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Srinagar, Feb 04 : People are questioning the assurances of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha that “only influential and powerful people who misused their position and violated the law to encroach upon the state land” would face action, saying common people are also being targeted by the anti-encroachment authorities.

Intensifying its operations to retrieve the encroached government land in Srinagar, the authorities on Saturday held multiple drives claiming that the land illegally occupied by “influential persons” was retrieved at many places.

However, during an anti-encroachment drive at Padshahibagh Mehjoor Nagar in Srinagar on Saturday, the people alleged that the authorities are targetting their “proprietary land despite genuine documents”. Many also alleged that they were not even served notice or given any information about the eviction.

“We have been doing business on this land for years. We have bank liabilities. Are we land grabbers? It is just a few marlas of land. Why is the government after the poor people,” one of the targeted families told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).

The women present at the site said, “Other than that patch of land, we have nothing. Snatching it will push us to poverty.”

“The fencing wall of our land has been demolished. We have papers of this land registered way back in 1972, but without checking anything they demolished the wall. Why did they run away now; let them prove our property is illegal,” said another family.

Notably, various political parties have been echoing that the poor be spared in the drive, while the authorities are stating that the move is “pro-people”. In a meeting on Thursday, the Chief Secretary directed the deputy commissioners (DCs) to safeguard the habitations and livelihoods of the poor and downtrodden.

The anti-encroachment drives are being carried out by the teams established by the district magistrates of various areas of the valley.

In a claim that their properties were on state land, the authorities demolished a series of properties, boundary walls, and fencings belonging to many politicians, those in service, and retired bureaucrats.

The boundary wall and guard house of the National Conference General Secretary and former minister Ali Mohammad Sagar at Humhama near the Srinagar airport were also demolished.

Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) president Sajad Lone in a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha urged him to issue a formal order for the poor and marginalised communities so they can be differentiated against those who are involved in a land grab.

The Supreme Court of India also refused to stay the move as it was hearing a petition against the order issued by the J&K administration.

Meanwhile, Democratic Azad Party (DAP) chief Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday demanded a formal order from the Raj Bhavan to spare the poor in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive.

The Jammu and Kashmir government faced criticism after issuing an order on January 9 ordering all district officials to remove all encroachments on public land by January 31, 2023. In the midst of growing concerns over ‘dispossession,’ there have been numerous protests.

Meanwhile, KNO tried to reach out to the concerned officials for their comments on the allegations by the people at Padshahibagh; however, there was no response to the repeated calls and messages—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Kupwara, Feb 04 : Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, North Kashmir range, Vivek Gupta on Saturday said that Jammu and Kashmir police are committed to eradicate the drug menace and ensure drug free Kupwara district.

Addressing the gathering at district police lines, Kupwara, the DIG, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), while paying rich tributes to the martyrs, who have laid down their lives in the service of the nation and assured the families that their grievances shall be redressed at appropriate levels as early as possible.

“We are totally committed to eradicate the drug menace from the society and enforcement as well as people have an important role to play”, the DIG said, adding that “Parents have a greater responsibility in the social development of a child as they act as the first teachers and guides of their wards.”

He said that every reasonable person must come forward to join the “war against drug abuse.” The officer also that police would be harsh against the drug peddlers and suppliers and action as per the law shall be initiated against the involved—(KNO)

Srinagar, Feb 04 : Democratic Azad Party (DAP) Chairman and former J&K chief minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said that those who have grabbed a huge chunk of land must not be spared in the ongoing anti-encroachment drive across the Union Territory.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that in democracy, nobody can suppress the voices of people.

While welcoming the statement of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, he asked his party workers to end their agitation as LG has assured that poor will not be touched.

“We are in favour of the government’s step against those who have grabbed a huge chunk of land illegally. We urge the government not to touch people who have set up their business units or shops on just one or two marlas of land so that they are not forced to starve,” he said.

He added such measures are certainly not aimed at getting political benefits, but would go against the incumbent government that has done a tremendous job on ground by putting an end to stone pelting, giving a boost to tourism sector and other related things—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Baramulla, Feb 04 : Four days after an avalanche killed two Polish nationals, another avalanche hit the Afarwat Peak at famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that an avalanche hit the area today morning, however, no casualty has been reported in the incident.

