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Dr. Farooq, Omar address party meeting Srinagar June 9 : National Confer- ence Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah has appointed Senior NC leader and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar as the new General Secretary of the party. According to a statement issued to KNS, at a meeting of NC of- fice-bearers and functionaries convened at NC Headquarters at Nawa-e-Subah Complex in Sri- nagar, Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Working President and J&K CM Omar said the con- tributions of Sheikh Nazir Ahmed in building National Conference and nurturing it through some of the harshest times will be written in golden letters in the history of this nation. Dr. Farooq said that unfortunate- ly Sheikh Nazir Ahmed's health had deteriorated over the years after decades of selfless service to the institution and roots of Na- tional Conference. “Sheikh Nazir Sahab's health does not allow him to move out and despite that he has continued to serve this party with sweat and blood. See Sagar On PG 11.. C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K C M Y K TUESDAY 10 June | 2014 | 11 Shaban, 1435 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 4 | ISSUE NO: 160 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 Paisa) Pen For Justice Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K http://www.zabarwantimes.com WEATHER TEMPERATURE MAXIMUM MINIMUM SUNSET ON(TUESDAY) SUNRISE ON (WEDNESDAY) 05:20 AM 07:43 PM 14.4 0 C 29.5 0 C FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS: FORECAST OF SRINAGAR: Light Rain would occur at a few places over the state. Partly cloudy sky. Maximum & Minimum tempera- tures will be around 29°C & 14°C respectively. On Edit Page See More On Pg 09 >>>>> PG 06 >>>>> PG 11 >>>>> PG 06 Women hit by army gypsy The suspension of Principal Govt. Higher Secondary School Zainakoot following protests by students alleg- ing that the said principal crossed all limits of highhandedness during their picnic to Betab Valley of Pahalgam on Sunday. The students alleged that the principal scolded girl students and separated them from boys. He also allegedly bared the students from us- ing mobile phones and who so ever did, he took him to task. Soon after the news of protests spread, Director School Education placed the princi- pal under suspension and attached him with his office. One does not Don’t shame the society Stone hurlers’ escape in Baramulla leads to clashes Srinagar, June 09: violent clashes erupted in north Kash- mir’s Baramulla town after police went to arrest two youth accused of being stone hurlers on Monday afternoon, sources told GNS. Sources said after receiving in- formation about the presence of Ashiq Gul and Rizwan Dhobi, a police team led by two senior officers went to a Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch in the town to arrest them. “They are wanted in stone-throwing incidents par- ticularly in incidents related to 2008 and 2010,” police sources told GNS, adding when the po- lice reached the bank, the duo assaulted the police officials resulting in a scuffle. See Stone On PG 11.. Kupwara, June 09: A woman was injured in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district Monday after shw was hit by an army gypsy, witnesses said. They said a woman identi- fied as Zona Begum, 45, wife of Habibullah Rather was hit by the army vehicle at Gund Drugmulla resulting in critical injuries to her, they said. Zona was shifted to Army Hos- pital Drugmulla for the treat- ment in the same vehicle, they added. Meanwhile, a family member of Zona alleged that police, despite being informed, arrived late on the spot and didn’t register case in this regard. When GNS contacted See Women On PG 11.. Private sector should come forward to encourage cricket: Misbah Will do my best if given a chance to lead the team: Akmal 20 elders of Lolab Valley leave for NI tour New Delhi, June 09: Addressing the first joint sitting of Parlia- ment after the recent Lok Sabha elections, President Pranab Mukherjee said the Narendra Modi government will initiate a series of social, healthcare and infrastructure programmes while asserting that there will be ‘zero tolerance’ towards ter- rorism and extremism, besides violence against women. He said the government will re- vive ‘Brand India’, riding on its strengths of five ‘T’s -- tradition, talent, tourism, trade and tech- nology -- and will pursue foreign policy on the basis of “enlight- ened nationalism” and mutually beneficial relationships. “The people of India have given a clear mandate. They want to see a vibrant, See President On PG 11.. President addresses Joint Sitting of Parliament 10th June 2014 at 4:PM At Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar ENTRY FREE ALL ARE INVITED REPORTERS REQUIRED Zabarwan Times requires the services of four report- ers- two for Srinagar, one each for Baramulla & Anant- nag. The aspirants should be qualified journalists with command over English and Urdu languages. Salary negotiable Send your C.V. on [email protected] Promises policies to push growth, create jobs New Delhi, June 9: Peoples Demo- cratic Party (PDP) Monday moved two amendments to the motion for vote of thanks to the president of India for his speech delivered to the joint session of parliament. In the first amendment motion moved by the party president, Mehbooba Mufti, the party pro- poses the following amendments in the presidential address: “The Government of India will address the Kashmir issue and the issues facing the people in Jammu and Kashmir within the parameters of Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kash- miriryat.” In the second amend- ment the party seeks to add to the President’s address a commit- ment for zero tolerance to human right violation in J&K state. Commenting on the president’s address and the amendments moved by the party to it, Meh- booba Mufti, in a statement, said while the presidential address had presented an inclusive vision for all sections of the population it was disappointing See PDP On PG 11.. Omission of J&K unacceptable: Mehbooba Kupwara, June 09: (GNS) Even though state government con- tinuously claim that health sec- tor is booming in Kashmir but a Public Health Sub-Centre in an area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district is ‘locked from last three months’ putting a big question mark on government claim. People of Waterkhana area in Drugmulla in the district told GNS that the Health Centre is de- funct from last three months and as a result the locals are suffering a lot. “It remains closed almost every day. The Centre lacks basic first- aid facilities. Whether it is open or close, it is one and a same thing,” Ghulam Nabi Shah, the Sarpanch of Waterkhana, told GNS, adding: “Inspite of a Medical Assistant, a nurse is posted in the hospital for first-aid treatment.” He said the nurse Masarat Sha- heen comes rarely in the Centre. Locals said some 15 days ago, a labourer was injured after being hit by a stone but he could not get first-aid because the Centre was closed. “In another incident, a boy was ill, but he could not get an injec- tion at the Centre and it shows how ignored it is,” Ghulam Rasool Magray, one of the locals, said. The locals said some 1500 people from Waterkhana and Shadipora fall in the catchment See Public On PG 11.. >>>>>>> Ailing Health care >>>>>> Public-Health Sub-Centre ‘locked from three months’ in north Kashmir ‘We have placed him under suspension: CEO Srinagar, June 09: The Sri- nagar-Baramulla Highway Mon- day morning witnessed chaos when dozens of students from a Higher Secondary School took to streets and held protests against the alleged misbehave by the school principal with a female student here in the outskirts of the summer capital. According to details available with GNS, large number of stu- dents Government Higher Sec- ondary School Zainakote HMT blocked the Highway as they demanded stern punishment against the principal of the School who had allegedly misbehaved with a 12th class female student. See CEO On PG 11.. Students protest against alleged ‘misbehave’ by principal, block Highway It is official: Sagar is new NC General Secretary Sagar to retain his ministry: NC Decisions will be taken in the best interests of party: Sagar Srinagar, June 9 : The newly appointed General Secretary of National Conference Ali Mo- hammad Sagar will continue to be Minister for Rural Develop- ment and Panchayati Raj. Confirming it to KNS, Ali Mohammad Sagar, said: “Yes, I will also look after my minis- try besides fulfilling the new responsibility given to me by the party leadership See NC On PG 11.. Will give a fillip to ‘secessionist’ forces, increase militancy: Padgaonkar Srinagar, Jun 9 : Stating that the remarks made by the BJP over re- pealing of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status will open a Pando- ra’s box, one of the interlocutors on Kashmir Dileep Padgaonkar stated that the step will give a fil- lip to ‘secessionist’ forces in the Valley, increase ‘Pakistan-sup- ported’ militant activities and, no less serious, in- ternationalize the Kashmir issue. According to the reports received by KNS, Dileep Padgaonkar opined that there are constitutional hurdles that the new government will also have to cross should it move to abrogate Article 370. “A new constituent assembly will have to be formed to recommend the abrogation. (Given the majority of disaffected Kashmiri Muslims such an as- sembly will have, no such recom- mendation will be forthcoming.) Only then can the President of India issue a public notification to this effect. Parliament is well within its rights to amend this provision. But what if the Su- preme Court rules that the special status accorded to J&K is a basic feature of the Constitution?,” re- marked Padgaonkar. He maintained further that at its genesis, Article 370 gave the Union government jurisdiction over three subjects—defence, for- eign policy and communica- tions. But this is what has come to pass over the decades: 94 of the 97 entries in the Union list and 26 of the 47 entries in the concurrent list were extended to J&K. So were 260 of the 395 Ar- ticles of the Indian Constitution. Subsequent presidential orders further ‘eroded’ the original sub- stance of the Article. He remarked that Jammu and Ladakh favour closer integration with the rest of India, the focus in the Valley was on See Padgaonkar On PG 11.. Repealing 370 will internationalize Kashmir issue The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee being led in a ceremonial procession to the Central Hall of the Parliament House to address the Joint Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on June 09, 2014.

