” suhail yousuf shah a resident said. narration. While some stuck to classic Urdu Ghazal organising such an event was to ensure that poets Residents have demanded that the concerned style of oratory, some chose Saul Williams styled among other artists don’t have to wait for a big event to authorities should remove the huge garbage present in more flamboyant method. Some touched the topics exhibit their work and can instead showcase it in small baber lane so that they can’t suffer anymore. pertaining to their personal lives and others chose gatherings that can be held over short intervals of time. When talked to Executive Officer Kupwara Municipal to highlight more general issues like Occupation and We, as artists, need to inculcate a habit of indulgence Committee he told that it is not the convenient place for Resistance throyugh their poems. Both Urdu as well as said Faakirah, a Law student and one of the organisers garbage to dump and we have cleared garbage from the english poems were recited. Syed Zeeshan Hamdani and it’s also part of the reason that she wants to area several times but shopkeepers and residents shows who happens to be grandson of famous Kashmiri poet conduct these sort of events on a weekly basis rather too much irresponsibility in dumping garbage. We are Syed Akbar Jaipuri narrated one of his original poems than being a one-time show. going to clear the garbage from the area within few days in which few line went like “ mera bhi haal urdu sa, ki Slam poetry is a popular medium for poets to recite as JCB has been sent to workshop for repairing, once it apnay bhi paraaye hai, muje apna assar koi banata to their original work .It is also a brilliant form of protest is fixed we will clear the garbage from the area. And he gazab hota” which reflected the dying popularity of and a means of questioning authority . In our region appealed people and shopkeepers not to dump garbage urdu language in the current youth. Formal literary its still a new concept but a place like Kashmir which irresponsibly in the lanes rather should dump in dust bins events which tend to promote writing , literature, has a culture which is poetically rich but governed by of Municipal Committee which are in the area. arts and poetry are often held by different kinds unquestionable authority , slam poetry can fit in well of organisations but this kind of independent and as a strong medium of expression and dissent. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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UNIQUELY, GB PANTH HOSPITAL OPERATES Lacking academic OPD EVEN ON SUNDAYS infrastructure, ITI Shopian Efforts appreciated, people demand attention on IPD train students in hostel v ArifNazir appointed here and asked my people about the rush and they informed me about the OPD on SRINAGAR: While patients are raising Sunday,” he said. questions over the functioning of GB Panth Though questions have been raised by people hospital’s In Patient Department (IPD), the Out that they are not getting adequate facilities at the Patient Department (OPD) is doing more than hospital and are made to suffer, the initiative of what it is meant to do. OPD on Sundays has been appreciated by different The hospital’s OPD remains open even on quarters of the society. Sundays, and doctors on duty attend to hundreds “This is to cater to the rush that this hospital of patients who rush to the lone child care hospital is facing on everyday basis,” says MS, GB Panth of the valley from different far flung areas of Hospital. Kashmir. Like the initiative of starting OPD on Sundays, With this, the hospital has become the only lot more still needs to be done in the hospital, like government hospital in the Kashmir region where addressing the complaints of the attendants about v Ayad ullah Dar the patients are provided with the services even on the proper attention and care of the infant patients Sundays. while they are admitted in the hospital. SRINAGAR: Industrial Training Institute (ITI) Shopian, founded in As per the Medical Superintended (MS) of the When this reporter visited the Hospital, four 1979, has yet to get an academics building; the students at the institute hospital, Dr. Kanwal Jeet Singh the hospitals like among ten persons complained about one thing receive trainings in the hostel building. SMHS and SKIMS do not operate their OPDs on or the other. Some complained about the non- A new building for academic trainings was inaugurated in 2006. Sundays. availability of doctors during night, while some Eleven years after construction was taken up by Jammu and Kashmir “When I was at SMHS, I never saw such a thing complained about the infrequent rounds of Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), the building is still even there, on Sundays only emergency block doctors. “The OPD thing is good, but they have incomplete. The corporation left the construction incomplete claiming would work and not the OPD,” he said. to take proper care of other things as well,” said that the Department of Technical Education has not paid them the dues. Dr. Singh who replaced Dr. K K Pandita as Abdul Qayoom, adding that “every day infants Officials from technical education told MERC TIMES that MS of the hospital says that on one when he saw are dying due to negligence, I think they should corporation didn’t follow the approved costs and guidelines set by the huge rush of people outside OPD, “I was newly ponder over that as well.” department. This leaves the institute with no classrooms, except for the institution’s hostel building. The new building, JKPCC officials said, would have provided 12 big halls, two staff rooms and washrooms. Sahil Rasheed Bhat, Superintendent if the industrial technical education in Shopian, told MERC TIMES that the institution is failing KU’s Law Society holds Legal to meet the demand for courses in stenography, horticulture and other sectors because of lack of infrastructure Officials in technical education department also voice their concerns Quiz Competition about the land area available for the institute. There ITI, they say, has nine kanals of land while the minimum requirement was 20 kanals. The team from Vitasta College “We have adjusted student numbers to the available space in the hostel comprised Adil Rashid and Shazia building and workshops,” he said. Bashir while Mohammad Khalid Shah Students allege that corrupt official practices were responsible for and Deeba Javaid represented KU’s the delay in the construction. A group of students from the institute Department of Law. Hashir Shafi told MERC TIMES that the Shopian ITI did not have even has as good Khan and Rahil Habib of Kashmir infrastructure as that of other districts. Law College were adjudged as third Bhat, however, claims that the institute was functioning above prize winners. The consolation prize optimum capacity only to ensure that more and more students are was won by team from KU`s Law trained. “We started extra training batches at much higher roll as Department comprising Irfan Hussain compared to the infrastructure available. We have funds in department and Waseem Shamas. for the construction of buildings and installing machinery, but the Vice-Chancellor Prof Khurshid institute has no new more land to raise new buildings and the incomplete Iqbal Andrabi distributed cash prizes building prevents installation of machines.” and certificates among the winners and The superintendent added that he raised the issue of the delay in other participants. He appreciated the completion of the new building with concerned authorities, but no steps role played by the Law Society, saying: were taken to ensure completion of the building. “It is doing a very good job and happens But an official of technical education, contradicted JKPCC’s claim, v Peer Furqan to be on the forefront of organizing competitions saying that the corporation had not seen the approved cost and work and programs and creating awareness about legal details till the completion of new building. SRIINAGAR : Kashmir University’s Department rights amongst citizens in far-flung areas of the Deputy Commissioner Shopian, Muhammad Aijaz said that the JKPCC of Law under the banner of its Law Society on state.” and technical education department had issues regarding payments, which Thursday held second Shah-I-Hamdann Legal Dean and Head Faculty of Law Prof Mohammad needed to be sorted. “I have intervened in this regard; I am going to call a Quiz Competition-2017. Hussain delineated the role and activities of the meeting in my office as well in this regard very soon. I will also take up this The team from Vitasta College of Law and Law Society in spreading legal literacy over the last issue to higher authorities in civil secretariat,” he said. Humanities won the competition while teams from five years in various corners of the state. “I have ordered explanations from both the departments on delay University of Kashmir and Kashmir Law College Dr Fareed Rafeeqi conducted proceedings of the of construction and fund issues,” he said, adding that he hopes that the bagged the second and third positions respectively. valedictory-cum-prize distribution function building is opened for operations soon. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म त U R NI I Vol 10●No 12●Pages 16●July 30, 2017 V M ER H SITY OF KAS 4

J&K milk producers, suppliers Wanton loot of green gold stand ignored by Govt goes unchecked

