Directs all members to ensure concerted efforts to curb the drug menace with strict enforcement, Asks to keep inventory of sale of pshycotrophic drugs and installation of CCTVs in all medical stores across the district_

Doda, September 20:
Deputy Commissioner Doda Vishesh Paul Mahajan chaired the 3rd Narco Coordination Committee meet in the mini meeting hall of DC office complex Doda here today to take stock of the efforts made by the designated members against the drug abuse in the district.

The DC directed the forest department to ensure that all the wild cannabis grown in the forest areas and in the nearby locations of the forest shall be destroyed and to explore the possibility of alternative plantation replacing wild cannabis. Besides other departments including police and sub divisional administration was also directed to carry out joint destruction exercise by including PRIs and other stakeholders.

Further the education department was directed to organize Anti drugs anthem campaign vis a vis debate, painting and nukkad natak programs in all educational institutions of the district and all the winners will be felicitated accordingly at district level. Further, directed to prepare a good bunch of painters who shall paint the entire wall inside the DC office premises on the theme of drug abuse and to make anti drug pledge a daily routine in the morning assemblies across the schools of the district.

Regarding the sale of phscyotrophic drugs in the medical stores of the district the DC directed the Drug officer to submit the inventory of sale and purchase of these phscyotrophic drugs by the retail medical stores including wholesalers from 1st April to 30 September 2022, and directed to ensure installation of CCTV cameras in each medical store and to create a watsapp group of all the medical stores where each medical store operator will submit the prescription having the phscyotrophic drug mentioned on routine basis.

The DC stressed upon all the members to ensure proper implementation of the directions aiming at to curb the drug abuse in the district on priority. Besides, directed them to ensure wide publicity of the mission in every corner of the district.

The meeting was attended by SSP Doda Abdul Qayoom, ADC Doda Dr R K Bharti, ADC Bhaderwah Ch. Dil Mir, SDM Assar, SDM Gandoh, CMO Doda, CEO Doda, DSWO Doda, DIO Doda, Divisional Officer PCC, and other concerned officers.

Srinagar: Apni Party on Monday organized a convention in the Baba Demb area of the city. Besides the party workers, the event was throngebyth men and women, mostly from the Habba Kadal constituency.

According to a press note, Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari in his speech reiterated his party’s demand for the restoration of statehood to J&K and political empowerment of its people.

He said, “Apni Party is committed to continually striving for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, and political empowerment of its people. We will not budge from what we have promised to our people. From the day of its existence, Apni Party has been committed to ensuring peace, prosperity, and the development of J&K, and political and economic empowerment of its people.” “We will keep striving for our goals, come what may,” he added.

Extending his gratitude to the participants, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said that Apni Party is getting public support from each and every corner of J&K.

He said, “I warmly welcome you here. Your presence indicates that like in other parts of J&K, people in Srinagar city have trust in the Apni Party’s unambiguous agenda and its truthful policies. I am pleased to see the people in this city responding to Apni Party’s outreach program enthusiastically.”

He assured that Apni Party will not let down its people and will stick to the promises that it has made to the J&K people.

He said, “Apni Party assures a better future to the people of J&K. We have a clear vision and an unambiguous agenda for a better future for our people. Positive changes might take some time to occur. Nothing happens overnight. But I assure you that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure a better and a dignified future for the people of Jammu and Kashmir who have been grappling with the horrible situation over the past more than three decades.”

Taking dig at the traditional political parties, he said, “Unlike the traditional political parties, we do not believe in deceptive politics, nor do we offer fake promises to our people. We promise you only what we believe we can achieve for you.”

He further said, “The traditional parties and their leaders have been deceiving people over the decades by fake promises. These leaders have looted the resources and created empires for themselves and their families. And, they ensured common people remain in poverty and deprivation.”

He said that Apni Party is a people’s party, and it is devoted to guiding and serving the people.

He said, “It was Apni Party that ensured that no demographic changes occurred in J&K post-August 5, 2019. At the time when there was absolute uncertainty and chaos in J&K and people feared that after losing Article 370 and 35A they will lose their land and jobs as well, Apni Party took an initiative and met with the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister in New Delhi and ensured a guarantee from them that only the J&K people will have their right on the agricultural land and jobs here.”

