Zabarwan Times E- Paper English 09 July

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July 09 | 2013 | 29 Shaban 1434 AH | PAGES 12 |

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VOL NO: 3 | ISSuE NO: 164 | RS: 2/- (AIR SuRCHARGE FOR JAMMu /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)

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Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K

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Important to find some common meeting ground

Northern Command Army Chief calls on CM Srinagar, July 08: GOC-in-C Northern Command, Lt. Gen. Sanjiv Chachra on Monday called on Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah here. Lt. Gen. Chachra has taken over as GOCin-C of Northern Command recently after the retirement of Lt. Gen. K. T. Parnaik and today’s meeting with the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir was his first as the Chief of Northern Command.

During the meeting matters relating to prevailing security scenario came up for discussion. The Army Chief briefed the Chief Minister about the functioning of security grid and the coordination between various agencies.

Lt. Gen. Chachra was accompanied by GOC 15 Corps, Lt. Gen. Gurmeet Singh.

Pakistan violates truce, targets Army men Poonch, July 08: Pakistani troops on Monday open fired at Indian soldiers while they were trying to rescue two porters who were wounded in twin blasts along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district.

The blasts occurred when some porters were carrying supplies from one Army post to another in Sabzian-Mandi belt along the LoC at around 8 am, an army officer said.

When soldiers rushed to the scene to rescue the injured porters, Pakistani troops fired on them, he said.

“Our troops managed to shift one of the two porters to a nearby hospital while the other one is still lying there,” the officer said. Indian troops also fired back, he said adding the intermittent firing from across the border was still on.

This was the second attack on porters in Poonch sector within a span of two months.

In May, porters were intercepted and assaulted by some Border Action Team (BAT) personnel from across the border who also snatched supplies from them. Last week, the army had foiled an infiltration attempt by a group of militants who were provided cover firing

by Pakistani troops in Poonch district.

Earlier this month, a Pakistani intruder, trying to cross over into the Indian side, was killed when the IED he was carrying went off.

Suspicious death of a girl in Baramulla Srinagar, July 08: Baramulla Police has started investigation in the suspicious death of girl at Kreeri. A 17 years girl Rafeeda Bano daughter of Ghulam Mohiudin Ganie resident of Chandkot, Baramulla, was brought to Sub District Hospital Kreeri.

The girl was declared brought dead. Police was informed as the cause of death of the girl appeared to be suspicious.

Baramulla Police has started inquest proceedings under section 174 CrPC to ascertain the cause of the death. After completing all legal formalities the body of the girl was handed over her relatives for last rites.

Two youths drowned Srinagar, July 08: Two youths drowned in separate incidents while a 17-year-old girl died under mysterious circumstances in Kashmir Valley, police said here today. Fayaz Ahmad Sofi, a resident of Safakadal locality in Srinagar, drowned while taking bath near Aharbal waterfall in south Kashmir's Kulgam district last evening. Sofi had gone for picnic and efforts were on to retrive his body, a police spokesman said.

Another youth, Mohammad Irshad Wani, drowned in river Jhelum yesterday while extracting sand at Shivpora here.

Body of Wani, a resident of Banihal, was fished out and handed over to his family for See Drowned on Pg. 11

Omar suggests modification in AFSPA

Srinagar, July 08:

Seeking a way out of the impasse over the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday suggested modification of the law that gives immunity to the armed forces operating in disturbed areas.

If revocation was not acceptable to the Centre, modification should be looked at, he said about AFSPA that was made applicable to the state 23 years ago and is a major political issue in the run up to the Assembly polls due by November 2014.

Omar, who has not succeeded in persuading the Centre to revoke AFSPA even from parts of the State that are relatively peaceful, said that incidents in the Valley had lent credence to arguments for and against its revocation.

"I am the first person to say what happened in Bemina (eight soldiers killed by militants) and what happened subsequently in Bandipore (army shot dead two youths) strengthen arguments for and against the revocation of

AFSPA. "Therefore it is important to find some common meeting ground between the two completely opposite points of view," Omar said in an interview here.

Asked whether he was suggesting a middle way for AFSPA, the Chief Minister said, "Well there have been those who have suggested modification to AFSPA, there have been those who have suggested softening of AFSPA. "If you are unwilling to accept revocation, then look at modifications. That is a possibility," he said and cited the example of the state government which had made changes in Public Safety Act under which people can be detained without trial for upto two years.

"This is also an option I will continue to engage with the Government of India and the line I have taken in the past and let's see what happens," he said.

Asked if he had a "wish list" ahead of the polls, Omar listed

AFSPA as one of the issues on which he wants the Centre to take a decision. "Yes, I would like our discussions on AFSPA to be taken forward," he said.

"I understand the constraints that the Army is operating under. I understand that the incidents what we saw in Bemina do show us that the Army needs a legal cover to operate.

"I hope we can find a middle ground between the legal cover to operate and the sort of immunity that this Act gives which allows incidents like Bandipore to take place," he said, also listing earlier controversial incidents of alleged fake encounter at Machil in 2010.

"These are such incidents that we need to do away with.

Legal cover for army to operate, I understand that is necessary and we will continue to maintain that. That's something we want to take forward," Omar said.

The Chief Minister wants the

army to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in letter and spirit. "If they had followed the SOP in Bandipore, I am sure these things would not have happened."

He was critical of the army undertaking cordon and search operations without proper equipment. "What are you going to do with the night ambushes when you do not have night vision glasses? What do you see? How would you expect a soldier lay an ambush when he can't see what he is doing?

"So anybody who rushes to him will be treated as a terrorist.

So you are inviting trouble. If you want to lay a night ambush please provide your soldiers with night vision glasses so that they can see if someone is coming with a gun or a stick or nothing at all...so I can understand if you would have provided soldiers with night vision glasses, they would have been able to avoid the situation. You can't shoot in the dark and they expect no collateral damage."

He said while an FIR had been filed in the case by the local See Omar on Pg. 11

Pilgrims worried, Shivalingam starts melting Srinagar, July 08: Shivalingam has started melting soon after the commencement of the Yatra on June 28. A top Security official deputed near Amarnath Cave said that 'Shivalingam,' a stalagmite worshipped by Hindus as the phallus of Lord Shiva was 16 to 18 feet long when the Yatra started and only after ten days, its size has come down and it is now only 4 feet long.

“The thickness of the ‘lingam’ too has got affected and if there would be no decrease in temperature, 'Shivalingam,' will melt completely within few days,” the official said.

He said this year the number of Yatris visiting Cave is much lesser than last year as the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board is strictly following the directions of Supreme Court and allowing only 15,000 Yatris to visit the Cave from both Balatal

and Pahalgam route. “Never from last ten days had we seen more than 5,000 Yatris visiting the cave. Registration system has regulated the Yatra in a well manner, however despite lesser number of Yatris visiting the Cave, the Shivlingam is melting at a rapid pace and if it would melt before the duration of the Yatra, that would be the biggest disappointment for the pilgrims,” Commanding Officer, 54 CRPF S.C.S. Rawat said adding that there is a need to limit the Yatra period.

"The Amarnath cave region witnessed long spells of warmer temperature compared to previous years.

This could be one of the reasons for early melting of the ice lingam but another important factor is the 'human induced temperature' around the cave,” an official said.

Met officials believe that if See Pilgrims on Pg. 11

Lashkar behind deadly Employees’ secretariat gherao foiled Over 100 Govt Employees Detained army attack Srinagar, July 08: The security agencies have zeroed in on Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander Muhammad Qasim as the mastermind behind the June-24 attack on the army in Srinagar, which left eight soldiers dead.

The security agencies have prepared posters of three Lashkar militants.

These posters will be pasted in the Valley as a major campaign to nab the elusive commander, Qasim, a foreigner, who fled from an encounter site in August 2012 in south Kashmir's Pir Pan-

LoC bus service suspended Srinagar, July 08: The weekly bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was today suspended after heavy rains swept away a portion of the highway in Uri sector of north Kashmir, official sources said.

"The bus service, named as Karvan-e-Aman (peace carvan) was suspended after 100-feet portion of the See LoC on Pg. 11

chal range.

Police sources said Qasim was behind the army attack in Srinagar. Threeyear-old on Kashmir's militancy scene, LeT divisional commander Qasim is emerging as a dreaded commander who spearheaded three major operations in the Valley, including the abortive bid to storm Silver Star hotel in October 2012 on the outskirts in Srinagar and an attack on an army patrol near Pampore in July 2012. He is chiefly operating from south Kashmir.

The police have identified 20 militants active

in south Kashmir, which include several local recruits. Eleven local recruits have already been killed this year in south Kashmir.

Meanwhile, a video of the daring attack has gone viral on the social networking sites, where two youth in civvies can be seen coming close to an army truck and firing indiscriminately on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. The video has been dubbed with Quranic verses like videos of Taliban attacks in Afghanistan.

However, the security See Lashkar on Pg. 11

Srinagar, July 08: Police on Monday foiled the march to Civil Secretariat in Srinagar called by Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) even as government employees of Civil Secretariat assembled in Secretariat premises and observed complete strike to press for their demands.

Reports said hundreds of employees led by JCC leaders Abdul Qayoom Wani, Muntazir Mohi-u-Din and Gafoor Dar tried to march from Khalasa School towards Secretariat, however police personnel deployed in strength intercepted the employees at Exhibition Crossing. But employees

managed to regroup and again set for Secretariat, but police swung into action and detained key JCC leaders and scores of em-

Docs play with human lives in South Kashmir hospitals Srinagar, July 08: At a time when spurious drug scandal has sent shocks across the state, a number of doctors in government hospitals are prescribing life saving medicines of substandard companies.

Sources revealed to news agency KNS, that the doctors in south Kashmir hospitals including Maternity and Child care hospital that include Afzal Beigh Memorial Hospital, District hospital Anantnag, are prescribing the medicine of substandard companies whose lone motive is to amass the wealth from the poor and inno-

cent patients.

“The Doctors in these hospitals have a many years of tie up with companies including Adlife, Forma, Magus, Invoxi and others from which they earn a commission in lacs,” sources said. They said the doctors are so involved in this business that they receive checks from the said companies.

The spurious medicine of these companies has already put life of many patients in a number of dangerous diseases.

Surprisingly The Ayurvedic doctors of most of the hospitals in Anantnag district are also prescribes the Allopathic medicine of these

companies said sources.

“Most of the Medical Shops outside these Hospitals allegedly sell the drugs of same companies.

Sources believe a medicine called Green vela Powder which one of the accused Company produce just at RS 30 is being sold at 160 Rupees from which a share of 60 Rs goes into the pocket of involved doctors.

Wishing anonymity one of the senior doctor from District hospital Anantnag admitted that, “such things do prevail in a number of hospitals and we really want the authorities to take stern action See Hospitals on Pg. 11

ployees.

Routine work was affected in government offices across the state as the employees continued their

strike for second consecutive day. Civil Secretariat employees also supported the call and observed complete strike. All the government institutions especially educational institutions remained closed on Monday.

