PSU banks strike to cost `1300 crore

The two-day strike of public sector undertaking (PSU) banks is likely to cause a loss of Rs 1300  crore in Jammu and Kashmir.

Talking to Kashmir Reader Convener of Union United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Kashmir wing, Ashwani Pradran said, “We too have called for two day strike and during those days an expected loss of 1300 crore will have to be borne. This loss will  mainly be due to transaction, withdrawal and on account of interest component.”

 

The strike call has been called by (UFBU), an organization of nine unions of employees and officers of PSU banks here. The two day strike is mainly against banking sector reforms and outsourcing of non-core activities, affecting operations of government owned banks in the State.

 

With staff strength of 10,000 employees of PSU banks in Jammu and Kashmir, banking activity remained suspended in PSU banks working in here.

 

Pradran  said that they have been protesting since morning outside their establishments. “We too are a part of 10 lakh employees  across India who are on strike and all banking activity is closed.”

He added that they are confident that the government retracts on several decisions that are detrimental to PSU banking sector.

 

“The strike is against government’s policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalization of PSU banks,” he said.

 

The  employees too are worried about the unilateral implementation of the Khandelwal committee report that takes care of human resources management in PSU banks. Besides Bank unions are stressing more on effective measures to recover bad loans.  In Jammu and Kashmir, two main PSU banks including the State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB)  beside some other allied public sector banks were closed following the two day strike

 

Another member of Union affiliated with SBI told Kashmir Reader that their bank operate nearly 140 branches in the Sate with 6000 employees  and all are a part of this ongoing strike.

 

Meanwhile, the strike has caused great inconvenience to customers.  Apart from businessmen customers who transact money from here through their banks where a worried lot.  Sushil Kumar of Bihar who had come to deposit money at SBI Jawahar Nagar that was needed urgently  by his family said that he could not carry the transaction.

 

“The banks are an essential part finical sector and their strike does have major impact on common people, they should call off their strike,” he said.

 

Meanwhile ATM services of these banks too remained affected due to this strike.

Firecracker sales boom before Eid

With Eid festivity color takes grip over markets, the boom this time has been witnessed in firecracker sales.
Ahead of Eid and many customers make it a point to visit Maharaja Bazar in uptown Srinagar, which is considered as an epicenter of firecrackers in the Valley.

“On this Eid, I want to fulfill all the wishes of my children,” said Aisha Begum, a teacher, who has come to buy fire crackers for her kids and finds this market an apt place to find the best ones at nominal price.

The market does not only cater retail needs, it is place where wholesalers also book their stock.
Dealers said that sales used to start few days prior to Eid but this time orders are placed a fortnight early prior to Eid.

Talking to Kashmir Reader, Ghulam Mohammad Tanga of Cock Crackers said, “Even with some time left for Eid, dealers are visiting us to beef up their firecracker supplies,” he said.

Tanga added that sales this year have been up as dealers want more stock as sales are expected to remain positive even after Eid as marriages season is going to kick off.

But dealers say that over time taste in firecracker usage has changed, and firecrackers have progressed from producing banging sounds  to dispersing more of colors.

Bashir Ahmed Dar also a wholesaler of firecrackers said that new variants of crackers are being introduced in the markets, even though demand for the older lot remains high as they cost less.

Kids still like the rocket, ground wheel locally known as Charkre , phuljhari, but many are demanding the new varieties, that are expensive. The costlier ones can cost Rs 1500 as these crackers have the ability to create numerous explosions at different heights with an display of colors.
Many like colors over deafening sound that is why many opt for them.

According to the historians the use of firecrackers in Kashmir is more than five decade old. Speaking to Kashmir Reader, Zareef Ahmad Zareef, a prominent historian said, “Kashmiri’s have adopted the art of bursting firecrackers after Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad started Jashn e Kashmir in 1954. It (Jashn e Kashmir) used to be the poetry recitation across the valley and at the end they used to burst crackers as a mark of joy.”

Zareef added that before 1950 there was an occasional use of firecrackers either on marriages or Hindu festivals. The firecrackers used where made locally by different manufacturers and sold at very nominal prices.

JK Agro reopens wazwan outlets

Sales worth Rs 80,000 in five days

With new and hygienic packing, world famous Kashmiri Wazwan made and tinned by J and K State Agro Industries Development Corporation Ltd (JK Agro) has witnessed sales worth Rs 80,000 in last five days.

JK Agro re-launched its wazwan outlets on Tuesday at three places in the Valley to cater to the increasing demand from tourists and locals.

 According to the JK Agro, these outlets were started in December last year but were later stopped due to the dearth of funds.

“We have re-launched Wazwan this holy month as we had received enough demands from our customers. On the first day we made revenue of Rs 30000 which was more than our expectations,” Managing Director JK Agro Abdul Majeed Bhat told Kashmir Reader.