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Page 1: Zabarwan Times E-Paper English 10 June 2014

Dr. Farooq, Omar address party meeting

Srinagar June 9 : National Confer-ence Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah has appointed Senior NC leader and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Ali Mohammad Sagar as the new General Secretary of the party. According to a statement issued to KNS, at a meeting of NC of-fice-bearers and functionaries convened at NC Headquarters at Nawa-e-Subah Complex in Sri-nagar, Party President Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Working President and J&K CM Omar said the con-tributions of Sheikh Nazir Ahmed in building National Conference and nurturing it through some of the harshest times will be written in golden letters in the history of this nation. Dr. Farooq said that unfortunate-ly Sheikh Nazir Ahmed's health had deteriorated over the years after decades of selfless service

to the institution and roots of Na-tional Conference. “Sheikh Nazir Sahab's health does not allow him to move out and despite that he has continued to serve this party with sweat and blood.

See Sagar On PG 11..

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

CMYK

TUESDAY 10 June | 2014 | 11 Shaban, 1435 AH | PAGES 12 | VOL NO: 4 | ISSUE NO: 160 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 Paisa)Pen For Justice Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&Khttp://www.zabarwantimes.com

WEATHER

TEMPERATUREMAXIMUM MINIMUMSUNSET ON(TUESDAY)SUNRISE ON (WEDNESDAY) 05:20 AM

07:43 PM 14.4 0C 29.50C

FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS:

FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:

Light Rain would occur at a few places over the state.

Partly cloudy sky. Maximum & Minimum tempera-tures will be around 29°C & 14°C respectively.

On Edit Page

See More On Pg 09

>>>>> PG 06 >>>>> PG 11 >>>>> PG 06

Women hit by army gypsy

The suspension of Principal Govt. Higher Secondary School Zainakoot following protests by students alleg-ing that the said principal crossed all limits of highhandedness during their picnic to Betab Valley of Pahalgam on Sunday. The students alleged that the principal scolded girl students and separated them from boys. He also allegedly bared the students from us-ing mobile phones and who so ever did, he took him to task. Soon after the news of protests spread, Director School Education placed the princi-pal under suspension and attached him with his office. One does not

Don’t shame the society

Stone hurlers’ escape in Baramulla

leads to clashesSrinagar, June 09: violent clashes erupted in north Kash-mir’s Baramulla town after police went to arrest two youth accused of being stone hurlers on Monday afternoon, sources told GNS.Sources said after receiving in-formation about the presence of Ashiq Gul and Rizwan Dhobi, a police team led by two senior officers went to a Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch in the town to arrest them.“They are wanted in stone-throwing incidents par-ticularly in incidents related to 2008 and 2010,” police sources told GNS, adding when the po-lice reached the bank, the duo assaulted the police officials resulting in a scuffle.

See Stone On PG 11..

Kupwara, June 09: A woman was injured in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district Monday after shw was hit by an army gypsy, witnesses said.They said a woman identi-fied as Zona Begum, 45, wife of Habibullah Rather was hit by the army vehicle at Gund Drugmulla resulting in critical injuries to her, they said.Zona was shifted to Army Hos-pital Drugmulla for the treat-ment in the same vehicle, they added.Meanwhile, a family member of Zona alleged that police, despite being informed, arrived late on the spot and didn’t register case in this regard.When GNS contacted

See Women On PG 11..

Private sector should come forward to encourage cricket: Misbah

Will do my best if given a chance to lead the team: Akmal

20 elders of Lolab Valley leave for NI tour

New Delhi, June 09: Addressing the first joint sitting of Parlia-ment after the recent Lok Sabha elections, President Pranab Mukherjee said the Narendra Modi government will initiate a series of social, healthcare and infrastructure programmes while asserting that there will be ‘zero tolerance’ towards ter-rorism and extremism, besides violence against women.

He said the government will re-vive ‘Brand India’, riding on its strengths of five ‘T’s -- tradition, talent, tourism, trade and tech-nology -- and will pursue foreign policy on the basis of “enlight-ened nationalism” and mutually beneficial relationships. “The people of India have given a clear mandate. They want to see a vibrant,

See President On PG 11..

President addresses Joint Sitting of Parliament

10th June 2014 at 4:PMAt Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar

ENTRY FREEALL ARE INVITED

REPORTERS REQUIRED

Zabarwan Times requires the services of four report-ers- two for Srinagar, one each for Baramulla & Anant-nag. The aspirants should be qualified journalists with command over English and Urdu languages.

Salary negotiable

Send your C.V. on

[email protected]

Promises policies to push growth, create jobs

New Delhi, June 9: Peoples Demo-cratic Party (PDP) Monday moved two amendments to the motion for vote of thanks to the president of India for his speech delivered to the joint session of parliament.In the first amendment motion moved by the party president, Mehbooba Mufti, the party pro-poses the following amendments in the presidential address: “The Government of India will address the Kashmir issue and the issues facing the people in Jammu and Kashmir within the parameters of Insaniyat, Jamhuriyat and Kash-miriryat.” In the second amend-ment the party seeks to add to the President’s address a commit-ment for zero tolerance to human right violation in J&K state.Commenting on the president’s address and the amendments moved by the party to it, Meh-booba Mufti, in a statement, said while the presidential address had presented an inclusive vision for all sections of the population it was disappointing

See PDP On PG 11..

Omission of J&K unacceptable: Mehbooba

Kupwara, June 09: (GNS) Even though state government con-tinuously claim that health sec-tor is booming in Kashmir but a Public Health Sub-Centre in an area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district is ‘locked from last three months’ putting a big question mark on government claim.People of Waterkhana area in Drugmulla in the district told GNS that the Health Centre is de-funct from last three months and as a result the locals are suffering a lot.“It remains closed almost every day. The Centre lacks basic first-aid facilities. Whether it is open or close, it is one and a same thing,” Ghulam Nabi Shah, the Sarpanch

of Waterkhana, told GNS, adding: “Inspite of a Medical Assistant, a nurse is posted in the hospital for first-aid treatment.”He said the nurse Masarat Sha-heen comes rarely in the Centre.Locals said some 15 days ago, a labourer was injured after being hit by a stone but he could not get first-aid because the Centre was closed.“In another incident, a boy was ill, but he could not get an injec-tion at the Centre and it shows how ignored it is,” Ghulam Rasool Magray, one of the locals, said.The locals said some 1500 people from Waterkhana and Shadipora fall in the catchment

See Public On PG 11..