“There was strike in government offices and work was paralyzed but government has turned a deaf ear to our demands. If the government does not implement the agreement, we will intensify our agitation," President JCC Abdul Qayoom Wani said adding that employee’s leadership from Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh including Civil Secretariat Coordination See Employees on Pg. 11

Noted academician Manzoor Fazili passes away Bandipora, July 08: Noted academician, writer, columnist and political analyst Professor Manzoor Fazili passed away at his native town in north Kashmir Bandipore district late last night.

Fazili, 80, was fighting cancer from last one and a half year. He was buried at his ancestral village Wonagam, Bandipore on Monday morning where his relatives and friends participat-

ed in the funeral.

Fazili is survived by his wife, two sons Ehsan FaziliSpecial Correspondent for The Tribune newspaper, Irfan Fazili- who teaches Russian language at Kashmir University, and two daughters. Fazili’s wife, sons, daughters and his grandchildren were on his side at the time of his death. The family said that the Chaharum would be observed on Thursday July 11.

See Academician on Pg. 11

Congress ready for civic polls: Soz Kashmiri Artist Builds Bridges

Srinagar, July 08:

Days after union minster for New and Renewable Energy and National Conference patron, Farooq Abdullah stated that civic polls will be held only after the tourist season, State Congress Chief Prof Safudin Soz today said that civic polls cannot be avoided for a long time and the Congress party is fully ready for holding civic polls and is in touch with its collation partner over the issue so that polls could be held effectively.

“We are talking to our collation partner and are ready to hold elections like BDC and civic poll.

NC however, has their own perception,” he said.

Talking to news agency

KNS Soz said, “We are in a coalition but Congress party is ready for the civic polls we are trying to tell National conference that these elections including BDC should be

done now said Soz. He further said, “Congress Minster has given in writing to the cabinet that he is prepared to hold these elections.

“We tell them that these elections will be held now as we cannot avoid

these elections for a long time now, “said soz.

In replying to a question Soz admitted that the old city has been neglected by the government as the people of the area are facing several problems including Medical facilities but I want to solve the problems of the old city as I have discussed it with the officials,”.

“I directed the officers of the PDD to improve the electric infrastructure in these areas and ensure adequate supply of electricity, especially in the days of Ramzan,” Soz said.

Pertinently in April this year the National Conference-Congress Coordination Committee, headed

by State Congress See Soz on Pg. 11

with Facebook Exhibit

Srinagar, July 08: Four years ago, Masood Hussain, one of Kashmir’s most renowned artists, worked on a series of watercolors of places, people and activities in and around his city, Srinagar. Imbued with realistic touches, alive with filigree details, and emitting a translucence bequeathed by the medium in the hands of a master, the series “Transparent Strokes” was snapped up by visitors to the city.

Many among them were Kashmiris – Hindus and Muslims — from the United States and Britain who

wanted to carry a piece of art with them as a precious, bittersweet link to a home that now signified a lost world.

The artist began to upload the images of those watercolors on Facebook to share them with his Kashmiris across the

world and create a forum for friends and strangers to connect and reconnect with each other and with their shared cultural roots.

For, like the lengthening shadows of evening, “distances between people have increased in more than two decades of political turmoil,” says the 60-year-old artist. The separatist insurgency, the oppressive counterinsurgency and militarization of armed forces, the tragic exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, and the claustrophobic existence of the ordinary Kashmiri See Artist on Pg. 11

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11 From Front Page........

Daily

Tuesday, 09 July 2013

Omar.........

police but the army had also initiated an inquiry but added quickly that the inquiries conducted by the army were "opaque" and no one knows about the outcome.

"The only problem is that the army's own investigations are done in such an opaque manner that nobody really knows what conclusions have been arrived at. And I said the high profile incidents like in Machil are still to be resolved which means that people's faith in inquiries is very less."

Pilgrims.........

there is no respite from the heat, many pilgrims would have to be content with the trek and return without the darshan of the icy stalagmite formation.

Employees........

Committee would hold a meeting on 15th of this month to chalk out future programme.

The striking employees, under the aegis of Joint Consultative Committee, are demanding a policy on regularization of daily-wage earners, besides enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years.

“State government has backtracked from its promise made with the employees”, he said, adding, “State government failed to implement the signed agreement according to which all the demands were to be conceded.”

Wani castigated the government for alleged highhandedness. “Despite curbs by the government, more than 1,000 employees tried to participate in today’s programme, however, police baton-charged the employees.

Police used water cannons in which one employee Nazir Ahmed from Bandipora got seriously injured who was later on shifted to SKIMS. “The indifferent approach of the government is forcing us to announce tough program. We are under pressure from employees to call for indefinite strike, but we take into consideration the problems which will result from the strike. Government is pushing us to the wall,” said Wani.

JCC said the future course of action will be announced on 15th of this month.

Pertinently, JCC leaders had reached an agreement with state government on September 15, 2011, following strike by employees in favour of their demand of payment of sixth pay commission arrears, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies, regularization of services of daily wagers, adhoc, consolidated workers engaged in various departments.

JCC leaders Abdul Qayoom, Muntazir Mohidin, Mohammad Afzal, Farooq Trali, Manzoor Pampori, Mushtaq Sopori and others were released soon after their detention in Shaheed Gunj Police Station.

Lashkar..........

agencies have not confirmed the veracity of the video.

The militants killed eight army personnel in a surprise attack on June 24, just a day ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the Valley.

The militants after attacking the army vehicles fled the scene on a motorbike and attacked a CRPF post same day, just a km away.

While Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack, the police see the LeT hand.

LoC..........

highway near Gawalta was swept away by floods caused by heavy rains and cloudburst," the officials said.

Heavy rains lashed wide parts of Kashmir Valley this morning but there was no other report of any damage or causality.

The cross-LoC bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad was started in April 2005 to facilitate meeting of divided families.

The sources said senior civil officers have rushed to the scene to assess the damage caused to the highway due to cloudburst and heavy rains.

Repair work to restore the 170-km road between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad is expected to start within a day or two, the officials said.

Hospitals............

against every erring person”.

A number of prescriptions, and checks provided to the office of KNS clearly indicate the involvement of accused doctors. The story does not end here Sources believed that they believe a number of big fishes are also involved.

When enquired, the Director Health Kashmir Dr. SaleemUr-Rehman admitted, “We have also received a number of complaints particularly from Anantnag District and soon erring Doctors will be dealt severely”.

When contacted Minster for health Shabir Ahmad khan said, “A proper strategy is being devised to tackle this grave problem, for this a drug policy has already been also approved by state cabinet. He further informed that commission will be set up to look into the matter and if any doctor is found guilty will have to face the course of law very soon.”

Academician.........

Manzoor Fazili was born on March 3, 1933 at Gamroo Bandipore, had an illustrious career as a teacher in various Government colleges in the valley and the University of Kashmir.

After completing his education from the University of Kashmir and post-graduation from Aligarh Muslim University, Prof Fazili joined the government as a school teacher and later as a school lecturer in 1961. He taught Political Science at Amar Singh College (1961-66) and later at SP College (1966-71). As a college teacher, he taught at the Government Degree College, Sopore (197176) and then from 1982 to 1991. He also taught at the PostGraduate Department of Political Science, Kashmir University from 1976 to 1982.

He did his Ph D from the University of Kashmir in 1977 and one of the evaluators of his thesis happened to be Boitros Boitros Ghali, Ex-Secretary General of the UNO. His publications in English included Socialist Ideas and Movement in Kashmir (1980), Kashmir: Government and Politics (1982), J&K Constitution (1983); Hasan: Kashmir Historiographer (1983); A Liberated Teacher (1996), The Prince of Kashmir (1997); Springs of Love – 45 episodes,

published in Kashmir Times, Jammu with a subtitle ‘Flowery Hourri’; Gossip of the Day – more than 100 papers regarding politics, published in Kashmir Times, Jammu, Letter to the unknown, published in Kashmir Images, Greater Kashmir – 20 letters.

Prof. Fazili’s Kashmiri publications include Seyastich Perzan, Luke Seyasat; Munwar Shah, Luk Hakumat and Mukhtesar Tareikh-e-Kashmir.

He was a member of the Cultural Organisation, Srinagar and Advisor to Adbee Markaz Kamraz. Prof.

Fazili had also been conferred J&K Academy of Arts and Culture award.

Artist............

Muslim caught in the crossfire of intractable stances for the past two decades have left their mark on every Kashmiri with a shattering intensity.

Mr. Hussain has courageously chronicled everyday events of that strife-torn period in luminous works mirroring the human predicament beyond the brutal intransigence of politics.

The Facebook experiment triggered emotions in a society under siege as Mr. Hussain continued adding images of Kashmir to the virtual world. An ongoing endeavor, it dares to hope for an affirmation of connectedness, however tremulous.

The very first image that Mr. Hussain had uploaded was of a roofless boat and boatman on a frozen Dal Lake. He added around 200 more images. His instinct was proven right; the images set off long conversations about shared and separate memories of Kashmir.

Visitors to Mr. Hussain’s online gallery could almost inhale the crisp air of winter. They exclaimed at the sight of familiar landmarks in the older, downtown area of Srinagar, regal gardens, bazaars, shrines, temples, mosques of princes, vegetable sellers at Dal Lake, seminomadic Gujjar women, bunches of red chilies hanging along the facade of a mud house in a village. Each line, hue, shade and negative space became for that moment a real space in Kashmir the visitors had stepped into.

“I received a lot of response, especially from Kashmiri Pandits. They remembered their roots, recognized places linked to their childhood, their localities, their homes, their neighbors. Several mentioned that their houses had been burned. Many took to expressing their feelings in poetry,” said Mr. Hussain. “Somewhere along the way they discovered long-lost friends and also made new ones,” he added.

Among Mr. Hussain’s new friends is Autar Mota, a Kashmiri Pandit, who works at a bank in Jammu, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir. Mr. Mota shares Mr. Hussain’s work with a wide circle of Facebook friends, layering his comments with historical, cultural and literary references. He traveled around 300 kilometers from Jammu to Srinagar to meet his artist friend in Srinagar. “There are other regulars, too,” Mr. Hussain adds.

The online images, as well as the conversations built around them, seem to have created a mini cultural commons where, upon each discovery, new maps of belonging and longing; of presence and absence; of jagged ruptures and tentative gestures are created on a day-to-day basis.

The realistic aspect of the images sets down the physical lay of the land, as it were, trapped in a present of calcified political stances, with the common people caught between them. It is the translucence of the images which provides the viewer a way to reclaim even momentarily a childhood sky or fun-filled camaraderie from the actual, unyielding present. And those memories become artifacts of a past with the potential to imagine a new kind of cultural sharing.

But every cultural commons has its notes of discordance. Some time ago, Mr. Hussain uploaded a photograph of a reunion with his childhood friend Purushottam Bhan, a Kashmiri Pandit, who lives abroad. In the photograph, Mr. Bhan had put his arm around Mr Hussain’s shoulder. They had met after 40 years. The photograph triggered an angst-ridden response from an online Kashmiri Pandit visitor: “We have always had the heart to embrace ones who been part of our DNA…yet been our tormentors…friends turned foes…” The artist sent a friend request to the man who had made the comment. His request was accepted, but the bitter comments did not stop.