He added that it has so far made sales worth Rs 70000 in five days and on an average they witness a sale of 15000 daily at their three outlets.

In the new packing, one tin of Wazwan includes eight pieces of three varieties: Rista, Lehvi Kabab and Gushtab with a validity of 12 months.

“We are registered with the Food Processing Ministry of India and our product is different than others. In terms of quality or in terms of taste it is all together different.” Bhat said.
He added that they have a famous Waza (master chefs) Ghulam Mohammad Bandair who makes Wazwan, which they later sent to Khunmoh Plant where they add preservatives and pack it.
He said that their wazwan is almost Rs 50 cheaper than private processors and restaurants.    

With its three outlets in Srinagar at Tourist Receipt Centre, Lal Mandi and Airport and two outlets in Jammu at Shastri Nagar and Katra the department is now planning to increase the number of its outlets.

“There is an enormous demand for our product and we have given few locations to the government and within a short time we will be receiving green signal. We have also given proposal to the Estates and within three days we would be having our outlet there as well,” Bhat said.

He added that other places like Hyderpora, Lalchowk and Boulevard have been located for new outlets. With new and hygienic packing, world famous Kashmiri Wazwan made and tinned by J and K State Agro Industries Development Corporation Ltd (JK Agro) has witnessed sales worth Rs 80,000 in last five days.

JK Agro re-launched its wazwan outlets on Tuesday at three places in the Valley to cater to the increasing demand from tourists and locals.

According to the JK Agro, these outlets were started in December last year but were later stopped due to the dearth of funds.

“We have re-launched Wazwan this holy month as we had received enough demands from our customers. On the first day we made revenue of Rs 30000 which was more than our expectations,” Managing Director JK Agro Abdul Majeed Bhat told Kashmir Reader.

He added that it has so far made sales worth Rs 70000 in five days and on an average they witness a sale of 15000 daily at their three outlets.

In the new packing, one tin of Wazwan includes eight pieces of three varieties: Rista, Lehvi Kabab and Gushtab with a validity of 12 months.

“We are registered with the Food Processing Ministry of India and our product is different than others. In terms of quality or in terms of taste it is all together different.” Bhat said.

He added that they have a famous Waza (master chefs) Ghulam Mohammad Bandair who makes Wazwan, which they later sent to Khunmoh Plant where they add preservatives and pack it.
He said that their wazwan is almost Rs 50 cheaper than private processors and restaurants.

  
With its three outlets in Srinagar at Tourist Receipt Centre, Lal Mandi and Airport and two outlets in Jammu at Shastri Nagar and Katra the department is now planning to increase the number of its outlets.

“There is an enormous demand for our product and we have given few locations to the government and within a short time we will be receiving green signal. We have also given proposal to the Estates and within three days we would be having our outlet there as well,” Bhat said.

He added that other places like Hyderpora, Lalchowk and Boulevard have been located for new outlets.Meat dealers of Kashmir are pitching for providing incentives for sheep raring to increase the local mutton production, which can stop the flight of capital.
 

CPI(M), BJP hold protest rallies against diesel price hike, FDI

Communist party of India (M) and Bhartiya Janta Party held two separate rallies in this summer capital to protest against the recent decision by the New Delhi to hike diesel price and allow FDI in multi-brand retail. However life in Valley remained normal and the bandh call by these parties was not observed here.

Jammu and Kashmir unit of CPI (M) led by state secretary Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami assembled in Pratap Park and held a rally to protest in support of the call of NDA, Left parties against a Rs 5 hike in diesel price, FDI in multi-brand retail and cap on subsidized LPG. “The NC along with UPA government has always made such decision which will have adverse effect on a common people. Everything is becoming so complex that one finds it difficult to live in such atmosphere,” Said MY Tarigami.  Hitting at Congress-led UPA government Tarigami said, “The worst decision by UPA has weakened the economic policies in Valley. The policies of the UPA government are always anti-poor.”

In a separate rally party workers of the BJP led by General Secretary of the party Altaf Thakur marched from Residency Road to Press enclave and later torched the effigy of the UPA led government. Carrying placards in their hands, they were chanting anti UPA slogans. “Our entire representative from all districts had come here to protest against the hike on essential commodities,” said Altaf Thakur.

Further they opposed the government for introducing foreign direct investment policy in the country. They said that the policy is intended to make the country fully dependent on outside countries. However, in Jammu markets, public transport and other businesses remained closed on BJP Left Front ca

Hemophiliacs stage protests after boy dies ‘for lack of medicines’

A group of hemophilic patients Saturday staged a protest demonstration here against the non-availability of drugs at SMHS hospital.