v Hasina Jamiel production in J&K. The dairy farming is v Peer Viqar is very much visible and smugglers the main contributor of states GDP but the are chopping green standing trees JAMMU: J&K milk Producers and per capita income of our farmers could not SRINAGAR: The unbridled felling in broad daylight without any fear. Suppliers Association expressed improved. of trees in alleged connivance The chopping of trees witnessed resentment over government’s decision to One of the dairy farming members with field forest staff has been increase after road construction ignore their stand on Goods and Services said,” we demand for improving the depleting the dense forest at as smugglers are now using Tax(GST). living standard of dairy farmers in rural various places across Kashmir vehicles instead of horses. The Association said that in spite of areas. The govt. favors the corporate and the authorities are yet to crack Huge buildings and tourism various schemes, programs and subsidies sector and neglected the basic milk the timber smuggling rackets. infrastructure are being set up at provided by Govt., no progress was seen producers.” Forest are facing unabated the cost of the green cover. at root level. The living standard of our The state is importing quintals milk from wanton loot as timber smugglers Most of chopped trees are sold to poor dairy farmers in rural areas is still other states but neglecting our pure milk are chopping standing trees, and private builders in the lower area traditional. The subsidies provided by producers which are very sad. So govt. later slicing them to ferry to other who later on transport them to govt. were not seen in the families of rural should take this sector seriously and help parts of Kashmir. other parts of the Valley without area which is contributing 90% of milk the poor dairy farmers at root level. The work of thriving forest mafia any hesitation. Meet Shaiqa Mohi, a known Sculpture artist from Kashmir v Hirra Azmat Exhibition in 1977, National Art Exhibition organised by There, she was inspired by Gayoor Hassan, her teacher, SRINAGAR: She would sit cross-legged in a wind-swept Lalit Kala mentor and guide. He taught her the nuances of sculpture attic of the SPS Museum with a paintbrush and drawing Academy, New Delhi in 1976 to 1983, 1986 and 1988. art and helped her recognise her forte. “I am greatly paper. Every time she got stuck in the painting, she would Her collections are displayed in the National Gallery of inspired by Gayoor Sahab. He was an amazing sculpture look out the window. The mighty Chinars lining the Modern Art, Delhi, Lalit Kala Academy and AIFACS (All artist. From him, I learnt sculpture art. He would spend Jhelum bund and the sparkling waters of the river filled India Fine Arts and Crafts Society) Fine Arts and Crafts, hours teaching me the techniques involved. He would never her with awe. New Delhi. tire of explaining the same thing over and over again.” She would take in the view and get back to her painting, After completing her schooling from DAV school, Jawahar Shaika specialised in sculpture art at the institute, invigorated. Be it the colour of the Chinar leaves, changing Nagar in 1971, she went to Govt Secondary School, Amira where she went on to become a teacher and eventually from green to russet to scarlet to golden, or the turquoise Kadal, where she continued her quest for art. the principal. “For me, art transcends the boundaries water or the violet mountains, she was obsessed with “Those days, the cultural academy often held art of decoration. To me a stone or any other solid material capturing all these hues in her drawings and show it to her competitions. After the classes got over, I would go on foot contains unfavourable artistic elements, which, in the teacher. That’s the artist in her. in the scorching heat to participate in them. The artist words of Michelangelo, have just to be brought out with Shaiqa Mohi has since earned a name as a sculptor, in me never let me rest. I was always mad about art.” Her delicate strokes of chisels.” She can’t imagine her world participating in national and international art exhibitions parents extended their full support. She then joined the without art and rues that there is no “art scene” in Kashmir. like the Indian Contemporary Art Exhibition in the Institute of Music and Fine Arts, located then at Jawahar If there was one, it would provide a viable career option to USSR in 1978, AIFACS (All India Fine Arts and Crafts Nagar. Thus began her journey to becoming a full-time the youngsters. Moreover, it could help create safe spaces Society) Golden Jubilee International Contemporary Art artist. in the conflict zone.

Mujeeb Ul Feroz too but due to new tax rules, we have to pay sell their goods according to new tax rule 2-3% more tax than previous percentage. while others are running out of stock due SRINAGAR: As the heat meter across This has developed mistrust between us to lack in supply and some of them selling Kashmir valley has started to rise this and consumers because eventually they with their own new prices,” said one of the summer, the sale of electronic appliances have to pay final price,” Said Ajaz Ahmad, buyers. “The increase in rate of small things like Ceiling Fans, Air conditioners Owner of Cute Electronics. like ceiling fans has made difficulty for us. (ACs), Refrigerators and Air Coolers has Moreover, the distributors and retailers This has also made impossible for people increased, though less than previous year’s have to apply for new GST number so like us to buy high price appliances like demand due to late arrival of summer that they will get goods supplied from AC’s, Coolers, Refrigerators because they Rising Heat season. With the implementation of GST companies. “The GST regime has created will be sold on more high prices. Also due waves across (Goods and Services Tax) in Jammu and problems for us as we are not aware of its to scorching heat, it has created much more Kashmir, the rate of household electronic process and implication. Also we are told to problems for us to not buy AC’s or coolers Kashmir appliances has been put under 28% tax apply for new GST number to get our new as their prices would be much higher,” Said slab which will increase tax burden to stock but we don’t have any information another buyer. consumers by 2-3% under this new tax how to apply for that. This has affected our With the demand of Cooling appliances on regime. demand and supply process,” Says Umer rise, the consumers are not able to buy any The heat wave has accelerated the Shah, Distributor of home appliances. product as there is lot of misinformation demand of cooling appliances in valley The new tax rule has also affected buyers as among buyers as they are being cheated by but the introduction of GST has created a they find variation in the prices of different the sellers with high prices. Also there is a conflict between buyers and sellers. “With electronic appliances. “I wanted to buy demand for transparency regarding new the arrival of summer season, we were some Ceiling fans for home but there is GST rule as people are unaware of the new expecting rise in sales and that happened lot of variation in prices. Some retailers tax regime. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म त U R UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR NI I Vol 10●No 12●Pages 16●July 30, 2017 V M ER H SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 12 | OCTOBER 30, 2015 5 Dialysis programme of state in limbo RISE AND FALL OF v Ikhlaq Rs 15,57,500 as financial assistance to thalassaemia patients of the state, KASHMIRI SILK SRINAGAR: As scores of people die every with Rs 8,750 per patient. On contrary, year of chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in nearly 4,000 kidney patients are v Syed Humaira 25000 rearers associated with silk cocoon Jammu and Kashmir, the priority of the being admitted to the SK Institute of rearing.The cost of production of these state government in the health sector Medical Science (SKIMS) annually, SRINAGAR: Silk has always been considered cocoons is very less as compared to the price is lying somewhere else, thalassaemia with a majority of them suffering from as a symbol of splendor and Kashmiri silk is one gets in the market from their sale.A — a hereditary disease caused by faulty the CKD. “Nearly 20-30 per cent CKD one of the best varieties produced in India . profit of 15000 can be made depending haemoglobin synthesis. patients die every year due to lack of According to ancient Sanskrit literature on the quality of the cocoon.The process Despite the implementation of the treatment or infection in Kashmir,” there is a mention of Kashmir being the of seed rearing is a very cumbersome one, Prime Minister’s Dialysis Programme Associate Professor, Nephrology, original home to silk.Mirza Mohammad where a lot of care is taken to maintain the in 27 states of the country, the J&K SKIMS, Dr Muzaffar Wani said. On an Haider refers in his “Tarikhi Rashide” temperature,humidity and cleanliness.We Government failed to submit its average, a person with advanced CKD to mulberry trees as among wonders of need to feed the worms carefully according proposal to the Union Health Ministry had to shell out Rs 30,000-40,000 per Kashmir and their abundance everywhere to their larval stage of growth till they to procure dialysis machines for month for dialysis and medication, Dr but according to present statistics of the complete their 5 stage life cycle.The eggs running the programme. The delay Wani said. department of Sericulture, Kashmir only are stored and later transferred to district has been attributed by National Health Given the burden of the CKD in the has 5.25 lakh mulberry trees.According to headquarters . The government has even Mission (NHM) officials to the failure country, the Prime Minister during last historical records in the year 1855 ,Kashmir given subsidy for building of shed for cocoon of Health Department in prioritising the year’s Budget speech announced the was in a position to supply 25000 oz of rearing,hatching trays,health insurance kidney diseases. programme for providing dialysis free silkworm seeds to Europe.During Maharaja for farmers,compensation in case of loss of “Prevention and cure of kidney of cost to the BPL patients, with each Ranbir Singh’s rule this sector saw enormous produce but still there are no takers and the diseases were never a priority with the district hospital having one dialysis unit. growth and came under the direct control of glamorous silken merchandise has almost Health Department despite several The Central government will the state.Hundreds of rearing houses were vanished from the scene.” hundred kidney patients dying every provide dialysis machines, while state built across Kashmir and scientific methods “Government is trying to modernize the year,” said an NHM official. governments have to provide space for were employed to improve silk production. silk production unit at Raj Bagh,and crores The government in 2013 prioritised establishing the unit under the PPP “Department of Sericulture in the state are being spent on the project ,”says an thalassaemia as a special category mode. “In a couple of days tenders will of J&K is dedicated to boost this industry employee at the Raj bagh factory. “Hopes disease for getting funding from be invited for selecting the service but the sector in recent years has shown a are high that the project will benefit cocoon the Centre under the Rashtriya Bal provider,” the Mission Director, NHM, decline of more than 70%,”says Abdul Aziz a growers and people associated with silk Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) – a child Dr Mohan Singh, said. Dr Mohan Singh cocoon rearer from Baramullah . trade and we have kept our fingers crossed health screening programme under has asked the Chief Medical Officers Dr Baqal a senior scientist working at the ,adds Abdul Aziz the NHM. At least 178 thalassaemia of the districts to identify the space in Mirgund seed station , said “we have almost patients are registered with the Health district hospitals before procuring the Department, with 30 in Kashmir. machines for establishing dialysis units Last year, the government provided there. IQRA RASOOL: Budding cricketer Over 100 undertake trekking to Tulain, from Baramullah