“We are all victims, we are all dispossessed,” said Mr. Hussain, adding that no one had been left untouched by political strife in the Kashmir Valley. The artist has evoked the burdens of history that have been imposed upon generations of Kashmiris in an earlier work titled “Me, Joseph Kafka.” The painted relief depicts human figures bent double by the weight of a serpentine scroll.

Mr. Hussain has always associated art with an intense desire to bridge distances. His grandfather, a papiermâché artist, had a color palette — a wooden box bearing colorful cups, some of them broken. His grandfather had pasted a photograph on the surface of the box. The man in the photograph was the brother of his grandfather who had crossed over to Pakistan. Mr. Hussain’s grandfather spent his entire life hoping for his sibling’s return.

Through Mr. Hussain’s growing up years, the memory of his grandfather’s pain became the consciousness of a sundered heritage just as his grandfather’s unflagging hope of a reunion with his brother signified the resolve of the human spirit.

Both aspects determined the course of Mr. Hussain’s life and his preoccupations. It was a journey that took him from copying illustrations from his doctor father’s medical journals as a boy to learning graphic design at the J.J. School of Art in Mumbai; from devotedly teaching art at the local fine arts college in Srinagar for 35 years until 2011, to being a conscientious artist who sees himself as a witness to his times.

He chose to stay on in Kashmir throughout the violent 1990s. The unstinting support of his wife and two daughters helped Mr. Hussain overcome the loneliness and isolation of those difficult years.

What sets Mr. Hussain apart as a contemporary artist in his milieu is the lucidity with which he seamlessly fuses his concerns and their articulation – content and form.

For instance, Mr. Hussain responded to the conflict in Kashmir and its human cost by creating a series of abstracts, each referring to a particular incident. For

those abstracts, the artist created lattice work window frames, characteristic of traditional Kashmiri architecture.

In “Transparent Strokes,” Mr. Hussain has turned to the qualities of the watercolor medium to convey that it is not impossible to reclaim memories of a world that was once whole. The minute details and the gossamer sheen of his watercolors excavate the very sensations that have created the warp and weft of Kashmiri life — be it the memory of oar on water, the autumn russet of chinars, shrines and bazaars, and the snow so intimate to the Kashmiri soul. It is not the beauty of a scenic landscape that the artist seeks to show, but the beauty of a collective memory of coexistence.

Mr. Hussain is working on a third series of watercolors.

As an artist, he knows that it is not possible for anyone to create new meanings in oppressive circumstances without recovering the strength of one’s cultural resources, for they are the very sap of existence. In his words, “This is just the beginning.”

(Courtesy: New York Times)

Soz..........

president Saif-ud-Din Soz, announced holding the polls by the end of June 2013.

Meanwhile Saif din Soz today visited many parts of the old city where he addressed a gathering and assured the people that he would sort out Problems including garbage dump.

Drowned...........

last rites, the spokesman said. Police recovered the body of 65-year-old Abdul Ahad Ganie, a resident of Tahab village in Pulwama, from the premises of a hospital at Bijbehara in Anantnag district. The body was handed over to his relatives after completion of all legal formalities, the spokesman said.

Saifullah, Gurezi, Kichloo visit Machil, take stock of various undergoing projects Kupwara, July 08: Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah today conducted a whirlwind tour of the far flung areas of Machil and took stock of the progress of various projects presently under execution.

The Minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Industries & Commerce, Mr. Sajad Ahmed Kichloo and Minister of State for Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry, Mr. Nazir Ahmed Gurezi.

Addressing a series of public meetings at different places, the Minister said that the present dispensation under the dynamic leadership of Mr Omar Abdullah has already have taken a number of steps for the welfare of the people of the State especially the people belonging to Machil like remote and far flung areas.

He said that Government has prioritised some sectors like providing better road connectivity, safe drinking water, better health care and quality education to the common people. He said that during the present dispensation, the Government made every effort to connect every rural area with cities and towns so that the people of the remote areas especially the school going children may not face any inconvenience in achieving higher education.

The Minister of State for

Irrigation, Mr. Gurezi in his address assured the people that every effort would be taken to provide basic amenity to the people. On the occasion, he directed the accompanying officers to formulate a comprehensive DPR for better road connectivity, safe drinking water, and electricity and transport facilities.

The Minister assured the locals that he will take up the matter of installation of Generator Sets, opening of four centres of Animal/Sheep Husbandry Units, besides establishment of Sub Division Hospital with the Chief Minister.

Earlier, Mr. Kichloo issued directions to the concerned Officers for setting up 100 Loom Industries, fo r which the Government would provide Rs. One lakh.

Former MLA, Lolab and other local leaders also addressed the public meetings. Later, the Ministers convened a meeting of district officers and took stock of the pace of various on-going projects. Mr. Mir directed the officers to complete all the under execution projects in time so that the people of the concerned area get benefitted from these projects. Deputy Commissioner, Kupwara, Itrat Hussain Rafique, S.P Kupwara, Abdul Jabbar and other district officers were present on the occasion.

Jugal chairs Privileges Committee meet

Srinagar, July 08: The Committee on Privileges of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council today directed the Cooperative authorities to furnish action taken report about Privilege notices moved by the MLC, Naresh Kumar Gupta to the Council Secretariat for its scrutiny. The Committee met here under the chairmanship of MLC, Jugal Kishore Sharma in which legislators, Ali Mohammad Dar, Showkat Hussain Ganie and Ghulam Nabi Monga were also present in the meeting. The Committee also discussed in detail the Privileges moved by the MLC, Ravinder Kumar

Sharma against the SSP, Security, Srinagar who was also present in the m e e t i n g . T h e S S P, Security explained his factual position and Committee decided to call Protocol Officer of Airport Authority, Srinagar in the next meeting.The Committee also discussed various Privilege notices against the various officers moved by legislators, including Rafiq Shah, Vijay Bakaya and ExMLC, Murtaza Khan. SSP, Security, Srinagar, MD of JAKFED, Additional S e c r e t a r y, L C M r.

Mohammad Maqbool, besides officers and officials of Council Secretariat attended the meeting.

ZABARWAN TIMES

Sagar for speeding up works on Dastageer Sahib (R.A.) re-construction

Srinagar, July 08: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar today directed the officers to speed up pace of work on Dastageer Sahib Shrine and ensure its re-construction as soon as possible.

The Minister was interacting with officers during his visit to the revered shrine of Dastgeer Sahib (RA) to oversee the status of its reconstruction work. He was accompanied by senior officers of various executing agencies involved in carrying out its reconstruction work. Mr. Sagar asked the officers to work in coordination with

each other and ensure a synergized approach for its completion. He said that bottlenecks, if any, should be removed and the pace of work speeded up.

The Minister said that the work should be executed strictly according to the plan already approved in consultation with various architectural patterns, which is strictly in accordance with the old existing patterns and structure. He said that the people of every section of society are emotionally attached with the shrine and we have to ensure its early completion for the devotees coming to pay their obeisance.

Jora thanks Jaipal Reddy for sanctioning CSIRIIIM at Leh Srinagar, July 08: Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora on behalf of the people of LehLadakh has thanked Mr J a i p a l R e d d y, U n i o n Minister for Science and Technology for announcing centre of CSIR- IIIM at Leh. The announcement was made by him, when he met Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah during his visit to K a s h m i r l a s t month.Ministry of Science and Technology, GOI, in first stage would provide Rs. 25.00 crore for the said centre which would be supplemented up to Rs. 100 crore in the coming years to make it fully functional.

The centre will focus on the effective utilization of

biodiversity resources of Ladakh region which constitutes more than 58% of the area of entire State and has unique biodiversity not fully tapped yet. The centre will help in scientific validation of drugs from Sowa Rigps System of medicines in the region.While announcing this, Mr. Reddy elaborated that the institute will also scientifically study ancient Tibetan medicines, which has been officially recognized as one of the alternative systems of medicines in the country.Mr. Jora also thanked Mr. Ram Vishwakarma, Director IIIM for taking keen interest in this regard which has led to sanctioning CSIR IIIM for Leh- Ladakh.

Several deputations call on Sadhotra Jammu, July 08: Several parks and ponds, updeputations today met gradation of schools, Minister for Planning & renovation of link and main Development, Labour & roads of their respective Employment, Ajay Sadhotra areas. here today at Summer Two deputations including Secretariat and projected one led by Sarpanch Naresh their demands and problems. from Suchetgarh demanded The Deputationists from better irrigation facilities in different parts of the Jammu their respective areas. Mr. region met the Minister and Ajay Sadhotra gave a patient sought improvement in hearing and said that the power supply scenario, government was committed adequate water supply, up- to redress the problems of gradation of transformers, every section of the society repair of lanes and drains, particularly with regard to better civic amenities. They the provision of essential also demanded repair of services and basic amenities.

Office of the Assistant Regional Transport Officer Anantnag

NOTICE Whereas a joint application has been received by this office from Mr. Sallar Hussain S/o Peer Gh. Rasool R/o Bijbehara Anantnag (Party No. Ist) as Transferor, (Seller) owner of the vehicle T. Sumo bearing Regd. No. JK039199 (Commercial) covering under R/P No. 809/MC/RTA/Ang and Mr. Mukhtar Ahmad Darzi S/o Bashir Ahmad Darzi R/o Dadsara Tral (Party No. 2nd) as Transferee (Purchaser) requesting for transfer of R/C and R/P of the above noted vehicle from Party No. Ist to 2nd and cancellation of hire purchase agreement with M/s Punjab National Bank Bijbehara. Before the case is disposed off on its merits anybody having objection regarding the proposed transfer may file his objection within 7 days from the publication of this notice to the office of the undersigned. No, representation/Objection shall be entertained after stipulated period.

No: 2753/MVD/Ang Sd/- Assistant Regional Transport Officer Dated: 06-07-2013 Anantnag RNS Office of the Assistant Regional Transport Officer, Anantnag

NOTICE Where as an application has been received from one Shri Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh S/o M. Ashraf Sheikh R/o Seer Hamdan Ang. owner of vehicle number JK03A-1655 for cancellation of hire purchase agreement with M/s J&K Bank Ltd. B/o Aishmuqam Anantnag. Now, it is therefore, notified for general information that objections, if any to the proposed cancellation/endorsement of hire purchase agreement shall be filed in writing in the office of the Assistant Regional Transport Officer, Anantnag within a period of 7 days from the date of publication of this notice.

No: 2762/ARTO/Ang Sd/- Asstt. Regional Transport Officer Dated: 06-07-2013 Anantnag RNS

Owner, Printer, Publisher & Editor-n-Chief: Suhail Malik, RNI No: JKBIL/2011/39764, Email: zabarwantimes@gmail.com Published from: Govt. Quarters (M-13) Magarmal Bagh Srinagar -190001, J&K, Printed at: Sangarmal Offset Press Humhama Sheikhpora Tele/Fax: 2478370 Cell No: 09999964750, 9796787844

NEWS

Daily ZABARWAN TIMES

Srinagar |TueSday

‘We brought government under full public scan: Omar SRINAGAR, JULY 08 – Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday said that the coalition government during last four and a half years concentrated on revival of institutions of governance to bring in transparency and empower people to scan functioning of the government at all levels. He said that 69 important public services have been brought under the Public Services Guarantee Act to make administration legally bound to provide these services in a fixed time frame.