He said the area was already declared as Red Zone and as a precautionary measure teams have been sent to the spot.

“Medical teams have been kept on standby near the avalanche area,” he said.

Notably, on February 01 two Polish Skiers were killed and 19 others were rescued after an avalanches hit the Afarwat peak—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Baramulla, Feb 03 : Amid the ongoing anti-encroachment drive, the Traders Federation Baramulla in here has appealed to the government to exempt them from the drive, saying that the action against them would certainly affect their livelihood.

Addressing a press conference here in Baramulla, Traders Federation’s General Secretary, Tariq Ahmed Mugloo, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that they are ready to pay the rent and nominal charges for the shops and complexes.

He said that the government should consider its decision as the demolition drive would directly affect their livelihood.

Tariq said that they have completed all the formalities at a time when the shops and complexes were raised, but it is unfortunate that despite the passage of four decades, they are being asked to vacate as the land where the structures have come up is ‘state land’.

While pinning hope on the Lieutenant Governor led Administration in J&K, the traders said that they are expecting a favourable decision from the administration as the issue pertains to the livelihood of 400 families.

The appeal from the traders comes at a time when the government has started anti-encroachment drive and has made clear that the poor will be excluded and the administration will ensure that the livelihood of people will not get affected—(KNO)

Srinagar, Feb 03 : Around 6.5 percent women in Srinagar started experiencing domestic violence during Covid-19 lockdown, a new study has revealed.

As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the study conducted by the Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Srinagar has revealed that the effects of preventing a COVID-19 health crisis have had unintended consequences on domestic abuse (DA) victimization, Social distancing measures inherently change micro level human interactions, as they force people to spend more time at home.

The online study using Google forms was conducted by Sabira Aalia Dkhar, Ruqia Quansar, and S.M. Salim Khan of the Department of Community Medicine and the study was published in the International Journal of Advanced Research (IJAR).

The members of the survey said that there is need to implement strict laws and policies to counter this and help the victim rather than criminalizing the victim and to reduce the frequency of the issue, it is central to acknowledge the extent of gender-based violence, create awareness and upkeep networks to make it easier for the victims to access them.

The study was done to assess the increase in domestic violence experienced by women especially during Covid-19. A total of 92 women participated in the survey, they said.

About 63.1% participants belonged to the age group of 30 years, 33.7% belonged to the age group of 31-40 years and only 3.2% belonged to the age group of >40 years and the importance of age in experiencing domestic violence is decreasing as in recent times; the prevalence of domestic violence has been seen across all age groups – children, adolescents and even elderly, they said.

The reason can be attributed to the fact that the perpetuator vents the anger on anyone and without any hesitation as any age group is vulnerable especially when confided at home during lockdown, said a doctor part of the study.

Approximately 65.2% participants were postgraduates. 17.4% were graduates, 13.1% had studied till 12th standard and only 4.3% were those who had studied up to 10″ standard. The education level of a woman determines the extent of domestic violence one experiences as literate women are aware of their rights and may at times revolt back whereas the women who are illiterate or less educated don’t have this advantage, he said.

“Almost 91.3% women were housewives and only 8, 7% women were working. The women at home are at more risk of domestic violence as they are confined to their homes and the time of interaction with the abuser is more. The women who are not working have more stress at home during lockdown because there are restrictions for moving out and it causes more conflict and more chances of domestic violence,” he said.

“About 54:3% women were unmarried and 45.7% women were married. The women folk at home are at risk of violence irrespective of marital status. Some young girls are even abused as the family members are more in favour of a male child and thus risking them at the hands of their family members as they are cursed and at times beaten up. There are always chances of more gender-based violence which can be seen across the age spectrum. The women are considered a weaker gender and thus male gender tried to dominate and thus making women more prone to violence at the hands of their own family members or relatives. (7) Women are vulnerable irrespective of their class. Socio-economic status and age. Approximately 17.4% women reported to have experienced domestic violence at any point of their lifetime and 82.6% women nullified the reports of experiencing it. Women are abused since history as they are always considered a weaker gender with no voice of their own. The abuser usually abuses as they try to vent their frustration on their women at home,” he added.