>>>>>>> Ailing Health care >>>>>>Public-Health Sub-Centre

‘locked from three months’ in north Kashmir

‘We have placed him under suspension: CEO

Srinagar, June 09: The Sri-nagar-Baramulla Highway Mon-day morning witnessed chaos when dozens of students from a Higher Secondary School took to streets and held protests against the alleged misbehave by the school principal with a female

student here in the outskirts of the summer capital. According to details available with GNS, large number of stu-dents Government Higher Sec-ondary School Zainakote HMT blocked the Highway as they demanded stern punishment against the principal of the School who had allegedly misbehaved with a 12th class female student.

See CEO On PG 11..

Students protest against alleged ‘misbehave’ by

principal, block Highway

It is official: Sagar is new NC General Secretary

Sagar to retain his ministry: NC

Decisions will be taken in the best interests of party: SagarSrinagar, June 9 : The newly appointed General Secretary of National Conference Ali Mo-hammad Sagar will continue to be Minister for Rural Develop-ment and Panchayati Raj.Confirming it to KNS, Ali Mohammad Sagar, said: “Yes, I will also look after my minis-try besides fulfilling the new responsibility given to me by the party leadership

See NC On PG 11..

Will give a fillip to ‘secessionist’ forces, increase militancy: PadgaonkarSrinagar, Jun 9 : Stating that the remarks made by the BJP over re-pealing of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status will open a Pando-ra’s box, one of the interlocutors on Kashmir Dileep Padgaonkar stated that the step will give a fil-lip to ‘secessionist’ forces in the Valley, increase ‘Pakistan-sup-ported’ militant activities and, no less serious, in-ternationalize the Kashmir issue.According to the reports received by KNS, Dileep P a d g a o n k a r opined that there are constitutional hurdles that the new government will also have to cross should it move to abrogate Article 370. “A new constituent assembly will have to be formed to recommend the abrogation. (Given the majority of disaffected Kashmiri Muslims such an as-sembly will have, no such recom-mendation will be forthcoming.) Only then can the President of

India issue a public notification to this effect. Parliament is well within its rights to amend this provision. But what if the Su-preme Court rules that the special status accorded to J&K is a basic feature of the Constitution?,” re-marked Padgaonkar. He maintained further that at its genesis, Article 370 gave the Union government jurisdiction over three subjects—defence, for-

eign policy and c o m m u n i c a -tions. But this is what has come to pass over the decades: 94 of the 97 entries in the Union list and 26 of the 47 entries in the concurrent list were extended

to J&K. So were 260 of the 395 Ar-ticles of the Indian Constitution. Subsequent presidential orders further ‘eroded’ the original sub-stance of the Article.He remarked that Jammu and Ladakh favour closer integration with the rest of India, the focus in the Valley was on

See Padgaonkar On PG 11..

Repealing 370 will internationalize Kashmir issue

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee being led in a ceremonial procession to the Central Hall of the Parliament House to address the Joint Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on June 09, 2014.

Page 2: Zabarwan Times E-Paper English 10 June 2014

11 Srinagar, Tuesday 10 June 2014 Zabarwan Times

FROM THE FRONT PAGE

PresidentCEO

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Padgoankar

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Owner , Printer & Publisher: Suhail Malik Editor -in-Chief: Shahana Malik Legal Advisor: Syed Riyaz Hussain RNI NO. JKBII/2011/39764, Email: [email protected] Publised at Govt. Quarters , M-13 Magarmal Bagh Srinagar-190001 J&K, Printed at:- Sangarmal Offset Press Humhama Sheikhpora Tele/Fax: 2478370 Cell No. 09999964750, 9796 787844

dynamic and prosperous India. They want to see a re-surgent India regaining the admiration and respect of the international community,” Mukherjee said in his 55-minute address. “Brimming with hope and expectation, they want quick results. With three ‘D’s of democracy, demogra-phy and demand on our side, ... we must rise to the oc-casion to fulfill these great expectations. In 60 months from now, we should be able to say with confidence and pride that we have done it,” he said. Noting that the country is passing through an “ex-tremely difficult phase” on the economic front, the President said that GDP growth has been less than five per cent, tax collection has declined and inflation continues to be at an “unacceptable” level. “Thus, putting the Indian economy back on track is paramount for my government. We will work togeth-er to usher our economy into high growth path, rein in inflation, reignite the investment cycle, accelerate job creation and restore the confidence of the domes-tic as well as international community in our econo-my,” he said. In this context, he said the government will create a policy environment which is “predictable, transpar-ent and fair”.The government will embark on rationalization and simplification of the tax regime to make it “non-ad-versarial and conducive to investment, enterprise and growth,” the President said. Observing that the government will make every ef-fort to introduce GST while addressing the concerns of the states, he said “reforms will be undertaken to enhance the ease of doing business.” “My government will follow a policy of encouraging investments, including through FDI, which will be allowed in sectors that help create jobs and assets,” Mukherjee said. Government will also strategically promote labour- intensive manufacturing and expand job opportuni-ties by promoting tourism and agro-based industries, he said, adding that employment exchanges would be transformed into Career Centres connecting youth with job opportunities through the use of technology, counselling and training. Government will set up world class investment and industrial regions, particularly along the Dedicated Freight Corridors and Industrial Corridors spanning the country while encouraging domestic industry to innovate and collaborate internationally, he said. “It will strive to move towards a single-window sys-tem of clearances both at the Centre and at the states through a hub-and-spoke model,” the President said. To strengthen India’s global trade share, procedures will be simplified and trade infrastructure strength-ened to reduce transaction time and costs. Besides, export potential of small-scale and handicraft sectors will be encouraged, he said. Terming the “lack of robust infrastructure” as a ma-jor impediment, he said government will chalk out an ambitious infrastructure development programme over the next 10 years. “A fast-track, investment friendly and predictable PPP (public private partnership) mechanism will be put up in place,” Mukherjee said, adding that a Dia-mond Quadrilateral project of high-speed trains will be launched and a network of freight corridors with specialised ‘agri-rail networks’ for perishable agricul-tural projects created.

that the problem of J&K had been excluded from it. She said while it was good that improvement of intra-regional connectivity in the state and return of Kashmiri Pandits to their homes were mentioned in the agenda for the government it was unaccept-able that the government had remained silent over the larger issue of J&K, its political resolution and development needs.Mehbooba said the people of the state had expected the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to follow up on his assurances during the election campaign that Kashmir would be addressed within the parameters of Insaniyat, Jomhuriyat and Kashmiryat.She said given the strong mandate that the BJP and NDA have received in the Lok Sabha polls this was the time to embark on a peace mission in Kashmir and with Pakistan, so that the region could be pulled out of immense problems that the people are facing, because of trouble in and over Kashmir.The PDP president said her party would use the parliamentary forum to stress the inevitability of solving Kashmir and would try to reach out to all sections of public opinion with a message for peace from Kashmir and a strong desire for its resolution.On the human rights issue, Mehbooba said while the government had declared a zero-tolerance for ter-rorism and extremism it was also necessary that the government made an unqualified determination to safeguard the lives, property and honor of the people of the state. She said there have been blatant human rights violations of all kinds in J&K at the hands of government forces and the militants.“The people of the state have been crushed between two guns and unless the government makes a bold start on protecting lives and honor from excesses of its forces, the idea of India would continue to suffer crisis of credibility among the people in the state,” said Mehbooba.She said the trust deficit between residents of J&K and rest of the country has to be bridged by ensuring justice, fair-play and equality before law and unless the people in the state enjoy the dividends of being part of a democratic system the alienation levels would in-turn result in more problems for them in the state.Mehbooba said there have been numerous cases of victimization of minorities especially the Muslim youth in different states in the context of incidents of terror and violence. She said in many instances the accused had received a relief from courts after suffering interrogation, jails and prosecution for years as had recently happened in the Akshardham attack case in Gujarat, and earlier in Mecca Masjid, Malegaon blasts and many cases involving Kashmiri youth. She said the state institutions need to be made accountable for their actions against citizens so as to remove the sense of insecurity among the minorities. (GNS)

area of the Health centre but Health officials are in deep slumber.The authorities of a school, which is opposite to the Health Centre, endorsed the locals’ demands and com-plaints.