The Chief Minister said that the constitution of State Information Commission, State Accountability Commission, State Vigilance Commission and landmark Legislations of Right to Information Act and Public Service Guarantee Act have brought the Government under full public scan. “We have given ample powers to a common man to question Government for its all actions and omissions, seek time bound delivery of services and be participant in the process of development”, he added and underlined this as basics of goodgovernance.In his Monday Awami Mulakat here, the Chief Minister said

that Panchayats are emerging as vibrant and effective institutions adding that powers from 14 departments have been transferred to these institutions. He said Rs. 231 crore have been made available for devolution by the Panchayats. He said 4,000 Panchayat Adalats have also been constituted.

The Chief Minister said that about 600 bridges are under construction in the State at a cost of about Rs 1200 crores. He said 81 new bridges have also taken in hand during the current fiscal. He said 3,000 kilometres of roads have been macadamized and black topped during 2012 while 1161 kilometres of roads have been completed under PMGSY last year.

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister for announcing additional Rs. 710 crore for land compensation under PMGSY, Omar Abdullah said that this would help in execution of 907 schemes with 5,389 kilometres in Phase-I – VII and 670 schemes with 2,695 kilometres in Phase-I – VIII under the Prime Minister’s Grameen Sadak Yojana. He said his Government has also taken up the matter of Central financing for three major tunnels across Singhpora-Vailoo, LolabBandipora and Chattapani-Zaznar on

Mughal Road for all weather connectivity with the Union Government.

The Chief Minister said that the State Government has also made proposal

Nagri under Inter-State connectivity programme and construction of five flyovers on National Highway at Sanat Nagar and Bemina in Srinagar, Kali Bari

Gemini

of funding by the Centre for 102 road schemes involving an expenditure of about Rs. 932 crore in militancy hit areas, sanction for upgradation of Palli Mohr to Narote Jaimal Singh upto

in Kathua, Greater Kailash in Jammu and at Samba. “We have also taken up the issue of extension of Rail Link to Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri and development of green field Airports at

so far.

It was given out that fish production in the State has reached to about 20 thousand tones against annual consumption of 25 thousand tons. The Department has established 784 Carp and 268 Trout units so far in the State.

Director Fisheries, R. K. Dogra, Joint Director Fisheries, Kashmir R. K. Pandita, head of engineering wing Mohammad Shaban besides district officers of Anantang, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian were present on the occasion.

of development programmes in the state.

The Minister said this while addressing a public meeting here today. He said that involvement of youth in peace initiatives

and giving them sense of responsibility in different fields has helped to bring back development scenario in the state.

Saying that peace is imperative for overall development, the Minister said

that people of the state now do not give any heed to anti-social elements who disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the state.

He said that everyone now wants develop-

activities in rural areas of the State also.Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating a new business unit of the J&K Bank at Lolipora in Tehsil Chadoora, Rather said expansion of bank branches in unbanked areas of the State was pivotal for giving fillip to trade and

ment in their respective localities adding that wherever the public representatives visit, a long list of developmental demands are being put forth for early redressal.

Cautioning the people against those political parties which are black mailing the sentiments during election time, Mr Mir asked the people to give befitting reply to all those with sensible election process so that they could not become hurdle in the on-going development and prosperity programme lunched due to liberal funding from Centre. He asked the youth to provide your fullest cooperation to realize the dream to make J&K prosperous state. Referring to the successful holding of Panchayat elections in the state, the Minister said that the first tire of three tire systems is now fully functional and the need of the hour is to complete the constitution of remaining two tiers at the earliest which would help to fully empower the Panchayat Raj in the state. Taking note of local demands of the people, the Minister assured them that mobile veterinary van would soon be allotted to them to provide best veterinary facilities on their phone call.

He said already the irrigation demands of the people have been fulfilled by digging of deep tube well which now irrigates about 800 kanals horticulture land of the area.

Poonch annual Plan pegged at Rs.101.91 cr POONCH, JULY 08 The annual plan for 201314 for the District has been pegged at Rs. 101.91 crore.

Decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the District Development Board meeting today presided over

by Minister Higher Education, Mohammad Akbar Lone who is also chairman of the Board.

The Plan includes Rs.40 crore as revenue component and Rs.61.91 crore as capital component.Several important decisions were taken in the meeting which includes construction of Loran-Tangmarg road via Sultan Pathri which provides another shortest road link between Kashmir Valley and Poonch district, road up gradation of Surankote town upto Buffliaz by macadamization, development of tourist places around prestigious Mughal Road etc.

Addressing the meeting,

Lone stressed the need on connectivity adding that habitations of 250 souls would be provided upgraded road facility. He directed raising necessary infrastructure along Mughal Road for facilitating local as well as foreign tourists.The meeting was told that work on Tourist Dak Banglow at Poonch stands completed whereas work on Dak Banglow Surankote & Mendhar is apace and nearing completion. Lone announced that Government is actively considering to upgrade health and educational institutions during current year for which local legislators would be consulted for feasibility of location.Earlier, District Development Commissioner, Sajad Ahmed Khan gave a resume of achievements registered during last fiscal. He said Rs.94.03 crore have been incurred on execution of various development works dur-

ing 2012-13. It was revealed that 11 kms road length was black-topped, 28 kms shingled, 25 kms mettled, 28 kms made fair weather. 68 bridges/culverts and 890 metres protection walls were also completed during the period, he said.The DDC said 41300 Pahari students and 39186 G&B Students were provided scholarship whereas 74819 students of 1473 educational institutions were covered under Mid Day Meal Scheme.

Moreover, 209 transformers of different capacities were repaired and replaced, he added.Vice-Chairman (VC) State Pahari Advisory Board, Kafil-ur-Rehman, VC - G&B Ch. Bashir Ahmed Naz, VC – OBC Kuldeep Raj Verma, MP Mr Madan Lal Sharma, legislators, Ajaz Ahmed Jan, Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan, Yashpal Pal Sharma, Javaid Ahmed Rana, Jahangir Hussain Mir, Dr. Shanaz Ganai and Sham Lal Bhagat.

ciations representing different trade and welfare organizations and scores of individuals met the Chief Minister to acquaint him about their grievances and demands.

Rather asks banks to improve CDR

Active participation of youth in democratic process to give fillip to development in J&K: Mir Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today said that there is remarkable change on the ground in implementation

This is an excellent day in which your thinking is clear and your emotions stable, Aries. Use this powerful combination of a solid frame of mind and compassionate feelings to express yourself in a sincere, positive fashion. There’s a great deal of power on your side helping you track down your goals and get exactly what you want.

Turn your energy inward today, Taurus. Make a detailed list of what you need to get done in order of priority. It’s time to take inventory and get organized. Detailoriented projects are favored, and you have much more patience and concentration than usual. Slow down the pace and remember to smell the roses as you pass by.

Annual fish production reaches 20,000 tons

DANGARPORA (PATTAN), JULY 08:-

Aries

March 21-April 19

April 20-May 20

Lone News Agency Kangan Khan News Agency Ganderbal Gulzar News Agency Soura Zahid Book Depot Chadoora Tariq News Agency Hawal Bashir News Agency Nowhatta Muzaffar Ali News Agency Alamgari Bazar Budshah News Agency Lal Chowk Abdullah News Agency Lal Chowk Sikendar News Agency Lal Chowk Gupkari News Agency Lal Chowk Raina News Agency Gund Kangan Khan News Agency Regal Chowk Rashid News Agency Dalgate Sheikh News Agency Hyderpora Hilal News Agency Budgam SRINAGAR, JULY 7: Lone News fishAgency production in the State the buildings to make themChadoora Tangmarg Bhat News Agency besides meeting the local de- presentable.

Bhat News Agency Magam Zargar News Agency Fisheries Department has mands.

The Minister said that KunzarSRINAGAR, JULY 08: News Agency Beerwah Bashir Agency Sumbal generated revenue of Dar Rs. 78 Emphasizing on aware- every year tensNews of thousand lakh during first two month ness,Agency the Minister asked for tourists,Saleem domestic as well as PattanMinister for Finance and Reshi News Safapora News Agency of current financial yearBasharat while launching a massive aware- foreign,Reyaz visit Valley un- Pampore Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim News Agency Bandipora Newsand Agency five hatcheries with seasonal ness campaign among the derlined need for establishRather today asked the BankAltaf News Agency Pulwama Javaid News Agency Qazigund production capacity of 2.50 people about the State and ing Aquarium cum Awareness ing Institutions working in the Agency Baramulla G.M NewsonAgency lakh fingerlings eachJeelani have News Centrally sponsored schemes, Centre at Srinagar the pat-Sopore State to improve their Creditbeen completed and Shah madeNews introduced in the fisheries tern of Bahu Fort Jammu.

Agency Kupwara Sultan News Agency Handwara Deposit Ratio (CDR) as per Reoperational in Kashmir Younis Valley. News sector,Agency and the financial The Sheikh meeting wasAgency told Islamabad serve Bank of India (RBI) guideLangate News This information was incentives attached with that 14000 fishermen familine Reshi News Agency Islamabad Three Way News Agency Tralto give boost to economic given to the Minister of State them, so that maximum lies are registered with the Turray Agency Tral under Department Badruwhile Newsfinancial Agency Bijbehara for Fisheries, Cooperatives, Fi- News person are brought nance and Planning Dr ManotheAgency ambit ofKulgam these schemes. assistance for construction of Arwani Rahi News Malik News Agency har Lal Sharma while reviewHe asked the officers to take low cost houses has been exRah News Agency Byepass Shaheen News Agency Kargil ing the physical and financial necessary measures for tended to 1587 such families bridging the gap between demand and supply. He said that consumption of animal protein including fish is increasing day by day, adding that the need is to find out alternate ways for meeting the public demands by way of increasing fish production in the State.

He asked them to make necessary entries of the assets of the Department in the revenue records to secure them from any encroachment. He also instructed for carrying out necessary renovation of

HOROSCOPE

Taurus

Zabarwan Times is available at

achievement registered by the Department.

The Minister asked the authorities of the Department to frame short and long term plans in order to expand the activities of the Department.

He said that fisheries sector has vast potential of employment generation and asked the officers to redouble their efforts in their respective areas and motivate people, particularly educated youth and farmers, for establishing fish units. He said this will go a long way in increasing

Kishtwar, Rajouri and Surankote with the Government of India”, he said.As many as 40 deputations from various areas of the State, over a dozen asso-

09 .7.2013

business adding that the district Budgam was lagging behind in having adequate bank branches so far. He lauded management of the J&K Bank for opening 36 branches in the Budgam districts.The newly opened business unit at Lolipora today shall be the 691st J&K Bank branch in the State

having all the modern facilities like other banks. Rather asked the people to avail the Banking facilities for promoting their business adding the loans availed should be invested on fruitful adventures. He also asked the people to develop a habit to repay loan instalments

regularly adding that without the cooperation of the people, no bank or business can flourish. He said though State level bankers committee has hailed the J&K Bank for its good CDR ratio but there is need for further improvement especially lending towards priority sectors. He hoped that banking institutions working in the State would provide better services to the people and come upto their urges and expectations.