Sourse lakes in Pahalgam Zakir Hussain I was among the final 16. I also played at Maulana Azad Women’s College and got Syed Shehriyar Speaking on the occasion, Director SRINAGAR: In a conservative social setup selected for National event. Our first match Tourism Kashmir, Mahmood A like Kashmir where Women making was held in Jammu against Telangana in 2013 SRINAGAR: The Department of Shah, said the exercise is part of career in sports is seen as a taboo. A teen and we won that match”, she said. Tourism and Jammu & Kashmir the Department’s commitment from North Kashmir’s Rafiabad fringes Talking to the respondent about her Mountaineering and Hiking Club to promote adventure tourism in is breaking barriers and creating her own experience as a girl in cricket she said, (JKMHC) Sunday organized a trek Kashmir as well as help the local niche. Iqra Rasool recorded her name “Being a girl I always felt this difference. to Sourse Lake at Pahalgam. youth in adventure activities. among the budding blooms of cricket from Since my birth I was told to remain away Some 40 JKMHC members “Kashmir has many trekking trails Kashmir. A film based on her life “The from cricket as it is boy’s game. But I trekked to the Lake lying at an for which hikers from across the Cricket Girl” was screened in various couldn’t stop myself from playing cricket. It altitude 3750 meters above the sea world visit this place. However, those schools in North Kashmir. Talking about was something in my blood. And today after level. trekkers need local guides and we are the film Iqra said, “I can’t describe it in playing various matches I really feel that The trek to Sourse Lake follows a training our youth through such treks words. I think watching a film on my own we should not discriminate on the basis of trek to Tulain Lake, lying at an altitude on regular basis,” he said. life is an achievement in itself. I am elated gender”. of 3684 meters above sea level, here The Directors also said Kashmir and want to thank everyone around me as Pertinent to mention that Iqra Rasool on previous Sunday in which some 60 has famous high-altitude lakes which without their love and support it was not is a10th-grade student, was born on 5th JKMHC members took part. also need to be promoted and that possible”. August 2000 in a middle-class family. Her Pertinently, the Department of the Department is targeting locals to Cricket is always seen as sport of boys and father Ghulam Rasool Lone works at a local Tourism Kashmir conducts Sunday explore the same, adding the latter will Iqra being a Girl managed to play cricket and bakery. Iqra has big dreams – she wants to treks to inculcate the spirit of help them earn a decent livelihood by pursued her dream. “I used to play volley lead the Indian National Women’s Team. mountaineering and hiking among guiding non-local especially foreign ball. Later on I was selected for District level But to achieve this goal, she needs the the local youth and bring about trekkers. He said the Department has cricket tournament in inter-school games Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association awareness about mountain trails and all the necessary equipment and gear held at Prof. Showkat Ali Stadium Baramulla, (JKCA) to support the cricketers from high-altitude lakes. for trekking expeditions. a total of 25 students participated. Finally, Kashmir and hone their talents. MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म त Vol 10●No 12●Pages 16●July 30, 2017 U N IR IV M ER H SITY OF KAS 6 JK health Department is ailing : CAG report v Irfan Tramboo on regular basis, however she seems to have missed the much larger and worrying scenario of the department, by focusing SRINAGAR: No matter the Government is, day in and day much on the sanitation, rather than other issues. out, calling for measures to make state’s Health Care system An official, on the condition of anonymity said that even after effective and transparent, recent CAG Audit report of the depositing funds in the Medical Corporation, the drugs/ Health Department and the influx of complaints against medicines have not been issued to them, thus, compelling the the same is compelling, raising serious questions over its patients to buy drugs from the market, which was, as per CAG functioning and is highlighting the failure of the government report, 45 per cent, and is expected to be high currently. in bringing positive changes in the department, which has During the meeting of Health Minister with other officials, confined the working of the department only to official according to the official statement, “procurement and meetings. availability of drugs, basic facilities in hospitals, fire fighting CAG report-2016 has deliberated upon various serious mechanism and availability of funds under different schemes dimensions of the department, such as Testing of Drugs, were also discussed in detail during the meeting,” however, supply of sub standard drugs to patient, suspected fraud in there seems to be no relief on ground, as hospitals are still various tendering processes, or for that matter, expired rate struggling to procure the basic medicines. contracts being used for the procurement of drugs. With is being seen a big issue these days. With the formation Fire fighting mechanism, as per the statement was also patient buying at least 47 percent of medicines from the of Medical Corporation, sources are saying that the discussed. GB Panth Hospital—valley’s lone Childcare market, it has also questioned the administration for not procurement of medicines has been made tough, and at Hospital—has been craving for setting up fire fighting maintaining the end user record. times what happens is that there are drug available with the mechanism in the hospital, interestingly, the hospital, since After CAG, the Chief Minister’s Grievance Cell has been Corporation, but aren’t being allocated to the concerned its inception has been functioning without any mechanism to a witness to the poor functioning of the department. The hospitals, for reasons better known to them. deal with fire like situation. number of complaints received by the cell also depicts the Wednesday, State’s Health Minister Asiea Naqash in meeting The Government, over the years has not been able to relocate inefficiency of the Department. with other concerned officials of the department, according the shops that the Cantonment Board has built just outside The data provided by the cell says that there have been total to the official statement, “stressed upon maintaining proper the entrance of the hospital, which as per the administration, 1106 complaints received against the Department that hygiene in the hospitals, the Minister directed the concerned was meant to be a spot where the fire tenders would be were received, pertaining to the non-availability of doctors, authorities to ensure better sanitation measure in and stationed. Sources are saying that the Govt has not been able equipments an medicines. around the health institutes,” adding that the washrooms to fix a deal with the Cantonment Board, thus jeopardizing The non-availability of medicines at the major hospitals should be renovated in all the hospitals and should be cleaned the lives of patients and attendants.

‘Water sports creates awareness about FM Drabu flags off water bodies’ Real Kashmir FC to

v QULSOOMA AKHTER Scotland

SRINAGAR: Minister for Horticulture, Syed Basharat Shahjhan Mughal Bukhari today said that events like water sports create awareness among the younger generation about SRINAGAR: Minister for Finance, Dr Haseeb Drabu the importance of water bodies, besides enhancing today flagged off a 25-member football team from individual’s physical and mental fitness. Kashmir’s premier Football Club, Real Kashmir The Minster was speaking at a flag-off ceremony of FC, who will play with professional football clubs in annual Dal swim mega event organized by a private Scotland. school Tyndale Biscoe here. Wishing them good luck, Dr Drabu said Jammu and The Minister appreciated the school management Kashmir has a large pool of talent in various fields of for organizing the event and said conducting extra- sports that needs exposure in national and international curricular activities is helpful in exploring the talent, arenas. “This visit will mark a major shift in the field of besides creating awareness about the significance of sports in J&K and I am sure you will do your best to bring State’s natural resources and water bodies particularly laurels for your state. This is just a beginning and more Dal Lake. such tours will be organized in coming days,” he said. The Mr. Bukhari said that other than physical and mental is organized every year after imparting proper training to the team left for New Delhi on Monday where from they will development, sports activities also help an individual to gain participants. fly out to Scotland on Wednesday. The team was flagged- self-confidence, key to excel in any field of life. He said sports Students from both junior and senior wings of Tyndale off by Dr. Drabu in presence of President, J&K Football also help to grooming youth and inculcates qualities required Biscoe participated in the event. The participants covered Association, Zameer Ahmad Thakur, along with several to become global leaders who tomorrow can play a positive 5.5-kilometres cross and 11 kilometers re-cross distance by other key members of the Association. role in making a better society. swimming from Nehru Park to Nishat. The team has been invited by Stenhousemuir Wishing the participants good luck, Mr. Bukhari said the The participants were cheered up by number of people Football Club to play a pre-season friendly match in State has an abundance of raw talent in various fields of sports including parents. Since early morning the enthused students Larbert on July 8. With this, Real Kashmir FC will be which with right mentoring and exposure at national and lined up at Nehru Park to participate in the mega event the first club team from the valley to play on a foreign international level could help them to earn great laurels. keeping up with old tradition of the school. soil.“The team is excited about the prospect of getting He also appreciated the school administration for making Principal of the School Parvez Samuel Koul, parents of the an opportunity to play against a quality side which will special arrangements to ensure safety of the participants. participants and school administration staff was also presents help them improve their game,” an official of the RKFC School administration informed the Minister that the event on the occasion said. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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म त U R NI I VE HM RSIT KAS Vol 10●No 12●Pages 16●July 30, 2017 Y OF 7 ‘USE EASY URDU IN GST hiked prices rue commoners LAND RECORDS’ v Shaheena Rahim while expressing concern over GST told Kashmir Vision that in the garb of GST, government is looting “common SRINAGAR: With the implementation of Goods and people.’’ “Instead of making it easy for people like us to live Services Tax (GST) in the J&K state, the rates of daily use a simple life and addressing the problems of common man, commodities and services have soared giving a tough time government is making it tougher.” to the commoners. Pertinently, On 7 July J&K Assembly passed the GST After the GST the rate of some goods and services will bill. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a uniform be hiked from 5% to 28%. indirect tax levied on goods Earlier, the rate of a cigarette and services across the pack brand ‘Four Square’ cost country. The GST regime consumer Rs 50 and another came in force from July 1, commodity ’Good Day’ biscuit in all the states of Indian of Britannia used to cost Rs 20. except J&K State. Now after the implementation The state of Jammu of GST, the rate of the same and Kashmir tabled the brand of cigarette will be Rs resolution on GST in the 55 and the rate of the same State Lagislative Assembly biscuit will be Rs 24. for the discussion during Apart from edible items, the special session that was the prices of hair oil have also called after the opposition been hiked by 18%. Earlier and the trade bodies alleged ‘Dabur Alma’ hair oil’s 250 ml that the extension of GST v Ubeer Naqushbandi bottle would cost Rs 65 now with GST it would be available will be a dent to the special status of the state and will lead with the hike of 18% to the rate that used to be earlier. to the erosion of Article 370. SRINAGAR:: Revenue officials in the state are of the A cup of coffee and tea are also going to be costlier for GST, as an umbrella tax, will replace central taxes such opinion that 90 per cent public grievances will be the common man. “Taking sips and enjoying cup of tea and as central excise duty, Service Tax, Additional Duties of addressed if land records are written in simple Urdu. coffee is becoming costly for us, this GST has made all those Excise & Customs, Special Additional Duty of Customs, They suggested the government to issue a circular commodities costlier for a common man,” a shopkeeper at and cesses and surcharges on supply of goods and services. for making the language in land records easy to Lal chowk, Abdul Karim It will also replace State taxes like VAT, Central Sales Tax, read and also pushed for digitisation of records to “Already the rates of commodities are very high and with Purchase Tax, Entry Tax, and Entertainment Tax, taxes on streamline the functioning of the department. “If the the implementation of GST here, it would becomes very advertisements, lotteries, betting and gambling, and state revenue records are written in neat and clean Urdu tough for a common man, “he added. A group of pedestrian cesses and surcharges. by patwaris, 90 per cent of public grievances will get addressed automatically in the Revenue Department,” said a Sub-District Magistrate of south Kashmir during a first-ever conference of revenue officers here that was attended by deputy commissioners. He said the CAG says state has no policy for difficult language used in land records had become a stumbling block in their digitisation. The government Drug issued for supply to patients before testing informed that out of 6.66 crore revenue documents, at testing drugs least 78 lakh had already been scanned as part of the National Land Records Modernisation Programme v Sharoz Khushal Department had been issued for supply to patients before (NLRMP). they were lifted for testing by Drug and Food Control Officials said 715 jamabandis had been prepared SRINAGAR This may be a shock, but the reality is that the Organisation (DFO) and declared as Not of Standard in the past four years in the state, while 3,266 were state’s Health Department has not any set policy in place Quality.’ pending. for testing of drugs/ medicines that are administered to The Director Finance, in December 2014 stated that the Abdul Rehman Dar, tehsildar, said the government the patients at various hospitals in the state. role of the DFO was purely regulatory in nature and was should reform the decade-old revenue laws to make The testing includes making sure the medicines restricted to lifting of samples on random basis by means them effective and empower revenue officials. “For in the warehouse are yet fit for consumption, and to of regular surveillance and of late, steps had been taken to encroachment of land, a violator has to pay Rs 500 as check the quality of medicines that are procured from enhance the testing capacity by roping labs in the Public fine under the revenue laws. This is a small amount,” different companies. As per CAG Audit report such a sector. Dar said. Other revenue officials pitched for having an kind mechanism is non-existent in the state’s health The Director Finance, according to the report, further independent district collector and internal vigilance department, thus risking the lives on a larger scale. stated in September 2015 that the Controller, DFO had cell to contain corruption in the department. “In the “Audit noticed (November 2014) that no policy been made vibrant and proactive to ensure optimal testing last 27 years of conflict, no revenue official has been guidelines were put in place for testing of drugs before of drugs/ medicines to the best of its capacity. killed. Had they been corrupt, things would have these are administered to patients,” the report said, The Audit said that the reply was not convincing “as been different,” said Abdul Hamid Mir, Assistant adding that though the Rate Contracts finalized by various lack of policy guidelines for ensuring third party testing of Commissioner, Revenue, Srinagar, who criticised the Purchase Committees for procurement of drugs provide drugs/ medicines procured was an area of concern which state vigilance organisation for “creating a perception” for furnishing of the Analytical Reports by the suppliers, had resulted in issuance of sub-standard drugs/ medicines that revenue officials were corrupt. The Revenue however, audit observed that there was no mechanism in for supply to patients.” Minister said the government was mulling to bring in place for referral of samples by the health institutions for Health institutions procure drugs/ medicines in bulk land conversion Bill to stop the use of agriculture land testing to the Drug Controller or to third party accredited through approved Rate Contracts and from the local for construction purposes. However, he said the state laboratories. market. A policy mechanism of testing is required to be put needed both land conversion Bill and a housing policy What is shocking is that the Audit has came across in place to ensure quality of the supplies before these are to address the needs of growing population. instances where large scale drugs procured by the administered to patients, the report observed. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  ﻤ ٰ ा MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻠ

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PAC discusses CAG’s Audit Paras related to SWD Indian v Yawar Shafi Udhampur and the then District Social Professional Welfare Officer, Udhampur for not adopting football club SRINAGAR: The Public Accounts (PAC) of the proper procedure for construction Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly of the Girls Hostel at Udhampur. The based in met here today under the Chairmanship Director General Accounts & Treasuries of MLA Mohammad Akbar Lone and was directed to issue instructions to the Jammu & discussed CAGs Audit Paras pertaining Secretary Tribal Affairs to prepare the audit to the Social Welfare and Tribal Affairs report/ certificate from the period 2015 Kashmir Department. onwards. The specific issues relating to the Secretary Tribal Affairs, Salma Hamid Ather Shah payment of scholarships for un-recognized briefed the committee about the action computer courses/ institutions, payment taken by the department on the issues SRINAGAR:Lonestar Kashmir Football to ineligible students, direct release of raised in the CAGs audit paras. She assured Club is a professional Indian football payments to the computer institutions/ that all the queries raised by the CAGs in its club based in Jammu and Kashmir. They centres, sanctioning of scholarship on Gupta, R.S. Pathania, Firdous Ahmed report would be completed at the earliest. participated in their first national level different applications etc were prominently Tak and Ghulam Nabi Monga attended Accountant General, CAG, H. Abbas, competition when they competed in the discussed. the meeting and gave their valuable Directors Social Welfare Kashmir/ Jammu 2015 I-League 2nd Division. While going through the audit para suggestions for further improvement in the also briefed the committee about the Lonestar Kashmir is affiliated with regarding wasteful expenditure due to working of Social Welfare & Tribal Affairs observations made by the CAG. Some Jammu & Kashmir Football Association change of Executing Agency, engaged for Department. paras were dropped by the Committee after and participates in state tournaments. construction of a 300 beded hospital at The Committee also expressed its convincing reasons by the concerned. In 2013, LoneStar group became the Anantang resulted in wastful expenditure concern over the pending pension cases Among others, Commissioner/ primary sponsor of the group and of Rs 21.55 lakhs incurred on drawing of old age, widow, handicapped and other Secretary Social Welfare, Sajad Ahmed registered it as the private company to and conceptual plan, the Panel decided allied categories, which are lying pending in Khan, Director General Accountant & fulfill AIFF club licensing criteria. The to constitute a Departmental Committee the department and directed the Assembly Treasuries, Altaf Hussan, MD, SC/ST/ BC club namely Kashmir FC is registered with headed by Director Finance, Health Secretariat to write a letter to the Principal Development Corporation, MD, JKWDC, J&K Football Association and is being and Medical Education who will go into Secretary, Finance department to personally Director Tribal Affairs, Additional participating in all major tournaments of the details and submit its report in next explain the liabilities in this regard before Secretary, Legislative Assembly, besides the State. In the end of the 2013 season meeting of PAC for its scrutiny. the committee in its next meeting. senior officers of Departments of Social LoneStar Group registered Kashmir FC Legislators, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, The Committee also sought the views Welfare, Tribal Affairs and Assembly under private companies Act as per the Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, Pawan Kumar of the then Executive Engineer, R&B Secretariat were present in the meeting. AIFF Club licensing criteria. The idea was to introduce a Kashmir based club in professional football map of the country. Lonestar being the owner and the sole 18 year old rag picker is now SMC’s sponsor of the Club is running its Head Office at C-Mart Bagaat Barzulla Srinagar brand ambassador and BO at Polo View Srinagar and Jammu as well. v Mudasir Majeed age left no other choice for me to go out alone in my troubles and always takecares As far as the Club Secretariat is and earn to feed my mother and a sister - of my tears whenever they come out from concerned Mr. Iftikhar A Lone is the owner SRINAGAR: Bilal Ahmad Dar a 15 year old who is now married said Bilal Ahmad. my poor and wet eyes said Mughli , mother and Chairman of the Club. Mr. N A Khan, ragpicker, hails from North Kashmiri’s It was since the death of my father of Bilal. Former President, JKFA is the Executive Bandipora district earning his livelihood , I became a lone bread earner for my Undoubtedly, Bilal - a ragpicker is one Director, Farmaan A Lone (Director), Mr. from Asia’s famous wular lake picking up mother, nodoubt there were many dreams of the unsung hero of Kashmir valley who Z A Thakur (Director) and Majid Yousuf as waste plastic materials from the lake from bringing up in my heart during my tough is doing less to himself and more to others. Sec/Gen. Man. of the Club. last several years , now is Srinagar While cleaning the wular lake Head Coach of the Team is Mr. Hilal Municipal Corporations brand from dead animals , trash and Rasool who is AFC PRO License Coach and ambassador. From last several other waste materials he earns recently appointed Mr. Sajid Dar (renowned years Bilal a ragpicker resident some penny for his mother AIFF Coach) as Technical Director of the of Laharwarpora of Bandipora but saves the life of tens and Club. Club has also appointed a good panel district removing waste plastic thousands of people living inside of Assistant Coaches for teams and youth materials from Wularlake and the wular lake. development programmers. selling it for Rs 200 everyday However, keeping in Top 22 players from J&K State are which helps him to support his view this courageous and contracted with the Club and are in full family. He is the lone son to his condemnable work of Bilal he preparation for making their debut in I family. has been appointed as the brand League. The club is also having a good Bilal Ahamd son of late ambassador of Srinagar Municipal combination of Foreign and outside State Mohammad Ramzandar a former Corporation. As many Kashmir Players. The target is to qualify at least for ragpicker of the wular lake died dallies reported that SMC will the main rounds this season. "we love our years ago by suffering a cancer. Death school days but all those dreams washed provide him a special uniform of SMC and a players and the brand of football Kashmir of a father put all the responsibilities of up forever when all the responsibilities of vehicle to meet and interact different people has its unique and has a lot of history that home and caring of mother and a sister my home went on my shoulders said Bilal from different areas and will educate them defines the football once Kashmir had on Bilal’s young and innocent shoulders. I Ahmad. about his life , work in wular and will also but now are ready to bring back what the was in class 6th when troubles came in our Bilal is my everything, he is an obedient persuade them to use a best way of garbage Kashmir football has lost over the years" courtyard, my fathers death in my young and a self - reliant son who never left me disposal in their respective areas. said Mr. Hilal Rasool.