Masarat Shaheen, the nurse posted at the Public Health Sub-Centre told GNS: “I have to go for night duty on Sunday to Kupwara and that is why the Cen-tre remains shut on Monday.”The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kupwara Dr Aleem told GNS that he will sent a team to the said Health Centre to see why is it defunct. (GNS)

The students chanted slogans against the principal and said alleged that he is ‘habitual of misbehaving with girls of the school.’ They demanded expulsion of the principal. Talking to GNS, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) Munshi Muhammad Javid said we have put the prin-cipal under suspension and attached him with CEO office. “We will take strict action against him. We can’t give him charge of any institution of the valley and would transfer him to Ladakh,” he said. Meanwhile, due to protest by students, hundreds of small and big vehicles got stranded on the Highway which led to chaos. The chaos continued for hours and due to which employees, school and college stu-dents, common people and patients couldn’t reach their destination on time. (GNS)

However, the need of the hour is to reach out to the workers and the public in every nook and cranny of this State and the party has decided to appoint Ali Mo-hammad Sagar as the new General Secretary of the party to reach out to the grassroots and leave no stone unturned to consolidate and augment the enviable or-ganizational strength of the party,” Dr. Farooq said, according to a statement issued to KNS. NC Working President and J&K CM Omar Abdullah while lauding Sheikh Nazir Ahmed's contributions to National Conference said the service rendered by Sheikh Nazir for National Conference over de-cades was both extraordinary and exemplary. Omar said that the party has decided to appoint Sagar as the General Secretary of the party to strengthen the hands of the workers and the cadre. “Sagar Sahab will receive total and complete cooperation from us in his endeavors to strengthen the party and ensure that the workers are heard, respected for their views and ac-knowledged in their service,” Omar said.Omar said that it was easy to take over a position of responsibility in easier, smoother times but it was the test of leadership and caliber to take over such a responsibility at a time that demands enormous hard work and dedication. Omar said that Sagar’s efforts would be complimented with active cooperation and engagement at every step. Thanking NC Party President Dr. Farooq, Work-ing President Omar and Sheikh Nazir for reposing faith in him, NC General Secretary Sagar said that he would leave no stone unturned to consolidate the rank and file of the party and reach out to the grass-roots level workers to alleviate both their grievances and those of the public. Senior NC Leaders, Ministers, MLAs, MLCs, scores of party delegates and workers congratulated Sagar on this occasion and expressed their complete and total support to his future endeav-ors for the party. (KNS)

Meanwhile, while talking to KNS, Sagar said that he will start visiting almost all areas in the state and decisions will be taken for the better performance of the party. “We will discuss issues with one and all in the party and will take decision in the best interests of the party with prior approval from Dr Farooq Abdullah Saheb and Omar Abdullah Saheb. Our pri-ority is to take the people of board and to rejuvenate our party cadres,” Sagar told KNS.Sources told KNS that the party may witness some more changes in its hierarchy in coming days. “Keeping the upcoming assembly elections in view and given the dismal performance shown by some party senior leaders, there is consensus among party core group leaders that there should be some change at provincial level,” a senior NC leader told KNS, wishing not to be named. He added that some district level office bearers of the party are already under scanner party high com-mand and few changes in different districts are also on cards. “The party district leadership in various districts have also failed to perform and mobilize people in the recently concluded elections. So you will see a change in district level bodies of the party very soon,” another senior leader of the NC told KNS.The changes in party hierarchy had become inevi-table after the party faced a humiliating defeat in all three Lok Sabha seats of the Kashmir valley. (KNS)

the mindless application of harsh laws, failure to observe due process in the case of jailed mili-tants and unwillingness to bring the perpetra-tors of human rights violations to book. Again and again, the interlocutors were reminded about the appointment and dismissals of chief ministers in the past, about rigged elections, about New Delhi turning a blind eye to insti-tutional corruption and, especially, about the ‘erosion’ of Article 370. (KNS)

concerned police officer, he disconnected the phone without answering the query. (GNS)

“The duo managed to escape from the spot,” sources said.As the duo escaped from the spot, they informed some other youth and started stone-pelting on the police in Main Chowk. “The shop-keepers downed their shutters and other commercial establishments also shut in the town. The sudden stone-pelting created cha-os in the area,” sources and witnesses said.However, witnesses informed GNS, that there was no use of force against agitating youth during stone-pelting.The duo alleged that police assaulted them and due to which Ashiq sustained head in-juries. However, police sources denied the allegations and said: “He, during scuffle, hit his head with a wall.”Though police officially confirmed the inci-dent but denied to divulge details. (GNS)

Srinagar, June 09: Army on Monday flagged off a National Integration Tour for the elders of Lolab Valley from Kalaroos in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.A senior army official told GNS that the 10-days long tour sponsored by Indian army under “Op Sadhbhavana” under the theme “Exposure to Rich Indian Heritage and Culture & Imbibing the values of National Integration”. The tour has been planned for 20 village elders of the remote Dudi-Thali and Kalaroos in Lolab Valley and has been named as ‘Watan Ki Sair’.The tour was flagged off jointly by Ad-ditional Superintendent of Police (SP) Kupwara Fayaz Hussain and Commanding Officer (CO) of 172 Field Regiment from Drugmulla Convoy Ground. “The army’s Vajar Division, has planned the event for elders to visit historical places like Bara Imambara, Chota Imam-bara, Ruma Darwaza, Dargah of Hazrath Abbas and National Botanical Research Institute at Lucknow,” the army officer said.He said that the participants would get an opportunity to interact with people including dignitaries from the civil and army fraternity from different parts of the country and learn about their culture and traditions. They would also have the rare privilege of visiting such places of tourist importance.Apart from this they will also be shown skill development centres like plastic excel industries and Gajanan Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd. The elders will also visit a number of places of tourist intrest such as Jamia Masjid and Ibadat-e-Shahadat in Sri-nagar, he said. “The aim of the tour is to expose the minds of the elder persons of Lolab Valley to the rich cultural heritage of the coun-try in order to have a positive impact on their mindset, as they are the decision makers in the society”, the official said, adding that at the time of flagging off, they were wished a safe journey and urged to convey a goodwill message on their return on June 18.Meanwhile, the elders paid gratitude to army for providing them such an opportu-nity to visit the outside state. (GNS)

Srinagar, Jun 9 : Days after a female nurse accused director health services of molesting her, triggering widespread debate over the issue, the senior officers and the officials at the department of health Monday threatened to ten-der mass resignation if the allega-tions against the director are not withdrawn with the ‘uncondition-al’ apology by the nurse.According to the reports received by KNS, the officials of the health department at large stated that they have the highest regard for the rule of the law but the same

should not be abused by some ‘unscrupulous’ elements like the staff nurse who has leveled what the officials termed the ‘baseless’ allegations to erode the credibil-ity of the chair. “If the steps are not taken to curb such elements, the staff line arrangement will be the first causality and the admin-istration of any department and control of the HoD will be mini-mal which will result in admin-istrative inertia,” reads the joint statement duly signed by various Chief and block medical officers across the valley.