He also asked the people to develop the habit of saving deposits for future requirements as well as for running business of the Banks smoothly.Responding to the demands of the people, Rather announced to construct another water service reservoir at Lolipora adding that flood protection and soil conservation works will be conducted simultaneously on the three nallahs namely Apziyri, Shali Ganga and Doodh Ganga. He also assured to construct Lolipora to Doda Khutoo road link and additional building for Government High School, Lolipora.

Shamim announces Rs. 20 lakh for dev works SRINAGAR, JULY 08: Chairperson, State Commission for Women Mrs. Shamim Firdous, who is also MLA Habakadal, today visited various areas which include Barbarshah, Gadoodbagh, Bhagwanpora, Chinkral Mohalla Malik Angan and Fatehkadal of Habakaldal constituency and took stock of the pace of on-going developmental works in these areas.A team of officers of Public Health Engineering (PHE), Power Development Department (PDD), Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Public Works Department (PWD) accompanied her during the tour.

Interacting with the people at different places, the Chairperson said that the after grappling with troubled times for more than two decades, the State under the

dynamic leadership Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is marching forward on full pace towards development and prosperity, adding that it was our mission to provide uniform opportunities of progress and prosperity and justice to all by allocating equal funds among the three regions of the State.

Referring to the developmental works under execution in Habakadal constituency, Mrs. Shamim said that the construction work on various micro and macro welfare developmental projects under different sectors is apace; adding that with the completion of these projects the people of the area will get optimum benefits.

Mrs Shamim announced Rs 20 lakh for construction of lanes and drains in the area out of her Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

More than 1.42 lakh Yatris had Darshan in first 10 days SRINAGAR, JULY 8 As directed by N. N. Vohra, Governor, Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, for all Yatra related arrangements being reviewed every 5 days, Navin K. Choudhary, Chief Executive Officer of the Shrine Board, today reviewed the Yatra arrangements with the Camp Directors via teleconferencing.The CEO reiterated earlier directions regarding the effective maintenance of sanitation and cleanliness at all the Camps in the Yatra area and along both the Yatra routes, and ensuring proper disposal of all bio-degradable and non-bio-degradable wastes. He directed the Camp Directors to ensure that cleaning is carried out on round the clock basis, besides launching special cleanliness drives

in their respective Camps.

While reviewing the functioning of Sewage Treatment Plants at Baltal and Nunwan Base Camps, he expressed satisfaction at their performance.

The CEO informed that the Yatra so far has been running smoothly, and all essential arrangements have been work-

Amarnathji Yatra-2013 ing satisfactorily. He stated that a total of 1,42,648 Yatris had Darshan at the Holy Cave Shrine during the first 10 days of the ongoing Yatra i.e. upto 7th July evening, at an average of about 14,264 Yatris per day.While expressing sadness over the unfortunate deaths

of three pilgrims in the past 10 days of the ongoing pilgrimage, the CEO yet again urged the intending pilgrims to take adequate precautions while embarking on the pilgrimage. He advised the Yatris visiting the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Amarnathji, to refrain from attempting to complete their pilgrimage in great hurry, as they have to undertake a very arduous trek through high mountains under adverse weather conditions. He urged them to immediately contact the nearest Medical Centres, in case they felt uneasy, to obtain timely medical attention. In this context, the CEO has also once again urged the intending pilgrims to strictly adhere to the advisory of Do’s and Don’ts issued by the Shrine Board for the Yatris visiting .

May 21-June 21

Your head and heart are working in concert today, Gemini. Things are coming together just as you expected them to. Have confidence in yourself. More than likely, you have the perfect solution to every situation.

Maybe your incredible perception of the circumstances will catch someone off guard. Be prepared for some surprised reactions.

Cancer June 22-July 22

Get in touch with your vulnerable side today, Cancer. Don’t pretend to be someone you’re not. Realize that you can be yourself and still have a good time without needing to hog all the attention. Stabilize your mind and create space to grow. Take some of the advice that you give to others and apply it to yourself.

Leo

July 23-August 22 This is your day, Leo, so don’t let anyone take it away from you. The key will be to get a head start on whatever goals you wish to accomplish. Don’t waste time thinking about exactly how you’re going to accomplish them. Just get started. The first step is the most important. You’re grounded right now, helping you get a better handle on what it is you need to do.

Virgo

August 23-September 22

Open up and reveal more of your sensitive side, Virgo. The more willing you are to share with others, the more they will feel comfortable sharing things with you. Your head and heart are in agreement, so use this to your advantage. Ground your mind and use it to take a rational approach to your feelings. The truth of the situation will become clear.

Libra

September 23-October 23 Things should go well for you today as long as you can keep the drama to a minimum. You can jump over any hurdle in your way, so don’t worry about a thing.

You have a sharp, intuitive wit about you that’s grounded in the real world. Take care of the details and plan your next big move. Clean, organize, and throw away things that no longer serve you.

Scorpio

October 24-November 21 You may have to bring yourself down to ground level in a rather sobering fashion, Scorpio. Maybe you’re forgetting an important piece of a goal that you’ve been shooting for. This is a good day to review your progress and deal with any details that require attention. Keep your adventurous spirit alive, but have at least one foot on solid ground.

Sagittarius November 22-December 21

You have a tremendous ability to understand the inner workings of any situation. You may need to give someone a reality check to make sure they’re on the same page as you. Use your criticism constructively so you don’t alienate yourself from the people. Help to fill in the blanks in a situation that isn’t fully understood by all parties, and move the project to the next level.

Capricorn December 22-January 19

Don’t say anything about someone behind his or her back that you wouldn’t want to say if the person were standing right next to you, Capricorn. Feelings are easily hurt on a day like this. People will instinctively know that you’ve been saying negative things about them.

Come clean with any confessions that you might need to make toward someone you love.

Aquarius January 20-February 18

When it comes to decisions, Aquarius, do what’s best for you today. Don’t feel like you need to perform certain tasks just because of guilt over a past situation.

Do things because you want to, not because you feel obligated to someone else. The only obligation you have is to you. If it’s truly your desire to help someone out, then go for it, but don’t sacrifice too much of yoursel.

Pisces

February 19-March 20 It’s time to settle down from the rapid-fire activities of the past few days and retreat to a quieter state of mind.

Take care of the details you failed to attend to while you were out having fun. Now is the time to turn inward and reflect. Rely on your inner reserves as opposed to your outwardly directed actions. Stay grounded and let your emotions work with your rational side.

Editorial/Opinion The Daily

Zabarwan Times Tuesday, 09 July 2013

Duping Tourists, Damaging Tourism

K

ashmir tourism is in full swing.

Lakhs of tourists have visited Kashmir so far and the number is increasing with every passing day. With mercury soaring in rest of the country, Kashmir is becoming a favorite destination for domestic tourists. People associated with tourism are a happy lot and they are making hay while the sun is shining. Because peace is very fragile in Kashmir, nobody can say for how long this tourist flow will last. Increased tourist flow is no doubt a good omen for Kashmir but unfortunately some unscrupulous elements are earning a bad name for the industry by duping tourists. Jammu and Kashmir government has cautioned stakeholders in the tourism industry against cheating or duping of tourists and defaming the state's age old tradition of hospitality. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah too has expressed his displeasure over reports of uncalled for pressure tactics employed by 'pony-wallas' on tourists for riding ponies at Gulmarg. There are about 7,000 ponywallas operating in Gulmarg as against 1,500 registered. Their functioning and treatment with tourists is not upto the standard as should have been. Though the unregistered ponywallas should not have been allowed to operate in Gulmarg but since it is for their livelihood, government should makes serious efforts to keep them under check. Keeping in view the number of complaints filed by pilgrims and tourists against unscrupulous transport operators and traders in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir and the action taken by police and tourist police, there is more malaise in the sector than what meets the eye. Only a few cases of duping of the pilgrims and other tourists are registered with the concerned authorities and fewer of them get published in the media while majority of them are either not reported nor are taken cognizance of. Violence against some of the tourists of all hues whether domestic or foreign is another issue which has not attracted the attention of the authorities over the past many years unless something serious happens on this front. In most such cases, the complaints are dismissed by the law enforcing agencies because the travel agents, transport operators and the unscrupulous traders operating under the guise of tourist guides are operating in tandem in looting the tourists. On the whole, crime against tourists is no less in J&K compared to the number of incidents taking place in rest of the country. The crime rate goes up during the peak rush of visitors in whole of the state but by and large very complaints are registered in those days not to speak of taking action against the guilty, who are suspected of having duped the tourists. All these incidents and harassment of the tourists is ultimately likely to affect the tourist traffic to J&K putting the state and its people to avoidable losses. The government needs to invoke accountability of the supervisory staff charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of the visitors besides implementing its orders and guidelines on the ground in letter and spirit in the larger interest of the people. This will continue to ensure safety and security of the tourists besides avoiding the bitter experiences of the visitors during their visit to J&K.

Daily

ZABARWAN TIMES 9 Tuesday, 09 July 2013

AEPC’s Outlook, Role and Vision B

orn in 1978- Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) is a sponsored body under the Ministry of Textiles. Build and lived to its mandate of Apparel and Garments export promotions in India; it tells the saga of the bygone era. From just being a quota monitoring entity, AEPC is today a powerful body for the promotion and facilitation of garment manufacturing and their exports. AEPC is endowed with the power to create myth, transcending moments of apparel export history as a narrative of extraordinary time. This body has recorded amazing kaleidoscopic breadth of events– witness of good and bad business environment. AEPC has often triumphant in the cause of promoting apparel export with the cooperation and stupendous talent of exports across India. Initially started with a just one office, with a passage of time it has grown to be the largest Export Promotion Council having membership of nearly 8000 from amongst large Corporate Houses, Star Trading Houses, Small & Medium Scale Units (SME), Trading Houses, etc. Out of the total membership of the Council, 85% constitutes the SMEs. AEPC is the official body of apparel exporters in India that provides invaluable assistance to Indian exporters as well as importers/international buyers who choose India as their preferred sourcing destination for garments. For Indian exporters, AEPC is quite literally a onestop shop for information; advise, technical guidance, workforce and market intelligence. Members have access to updated trade statistics, potential markets, information on international fairs and assistance in participating at these fairs. It also plays a large role in identifying new markets and leading trade delegations to various countries. In recent years AEPC has worked tirelessly in integrating the entire industry - starting at the grass root level of training the workforce and supplying a steady stream of man power to the industry; identifying the best countries to source machinery and other infrastructure and brokering several path breaking deals for its members and finally helping exporters to showcase their best at home

fairs as well as be highly visible at international fairs the world over.