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v Sajidah Yousuf protests against the Public Health the people now think of higher Engineering (PHE) department due standards, we are beingdeprived of SRINAGAR: Residents of Rangpora to the shortage of drinking water in the basic amenities of life,” Zahida area of Elahibagh in Srinagar the area. Begum, another resident said. Rangpora District on Wednesday staged protest The residents said they have The residents claimed that another demonstration over water scarcity to travel long distances to fetch water supply scheme has been set on Elahibagh in the area. They blocked the Soura drinking water. “A water supply River Jhelum, but, ironically it is for – Hazratbal road for quite some time. scheme meant for the area is unable a particular colony. They claimed if it without A large number of locals, especially to cater to the needs, as Umer was upgraded then the problem of water women, raised slogans against PHE colony is the last area to receive the could be compensated considerably. drinking water, department. The inhabitants alleged water supply from the scheme.The The residents appealed the local the department has failed to provide pressure of the water is such that legislator to look into the matter. water supply as per schedule since even a glass takes several minutes to When MERC TIMES Contacted residents one week. get filled,” said Nazir Ahmad, a local Executive Engineer PHE Srinagar, The residents of Umer Colony resident. He said I will look into the matter aghast Ranpora in Elahibagh area of “It is very unfortunate that in and the grievance will be redressed Srinagar district on Wednesday held the present age of technology where soon.

Kashmir’s own Social Overloading in buses goes networking site unabated in Kashmir

networking, and has v Pirzada Shakir face problems while travelling named it asKashBook- that is why Government do not Kashmir’s own social SRINAGAR: Over Loading in take note of the problem which network. buses across Kashmir has we face. Our day plans breathe Zeyan, a class 10 become a serious issue which their last on boarding a public student, initially poses threats to the life of bus as they do no ply take time launched the site in 2013 passengers as well as pedestrians. and urgency of passengers into along with his friend Every time people complain consideration. We demand Uzair Jain. Now, with about the overloading in buses action to be taken against the social media ban, the to the authorities but no proper violaters so that people do not site has resurfaced as an action is taken in this regard face problems.” Said another app in Google Play store, which has become nothing less passenger. attracting thousands of than headache for the people. Due to overloading in buses users to download and Failure of Traffic department to passengers are either found thus bring it into use.The check overloading in the buses hanging on the footsteps of the ultimate win for the app in Kashmir district is taking a buses or sitting on the roof tops. is that users get an option heavy toll on the passengers. The overloading in buses is to communicate in the In city story is also worse. more of a problem for women Kashmiri language. Drivers do not ply buses unless who often face inconvenience in v Shahbaz Qutub “The government has blocked access they get over crowded. They do public buses. to all the social networks and they are not care about the time and plans When talked to SSP Traffic ANANTNAG. 16-Year-Old Boy’s blocking VPNs too. So, when they’ll block of the passengers. Drivers have Srinagar SargunShukla she Homegrown Version of Facebook Helps the whole access to social media then how taken rules and regulations of told that it is responsibility of Kashmiris Overcome the Social Media will people from valley stay connected Traffic for ride. RTO who is authorized to cancel Ban Developed by ZeyanShafiq, an with each other? KashBook is the answer “I have to leave for University license of drivers who violate Anantnag resident, the app gives local to social media gag,” Zeyan said, as early at 08:00 am as it takes traffic rules. Despite shortage of people a chance to communicate using the reported by TOI. me 2 hours at least to reach man power we have been trying Kashmiri language. While many have resorted to using university. Otherwise I live only our best to implement rules and The people in Kashmir lived life without VPN connection, so they can defy the ban 15 kms away from university, it regulations. But at the same Internet for several months last year since and access various social media websites, is because of drivers who make time it is responsibility of people April which has been impossible and KashBook works without the need for such undue stops for making buses not to overload buses. Moreover, hard in this digital world. No Facebook, connections, making it easier for people to overloaded with passengers we have Traffic helpline also no Twitter and no Whatsapp. Citing the access and help people add other people which waste my time” said a that is (18001807091) where misuse of social networking sites by anti- and chat with them or post messages; Kashmir University student. passengers can complaint about national elements, the state government just like Facebook. Zeyan has said that he “The buses don’t run till they violations by drivers whether it had imposed a ban on about 22 websites hopes to use the app in promoting goods are overcrowded. If all the seats is overloading or something else. that included Facebook and Twitter in and services made in Kashmir. in the buses are booked and the In the past, also, the issue Kashmir.In the face of a widespread social “Besides, many young people can passengers would tell the driver of overloading has been media ban, a 16-year old boy has developed learn from this initiative and take this to leave, he would straight away highlighted, but the drivers an app that would keep local people as a challenge and invent and develop tell the passenger that ‘he cannot continue to accommodate connected. new things which can serve as tools for leave till all the spaces in the bus passengers more than their ZeyanShafiq, hailing from Anantnag, betterment of Kashmir and Kashmiris,” are filled’,” said a passenger. carrying capacity and take the has created his own version of Social he added. “It is common people who traffic rules for a toss.

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BREATHER FOR KAS ASPIRANTS DRUG ADDICTION TORMENTING KASHMIR

v Rashid Manzoor

SRINAGAR : After a long delay of almost two months, JKPSC has for the 2nd time declared the result for combined competitive examination (KAS-preliminary) The commission has finally found a way out of deadlock created by the petitions filled by some candidates who found few discrepancies in the earlier official answer keys of some papers, the result of which was declared on 23.04.2017. Sabrina Mushtaq The new notification further talks of the reasons for which the re-evaluation had to SRINAGAR The menace of Drug Addiction is eating the vitals of be done, which it mentions as “deputations/ dropped out from the new list who earlier Kashmiri society. Every statistics related to the menace of Drug representations and applications under the found themselves qualified; the new cutoff is addiction in the state of Jammu & Kashmir is alarming. Pertinently, J&K RTI Act 2009”, it also talks about the 277.275 which was earlier 270.4 This matter Jammu and Kashmir, which is otherwise a conservative society, number of posts, number of total candidature, may leave some speculations as to how and too has also not been able to safeguard its youth from this dangerous number of candidates who appeared for what will the reactions be of the dropped out menace. the examination & number of selections. candidates who have a good chance of taking A recent statistics of the J&K Drug De-addiction Center Srinagar Moreover, PSC has made its stand very clear this issue to the lawns of judiciary against this indicate that of the five million Kashmiris, 80,000 people are about the reevaluation which in the original backdrop. addicted to narcotics. words on last paragraph of first page of the “Whatever decision they take, I don’t want to Experts say that drug addiction is on the rise in the state. Over notification are as “Whereas taking note of lose my precious time again, I hope this is the the past few years Instances of suicides and deaths caused by drug public discourse and interests of candidates final notification and wouldn’t be withdrawn overdose have been coming to the fore. All the concerned voices are the Commission in its extra-ordinary later, I wish JKPSC comes on stronger knees pained and worried over the growing drug addiction in Kashmir. A meeting held on 12.06.2017 decided to refer the this time and defends its stand for the sake of pilot study by a non-governmental organization ‘Concerned About “Question papers” and “Answer keys” thereof deserving candidates” said an Aspirant. Universal Social Empowerment’ (CAUSE) in which it took a sample to the independent/third party subject matter As per new notification the main Examination of 610 students revealed shocking results. In the study, near about experts for re-looking/revisiting them in order will be held from 1st week of November, 2017 22 percent graduates, 6 percent post graduates and over 2 percent to find out the discrepancies, if any;”. for which a detailed date sheet will be notified PhD holders have been found involved in drug addiction. In its new result, 429 aspirants have been separately. Advocate GowharMakhdoomi states –“Drug Addiction is a serious evil impacting our society. Currently nail polish, ink remover, shoe polish and dozens of such abnormal things are used as the alternative addiction by the drug addicts especially belonging to young age group. We are coming to know through various studies Park turned into dumping ground that this dangerous phenomenon is showing an abnormal increase. The need of the hour is that law enforcement agencies start to act in Kupwara and bring the drug peddlers to book .Drug Addiction is proving v Fasil Sidiq a nuclear catastrophe for our nation. The religious scholars especially the priests of mosques also need to come forward to play SRINAGAR: The public park located a proactive role in curbing this menace. Our younger generation near HDFC Bank in Kupwara stands will vanish in tin air if this menace continues.” as a testimony of how the hard earned Many blame the concerned revenue and excise department for its public money is wasted with impunity. inability to control opium cultivation as a main reason behind There is heap of garbage inside the growing drug addiction in Kashmir, especially in South Kashmir. park. Nobody from the department “The concerned revenue & excise department need to show vigor to cares to remove that garbage. eradicate opium cultivation which they are failing to do .As a result We are in need of cleaners. The whole of their inability pockets in South Kashmir have turned into hub of park is useless , because the collection drug addiction. All of us need to play a role to eradicate this abject of garbage inside we want to go menace from our society,” says, Mudasir Hamid, a Police Official. inside and sit for awhile, our children On the other hand, the easily availability of drugs like korexin, wants to play but they cant we want Codeine is compounding the problem related to drug addiction and government to take notice of this selling drugs without prescription by medical stores is impacting issue and to settle it at once” said local the whole scenario in a grave manner. resident nazirahmad According to the Kashmir police statistics, the assessment of There are no lights available in the the drug related material caught by a particular police station Park and the Civil Society Kupwara in Srinagar in just past few weeks shows huge cache of different Members urged upon DDC Kupwara to drug abuse related material caught and thus hinting towards grave look into the matter and take necessary action When the matter was taken to DC kupwara he nature of the problem. and the said park should be converted into car said” we were unaware of this , but soon i will “Drug Addiction is a serious problem and mere sloganeering wont parking because it is never feasible for public look into the matter either to convert it into yield any positive results. We have deterrent laws to curb this park as it is surrounded by poultry shops with car parking area or make it well maintained evil what we need is an effective will to ensure.” Said Mr. Shahid( enormous foul smell . park”. student of Kashmir University).