The officials stated that the al-legations leveled against the director health are motivated to ensure that the writ chair is eroded so that such elements in the medical department wil get free hand and indulging in the practices which are against the medical ethics as well as the rou-tine patient care. “The incumbent director health services Kashmir is a man of uncompromising in-tegrity, high moral character and upright officer who has put all his efforts for the smooth functioning of the department.” (KNS)

Case of alleged sexual harassment against Director Health

Senior Medical officers to resign en-masse if charges not withdrawn

“Enhancing retirement age without accountability, a

disaster”Srinagar, June 9 : Coach-ing Centres Association of Kashmir has asked the state government to relax the upper age limit for candidates applying for Kashmir Administrative services 2014 examina-tions.“Due to the enhance-ment of retirement age, the employment avenues for tens of thousands of candidates have dimin-ished,” said G N Var, chairman CCA, accord-ing to statement issued to KNS. “It is the need of the hour that the government increases the upper age limit for the youths wish-ing to appear in KAS-2014 exams and provide them another chance.”“For the next two years not a single government employee would retire and government needs to compensate youths for that,” he further added. “Unfortunately they have raised the upper age limit for candidates wishing to apply for government jobs but not for aspirants for the prestigious KAS ex-ams. Government should fix this issue soon before its due date.”

The association came down heavily on govern-ment for blindly enhanc-ing the retirement age for its employees without any rider attached to it. “Almost all government departments are in sham-bles thanks to our unac-countable system,” said Var. “Government should have put in some condi-tions to make employees perform better in lieu of this retirement age ap-peasement policy.”The association said that the vital sectors like health and education de-mand immediate action. “We fear that the new policy would further em-bolden the corruption ridden system and prove last nail in its coffin,” said Var. “Our over budgeted government schools run on ten times the cost of private schools and still produce record number of schools with zero pass percentage. Why teachers were not forced to perform better or let go of their in-centives.”The association called on the government to change its working for the betterment of people. “World over governments are limiting themselves to simple governance, but here government wants to control everything result-ing in a big mess.

CCA demands age relaxation for KAS

2014 aspirants

Srinagar, Jun 9: The lo-cals at the Wazir bagh Srinagar Monday while expressing serious re-sentment over the block-ing of the link road by the CRPF stated that their area has virtually been converted into a prison by the forces.According to the KNS correspondent, the lo-cals at Wazir Bagh stat-ed that the normal func-tioning of routine life in the area is getting af-fected at large due to the concertina wires placed by the 117 BN of CRPF on the road outside the camp. The stated that they several times re-quested the state au-thorities to look into the matter but to no avail as they passed the buck to each other, maintaining that the issue doesn’t come in their respective jurisdictions.Reports informed that the stray dogs in huge number are also being nourished by the CRPF personnel in the area, creating panic among the locals to tread through the inner lanes of the colony. Also a school girl was attacked by the canines, leaving

her in a critical condi-tion.Bilal Ahmad, an area resident told KNS that they several times ap-proached local MLA Na-sir Aslam Wani but he shrugged his shoulders, stating that he cannot do anything and that the locals should approach MLA Batmaloo. “We several times knocked the doors of Irfan Shah but meeting chief min-ister is less earlier than meeting him. He never allowed us to enter the gate of his premises,” said another resident of the colony Abdul Ahad Pandit.Meanwhile, PRO CRPF Kishore Prasad told KNS over phone that the CROF camp is located at the both sides of the Wazir Bagh inner road and that if the blockades are removed; the same shall put the camp un-der threat. However he maintained two wheel-ers have already been al-lowed to move through the road and also at the time of emergency, the CRPF personnel remove the blockades and allow the four wheelers as well. (KNS)

Wazir Bagh residents up in arms against road

blockade by CRPFTwo wheelers are allowed to

move: PRO CRPF

Government likely to install CCTV cameras in offices

Srinagar, Jun 9 : Taking cog-nizance of the reports where-in a female nurse accused director health services of molesting her, several minis-ters have ordered their heads of the departments to install CCTV cameras in their office chambers and retiring rooms in civil secretariat.According to the reports re-ceived by KNS, the council of ministers in the state gov-ernment are discussing the matter threadbare and have almost evolved a consensus on installation of the CCTV cameras in their offices. The allegation of sexual harass-ment has become an area of serious concern within the present dispensation. Sources told KNS that the government

in the near future is expected to issue a formal order where-in the senior officials shall be asked to install cameras in their chambers and retiring rooms.Pertinently, Police on June 5 booked three senior officers of state’s Health department in-cluding Director Health Ser-vices Kashmir for allegedly molesting a nurse at a work-ing place here. The Govern-ment is mulling an inquiry into the incident.A case has been registered in Police Station Shaheed Gunj vide FIR No 46 under section 354 (molesting a wom-an at working place) of the CrPc against DHSK Dr Sal-eem-ur-Rehman, Chief Medi-cal Officer Anantnag (Islam-abad) DrNazir Shadad and BMO Saller (Anantnag), Dr Arshad Tak. (KNS)

20 elders of Lolab Valley

leave for NI tour

Case of alleged molestation of nurse

Srinagar, June 09: After tak-ing over as Army Command-er of the coveted Northern Command, Lieutenant Gen-eral DS Hooda arrived at Sri-nagar today, on his maiden visit to Chinar Corps for familiarization and de-liberations on prevailing security situation in the Valley.Army’s Udhampur based defence spokesperson in a statement issued to GNS said that on his arrival, the Army Commander was re-ceived by Lieutenant Gen-eral Gurmit Singh, Chinar Corps Commander and was briefed on the current oper-

ational situation along the Line of Control and internal security environment pre-vailing in the hinterland.The Army Commander called on NN Vohra, Gov-ernor of Jammu & Kash-mir and discussed the security scenario with special reference to the conduct of Amarnath Ya-tra. Lieutenant General Hooda also met Chief Min-ister Omar Abdullah at his residence and discussed the security related issues. The Army Commander left for Headquarters Northern Command in the afternoon. (GNS)

Lt Gen Hooda reviews security scenario in valley

Page 3: Zabarwan Times E-Paper English 10 June 2014

SRINAGAR | TUESDAY, JUNE | 10 | 2014Daily ZABARWAN TIMES NEWS

Take a break from your routine, Libra. You might feel like you’re leading an army into battle as you strive for new adven-tures and conquer new realms. Make sure you take a bit of time out today to stop and let your troops rest. You deserve a little rest yourself. Use this moment of stillness to form your plan of attack so you’re sure about how to proceed.

The key for you is to minimize your daily drama as much as possible, Scorpio. You may not realize how much you cripple your-self by the way you exaggerate every aspect of your life. Try not to give so much of your attention to things that really don’t matter much. Petty jealousy and gossip about other people’s lives are es-pecially irrelevant in your world.

Be careful of advertising yourself as someone who is so strong and mentally competent that you’re capable of handling every-thing, Sagittarius. Take note that the strongest mule on the trail usually ends up carrying the most weight. Your emotions are more sensitive than you may think, and certainly more than you demonstrate to others. Be honest about the way you feel and not just the way you think.