The steady growth in the production and exports of apparel and garments from India has been the continuous journey of innovation and setting up quality standards in manufacturing and delivering services. This is evident as an ISO 9001:2000 and SA:8000 certified organization. Right from its inception organization been insisting the exporting community on the quality parameter – and the Council itself has the distinction for designing and execution of exhibition management services and provision of specialized management, educational, consulting and public relation services to apparel industry. As part of its philan-

Institutes of Apparel Management was established in 2007 with an intention to create professionals for “Business of Fashion” for Fashion, Textiles & Lifestyle Industry. IAM has been very instrumental to train Designers, Design Professionals, Design Managers, Designer Merchandisers, Quality Professionals etc. with a broad base knowledge of applied Management skills, competencies & understanding the dynamics of Apparel business in global context. IAM has for the first time in India developed the most contemporary and sought after Full time programmes and an array of Modular CE programmes which will give every individual an opportunity to upgrade their professional skills, key competencies &

AEPC is the official body of apparel

exporters in India that provides invaluable assistance to Indian exporters as well as

importers/international buyers who choose India as their preferred sourcing destination for garments.

thropic and skill development activity knowledge by moving up in the knowledge AEPC is working a strong supply chain value chain. for boosting the apparel industry. Today, AEPC’s ‘Skill Assessment Cell’ is setup AEPC runs 106 Apparel Training & with an objective to identify and consider Design Centre (ATDC) and more than the skill certification for early school 85,000 students trained mainly from leavers and existing workers, especially weaker section of Society. It also manages working in the unorganized sector. The the Institutes of Apparel Management project works in association with Ministry (IAM) – “India’s First Apparel Multi of Labour & Employment it seeks to Varsity” campus in Gurgaon. ATDC has develop a new strategic framework for skill emerged as India’s largest vocational development in close consultation with Training Network for the Apparel Sector industries. This initiative is helping in with over 75 ATDCs including 25 ATDC- boosting the morale, and uplifting the IGNOU Community Colleges and over 50 social status of workforce. Now AEPC SMART Centers and Skill Camps at Assessment Cell has done an assessment present in major Apparel clusters spread approximately of 1500 candidates. In order across 20 states Pan India. ATDC’s aim is to make India a world class sourcing hub to train skilled workforce for the rapidly for apparel industry project DISHA growing export and domestic sectors of the (Driving Industry towards Sustainable Apparel Industry and upgrade the technical Human Advancement) was started. This is skills to improve quality, productivity and an initiative of AEPC under umbrella of MOT for facilitating & preparing Indian efficiency in a global context

apparel manufacturers towards becoming more socially and environmentally responsible industry. The programme aims at capacity building of the SMEs on apparel sector through cluster level and unit level trainings on gap assessment and remediation of the same. In the current fiscal year apparel exporters are facing problem in getting more orders as the rupee is falling and possibility of getting business from US and EU is little hazy.

Some of the SMEs are not able to utilize the 60% of installed capacity, which in turn is affecting their profitability.

Decline in orders and less utilization of installed capacity, stiff competition from south Asian and south East Asian nations are the major reasons for the lost in jobs. If we look at the import of major market like USA and EU which contributed 80% of our total export to world have registered decline in volume wise import which suggests that in term of quantity export are not increasing which is affecting the orders. Decline in order leads to the shutting down of the units subsequently loss in jobs and business.

To resist the jolt of world economic crisis we have made certain strategies where in we are emphasizing the diversification of market base. To diversify the market this year we are organizing mega show in Tokyo, Japan which is the third largest importer in world and India’s share in import is less than 1%. Success of this show may bring huge apparel business to India as Indian has already concluded India-Japan CEPA and has become effective since August 2011. Under the agreement duty free apparel import has been allowed in Japan since August 2011.

We are organizing buyer’s seller meet in Tel Aviv, Israel; Barcelona and Madrid in Spain and New York in USA. We have also planned mega apparel show called magic fair in USA. AEPC resourcefulness to take calculated risk braving all odds, perceptible across all circumstances, is the key fuel for the India’s apparel export growth. With AEPC’s expertise and initiatives India’s apparel exports are sure to grow stronger each year in their achievements, skills and proficiency, while international buyers get superior solutions for their garments exports.

Renewable Energy an Important Source

E

lectricity is one of the prime requirements for any country to develop. Without it, infrastructural bottlenecks accentuate, causing hurdles in growth across the board. Industries, Agriculture, services and in fact every walk of life need electricity to move forward. With this in view, India has been making all efforts to generate as much electricity as possible from different sources. These include Hydro, thermal, nuclear and even non conventional sources like solar and wind energy.

The country is facing acute power shortage and its per capita consumption is one of the lowest. 75 % of the electricity is generated by burning coal and natural gas. If we continue to bank on our coal reserves so heavily these are estimated to last just for another 40 years. Besides, burning of coal raises environmental issues which should be avoided to the extent we can. Twin challenges of power and clean environment have to be met squarely.

It is in this backdrop that the government of India has made energy generation through non-conventional sources one of its top priorities. Creation of a separate Ministry of new and renewable energy is a testimony to this effort. Because of these efforts generation from renewable sources of energy has trebled since 2005 from 5 to 15 GW. By 2022 it should reach 40 GW. According to an estimate, Potential of power generation through renewable sources of energy in the country is 150 GW. A lot more needs to be done therefore.

As of now, electricity generation from renewable sources of energy is only 3.5%.

It is likely to increase to 10% by 2022.

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched on the 11th January, 2010 by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is a major initiative in the field of giving a boost to utilisation of non-conventional sources of energy. The Mission has set the ambitious target of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2022 . It is aimed at reducing the cost of solar power genera-

tion in the country through long term policy; large scale deployment goals; aggressive R&D; and domestic production of critical raw materials, components and products. The Mission will create an enabling policy framework to achieve this objective and make India a global leader in solar energy.

The 11th Five Year Plan witnessed an impressive progress in research and development and deployment in renewable energy sector. Ministry of new and renewable energy has sponsored 169 R&D projects in the area of solar energy, bio-energy and hydrogen and fuel cells with a total outlay of about Rs.525 crore.

Renewables contributed to nearly 14,660 MW power during the 11th Plan and they will become more important in future.

Ministry sanctioned a project for installation of standalone SPV power plants aggregating to 8740 kWp capacity in 4115 schools and 9 examination centers. During the current financial year, a project for installation of 560 SPV water pumping systems in six districts of Bihar has been sanctioned. A Plan has also been prepared for increased exploitation of various renewable energy sources in the country during the 12th Plan .

The 12th Plan proposals envisage 29,800 MW grid-interactive and 3267 MW offgrid power generation capacity addition from various renewable energy sources and deployment of 7 lakh biogas plants, 35 lakh cook stoves, 8.5 lakh solar cookers and 80.5 lakh solar thermal energy systems in the country. Twenty

The country is facing acute power shortage

and its per capita consumption is one of the lowest. 75 % of the electricity is generated by burning coal and natural gas. If we

continue to bank on our coal reserves so

heavily these are estimated to last just for another 40 years.

The Ministry is providing subsidy of 30% million solar lighting systems and 20 of the benchmark cost of the solar million sq. solar thermal collector area is photovoltaic (SPV) systems. It is also envisaged by 2022. Efforts are also on to providing subsidy for installing solar promote wind power through private lanterns, home lights and small capacity sector investment by providing fiscal PV plants through NABARD, Regional and promotional incentives such as Rural Banks and other Commercial concessional import duty on certain Banks. Banks also extend credit facility components of wind electric generators to the beneficiaries at usual commercial and excise duty exemption to manufacrates to meet the rest of the cost. Upto turers. 10 years tax holiday on income 31st March, 2012 over nine lakh five generated from wind power projects is Besides, loans for thousand solar lanterns, eight lakh also available. sixty two thousand solar home lights installing windmills are available from and about eight thousand solar water Indian Renewable Energy Development pumping systems have been installed in Agency (IREDA) and other Financial the country. During 2011-12, the Institutions. Technical support is

provided by the Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET), Chennai. The Government had announced a Generation Based Incentive (GBI) during 11th Plan period. Efforts are being made to continue the GBI scheme in 12th Plan. National Tariff Policy was amended mandating State discoms to have a solar RPO of 0.25% by 2013 reaching 3% by 2022. The Government has already implemented a scheme to procure 1000 MW of solar power and supplying it to State discoms after bundling with equivalent capacity of thermal power. Even generation of power from garbage and municipal solid waste is also being given due attention.

The 16 megawatt project installed at Okhla in New Delhi is the only such project in operation in the country. The project, commissioned in May this year, has so far generated about 24 million units (kWh) of electricity. Projects on energy from municipal solid wastes (MSW) are being taken up by the Municipal Corporations in public private partnership mode by tying up with selected private companies.

The need to tap new and renewable sources of energy to meet energy requirements of the country and protect the environment from greenhouse gases can hardly be overemphasised.

Fortunately, there is abundance of solar energy available in most parts of the country. Ladakh, for instance has bright sunshine for 300 out of 360 days a year.

No wonder it is one of the focus areas of the ministry in exploiting solar energy.

What matters is to tap it for electricity generation or for other useful purposes.

To make it affordable and cost effective, sincere efforts have to be made and suitable policies formulated. A total of around 1000 MW capacity solar power plants have been installed in the country in last two years and if this trend continues, the country will indeed achieve the target of 20000 MW by 2022. Alongside, due attention has to be paid to provide quality product and service to develop confidence among the users.

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

HE A L+H 58

ZABARWANTIMES ZABARWAN TIMES TUESDAY 09 JULY 2013

Chocolate, red wine good for heart

Eating dark chocolates, drinking red wine and being involved in a healthy, loving relationship are good for the heart, says a cardiologist.

"There are a couple of different theories behind why that might be," said Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute cardiologist Julie Damp, M.D. People who are married or who are in close, healthy relationships tend to be less likely to smoke, are more physically active and are more likely to have a well-developed social structure, she said.

They are also more likely to have lower levels of stress and anxiety in their day-to-day lives.

"There is a theory that people who are in loving relationships may experience neuro-hormonal changes that have positive effects on the body, including the cardiovascular system," Damp said, explaining that there are certain hormone levels in the body that vary depending on the level of an individual's stress and anxiety.

"This has not been proven, but the idea is that being in a relationship that is positive may have positive effects on your cardiovascular system over long periods of time," Damp said.

In fact, studies have shown that relationships that involve conflict or negativity are associated with an increase in risk for coronary artery disease.

Studies also suggest dark chocolates

Get heart smart with almonds

and red wine are good for the heart, as well.

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have positive effects on many different body systems including the cardiovascular system. The high concentration of cocoa in dark chocolate appears to be what offers the flavonoid benefit.

"Dark chocolate has been shown to be associated with lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and improvement in the way your blood vessels dilate and relax," Damp said.

Further study is needed to know exactly which type of chocolate and

how much of it is the most beneficial, but studies have shown that people who eat chocolate more than once a week have lower risks of heart disease and stroke compare to people who eat it less frequently.

Flavonoids are also present in red wine. Multiple observational studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption, which is one drink a day for women and one to two for men, is associated with lower rates of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks. However, Damp cautions that there is not enough evidence to encourage people who don't currently drink to start drinking

Smoking can ‘rot’ your brain Both passivity, hyperactivity can damage kneesDrug lulls cancer cells to sleep for goodActive lifestyle helps slow dementiaYou may be victim of `semisomnia`Many work on laptops, iPads in bed Smoking can be hazardous not only for the health of your body, but of your mind too.Smoking "rots" the brain by damaging memory, learning and reasoning, researchers at King's College London have warned A study of 8,800 people over 50 showed high blood pressure and being overweight also seemed to affect the brain, but to a lesser extent.

The researchers were investigating links between the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke and the state of the brain.