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म त U ● ● ● N IR UNIVERSITYVol OF10 KASHMIRNo 12 Pages 16 July 30, 2017 IV M ER H SITY OF KAS Vol 8 | No 12 | OCTOBER 30, 2015 11 Locals help Amarnath yatris, offers food, shelter Kashmiris have extraordinary love, respect to offer

v Pardeep Singh evening this week, bus carrying Aurangabad who was also in the bus people were offering us help and food. AmarnathYatris was attacked by told MERC Times’ that, “When we Also, they offered us to spend the SRINAGAR: Kashmiris Wednesday unknown gunmen, killing 7 and were in the state of helplessness, locals night at their homes without any fear,” yet again set an example of Kashmiri injuring 19 others. Interesting, the whole heartedly came for our help.” she said, adding that the scene was ethos by providing help and food bus came to halt only three kilometres “When we saw a group of people unforgettable for her. to the pilgrims of AmarnathYatra away from the said spot, thus, adding to is moving towards us (bus), panic “I appeal people to visit Kashmir at Awantipora whose bus suddenly the fear. overpowered us. However, when they without any fear, you will never find halted on the national highway due to The memories of Monday incident reached nearer, they (locals) politely the love and respect Kashmiris have to some mechanical snag. were still fresh in their minds, with the asked our driver ‘Bhaisaabkyabaat, offer,” she added. A bus carrying AmarnathYatris result panic gripped passengers. The sab thikhai, hmreliye koi hukamhai The bus was carrying 50 passengers, started its journey towards Jammu fear grew even stronger as it was all (Brother what is the matter, everything including 15 females and 35 males, from Baltal and at around 7 pm the bus dark outside. thing ok? Can we help you in belonging to Maharashtra and Utter driver suddenly stopped the bus. After The driver was still trying to anyway?),” Anil said. Pradesh. few minutes, the conductor informed devise ways to repair the faults, when Another yatri, PoojaRaina, hailing Later, Jammu and Kashmir Police the passengers that the bus broke down suddenly a group of locals appeared from Kanpur while praises the work personnel also reached to the spot and and may need some urgent repairs out of nowhere and offered their help of locals said Kashmiris are full loving shifted the passengers to the nearby without which the bus cannot move. to the stranded yatris. and helpful people. Police station where they spend rest of In the same area, on Monday Anil Sharma, a pilgrim hailing from “I got puzzled to see the way local the night.

SKIMS day-care ward Historic Kalaie crumbles in in shambles Shar-e-Khaas Firdous Azad

SRINAGAR: Kalie Ander, a historical wall in Srinagar downtown area has crumbled at various points that has resulted in its continuous deterioration on the everyday basis. The Kalai is a protected monument. However, the wall v Madhiya Nabi cancer day care ward are twenty-four. is facing encroachments from ‘‘I still remember how I used to P number of cancer patients treated all sides. The stretch between Hawalarea climb over the wall and watch cricket SRINAGAR: The day-care ward of in a day care ward day are around 180 to Kathidarwaza area is in worst matches being played at kashkashbagh SKIMS(Sheri Kashmir institute -200 .Moreover, the basic requirement condition. The tourism department the memories of the eastern part of kalai of medical science),lacks the basic for cancer patients is the healthy and had taken its renovation in their hands are still afresh in my memory’’ said an facilities for its cancer patients like clean environment, there is only one but the condition of the wall has not elderly Muhammad Akbar khan. clean toilets,less number of beds, washroom in the whole cancer ward, improved. The Jammu and Kashmir government proper staff. It lacks proper sanitation and also lack ‘‘Since March 2017 this year the wall had approached centre, seeking amount The day care ward (1P), meant of water tapes and bolts inside the loo. has crumbled thrice, the crumbled worth 50 crore for developing and for cancer patients and to treat the To serve the ailing patients there are debris may prove deadly for the life and preserving Nagar Nagar in the Sher- e registered cancer patients with only three staff members and it almost property. There is a risk to our lives and khas (Srinagar), however as of now the chemotherapy and radiotherapy have takes them around 25 minutes to make property as well’’ said Rameez, a local of 4.7 km structure around the Hari Parbat left the patients high and dry. There a drug for one cancer patient. the area. hill continues to be encroached upon by are around three shifts, for giving when contacted to prof sheikh ‘‘Every day we fear that its portion different private structures. chemotherapy to the patients. Each shift ajaz,he said “ we have received a lot of may fall on our houses. The wall could ‘‘The workmanship and the grandeur contains over sixty registered students. complaints from the patients ,staff etc. become a revenue earner provided it is of this place reveals the architectural “I have been waiting here with my .InSha Allah, all the grievances will be renovated and looked after properly,” history of Kashmir it should be patient ,since 7a.m and it is almost 11:30 addressed as patients and their health said another resident Nayeem. government’s prime concern to renovate a.m,still waiting for my turn. moreover, are of the prime importance to us”. Due to the crumbling debris the it in order to restore its original zeal,” my brother is not able- bodied to wait “we will soon open the other day- locals have to suffer many other ordeals. said Abdul Ahad, a local shopkeeper. for too long and withstand this untidy care ward which is almost complete, According to commoners they cannot Director Tourism Kashmir, atmosphere he is prone to infection. which will surely put the full stop to walk in the lanes around the wall as the Mehmood Shah told MERC Times that The condition of washroom is worst, the continuous grievances coming wall could crumble at any second. he is aware about the matter. toilets are blocked”, said an attendant, from our patients and attendants “said Locals alleged that the wall during “We have taken up this issue with Bashir ahmed hailing from kupwara. Dr. Ahanger,the director of SKIMS renovation was reduced to 2 meters R&B department and shortly they are The total number of beds in the only institute . from 10 meters going to repair it,” Director said. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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J&K rugby Film Appreciation Course concludes at Media team leaves for Department, Kashmir University