Things should flow well for you today with very little ef-fort on your part, Capricorn. Take note that if any quarrel arises, it’s an indication that the person you’re arguing with isn’t nec-essarily the right person to deal with or confide in. Emotional issues are likely to be the hardest ones to overcome, but this shouldn’t be a problem for you. You have the ability to work through these like a pro.

This is meant to be a nice, relaxing day, so treat it as such, Aquarius. There’s no need for you to plan any great strategy at this time. Try to take it easy and not indulge in any unnecessary stress. This is your time to enjoy the moment. Don’t tax your mind by overanalyzing everything that comes your way. Go with the flow and have a great time regardless of what you end up doing.

Your sensual nature is heightened, Pisces, and you’ll find yourself engaged in tender moments and languid peacefulness in the company of others. Soothe your soul by letting yourself slip into situations that give you the emotional freedom to do or say whatever comes to mind. Life should be like a love poem written by a great master. Accept the good energy that comes your way.

Your sixth sense is right on target, Virgo, so trust your instincts today. You’re likely to connect with someone in a wonderful partnership that will help you foster the very plan you want to develop now. Stay close to those things that resonate strongly with your morals. The answer is in front of you; you don’t have to search too far afield in order to find it.

Allow your eager and restless nature to express itself in ways other than through the spoken word, Aries. Show someone that you care through your gentle touch or a big bear hug. Hold on a little bit more tightly than you might normally. There’s an unspo-ken understanding that comes when you communicate through nothing but pure silence. Work on developing this kind of connec-tion with those closest to you.

This is a terrific day for you, Taurus. You should find that your relationships, especially with men, go exceptionally well. Your tender and extremely sensitive nature is finally being recognized as the treasure chest it is. There are many times in which this type of personality is seen as weak, yet today is one of those times in which you’re given the full credit you deserve.

A selfish attitude on your part won’t be tolerated today, re-gardless of the circumstances, Gemini. Don’t make it worse for yourself by pretending that you don’t notice others’ hurt feelings. People are likely to be extra sensitive today, so be careful about trying to impose your will on someone who really wants nothing more than an ear to talk to and a shoulder to cry on.

You could find the hardest person to face is you, Cancer. You tend toward introspection, and you may find yourself shrinking into self-recrimination. You could analyze the important people in your life and yet fail to address the one you really need to look at – you. As you continually strive for perfection, give yourself proper credit. Do something nice for yourself today.

Take advantage of the creative energy in the air today, Leo. Keep your hands moving and your imagination flowing toward something fun and artistic. If you begin to doubt your work, you may fall down a spiral of creative blockage. Don’t get into the habit of constantly judging the quality or outcome of your work. Give yourself free rein to open up and explore whatever comes to mind.

CEO to visit the track area to

review the ongoing restoration workSRINAGAR, JUNE 9 : Shri N.N.

Vohra, Governor J&K, Chairman of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, chaired a meeting at the Raj Bha-van here today to review the Yatra arrangements in the context of the reports received from the Board’s functionaries on the ground that because of the very heavy snow fall this winter there was still very large accumulation of snow along

both the routes as well as at the sites of the Yatra Camps at Shesh-nag, Panjtarni and Holy Cave. The Shri Amarnathji Yatra, is scheduled to commence on 28th June 2014 and conclude on 10th August, 2014. In view of the delay already caused to work of restoration of Tracks and Yatra Camp, the Chairman ex-pressed concern about the need to ensure very speedy work in the remaining 18 days before the Yatra commences. The Shri Amarnathji Yatra, is scheduled to commence on 28th June 2014 and conclude on 10th August, 2014. In view of the delay already caused to work of restoration of Tracks and Yatra Camp, the Chairman expressed concern about the need to ensure very speedy work in the remain-ing 18 days before the Yatra com-

mences. .In this context he asked Shri Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Chief Executive Officer, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board to undertake a ground survery of the Baltal – Panjtarni Track on 10th – 11th June and of the Chandanwari – Sheshnag route on 12th – 13th June. Thereafter, the Chairman would also undertake a reconnaissance of the entire Yatra area, along with the CEO. In this context it could be recalled that the Governor had undertaken recon-naissance of the Chandanwari and Baltal routes on 21st May 2014 and 28th May 2014, respectively.

The Review meeting was attended by Shri Rakesh Kumar Gupta, CEO, Shri Preet Pal Singh, Addl. CEO, Shri R. K. Pandita, G.M. Works and other senior officers of the Shrine Board.

Brig. P.C. Roy calls on Governor

SRINAGAR, JUNE 9: Brigadier P.C. Roy, Group Captain, National Cadet Corps (NCC), Srinagar, called on Mr.N.N. Vohra, Governor, here at Raj Bhavan today. Brig. Roy briefed the Governor about the functioning of the NCC in the State and the initiatives being taken for enhanc-ing the enrolment of boys and girls under NCC in all the regions of the State.The Governor stressed the need for expanding NCC activities in the State, particularly in the remote and difficult areas, as it promotes discipline and courage among youth and helps in capacity building for dealing with unforeseen situations.

Haq chairs PAC meeting SRINAGAR, JUNE 09: A meeting of the Committee on Pub-lic Accounts (PAC) of Jammu and Kashmir, Legislative Assembly was held under the chairmanship of MLA Advocate Abdul Haq here today.Threadbare discussion was held on various issues and it was decided that the Committee will examine the audit paras of revenue department on June 16, Power Development Depart-ment on June 23 and Public Health Engineering on June 30. Legislators, Mr. Jehangir Hussain Mir, Dr. Shahnaz Ganai, Rafi Ahmad Mir, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain, Mr. Ashok Kumar and Mr. Rachpal Singh attended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions to make functioning of the Committee more result oriented.

Shri Amarnathji Yatra 2014Governor reviews Yatra arrangements

GUREZ, JUNE 9: Minister of State for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Mr. Nazir Ahmad Gurezi today inspected Primary Health Centre (PHC) Bagtore and took stock of healthcare facilities there. He directed the authori-ties to ensure provision of proper healthcare to the patients.

Earlier, the Minister conduct-ed an extensive tour of various areas of Tehsil Gurez, including Tarabal and Bagtore villages to have an on spot assessment of public grievances. He directed the concerned Tehsil authorities to redress the grievances of the locals on priority.

Enroute, several deputations met the Minister and apprised him about their problems. The demands put forth by the locals include construction of protec-tion bunds and taking necessary steps for soil conservation in the area, repairs and renovation of lanes, drains.

The Minister gave a patient hearing and assured them that their genuine demands will be looked into.

Addressing a series of public

gatherings at Markote, Bagtore and Tarabal, the Minister said that “the Government, under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has taken various historical deci-sions, including the creation of administrative units to fast track development process and to bring governance to doorstep of the people”.

He said that the several welfare schemes have been launched by the Government during its tenure besides revo-lutionary decisions taken like PSGA, Right to Information Act and empowering the Panchayati Raj Institution in the State.

The Minister was accompa-nied by senior officers of various departments during his tour.

Earlier, the Minister con-vened a meeting of the officers and reviewed overall progress of developmental works under ex-ecution in the Tehsil. Addressing the meeting, the Minister asked the officers to work with dedica-tion and to facilitate completion of works within the stipulated period.

Gurezi inspects PHC Bagtore, takes stock of healthcare facilities

CS chairs Forest Advisory Committee meeting

DG, ICCR, meets Governor

Stresses on monitoring of projectsSRINAGAR, JUNE 09 : The Forest Ad-

visory Committee headed by Chief Sec-retary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey on Monday discussed and approved sev-eral proposals for allowing use of forest land coming under various road con-nectivity projects and other develop-ment works in various Forest Divisions across the State.