Data about the health and lifestyle of a group of over-50s was collected and brain tests, such as making participants learn new words or name as many animals as they could in a minute, were also performed. They were all tested again after four and then eight years.

They found that the overall risk of a heart attack or stroke was "significantly associated with cognitive decline" with those at the highest risk showing the greatest decline.It also said there was a "consistent association" between smoking and lower scores in the tests.

"Cognitive decline becomes more common with ageing and for an increasing number of people interferes with daily functioning and well-being," the BBC quoted Dr Alex Dregan, one of the researchers, as saying "We have identified a number of risk factors which could be associated with accelerated cognitive decline, all of which, could be modifiable.""We need to make people aware of the need to do some lifestyle changes because of the risk of cognitive decline," he added.

The researchers do not know how such a decline could affect people going about their daily life. They are also unsure whether the early drop in brain function could lead to conditions such as dementia.

Dr Simon Ridley, from Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Research has repeatedly linked smoking and high blood pressure to a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia, and this study adds further weight to that evidence.

"Cognitive decline as we age can develop into dementia, and unravelling the factors that are linked to this decline could be crucial for finding ways to prevent the condition. These results underline the importance of looking after your cardiovascular health from mid-life," he noted.

The Alzheimer's Society said: "We all know smoking, a high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and a high BMI [Body Mass Index] is bad for our heart.

This research adds to the huge amount of evidence that also suggests they can be bad for our head too.

"One in three people over 65 will develop dementia but there are things people can do to reduce their risk. Eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, getting your blood pressure and cholesterol checked and not smoking can all make a difference," it suggested.The findings were published in the journal Age and Ageing.

Chronic stress may up stroke riskNew antibody can treat spinal cord injuryHair loss: Causes of balding in womenFlavours in foods resemble mood-stabilizing drugTake breaks, sleep to learn better Women who have had three or more abortions have a higher risk of some adverse birth outcomes, such as delivering a baby prematurely and with a low birth weight, according to a new study.

The research found that among 300,858 Finnish mothers, 31,083 had had one induced abortion between 1996-2008, 4,417 had two, and 942 had three or more induced abortions before a first birth (excluding twins and triplets).

Those who had had three or more induced abortions had a small, but statistically significant increased risk of having a baby with very low birth weight (less than 1500g), low birth weight (less than 2500g), or of a preterm birth (before 37 weeks), or very preterm birth (before 28 weeks), compared to women who had had no abortions. There was a slightly increased risk of a very preterm birth for women who had had two induced abortions.

"Our results suggest that induced abortions before the first birth, particularly three or

Eat almonds for nutrition20 Best snacks for heart healthImportant facts about heart health for womenGrapes good for men's heart healthSpicing food with chillies boosts heart health Almonds promote a healthy heart in many ways. This powerpacked nut is a source of various nutrients required by the human body.

The vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, magnesium, and antioxidants found in the nuts have been scientifically proven to help improve blood flow and general heart health. The cholesterol-lowering effects of almonds can also help almond snackers maintain healthy hearts.

Have almonds in breakfast: The addition of almonds to breakfast long hailed as the most important meal of the day provides many nutrients that contribute to heart health, namely, fibre, mono-saturated fat, vitamin E and phyto-chemicals.

Research has shown that these nutrients help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Have a handful of almonds: Of all the things to love about almonds, this one's bound to get your heart pumping: consuming just a handful of almonds daily helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. And that's a respite for most of us as cardiovascular diseases are on the rise in India. So make it a habit to snack on almonds at home, on the go, watching TV or working.

Get your daily dose of antioxidants: Do you know which type of vitamin E the human body absorbs best? It's called alpha-tocopherol vitamin E and almonds are one of the leading food sources of this important antioxidant. It can help neutralize harmful free radicals in your body which are unstable molecules that form as your body burns oxygen. Free radicals can damage your cells, tissues, and even your DNA. Researchers believe this process may contribute to the development of some chronic diseases such as cancer and heart diseases.

Manage your weight: To keep your body and especially your heart in the best possible shape, it's important to maintain your weight. Obesity is one of the most common reasons for Heart related disorders. Almonds don't just fight hunger pangs; they also provide fiber, "good" monounsaturated fats, and 6 grams of protein to help give you that "full" feeling. Almonds offer key benefits to anyone trying to watch those kilos, namely satiety; more quality calories with more nutrients; crunch; and undeniable tasty flavor.

Facts about AIDS

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS strips a person of immunity and is an irreservible condition with no known cure.

The condition, itself, suffers from opinion- based 'facts' that float around in public opinion offline and, as a result, online.

Today, to clear out the confusion, we filter the facts about AIDS and separate the myths from the mustknow information. If you believe a mosquito bite can spread HIV and that you are insusceptible to HIV then here are 10 facts about AIDS that will change your perspective on HIV and AIDS. Facts about AIDS: Faithful sexual partner and condoms equal safe sex Condoms are considered 100 percent protection to AIDS, but the truth remains that condoms can tear and can have microscopic holes. This tends to happen if the condoms are not stored properly or they may have passed the expiry date. Tear in the condom can be attributed to strong carnal emotions.

But yes, condoms and a faithful partner reduce the chances of contracting HIV. Facts about AIDS: Oral sex can cause AIDS To demystify oral sex - mouth and tongue touching the genitals. And this can cause the spread of HIV and AIDS if the partners have cuts ore sores in the mouth and the private parts. You can contract HIV through fingering too, especially if you have cuts or sores on your finger.

But the risks are lower than un-

more abortions, are associated with a marginally increased risk during the first birth.

However, the increased risk is very small, particularly after only one or even two abortions, and women should not be alarmed by our findings," said Dr Reija Klemetti, an associate professor and senior researcher in public health at the National Institute for Health and Welfare in Helsinki, Finland, who led the research.

Most of the induced abortions were surgically performed and nearly all were performed before 12 weeks gestation.

The researchers adjusted their findings to take account of various factors that could affect birth outcomes, such as social background, marital status, age, smoking, previous ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages. Multiple births (twins and triplets) were excluded.

The risk of having a baby born very preterm appeared to increase slightly with each induced abortion, but only the risk from two abortions or more was statistically significant.

The study has been published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal Human Reproduction.

protected sex; this doesn't give you a free ticket to have oral sex.

The transfer of HIV is like a spy, who can slip through surveillance camera without a glitch.

Facts about AIDS: You can share your toilet and cutlery with an HIV or AIDS patient The HIV virus mainly survives within the body, the virus has low chance of surviving externally, outside the body. The HIV virus can only survive on a cell, hence the virus withers away within minutes to an hour depending on the volume of the fluid.

Shaking hands, sharing toilets and swimming pools should not stop you from interacting or discriminating an HIV or AIDS patient.

Facts about AIDS: Your child can contract HIV if the mother is pregnant The child can contract HIV before or after birth. The virus can be transmitted during breastfeeding too. But there are drugs that can greatly reduce the chances of transferring HIV virus. But the best option recommended is a caesarean section delivery and to avoid breastfeeding.

Facts about AIDS: You need to use protection even if you and your partner has HIV Unprotected sex between two partners who are infected with HIV can result in exposure to other strains of the HIV virus. It is suggested to have protected sex at all times to prevent a deadly strain of the virus.

Facts about AIDS: Mosquito bite does not cause HIV There are some points to remem-

ber here: - There is not evidence to vouch that mosquitoes can spread HIV - The virus does not survive with a mosquito for along time - Lastly, insects do not inject the blood into person when they 'bite' Facts about AIDS: Cure for HIV Antiretroviral drugs can add life to your years and give you a normal life, but it cannot cure you completely of this parasitic virus.

The HIV virus has the ability to adapt to the antiretroviral drugs, hence it is consumed with other medication. If you believe you are infected with the HIV virus in the last 72 hours, post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP drug can kill the HIV virus.

Facts about AIDS: HIV does not discriminate Many of us believe we cannot contract HIV. We want to believe that the poorest of the poor are more

likely to contract HIV or the rich are likely to contract it. But the fact remains that HIV does not discriminate on your bank balance, colour of your skin or country. The HIV virus will thrive on living human cell no matter your identity.

Facts about AIDS: You can still spread HIV even if you're getting treatment The treatment reduces the virus in your body but the treatment does not kill the virus completely.

Hence it is still advised to practice safe sex. It is possible to pass on the HIV virus to your partners and others even if you are getting treatment.

Facts about AIDS: Having sex with a virgin cures AIDS This is myth; it's as good as saying that having ice cream will cure your cold. It is also believed that having sex with a disabled individual can cure HIV and AIDS.

Tips for healthier knees

Asha Kirana - a ray of hope for AIDS victimsPlay the violin, beat dementiaNanoparticles minimise side-effects in radiotherapyMediation with art lowers stress in breast cancerMore Indian women dependent on alcohol Severe knee pain will never go away 100 per cent. But you can make it negligible by taking the following measures: - For most forms of knee pain, applying ice is the first step to recovery. Ice (inside a plastic bag) wrapped in a towel, acts as an anaesthetic to soothe the ache. The ice pack shouldn't come in direct contact with your skin.

- Avoid the knee bashers. Some activities, such as running and hiking over hilly terrain, put a greater demand on the kneecap.

- Berries, ginger, avocado, flaxseed, omega-3-rich fish, and soy are excellent for your knees.

- Check your shoes — avoid heels, awkward bumps and hard materials.

- If there is any difference in the lengths of your legs, ensure you get insole so your body posture is balanced.

- Muscle up your leg. To strengthen the quadriceps start with straight leg raises. Consult a physiotherapist for more exercises.

- Work your hamstrings. To rehabilitate an injured knee, it is essential to build up strength in the hamstring muscles on the back of the thigh.

- Excessive sodium should be avoided as it contributes to water retention and swelling, which puts pressure on your knees and causes pain.

- If your knee pain is caused by arthritis avoid green peppers, cayenne, eggplant, paprika, tomatoes and potatoes, all of which contain sotanine, a toxin to which arthritis sufferers may have sensitivity.- Vitamin C is great for your knees.

Ensure you stock up on this 'powerhouse' vitamin to keep your knees in shape. After all we have miles to go before we sleep!

NATION

7 SRINAGAR Tuesday, 09 July ,2013

Coal scam: CBI moves SC to modify its order

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has approached the Supreme COurt for modification of an earlier order on he coal block allocation scam. The court had on May 8 directed the agency not to share any information with the government.

The CBI has countered that order and approached the court saying that as the scope of investigation has expanded, it will need to share details with the government for seeking sanction and jurisdiction. The agency now wants the apex court to modify its order to that extent.

Earlier on Monday, the CBI also filed a status report in the apex court on the coal block allocation scam. The CBI gave the status of 13 FIRs and three Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) in a sealed envelope to the Supreme Court.

The report alos gave details of former CBI Chief Investigating Officer Vivek Dutt’s case.

Dutt was caught taking a bribe of Rs 15 lakh on May 17. The CBI Internal Intelligence Unit nabbed Dutt in an operation that was personally supervised by the agency’s director Ranjit Sinha.The CBI had questioned various government officials including former coal secretary HC Gupta for their role in the

coal scam. The CBI had recorded statements of two officials of the Prime Minister’s Office as part of its probe into the scam.