Patna v MERC Desk

SRINAGAR: The five day film appreciation course conducted by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in collaboration with Media Education Research Centre, Kashmir University concluded at Media Auditorium, Kashmir University on Friday. During the course media students were trained in different nuances of film appreciation and cinema. Many International and National movies were Aaqib Hyder screened at the Media House which included 2016 Lotus National Award SRINAGAR: Rugby team of Jammu and Kashmir winning movie “Kasav” directed by was flagged off from Gindun multi purpose Sumitra Bhave. Sports Ground Rajbagh by Joint Secretary Sports Director Sumitra Bhave while sharing Council to participate in Rugby senior nationals her experience said, “Films are not in Patna. meant for audience and awards, but The nationals will be held from 11th August to to explore our life. We can come out of 13th August 2017 in Patna. The team that left for depression by going deep into life as nationals include 24 senior players;12 boys and 12 everybody wants love and compassion, girls. Four officials including General Secretary but we are losing it. And, that is why we are in the present Kashmir, which includes Kashmir’s first silent film “Mainz Jammu and Kashmir Rugby Association Irfan situation of dwelling mental illness”. Raat” directed by Jagjiram Pal in 1964. The other two films are Aziz are also part of the tour. He is also the head Actress Irawati Harshe while sharing her experience said ‘’ Shayar-e- Kashmir Mahjoor directed by Prabhat Mukherjee in coach of J&K Rugby team. Losing the source of connection with each other is the root 1972 and Babaji directed by Joyti Sarup in 2001. Speaking on the occasion, Irfan Aziz said, “I have cause of depression.” Coordinator MERC Faruq Masudi, while concluding the high hopes for my team. Competition is going to She further added that people in Kashmir are very loving and session said, “I would like to thank faculty of FTII and MERC be tough. The opponents are very strong but I am interactive; it was nice to be among such a beautiful group of for conducting this workshop smoothly. And, in near future sure my team will rise to the occasion and make students. I would like students to be in touch as I found them FTII in collaboration with MERC will be conducting seminars our state proud,” bright and fun loving. for the preparation of entrance examination of FTII. The film Captain of the Rugby girls senior Sheikh Sajidah Director National Film Archive of India (NFAI) Prakash appreciation course was beneficial to students as it provided said, “I will try to give my best in the field as a Magdum informed, “It is the only organization under new insights and perspective to the film as an art form”. player and as the captain also. I am very confident government of India which is actively working for preserving of He further said that film is a strong medium for Kashmiris to about all of us being highly motivated and films in India and we have preserved 30 silent films. present their stories to the world and course like these by FTII hopefully we will make everyone proud.” He further added that we have also preserved three films from will hone their talent. ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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Aloochi Bagh Noorbagh hospital awaits completion since decade Residents facing v Aneesa Khan Administration nor doctors are bothered go to different hospitals for simple check- water scarcity about its functionality.” ups. It would be better if the hospital is SRINAGAR: Ten years on Gulshan area, He also said the administration never made functional as soon as possible,” said from past one Noorbagh, has been awaiting completion visited the hospital, while the doctors Rafeeq Ahmad, a resident of Noorbagh. of the work on 30-bedded Habba only follow their choices. An official, wishing anonymity, admitted year Khatoon Maternity and Children that the construction is slow. “It Hospital. is very difficult to say whether The work on the building was this hospital will be made fully started in 2007 and is still going on functional ever. We have a lot of at snail’s pace. Till now only more problems here, like there is no than 50 per cent of the construction drainage system, unavailability of has been completed. The locals doctors, and lack of basic medical of the area said the government’s facilities.” failure to complete the construction Director Health Services Kashmir, work within specified time has Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman, said, “We annoyed them. recently sent a proposal to the “The administration has been government for creation of the indifferent towards our problems. The There are four doctors and 25 paramedics posts. We are working on it. We have slow speed of the construction is visible, working in the incomplete hospital completed most of the construction work but no one is ready to accept the failure,” building. and have asked the hospital authorities to said Haseena, a resident of Noorbagh. “The delay in the completion of the use the services so that people don’t have Abdul Rehman, a local, added: “The hospital shows the lazy attitude of the to suffer anymore.” He said the pending upgrading of this hospital is a joke. It government towards the healthcare construction work will be completed will never be made functional. Neither sector. My wife is pregnant and I have to within stipulated time. v Farheen Qureshi

SRINAGAR: Lack of water facility in Aloochi Bagh, Srinagar has forced residents to come out on streets and Skill development Programme on block the road meant for the ongoing traffic. composite fish culture held The Aloochi Bagh residents have been facing water scarcity from past one year. A free-spirited ethos exists in Ramadan with fasting, food and congregational Tarawih Disgruntled residents took to streets on Friday and blocked the road affecting disseminations of latest methods in the vehicular movement for about two fish farming. hours. “We have been facing water shortage Minister for Animal, Sheep for the past one year, and are able to Husbandry and Fisheries Abdul use water only two days a week.” said Gani Kohli was also present on Haleema, resident of Aloochi Bagh the occasion. He distributed a “We have talked to the authorities compensation cheque of Rs 1 lakh regarding this matter but there is no to a fisherman who had met an response from their side. We have accident during fishing. He said blocked the road earlier as well but to no that the focused attention is being avail.” said Firdous Shah given to promote fish culture in Shah further said “We know taking the State and in this regard various to streets and blocking the road is flagship programmes including Blue creating a lot of mess, but authorities are Revolutionary Scheme has been responsible as they have turned deaf ears introduced in the State. to our concerns.” The Farmers put forth their Chief Engineer Public Health Syed Burhan demands and suggestions on the Engineering (PHE), G.M Bhat said “We occasion which include covering Private Fish Farmers under have received the complaints before SRINAGAR: Fish Farmers Development Agency organized a Fish Insurance Scheme. They also appealed the Minister to as well and we are trying to resolve this 3 day long Skill development programme on composite fish provide proper transportation facility to private farmers so issue as soon as possible.” culture. The programme was held in order to make fish farmers that they can send their produce to markets without delay. The “We have to install a pipe there and the aware about the advancements taking place in the field. The Minister gave them a patient hearing and assured them that problem will be solved forever” added capacity building programme was sponsored by National Fish their genuine demands will be looked into very soon. Bhat Seed Development Board Hyderabad and 50 farmers including The training programme included practical training Ishfaq Ahmad, one of the commuters women from 10 districts of the Valley participated. demonstration lectures, field visits, debates and discussions, said “This is a major concern as the Interacting with the farmers on the occasion, the speakers question and answer sessions, dissemination and distribution residents have blocked the road several exhorted to increase the frequency and scope of such of fish culture material like brochures, manuals and other allied times. It is creating a lot of mess because programmes. They said such programmes lead to exchange reading material. The Minister also distributed certificates of this route is part of a current diversion of inter-personal experience of cultural practices and participation among the participants of the programme. plan thus wasting our precious time.” ﻮر य ﯽ اﻟﻨ गम ﻟ ोत ﺖ ا  MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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Sopore bypass bridge JAMAIT TULBA ORGANIZES develops cracks INTER-COLLEGE DEBATE that ennobles our souls and removes darkness from our minds.” “Education is a window that opens channels to achieve the highest learning. It joins us with the master minds of other nations, whose achievements can be made use of, in the best possible way. Getting education up to secondary v Hikmatyar education up to the secondary level level should be the right of every should be the fundamental right child.” Said a second semester v Mohammad Imran Naikoo SRINAGAR: An inter-college of every child. Simultaneously six student Tajamul Islam debate competition on “Free contestants spoke on the motion. The function was a grand success. SRINAGAR: The Sopore Bypass Bridge, which took 23 years to education” was organized by Many college lecturers, students Chief Guest, the Deputy collector, complete till 2015 when Mufti Sayeed opened it for traffic, has “Talaba society” a students and parents were there to listen to exhorted the president of the again developed big cracks. organization and sponsored by the different ideas of the students. Talaba society to organize such Sayeed had in his speech at the inauguration of the bridge High brand electronics in degree Mohsin Altaf, a participant pleaded type of competitions on regular termed it the “first pillar of development” laid by the PDP-BJP college Kulgam on 20th July 2017. that “without education a man is basis; as such debate opens the coalition. However, like its construction years, the bridge is Total twelve participants spoke just like a devil that can disrupt the minds of the students and makes again mired in controversies as people question the safety of in favor of the topic that free life of a nation. It is the education them a good citizen. operating vehicles on the conduit. “First it took 23 years to build, too long for any project. Just six months into its inauguration, the bridge was closed – from– for the conduct of a ‘road test’, which raised many doubts. The road test should have been done before the bridge was opened 12 years on, Uri’s quake- hit school still for traffic. In February 2016, big cracks started developing in the functions in a shed middle of the bridge following which the bridge was closed for survey between February 27 to March 10. Beacon, the agency IDREES BUKHTIYAR responsible for the maintenance of the bridge, had said that norms were flaunted for the bridge as pressure from higher URI (BARAMULLA): Belying tall claims of the authorities had made them open the bridge without proper government of providing quality infrastructure safety tests. and education to students, a primary school in MERC TIMES tried to contact Beacon but the agency didn’t north Kashmir’s Uri town has been functioning in a respond to repeated calls. makeshift shed for more than a decade. Zakir Khan, 37, a businessman who travels every day on Government Girls Middle School Garkote is Sopore bridge told MERC TIMES that Sopore town has been functioning in a temporary shed after the school ignored by every government in power, whether it was National building was damaged in the devastating earthquake conference, Congress or PDP because of the town’s pro- of 2005. freedom reputation. “When Mufti Sayeed came into power, he According to students and staff, they have to thought this is the best opportunity to gain support in Sopore. In face immense hardships due to lack of proper a rush to showcase its development credentials, he inaugurated accommodation. the bridge without having it checked properly, risking the lives “In 2005 earthquake, the school building was of thousands of commuters,” Khan said. completely damaged and since then we are teaching students. The teachers alleged that they approach the Fayaz Ahmad Malik, Ex president of Sopore fruit Mandi, said in a nearby makeshift shed,” said a teacher posted in Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Uri every year with that Sopore Bypass Bridge was vital for business in Sopore, but the school. a written application for the reconstruction of the the condition of the bridge was such that fruit trucks found the With lack of proper infrastructure and insufficient school building. bridge unsafe. space in the shed, the students are forced to often “The ZEO always says that the school has been built Haji Abdul Rashid Dar, MLA Sopore, said that he failed to study under open sky. on the custodial land and no help can be provided from understand what made the coalition government throw the “At least five classes are being conducted under open the department,” the teachers said. bridge open as it was not fit for use. He said it was like risking sky every day. These small children have to bear the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Uri, Abdul Rasheed, lives of people and asked for investigation into the case. “I hot and cold weather vagaries. And when it rains they said that, “ nobody among the locals is providing them will also raise this issue in the assembly, whenever I will get a have an off day,” he said. land to reconstruct the school”. chance,” he said. The teachers said that they have to accommodate at “It is our departmental procedure that if somebody Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sopore, Khursheed least 80 students in the shed. would provide us the land for the school construction, Ahmad Shah, said that his office was preparing a report about “The makeshift shed has been divided by ply-board we provide them with compensation but nobody has the damages appearing in the bridge. “I came to know about the sheets to make students from KG to 8th class sit in six turned up so far,” the ZEO added. damages today. I visited the spot, and I will immediately report small rooms. The students jostle in the shed and feel Deputy Chief Education Officer Baramulla, Manzoor this to the higher authorities. Hopefully they are going to start suffocated,” said another teacher. Ahmad Wani, told MERC Times: “I have no knowledge an investigation into this matter as soon as possible,” he said. The temporary shed is without doors, windows and regarding this school but will definitely look into the matting causing immense inconvenience to the matter.”