While the Chief Secretary laid spe-cial emphasis on minimum felling of trees, compensatory afforestation, he also directed the Forest Department to monitor the works to ensure safe dis-posal of muck by the user agencies at authorized dumping sites only as per the approved plan with efficient soil conservation measures including stabi-lized slopes and eco-restoration using local forest plant species.

“Provincial level committee has been formed to monitor the projects”,

FAC was informed with directions from the Chief Secretary to visit proposed project sites for better appraisal and report on any departures observed es-pecially in safe disposal of muck and soil conservation measures by the user agencies.

While reviewing the soil conserva-tion measures undertaken on the 9km Chenani - Nashri road Tunnel Project site, the FAC observed that extra re-medial measures are needed to ensure effective disposal of muck and prevent soil erosion and scour. “User agency shall consult the soil conservation de-partment in this regard” Chief Secretary directed.

Financial Commissioner Revenue, Dr. Arun Kumar, Principal Secretary Planning, Mr. B R Sharma, Secretary Forest, Mr. Mohammad Afzal Bhat, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Mr. Abhai Kumar and other senior offi-cials were present in the meeting.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 9:

Mr. Satish C. Mehta, Director General, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), along with Mr. A.R. Nazki, Regional Director, ICCR, called on Mr. N.N Vohra, Gover-nor, here at Raj Bhavan today.

Mr. Mehta briefed the Governor about ICCR’s objectives and current ac-tivities which are aimed at fostering and strengthening cultural relations and mu-tual understanding between India and other countries. They also discussed ICCR’s planned future programmes for projecting the art, culture, and traditions of the State and the efforts presently underway to give a fillip to the various local cultural and educational organizations in showcasing their talent to the outside world.

Chairman INTACH calls on GovernorSRINAGAR, JUNE 9:

Maj Gen L.K. Gupta, Chairman, Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) called on Mr. N.N. Vohra, Governor, here at Raj Bhavan today.

Gen. Gupta briefed the Governor about the various projects which have been undertaken by INTACH for the preservation and conservation of J&K’s cultural heri-tage. He also apprised the Governor about INTACH’s plans to carry out conservation work of wall murals, paper and cloth manuscripts, historic textiles, painted objects, stone and terracotta items and other artifacts of archeological significance in the Valley and other parts of the State.

The Governor complimented Gen. Gupta for the excellent work done by INTACH’s J&K Chapter and assured him of full support to all future initiatives of the Organisation.

CS review progress of UMEEDSRINAGAR, JUNE 09: The Ex-

ecutive Committee of the Jammu and Kashmir State Rural Liveli-hood Society headed by Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey on Monday reviewed the progress achieved under programme ‘UMEED in a meet-ing held here. The programme ‘UMEED’ reaches out to all the poor families, links them to sus-tainable livelihood opportunities and nurtures them till they come out of poverty and enjoy a decent quality of life.

State Mission Director, ‘UMEED’ Mr Farooq Ahmed Peer, presented a detailed overview of the progress achieved in the state under the programme.

He said that in the 7 blocks of the State- Khan Sahib, Lar, Che-nani, Bhasoli, Ghagwal, Bishna and Gundna, as many as 2908 SHGs and 203 Village organisa-tions (VOs) have been formed. The eligible SHGs have already received funds to the tune of Rs 8.5 Cr. The Average fund avail-ability per SHG is Rs 50,000 and

per VO is Rs 4.25 Lakhs approxi-mately, he added.

Jammu and Kashmir State Rural Livelihood Society under ‘UMEED’ has a mandate to or-ganise, federate and handhold 9 lakh women into creating their own institutions as a strategy to bring all these poor and vulner-able households out of poverty. A phased implementation ap-proach has been adopted to reach out to all the gram panchayats in the state, where in 22 blocks, one in each district will be covered by end of 2014-15 Plan.

Mission Director said that in a short span of time, under ‘UMEED’, women have displayed immense understanding of its basic philosophy and operational aspects. He added that 3 more blocks- Singhpora, Kupwara and Sumbal in Kashmir valley have been taken up this year besides another 4 blocks- Bhaderwah, Sunderbani, Pattan and Bandi-pora have also been identified for coverage under various compo-nents of ‘UMEED’.While appre-

ciating the progress achieved so far under ‘UMEED’ on ground, Chief Secretary underscored the need to scale up the programme, so that its benefits accrue to the target population enabling in al-

leviating poverty and instilling a sense of confidence in women through self-employment.The meeting was attended by Prin-cipal Secretary, Planning and Development, Mr. B.R. Sharma,

Administrative Secretaries, rep-resentative of Union Ministry Rural Development, Additional Mission Director, and Officers from J&K Bank, SBI, RBI, NABARD and other officers.

Page 4: Zabarwan Times E-Paper English 10 June 2014

Daily Zabarwan TimesEDITORIAL/ OPINIONEDITORIAL/ OPINIONDaily Zabarwan TimesSrinagar, Tuesday 10 June 2014

Disclaimer : The contents and comments appearing in any article published in this paper are purely the personal opinion of the writer

Don’t shame the society

The suspension of Prin-cipal Govt. Higher Secondary School Zainakoot following protests by students

alleging that the said principal crossed all limits of highhand-edness during their picnic to Betab Valley of Pahalgam on Sunday. The students alleged that the principal scolded girl students and separated them from boys. He also allegedly bared the students from us-ing mobile phones and who so ever did, he took him to task. Soon after the news of protests spread, Director School Educa-tion placed the principal under suspension and attached him with his office. One does not un-derstand whether to laugh on this episode or to weep. The ep-isode exposes our society’s total degradation and the dwindling of our moral values. The time has reached to a flash point where the authorities in a bid to please some unknown powers who raise their voices on such incidents and become self style champions of morality and victimized the principal who should have been given a pat on his back as he tried his best to save the girl students from the advances of mischievous stu-dents. Being a fatherly figure he tried to do what was needed and what is expected of a responsi-ble teacher and citizen. It is un-fortunate that vandalism and overtures of mischievous stu-dents are being encouraged and appreciated and the responsi-ble actions are being punished. What would have been the reac-tion of the society and author-ities if any unfortunate inci-dent would have taken place as mischievous students and eve teasers are always out on these occasions to misbehave with girl students and taunt them in vulgar ways. The decision of authorities does not go with our traditions and the society as a whole should stand by the prin-cipal if we want our children to be kept away from what we call demolishing of morality and moral values. If we continue to keep our eyes shut and if some mischievous students take us for a ride, we will be the worst losers. Already drugs and oth-er social evils have very badly engulfed our youth. We have to come up to the expectations and discourage this kind of treat-ment to an honest educationist, fatherly figure and a responsi-ble citizen.