They said a hemophilic patient Zahoor Ahmad Mir a resident of Ajas Bandipora died at SKIMS Soura Friday as his family couldn’t take him to SMHS due to the lack of medicine there.

Talking to the Kashmir Reader Zahoor’s father, Manzoor Ahmad Mir, said, “Zahoor complained of pain in his left leg in the morning on Friday and we took him directly to SKIMS as we were already aware that the drug was not available at SMHS.”

 “There had been controversies between the Hemophilia society and hospital authorities over the newly introduced ‘substandard drug’ but now neither the substandard drug nor the branded one is available at the SMHS,” he added.
Zahoor had finished his Diploma from a Polytechnic College Bandipora and was now planning to go for further studies, he said. “We were burning our midnight oil to get his dream fulfilled,” Mir added.
Hemophilic Association of Kashmir (HAK) expressed serious concern over the negligence of SHMS hospital in maintaining drugs.
Syed Majid, president of HAK said, “Our life is at stake. We live at very high risk and unavailability of drug has added to our worries.”
He alleged that SMHS authorities were treating them as “untouchables”. “If this continues we will die one by one.”
According to HAK, Kashmir valley has more than 250 hemophilic patients with 136 receiving treatment at SMHS Hospital on court directions.
“It is time for civil society members and State Human Rights Commission to raise their voices against the hospital authorities,” he said, adding, “The hospital authorities purchased the drug against the high court orders. The newly purchased drug is not QUESL (Quality Standards of Excellence, Assurance and Leadership) certified.”
Principal Government Medical College Dr. Rafiq Ahmad Pampori said that they would look into the matter. “There is some court case against this newly purchased drug but we assure that we will take necessary action,” he said.
Medical Superintend SMHS, Nazir Chowdary said, “The allotted brand drug has finished but now we have conveyed to the government about the new requirement.” However, he said that if there was any emergency case, hospital authorities provide them the required drug.  

Retired PSU employees demand release of arrears

Employees of All Jammu and Kashmir Public Sector Volunteer Retirement Scheme (VRS), along with Golden Handshake Scheme (GHS) employees on Wednesday protested against the ‘government’s failure’ to release arrears, which according to these associations is pending since 2006.

 The associations demands the immediate release of 126 pending slab arrears. President JKPS (VRS) and GHS Mohammad Yasin Bhat said that more than thousand workers who were relieved from their jobs by opting for VRS or GHS in various PSU units are still waiting for this arrear  money,

“We have tried everything to get it realesed, but the government is non serious and had only doubled the hardship of these people.

According to the association, in 2006 government offered them two schemes Volunteer Retirement and Forced retirement. “We were been assured by our concerned departments that if we opt for volunteer retirement scheme  and golden handshake scheme we will be given all incentives but later they backtracked our their promises,” said the president.

Raising slogans against the state government for subrogating the employs on the name of incentives. “Government is saying that the funds will be given through our concerned PSU’s they are not in a condition to redress our issues,” Ali Mohammad one of the employees said.

“On an average each employ will get Rs 5 lakh but the department is not in a position to pay this much amount,” said Bhat.

“This is high time for a government to take an instant positive action in this regard,” He added.

Convent School’s controversial form angers people

Srinagar: A prominent Christian missionary school of Kashmir is in the eye of a storm after it omitted Islam as one of the religions in the application form for admission to lower kindergarten.
Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School, Rajbagh, Srinagar, recently issued admission forms for LKG (session 2012-2013) where in serial No. 9 the applicant is asked to tick one out of the four religions—“Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist.”
On Tuesday, several people visited Kashmir Reader office expressing serious concern over the controversial form. They said it was strange on the part of school authorities to omit Islam in the form given that the school has been operating in Kashmir, a Muslim majority region, for nearly a century.
Some smelled conspiracy in the issue, a charge denied by the school authorities.
“It is part of a larger design by the Christian Missionaries in Kashmir. Such things are deliberately done to hurt the religious sentiments of Kashmiri Muslims,” Nayeem Qadri, a lawyer, said.
“I was shocked on seeing the form. How they can do this?” Firdous Ahmed Khan, a Srinagar resident, said. “I even went to Director School Education to raise the issue, but unfortunately he was not in the office. This issue needs to be addressed.”
The school authorities term the omission of Islam in the form as “a typographical error.”  One of the board members of the school, who wished anonymity, said, “We came across it after some parents called us and we immediately held a meeting. It’s a typographical error committed by the printer.”
What is astounding, however, is the school’s reluctance to cancel the forms and issue new ones. “We won’t issue new forms. We have shown our regrets through media. Parents are requested to incorporate Islam in the form,” principal of the school Sister Joyti told Kashmir Reader.
Presentation Convent School was launched in Kashmir in 1936 by the Presentation Sisters, a worldwide network of Catholic Religious Organization, who had then arrived in Kashmir from Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