“About 10.9% women reported to have experienced domestic violence every time and 6.5% women reported to have experienced violence especially during Covid-19 times,” he said.

“The Covid 19 times have led to lockdowns and restrictions all across the globe. The lockdowns have placed more chances of staying at the home of the abuser and thus increasing the interaction, conflicts and this more abuse. Lockdowns have led to clustering of family members in homes, more work load and more stress on the women folk of the families. The lockdowns have led to economic instability, economic insecurities and loss of jobs which have led to frustration and anger issues and thus more abuse. The loss of income also has led to more stress and thus conflicts and more abuse,” he said.

“About 17.4% of women (all of those who experienced violence) confided to their family or friends about their condition on the pretext of feeling better and thus relieving them of their pain. Many women resorted to talking about it to take validation that they are not at any fault of getting beaten up or to take validation that this is normal. The women usually think that they experience violence because they are at fault or they are supposed to be silent and they are weak and don’t have to raise a voice. Almost 6.5% women who experienced violence looked for help to save themselves from this abuse and exactly 6.5% of women even received help, especially from their family or close friends. 10.9% women never asked for help as they consider that this is their fate and this is normal. The society will blame their women for their abuse and thus the image will be ruined. These women usually propagate male supremacy in families and thus indirectly increase the opportunities for the abusers to feel superior or right,” he said. “Almost 17.4% of women reported that they are worried about their future and they may have to continue to face the abuse.”

He said: “When asked about various reasons for not leaving their abusers or moving to a safer place, children at home was the common reason. Women usually have self-blame, confusion, hopelessness, guilt and shame on being abused and still they want to be with their abuser to save the child from being deprived of the family love and care Women usually consider themselves to be weak and always at fault for being abused. Society also has made an illusion of male supremacy leading to propagation of false sense of dependence on men. If a woman leaves the abuser, society norms will always find faults with the women only rather than supporting them.”

He said that the domestic violence at any level and in any form can’t be justified and Covid-19 pandemic has led to another hidden pandemic—domestic violence—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Kupwara, Feb 03 : The families and locals of Karnah and Tanghdar villages of Kupwara in this north Kashmir’s frontier district have hailed the district administration, police, army and beacon officials for ensuring the safe passage of the bodies of two elderly persons from their areas that were kept in the District Hospital Kupwara for the last few days.

The bodies of two elderly persons – Haji Qalandar Mir (65), son of Abdul Gaffar Mir, resident of Dildar Karnah and Alamdin Khattana (60), son of Abdulla Khattana, resident of Dragad Tangdhar – were kept in the mortuary of the District Hospital Handwara for the last few days due to road blockade. The families had sought assistance from the district administration to ferry back the bodies to their respective native places for last rites.

Braving the chilling weather conditions, the administration facilitated the smooth passage of the mortal remains to the respective areas by escorting the men and machinery on the snow-covered Kupwara-Karnah road.

The administration termed the overall process a challenging one, saying it was not easy to facilitate the passage of mortal remains amid more than 4 feet of snowfall to the higher reaches of Kupwara.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the bodies of two persons were dispatched during afternoon hours towards their native places, after remaining at district hospital Handwara’s mortuary as the roads were blocked after the recent snowfall. The bodies reached at around Thursday 11 pm.

He said the bodies were escorted by the teams of the district administration including the sub-divisional magistrates of Tanghdar and Karnah, police, army and beacon, besides other volunteers who ensured safe passage.

“The whole operation was full of challenges as there was a heavy downpour of about 4-5 ft snowfall,” SDM Karnah told KNO. “Since this was the season’s heavy snowfall and there remains an avalanche threat, that’s why it took days for them to facilitate bodies to their respective places.”—(KNO)

Jammu, Feb 03 : After mass migration from Uttrakhand’s Joshimath due to its feared sinking, similar tragedy almost struck the banks of Jammu and Kashmir’s Chenab River, where 21 residential structures developed cracks in Thathri tehsil of Doda since December last year. The sudden cracks in residential houses set the alarm bells ringing across the district triggering panic among the inhabitants.