Emphasizing on restoring peace and tranquillity in J&K, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said, “J&K people need peace and tranquillity here for a better future. Only a peaceful environment will ensure the prosperity and development of this region and eventually economic and political empowerment of the people. Every one of us ought to contribute to a peaceful J&K.”

“We have lost too much due to the protracted conflict and bloodshed over the years. Enough is enough. We cannot afford the further loss of lives and destruction; thus, we need to ensure a peaceful full atmosphere here. Through a peaceful manner, we can achieve everything that matters to the people of J&K.” He added.

Apni Party President reiterated his promise to ensure economic dividends to the people of J&K if the party gets the people’s mandate in the forthcoming assembly polls.

He said, “We will give five hundred units of electricity free to the consumers of the Valley in winters and the same amount of free electricity to the consumers in Jammu during summers. And, 300 units free electricity to the people in Valley during summers and 300 units to the Jammu in winters.”

Besides Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari the prominent party leaders who were present at the event include Senior Vice President Ghulam Hassan Mir, Vice President Zaffar Iqbal Manhas, General Secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir, party’s youth wing president and Mayor Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Junaid Azim Mattu, Chairman DDC Srinagar Aftab Malik, Aftab Ahmad Malik, State Secretary Muntazir Mohiuddin, District President Srinagar Noor Mohammad Sheikh, Jeelani Kumar, Provincial President of party’s women wing Dilshada Shaheen, Mohammad Shafi Mir, Noor Mohammad, Khalid Badana, Peer Wajahat, Irfan Zargar, Tanveer Ahmad, Tanbeer Singh, Adil Ahmad, Meraj ud Din, Afroza Ji, Rafeeqa Ji, Hajra Ji, Masrat Ji, and others.

JAMMU, Sept 20: Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Ravinder Raina on Tuesday accused PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti of “poisioning young minds” for vested political interests after she objected to students being compelled to sing ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’.
The former Chief Minister had on Monday posted a video on Twitter in which school staff were seen asking students to recite the hymn, considered Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan, and termed it the Government’s real “Hindutva agenda”.
“Jailing religious scholars, shutting down Jama Masjid & directing school kids here to sing Hindu hymns exposes the real hindutva agenda of GOI in Kashmir,” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief had said in the tweet.
Reacting to her remarks, Raina said she should avoid playing such politics by “poisoning the young minds”.
“Mahatma Gandhi united the whole nation by this bhajan during the freedom struggle. The school children also sing ‘lab pe aati hai dua banke tamanna meri… (my heart’s desire comes to my lips as a prayer) in their morning assembly and there was no objection from anyone,” Raina said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a free medical camp organised by the party here under ‘Sewa Pakhwada’, he said some people deliberately create such controversies for their vested political interests.
“Mehbooba should avoid playing such type of politics. She has lost her ground in Kashmir and people of the Valley rejected her. She is coming out with such a conspiracy (to regain her place),” he said.
“This country belongs to all of us, the people of all faiths — Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and others. Mehbooba should read more often Allama Iqbal’s ‘mazhab nahin sikhata aapas mein bair rakhna’ (religion does not teach us to fight)…,” the BJP leader said.
On the reopening of cinema halls in Kashmir after over three decades, Raina quipped, “This is the beginning of a new era. Our youngsters in the Valley have only heard the sounds of bombs and bullets and are deprived of all entertainment available to their counterparts in other parts of the country.”
“The people will have an enjoyable experience with the opening of multiplexes,” he added.
Raina also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for declaring the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh’s birth anniversary on September 23 as an annual holiday.
He said the BJP is “working overtime” to resolve the issues in Jammu and Kashmir and the problems faced by daily wage workers. (Agencies)