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4 MONTHS ON, DALGATE FIRE VICTIMS AWAIT REHABILITATION v Mahdeesa Altaf came late and it is only through our own efforts we prevented further damage.” Firdosa added. SRINAGAR: After being rendered homeless The affected families said there has been no by a devastating fire incident on 4th April this help from the administration so far. Rubeena year, the government has failed to provide any another victim said she has been living in a kind of relief to the 26 victim families of Fisher roofless Shikara along with her family since the Mohalla of Abi-nowpora area of Srinagar. The incident. families have been left to fend for themselves “My husband Abdul Majeed who is a bus for past three months. conductor and our two infant daughters are Talking to MERC Times, Firdosa Jan, a living now in this Shikara. We have to eat, sleep victim said “We are now living in makeshift and do everything we have to in this Shikara tents built of logs on Dal waters. There is an only. We have nowhere to go,” says Rubeena. eminent threat to the safety of our children and Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Farooq my one year old daughter Shifa Jan has already Ahmad Lone told MERC Times that they are fallen in the lake thrice while playing.” already working on a rehabilitation programme The fire broke out at 12:30 pm on for these victims. Lone said that temporary April 4, 2017 due to a short circuit which residential facilities have been arranged by the destroyed many houses leaving 26 families district administration in the form of makeshift devastated. tents for the fire victim families. “Today if we are alive it is only because of the “They will be rehabilitated soon. If anybody Allah’s mercy. Had we waited for the fire service hasn’t received the tents, he/she can approach department, we would have probably died. They DC office Srinagar” he added. Fondant cakes course concluded at IHM v Musaib Hafiz or other cities to learn such an art. Bakery expert and faculty at IHM, SRINAGAR Young girls were Srinagar Prayag Narayan Rathore proudly rolling out their beautiful who hails from Madhya Pradesh creations of fondant cakes on July said that he is happy to see the 20 2017 to score maximum and earn overwhelming response towards the certification from Institute of Hotel art of baking and cake decoration Management Srinagar. as it will also developed and hone Around 24 students had enrolled entrepreneur skills in the students. for the two week course of ‘Fondant Mehreen Kapra who is now known and Icing’ in bakery which they in the city for baking gorgeous cakes successfully completed from May 29, has been their teacher in the course. 2017 to June 12, 2017. Mehreen is happy that such a During the course, the students course has been started in Srinagar were trained in baking different for the girls who wanted to try baking. varieties of breads, cakes, cookies, “It is for the first time that such a donuts, tarts and other bakery items. course has been conducted in entire On the valedictory function J&K. The girls had to visit Delhi for today, the students created colorful such course. In the first batch we got cakes brightened up with innovative Rambagh enrolled in the course after Another student Sanna Imtiyaz from good response from the girls,” says designs and techniques as if the master completing their MBA in Finance. Baghat Barzulla aspires to be a doctor, she Mehreen Kapra. designer had put his creations on display. “Now we can bake the cakes of any has already sold many cakes through her The 2-week course is open for anyone The girls seem to be too clever not to design according to the orders by the Instagram account. Sanna had created an at Rs 7500 at IHM, Srinagar. IHM plans miss out on promoting their cakes on party,” says Zehra who is visibly very adorable unicorn cake to show her skills to offer more such courses in future. popular photo-sharing application like happy to have acquired the baking skills. on this exam day. Principal IHM, Srinagar Nisheeth Instagram which has fetched them orders Zehra made two-tier cake having vanilla Another two sisters Shyma Khan and Srivastava said they wanted to offer such from the fondant cake lovers. sponge base and chocolate fondant. Her Sara Khan from Nishat have also followed courses which can be taken up as a hobby. Now baking custom-made beautifully sister designed fondant butterflies to earn the suit. Shyma has also enrolled herself in “Many people learn things as a hobby. decorated cakes for any occasion and certificate. tourist facilitator course at the institute. We have designed these courses who according to your theme, colour, motif or “We already sold around 12 cakes after This is for the first time any such have passion for cooking. They can enjoy even your favourite character is their new completing our course here. I feel happy course has been organized in Jammu cooking and share sumptuous meals hobby and part-time profession. to be able to create and design theme and Kashmir. Some of the successful with their friends and family,” said the Two sisters Sabha and Zehra from based cakes,” says Zehra. entrepreneurs in baking had to visit Delhi principal ﻮر य اﻟﻨ गम ﯽ त MEDIA EDUCATION RESEARCH CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF KASHMIR اﻟ ो ﺖ  ﻤ ٰ ा ﻠ

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of the increasing mechanization of the spinning process,” said Rifat Ara, another spinner from Zakura. “Pashmina wool spun in looms not only costs less but also takes lesser time to manufacture. This is why the spinners’ livelihood is suffering,” said Shahid Naseer, activity head, Craft Development Institute. Further, the huge gap between the prices of the raw pashmina wool and that of the handspun yarn has also forced spinners to give up spinning. “Getting paid one rupee per knot is not much, the price should be increased to say Rs 5 or Rs 6 per knot. Then we’d be able to earn according to all the hard work we put in,” said Rifat Ara. The ban on shahtoos has also turned the next generation women away from taking up a career in spinning and weaving. “Spinning shahtoos wool was much more lucrative than spinning pashmina wool,” said Ara. v Nausheen Naseer of women but now they are turning to profit of only Rs 60-70,” he said. When contacted, the Handlooms other more lucrative businesses,” he “On an average we spin 10 grams of Department joint director, Bashir SRINAGAR: The age old art of spinning said. “If this continues, then this art like raw pashmina in a week. Out of these 10 Ahmad Wani said that the department and weaving in Kashmir may soon be a many other things will soon be extinct in grams, we make around 130 knots. For is working towards providing better thing of the past as a growing number of Kashmir.” every single knot we make, they earn one facilities and loans to the spinners. women are turning away from it owing to He says the lack of good wages is one rupee, which means their earnings are “We are training them on specialized a number of reasons. of the main reasons behind the declining mostly Rs 130 per week,” said Amina, a charkhas which are known to reduce Ashraf Nabi, a trader from Lal Bazaar, numbers. “They buy 10 grams of raw spinner from Zakura. stress and also offering them loans says that over the years the number pashmina for Rs 70 or Rs 80, which Another problem is the use of worth Rs 50,000 on 10 per cent interest of spinners has been slowly declining. means later when they sell the handspun machines for spinning. “Most of the subsidy,” he said. “We are doing the best “Earlier it used to be the main occupation yarn for Rs 130, they actually earn a spinners today are sitting idle because we can do to keep alive this dying art.” Encroachment on college land in Srinagar

v Farooz Ahmed and again. The college is the only some months ago and has been going at and both the times people constructed institution of higher education in a steady pace. it again”. SRINAGAR: Land encroachment has Srinagar exclusively for female students. “The earth filling is a continuous “We have official documents that once again sprouted on the land allotted The college has been operating out of process. Sometimes officials come and we own the land. Officials often come to Government College Nawakadal two buildings ever since it opened – a stop the encroachers, but the process here but where would we go unless we at Eidgah for the construction of new third one was constructed few years restarts after a while. Many a times get some compensation. We have been college campus. ago. But the management has been you can see labourers work there,” asking them but they don’t pay heed,” Residents of Eidgah complain that complaining of shortage of space and said Shazia Gani, a resident of Eidgah. said Shameema, whose house has been some residents of Shalimar Colony near students complain that their classes are Residents said that encroachers take demolished twice. Eidgah have clandestinely constructed scheduled in different places every next advantage of the uncertain situation in While talking to commissioner certain properties and encroached the week. Srinagar. “The encroachers might have of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, college land. Jammu and Kashmir’s revenue greased the palms of the government Shafqat Khan said that the concerned In a government order (No: Rev(s) 41 department said that the extra space was officials. They keep on constructing new department of government should to of 2007 dated 5-02-2007) government allotted to college to avoid shortage of houses after every demolition drive,” be approached for help. “We have not allotted 65 canals of land near Firdous space. Funds for the fencing of land were said Aziz Ahmed, another resident. received any reports of encroachments Colony in Eidgah to the college, but released long ago but the construction is Mohammad Ayoub of Eidgah said, from the concerned department. We encroachment by some residents yet to take off. The process of land filling “One of the houses that comes in the will come into action, once we will be has hampered the construction time for encroachment, however, started way of college was demolished twice informed,” he said.

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