“As many as 21 structures have developed cracks due to ‘sinking’ of land in Thathri Tehsil of Doda-Kishtwar belt since December 2022. The mountainous region identified as potential hub for generation of hydro- electricity for the country and several projects and other construction activities in geological sensitive zones are going on,” an official said told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

Officials said that administration is yet to know the cause of land erosion while the families have been shifted to safer locations.

They also said that a team from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been rushed to the spot.

District Magistrate Doda, Vishesh Mahajan confirmed that cracks appeared in some structures and people have been evacuated to safer locations.

“Yes, cracks have appeared in some structures,” Visheshpal Mahajan, District Magistrate Doda, told KNO.

He said, “We have shifted families to the temporarily established relief camps and the GSI team is also pressed in service to ascertain the cause of the sinking of land.”

Director, Geology and Mining, J&K, O P Bhagat said district administration has approached them following which a team is being constituted to visit the spot.

Meanwhile, Member, District Development Council (DDC), territorial constituency Thathri, Sandeep Manhas, “I have visited the spot and found cracks have appeared in nearly 19 houses, mosque and madarssa.”

“The land is sinking but confirmed reasons are not yet known,” said Manhas. “The residents are in panic and have vacated their house. The administration has been already informed and they are looking into the matter.”

According to officials, the cracks appeared in December last in a house and gradually aggravated.

Earlier, mass migrations was reported from Uttrakhand’s Joshimath town which sank by about 9 cm between April and November 2022 and from December 27, 2022, to January 8, 2023, it further sank, by about 5.4 cm.

The experts blamed uncontrolled construction in eco-sensitive zones as the main reason for the destruction—(KNO)

Srinagar, Feb 2 : Election Commission of India has appointed Pandurang Kondbarao Pole (IAS), Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, as Chief Electoral Officer J&K.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub- section (1) of section 13A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 (43 of 1950), the Election Commission of India in consultation with the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir hereby designates Pandurang Kondbarao Pole, IAS (AGMUT:2004) as the Chief Electoral Officer for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with effect from the date he takes over charge and until further orders in place of Hirdesh Kumar, IAS,” reads an order by ECI, a copy of which lies with GNS.

“Pandurang Kondbarao Pole shall cease to hold and hand over forthwith the charge of all or any charges of work under the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, which he may be holding before such assumption of office.”

Pandurang Kondbarao Pole while functioning as the Chief Electoral

Officer, Jammu and Kashmir shall not hold any additional charge whatsoever under the Government of Jammu and Kashmir except that he should be designated Secretary to the Government in charge of Election Department in the State Secretariat, the order added. (GNS)

Srinagar, Feb 02: In a major relief to shopkeepers at Srinagar’s Aftab Market in Lal Chowk, the authorities on Thursday unsealed all 25 shops following the directions from higher authorities, day after they were sealed.

Shiraz Ahmad Mir, General Secretary of the local trade association, told KNO- Kashmir News Observer that they were called by the tehsildar on Thursday morning and were told that their shops would be unsealed.

“We are thankful to authorities for unsealing our shops. We are also thankful to the Lieutenant Governor who intervened in the matter,” Mir said. “Now we are heaving a sigh of relief as a few hours ago we were asked to evict our shops.”

Another shopkeeper, Altaf Ahmad, said after being called to the tehsildar’s office at the DC Office here they were informed that they can continue with their shops.

“It was a misconception between the Srinagar Municipal Committee (SMC) and the revenue department,” Altaf said, adding, “We have been time and again saying that we are the tenants of the SMC and paying rent.”

Without the interference of LG Manoj Sinha, the unsealing of shops would not have been possible, he said. “We are thankful to all those who supported us.”

Meanwhile, an official privy to the development told KNO that the decision was taken keeping in view the livelihood of the shopkeepers and the directions from the higher-ups.

“As of now, we got directions to unseal all 25 shops. I don’t have any further information about the issue,” the official said.

The district administration Srinagar on Wednesday evening sealed 25 shops in Aftab Market and said the land was illegally occupied.

The move was followed by shopkeepers staging a protest outside their sealed shops. They claimed they have been paying rent to the SMC for decades.

During the protest, the shopkeepers had said the move will render them and their families to starvation.(KNO)