Empowering Rural Women to Become Agents of Change

ourteen year old Piari Purti from Gaddara village in Jharkhand began working as a farm labourer when she was just eight to nine years old. She used to get 60 rupees a day. When she attained 11 years of age Piari Purti began working in a brick yard and was paid 80 rupees a day. She left home every morning at 6 AM and returned at 6.30 PM in the evening. Back home, she also had to help her mother and look after her younger siblings. Belonging to an extremely poor family, Piari says there were days when they could not get two square meals a day.Piari says that in her village the upper class fam-ilies looked down upon them.“They wash the charpoy if we happen to sit on them and if any of us used the tap before them, they made it a point to clean the tap before us-ing it and there was no question of ever entering their houses. For girls it was double discrimina-tion”, she says.“Boys are preferred over girls to be sent to school in our village, but I was lucky that I got a chance to come to Mahila Shikshan Kendra”, says Piari.It was in April this year that Piari Purti was se-lected for admission to Mahila Shikshan Kendra in Jamshedpur. For Piari who had never been to school, it was a dream come true, for she al-ways wanted to study. Before the completion of the 11 month crash course she was undergoing, Piari will have learnt lessons up to class V and then she would be admitted to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya. “I want to become an engineer”, she says.MSKs are run by the Mahila Samakhya scheme under the Human Resource Development Minis-try of the Union Government. Recognizing that education can be an effective tool in women’s empowerment , the programme was first started as a pilot project in 1988 in three states includ-ing Karnataka , Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh but is now being implemented in nine states including Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatis-garh and Uttarakhand .There are 30 girls and young women (between the age group of 15 to 35) in each of the MSKs where lessons up to class fifth are taught during the almost year long course. The aim is to make them self reliant through Life skill education, vo-cational as well as computer training. Teaching them to view things from gender perspective, de-veloping self confidence and leadership qualities

are also part of the training at MSKs. The objec-tive is to create a pool of well trained, literate, motivated women who become agents of change in their villages when they go back.According to Dr Smita Gupta, State Program Director, Jharkhand Mahila Samkhya Society (JMSS), specially designed curriculum is fol-lowed to develop leader ship qualities and audio visual techniques, computers, television etc are used to arouse interest and curiosity among the learners.These young girls at the MSKs also get a chance to participate in sports, karate, plays and cele-brations of days like Wash Day or Teachers day etc.. They are also taken to banks, post offices, railway stations etc., to acquaint them with the services, working and facilities there. Some-times they also get to participate in workshops and seminars.Participating in a workshop on menstruation health and hygiene in Ranchi, one of the girls, Asha Tudu who had come along with other girls from the Jamshedpur MSK said that she will spread awareness about the importance of clean-liness during menstruation and hygiene among women and young girls. Asha says that people in her village are very poor and she wants to be-come a doctor so that everybody is treated in the village itself.“I want everyone in my village to be healthy”, she says.Ashtami Sardar from village Khanda Dera who also worked as a farm hand for 50 rupees a day before she was selected for admission to MSK Jamshedpur says that she wants to become a teacher so that no one remains illiterate in her village.There are 14 MSKs in Jharkhand, one each in 11 districts, one for women prisoners in Birsa Mun-da Jail in Ranchi , one in Khunti for survivors of human trafficking.Trafficking of girls is serious issue of serious in Jharkhand which is considered a source state from where several girls are duped into exploit-ative situations due to extreme poverty. It was only last year that one MSK for women and young girls rescued from trafficking was started and the first batch has completed the 11 month condensed course.The Khunti District Programe Coordinator An-chi Horo says the biggest challenges they face

in mainstreaming the trafficking survivors is to bring them to MSK.“They are too scared to come out of their homes after they have been rescued. Even when they come to MSK, it takes time to get them out of fear psychosis.” says Anchi Horo. “Five out of the first batch of 32 have been admit-ted to KGBV, many have stayed back to complete their vocational training. Craft and beautician’s course is what most of them prefer.” says Anchi Horo.The MSK in the Birsa Munda Jail has 24 women inmates as trainees. According to a functionary, the first thing they have to do is to take these young girls out of depression and then get them interested in studies. It is the most marginalized women and ad-olescent girls who are selected for admission to MSKs. Mahila Samakhya groups identify the trainees for the MSK. Girls and women who have keen interest to study and do something in life are preferred. To start with, selected women and adolescent girls have to participate in 10 days literacy camp. The list is finalized in accordance with their performance in the camp by the war-den, teachers and ex-MSK trainees. A total of 104 batches have so far come out of MSKs in the state, thereby benefitting 3456 girls and young women, out of which 2169 are from scheduled tribes, over 900 from scheduled castes, 315 from OBCs and 63 from minority communi-ties. What is however worrying is that girls like Bas-anti Purti, sister of Piari Purti who is just 11 years old continues to work in brick yards or farms to earn a living. There are thousands of them like her who instead of being in schools which is their legal right, have no choice but to slog for 50 to 60 rupees a day or are forced into trafficking because of extreme poverty . Also in the 4th Joint Review Mission of Mahila Samakhya, it was pointed out that poor quali-ty of teaching, infrastructure and inadequate learning material in the MSKs was an area of concern . It was said that many girls, as a result were unable to get admission to KGBVs.The silver lining, however, is that there are girls like Asha, Piari and Ashtami , who are not only looking forward to getting higher education but have already been motivated to become forceful agents of change in their villages .

As we grow up, we realize it becomes less important to have more friends and more

important to have real ones

Qoute of the day

F

A survey conducted recently by School Health Programme (an initiative of NRHM) among students in Kerala found that about 2.7 per cent of the 10 lakh children in Government schools are overweight and 0.8 per cent obese. The survey pointed its fingers to the life style diseases among youth, a threat our country needs to tackle in the com-ing decades. Lifestyle diseases like dia-betes and cardio vascular diseases have now spread from urban regions to even rural and tribal areas of the country. Kerala which is known for its ad-vances in health indicators, take no time to roll out a comprehensive pro-gramme to prevent life style diseases among school children in the State. Thus born the Lifestyle Disease Ed-ucation and Awareness Programme (LEAP).A Giant ‘LEAP’ for Mankind Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad inaugurated LEAP in the State which aims to control and prevent oc-currence and prevalence of lifestyle dis-eases in school children through health education, life style modification and regular screening. The Programme is a joint initiative of the National Rural Health Mission and the State Depart-ments of Health and Education. The new initiative will complement a peer programme titled ‘Amrutham, Arog-yam’ for adults in the State. About 70

lakh adults were screened as a part of ‘Amrutham, Arogyam’ programme.Changing Lifestyle and its Multiple Ef-fects The World Health Assembly organized by World Health Organisa-tion(WHO) in 2010 at Geneva cautioned in its report that non communicable diseases -mainly cardiovascular diseas-es, cancers, chronic respiratory diseas-es and diabetes, kill nearly 35 million people per year. The report also says that almost 90% of fatalities before the age of 60 occur in developing countries and are largely preventable. (Courtesy: WHO website) Unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, stress and excess use of junk food are the main causes that lead to lifestyle diseases at an early age. The cut-throat competition in academics forces stu-dents to distance themselves from sporting activities in and outside the school premises. India with its majority young population is more vulnerable to such non-communicable diseases. LEAP- An Introduction The LEAP initiative will help educate teachers and students on life-style diseases. Continuous awareness campaigns will be conducted across the schools as a part of this programme. Medical Officers, dietitians and other health workers will lead the classes which lay emphasis on healthy diet, ex-ercise and good eating habits.

Main Objectives of LEAP:· Awareness classes for students and teachers on regular exercise and healthy diet.· Facilities for exercise at schools.· Encourage students to reach schools either by walking or by cycling.· Training for students in vegetable farm making and making healthy diet.· Encourage Yoga and Sports in Schools.· Regular screening of school stu-dents to identify lifestyle diseases.· Awareness among students regard-ing lifestyle disease control. LEAP Action Plan Students will be screened by health workers and their details will be recorded. For every 2,500 students, a school health nurse is being appointed for this purpose. A list of students prone to lifestyle diseases will be made and special care will be availed to them. The Class teacher will keep the re-cords of students and access the lifestyle diseases preventive mea-sures. Each school will have a LEAP ambassador from the health club to help accelerate the activities. Mod-el teachers have been identified from every school and they will be given training in yoga. Depending on number of students, there will be one or two in every school. Nutritional counselling will be given to the PTA by professional dieticians to create awareness.

Lifestyle Disease Education and Awareness

Programme (LEAP) A

George Bernard Shaw