The CBI sought clarification from Vini Mahajan and Ashish Gupta regarding the allocation of the coal blocks.

The CBI had filed its second affidavit on the coal scam in the

Tamil Nadu govt orders commission to probe death of dalit youth

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday set up an one-member judicial commission headed by retired judge of the Madras high court, S R Singaravelu, to probe the death of dalit youth E Elavarasan.

Elavarsan’s body was found near the railway tracks in Dharmapuri on July 4.

Elavarasan’s marriage to a vanniyar (MBC) woman Divya had triggered a wave of caste violence in Tamil Nadu. The dalit youth had eloped and married Divya last year, igniting antidalit violence in dalit colonies in Dharmapuri district.

Elavarsan’s body was found alongside the railway tracks a day after Divya’s submission to the Madras high court on a habeas corpus petition moved by her mother, that she would not live with her husband. Police have found a suicide not and are checking its authenticity.

Explaining the rationale behind constituting the commission, chief minister J Jayalalithaa, in an official statement, said that several reports on the death that caused deep

anguish and shock had been appearing in the media.

T Elagno, father of Elavarasan also raised doubts over the cause of his son’s death. “Therfore, I ordered setting up a commission under S R Singaravelu, the retired judge of the Madras High Court to probe into the incident,” she said. Singaravelu is also the chairman of the Private School’s fee determination committee.

Supreme Court earlier in May and had stated that Ashwani Kumar, who resigned from his post of the Law Minister after the affidavit came to light, Attorney General GE Vahanvati and officials from the PMO and the Coal Ministry had seen the probe agency’s report and suggested changes to it.

Ishrat Jahan case: CBI hands over chargesheets for accused to court

Ahmedabad: The CBI has handed over seven separate chargesheets for the seven accused in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case to a court. The court has not shared the chargesheets with any of the seven accused as they were not present in the court on Monday.

The CBI told the court that the accused should be personally present when the chargesheets are handed over. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has maintained in its chargesheet that the 19-yearold was killed in a fake encounter in a joint operation between Gujarat Police and the Intelligence Bureau.

The CBI though remains silent on whether Ishrat was a terrorist or not. The chargesheet claimed that eight Gujarat top policemen including ADGP PP Pandey, DG Vanzara, GL Singhal and five others were part of the murder and abduction conspiracy.The court has not shared the chargesheets with any of the seven accused as they were not present in the court on Monday.However, Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his close aide Home Minister Amit Shah have not been named in the chargesheet. IB officer Rajendra Kumar has not been named in the chargesheet as an accused as well.

According to the CBI chargesheet, Ishrat Jahan and three others were kept in

DMK to stage protests over Sethusamudram project delay today The DMK will hold protests in Chennai on Monday demanding immediate implementation of the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel project.

The protests, to be held in South Chennai and North Chennai, would also demand that AIADMK government to withdraw an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court against the project, a party release said.

This was part of the decision taken at the administrative council meeting chaired by party president M. Karunanidhi last month, it said.

The Rs.2400 crore project that involves dredging of the Ram Sethu or Adams Bridge, has become a bone of contention between arch rivals DMK and AIADMK with Chief Minister Jayalalithaa demanding that Ram Sethu be declared as a national heritage.

The DMK patriarch has been arguing that AIADMK had in 2001 and 2004 poll manifestos supported the project.

BJP hits out at Congress, says UPA on the verge of breakup

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party hit out at the Congress and said the United Progressive Alliance is on the verge of breakup. The BJP held its Parliamentary Board meeting on Monday in New Delhi as the party gears for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

BJP General Secretary Ananth Kumar said the Congress is insecure of alliance support and there could early elections.

He said, “The BJP is ready for snap polls and will fight the elections on the issue of corruption and economic crisis during the UPA regime.”

The meeting was to plan the party’s official stand on the Food Security ordinance. “Even on food security, it had to bring in ordinance as they have doubts about the support of their own allies,” the BJP said.

The BJP is ready for snap polls and will fight elections on the issue of corruption in the UPA, said Ananth Kumar.

The party said five states will go to election is November and the “Congress is under pressure and can not face Parliament”. In such a situation, the BJP will be aggressive and will force them for a Parliament debate on corruption and

price rise.

The party poll panel chief Modi and party President Rajanth Singh will create the strategies for the elections and it will be discussed with key leaders. “More than 100 rallies will be taken out across the country. BJP has come in election mode,” the BJP said in a statement.

Senior BJP leader LK Advani, party President Rajnath Singh, party poll panel chief Narendra Modi, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and

her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley were present in the meeting. The meeting was expected to finalise Modi’s plan for 2014 polls. A decision was expected on making former party president Nitin Gadkari campaign in-charge of Delhi and Rajasthan and the proposed merger with Subramaniam Swamy’s Janata Party.

This is the first meeting after top brass including LK Advani met the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat last week in Nagpur.

Bodh Gaya bombs had ammonium nitrate, timers: Report

A team of the National Security Guard (NSG), which picked up samples from the area, has sent a report to the Union Home Ministry, saying the low-intensity bombs worked like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and were trigerred through analog clock timers.

Indian security personnel inspect the site of an explosion inside the Mahabodhi temple complex at Bodh Gaya in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. ReutersThe bombs that targeted the world renowned pilgrimage town of Bodh Gaya and Mahabodhi Temple complex had a

mix of ammonium nitrate and sulphur and were neatly packed in small cylinders, a preliminary report has said.A team of the National Security Guard (NSG), which picked up samples from the area, has sent a report to the Union Home Ministry, saying the low-intensity

bombs worked like improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and were trigerred through analog clock timers.The NSG postblast analysis also said that some splinters were put in the ammonium nitrate, sulphur and pottasium emulsion for causing damage in various locations in the temple complex. The explosives were packed and kept in small cylinders which are used for commercial purposes.

The NSG team, which reached the spot yesterday evening, will return only after collecting more samples from the area, a senior official said today.

DAILY ZABARWAN TIMES

illegal confinement, put on tranquilizer before they were killed in cold blood on June 15, 2004. Senior IPS officer DG Vanzara and other Gujarat police officers collected weapons from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) office and then planted them on Ishrat and others.The chargesheet said on Vanzara’s instructions, suspended IPS officer GL Singhal went to the IB office on June 14 and collected a bag of weapons used in the encounter.According to the CBI, IB officer Rajinder Kumar was heading state investigation bureau during the period when the encounter was carried out.

Gujarat Police officers were deployed in different places in the name of nakabandi (pickets) in Ahmedabad to manage the encounter, the chargesheet said. Charges of murder, kidnapping and illegal confinement against eight Gujarat Police officers including Vanzara have been slapped by the CBI.The CBI chargesheet also said that Kumar and Pandey interacted with Ishrat and Javed at Khodiyar farm a few days before the encounter which conclusively proves that she was abducted by Gujarat Police officers NK Amin and Tarun Barot from Vasad toll booth.

HC gives two weeks time to Chandy govt on CBI probe in solar scam Kerala High Court on Monday gave the Kerala government two weeks time to inform its views regarding entrusting of investigation to CBI in the solar scam, which has rocked the state since the past few days.

The direction in this regard was issued by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice K. Vinod Chandran on a petition by one K. Sudhakaran of Kottarakara seeking CBI probe into the scam.When the petition came up before the bench, Advocate General K.P. Dandapani did not express any opinion regarding the probe.According to the petitioner, the prime accused in the case Biju Radhakrishnan, Saritha S. Nair and tele actress and danseuse Shalu Menon have close contacts with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Home Minister Thiruvanchur Radkahrishn and other ministers and high officials of the state.

So many phone calls have been traced. Now investigation is being conducted by ADGP, who

is working under the home minster, the petitioner submitted.

It was also alleged that there is a direction from the home minister that no investigation can be conducted against chief minister’s office.

The bench asked the petitioner to produce a copy of the said direction.

The scam pertains to alleged fraudulent deals running into crores of rupees indulged in by a firm run by Biju and Saritha by duping clients for solar panel installation schemes.

At Least 12 Dead in India Building Collapse

NEW DELHI—A two-story building collapsed Monday in the southern Indian city of Secunderabad, killing at least 12 people, the latest incident in a string of building collapses in recent months.

A spokesman for the local police said the City Light Hotel and Bakery at a busy market in Secunderabad collapsed around 6:30 a.m. Secunderabad is situated about 5 miles from Hyderabad, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh state.

Rescue workers move the rubble as they search for victims at the site of the building collapse in Secunderabad Monday.

Twenty people have been rescued and moved to a hospital, said G.V. Raghu, the chief city planner at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.

Officials from the city’s municipal corporation and the fire brigade have reached the spot, according to Bhupathi Vikram Deva Raju, a spokesman for Hyderabad’s police commissioner.The reason for the collapse was unclear, but Mr. Raju said the building may have fallen because it was old.

The latest incident underlines the poor

building safety in many parts of India and the region. Last month, at least 10 people were killed after part of a five-story building collapsed in Mumbai.

In another incident, a seven-floor apartment building in a Mumbai suburb collapsed in April, leaving 74 people dead.

Building safety in South Asia came

under international focus after more than 1,100 people were killed when a factory complex collapsed in Bangladesh in April.

It was one of the world’s worst-ever industrial accidents.

Heavy monsoon rains in India since the beginning of June have increased the risk of collapse of poorly constructed buildings.

Bill will benefit over 75 per cent of rural households: Milind Deora CHENNAI: Union Minister of State for Communication, IT and Shipping, Milind Deora today expressed hope that the Centre's Food Security Bill would be ratified in the Monsoon session of Parliament.

"It is unfortunate that the Food Security Bill has to come in the form of an ordinance. But, we are hopeful that the Bill will be ratified in the Monsoon session of Parliament," Deora told reporters here.

Terming the Bill as a "non political bipartisan issue," he hoped to have all political parties on board as the Bill would benefit over 75 per cent of rural households and 50 per cent of urban households in the country.

Replying to a query on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's letter to the Prime Minister opposing the Bill,

he said, "It is unfortunate that her personal opinion is this. But, I hope that the state government takes into consideration the benefits it will give to the people of the country including this state."

On the growth of the telecom industry in the last decade, he said, "the tele density in the country was only seven per cent in 2004 and it has increased to over 75 per cent now."

Underlining the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's recent action to slash roaming rates, he said the Centre was working towards an objective of 'One Nation, Free Roaming.'

Replying to another query on his senior party colleague Digvijay Singh's comments on Bodh Gaya serial blasts,

he said, "There are two aspects to it.

First is that the Congress spokesperson has articulated party's official position.

As far as the government is concerned, NIA is investigating the case and it is too premature to talk about this now."

To a query on his scheduled visit to handset maker Nokia's factory near here tomorrow, which is alleged to have attempted to evade tax, he said, "That is between the Finance Ministry and the Income Tax department.

My visit is to see how the government can take steps to improve the electronics industry in the country, which has the potential to give a push to the country's economy."

The Minister said the lighthouse at Mammallapuram near here would be promoted as a tourist destination. "As a pilot project, we are going to convert Mamallapuram near Chennai and Kanhoji Angre near Mumbai into tourist destinations," he said.

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