Meanwhile Various pro-freedom groups, religious organizations and the ruling National Conference have reacted sharply to the recently published admission form by a Christian missionary school wherein it had omitted Islam as one of the religions in the options column.
Presentation Convent Higher Secondary School, Srinagar, recently issued admission forms for LKG (session 2012-2013) where in under serial No. 9, the applicants have been asked to choose one out of the four religions—“Christian, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist.”
“If this is a deliberate attempt, it shows the sick mentality of the school administration. This is the worst thing to happen in the history of Kashmir. This is unexpected error and we strongly condemn it,” Hurriyat (G) spokesperson, Ayaz Akbar told Kashmir Reader.
Chairman, Jamiat-e-Ahlihadees, Maulana Malik Ghulam Rasool, while condemning the omission, said, “May be they want to convey to the people of Kashmir that the school is not for Muslims.”
“We condemn it. The authorities should have recalled the whole lot of forms and publish new forms if they are sincere in saying that the omission was the result of typographical mistake.”
He said that this would help them to maintain their credibility. “But they are adamant on using of the old forms that speaks that they are not sincere in rectifying their mistake,” he added.
The Jama’at-e-Islami (JeI) while demanding the cancellation of the forms has described the act as “provocative conspiracy”.
“How is it possible that they have omitted only Islam and not any other religion?” Advocate Zahid Ali, JeI spokesperson told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the school wanted to enumerate the Muslims of the state as atheists. “The form not mentioning Islam as a religion means that Muslim students would leave the option unmarked and tomorrow they can be presented as atheists,” he said.
“All the forms should be cancelled and the school administration should publish new forms,” Zahid demanded.
“This is serious issue and parents should also understand where their kids are studying,” said Maulana Peerzada Akhzar Hussain, President of AHNAF Jammu and Kashmir.
He demanded that the school authorities should apologise for the act. The school authorities should issue new forms,” he said.
The JKLF Chief Mohammad Yasin Malik said that Kashmir was a Muslim majority place and “the school authorities should rectify the omission forthwith.”
However, the Hurriyat (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, described the act as “not a serious issue.”
“If this error has happened, the school authorities should rectify it,” the chief cleric.
The ruling National Conference has called for finding a suitable solution to the issue.
The party spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq said that even though they have not got any sort of information yet, the party would ensure a stern action if such thing has happened.
“We will go through the issue and find what the reason behind it is,” said Tanvir. “We will ensure that the education department raises the issue with the school authorities.”

Govt gunmen unleash terror in Kupwara village

Attack 20 of a family, including 11 day infant, over land dispute

September 3:

Twenty members of a Kupwara family, including a 11 day infant, were injured, some of them critically, when a group of government gunmen attacked them over a land dispute in border village of Trehgam on August 29 night.
 

Twelve of the injured protested at Press Colony here Sunday. With injury marks visible on their bodies, they narrated the tales of atrocities perpetrated on them on the fateful night. Among the injured were five women, including an old lady with serious wounds. “More than five people beat me up. They tore my clothes and I was fainted. I opened my eyes in a local hospital,” she said.
 

“I tried to save my kid by holding him in my bosom but they were so atrocious that they snatched him from me and hurled him away. They even tried to molest me but it was because of my brother that my chastity was saved,” said another woman.
 

Ghulam Qadir Lone, the family head, said that a former renegade, Muhammad Shafi Lone aka Peer Jehangir hurled a grenade towards his house followed by an attack with sharp edged weapons.
 

“We were sleeping when I heard an explosion. At first I thought gas cylinder in the kitchen had exploded, but soon Shafi Lone barged into our home along with nearly 50 people and attacked us,” Qadir said.
 

He said an army post is next to their house and the police post is ten meters away. “We raised a hue and cry but no one came to our rescue,” Qadir said, adding “the attack was pre-planned. They thrashed us continuously till 3 am.”
 

“They even fired a few bullets in air. For a moment I thought all of us will be killed. I somehow managed to escape and tried to approach police which is very close to our house but they didn’t pay any attention,” said Qadir’s son Mukhtar Ahmed.   Two of the injured, he said, have been admitted to the SKIMS, Soura.
 

Mukhtar said they had purchased a piece of land from a Pandit family few months ago. But Shafi Lone, he said, lodged a complaint with the district administration. The district administration “gave the verdict in our favour and then he complained in a local committee which also gave verdict in our favour,” Mukhtar said.
 

He said they had already given three malras of land to Shafi Lone out of fear. “But he wanted more and when we resisted, he attacked us,” he said.
 

“Though police arrested some of the attackers after some senior police officials from the district headquarters came to know about the incident, the main culprit is still roaming freely, Mukhtar added.
 

Despite repeated attempts, no senior police officer from Kupwara was available for comment.