Srinagar, Sep 20: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday inaugurated the valley’s first multiplex in Sonawar area of the city, ending the three-decade wait of the movie buffs to watch their favourite stars on the big screen.
“Inaugurated INOX multiplex theatre in Srinagar. Congratulations to the people, Sh. Vijay Dhar & INOX Group. A major socio-economic revolution is sweeping through J&K in the last 3 years,” Sinha tweeted soon after inaugurating the multiplex.
He said, “It is a reflection of a new dawn of hope, dreams, confidence and aspirations of people.” The mulitplex management held a special screening of Aamir Khan-starrer ‘Lal Singh Chaddha’ after the inauguration ceremony.
The regular shows will start from September 30 with the screening of Vikram Vedha, starring Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan.
The first multiplex in Kashmir will have three movie theatres with a total capacity of 520 seats. The premises will also have a food court aimed at promoting the local cuisine.
The opening of the multiplex, which will be operated by INOX, comes close on the heels of the Lieutenant Governor inaugurating multipurpose cinema halls — one each in the twin Pulwama and Shopian districts.
The cinema halls have reopened in the valley after three decades as theatre owners downed their shutters in the Valley due to threats and attacks by militants in 1989-90.
The Valley had seen nearly a dozen stand-alone cinema halls functioning till the late 1980s, but they had to wind up businesses after two militant outfits threatened the owners.
Though authorities made attempts to reopen some of the theatres in the late 1990s, militants thwarted such efforts by carrying out a deadly grenade attack on Regal Cinema in the heart of Lal Chowk in September 1999.
Two other theatres — Neelam and Broadway — had opened their doors but had to shut business due to poor response. (Agencies)

Doda, September 20: District Development Commissioner, Vishesh Paul Mahajan today convened an interaction meeting with media persons here at Conference Hall DC Office Complex.

The meeting was attended by SSP Doda Abdul Qayoom, GM DIC Doda, SE PWD, SE JPDCL, Deputy Director Employment Doda, District Information Officer Doda, besides media persons representing different print, electronic and social media organisations.

The media persons highlighted different issues being faced by the media and general public of the District. Thorough discussions were held to ensure better coordination between the district administration and media agencies to facilitate dissemination of factual information through media. Suggestions were also sought from the media persons for addressing the problems being faced by them in connection with the dissemination of developmental activities being carried out in the district.

Speaking on the occasion, SSP Doda said that real essence of democracy is posible only with the healthy journalism. He ensured all possible help from District Police for upholding the free fair and healthy journalism in the district.

DDC while speaking on the occasion said that media plays an important role in getting public feedback so that administration can implement thoroughly various government welfare schemes and other activities and can work on the lines of public aspirations for inclusive development. He thanked all the media persons and extended his best wishes to them. He ensured full cooperation of the administration for healthy journalism and urged for fair, unbiased, responsible and professional reporting/ journalism in highlighting the issues of public importance. He also urged that journalists should be aware of welfare schemes and government programmes so that they can report the anomalies which will ultimately help the public at large.
DDC also sought their cooperation in making Nasha Mukht Bharat campaign, Swatchta Compaign and Summary revision of the Electoral Roll programme a great success.

NEW DELHI, Sept 20: IAS officer Shah Faesal has withdrawn his petition from the Supreme Court challenging the Presidential order to scrap Article 370, that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Bar & Bench reported.
Faesal was among 23 petitioners who had challenged the Centre’s decision to abrogate provisions of Article 370.
Shah Faesal’s decision to withdraw the petition comes months after he was taken back into the Indian Administrative Service in April this year and appointed Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Culture.
Faesal resigned from service in protest in 2019 to float his own political party in Jammu and Kashmir. However, his resignation had never been accepted by the government and he withdrew it later. (AGENCIES)

JAMMU, Sept 20: After former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti accused the central government of spreading the BJP’s “Hindutva” agenda, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former J-K Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta slammed the PDP leader for making everything controversial. Calling out Mufti’s remarks, Gupta said that “may the PDP leader be blessed with good thoughts”.
“Mehbooba Mufti tries to make everything controversial. She has been trying to mislead the public regarding the bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram’ being sung in a school in Kashmir,” Gupta said. He further slammed Mufti and said,” The bhajan also has ‘Ishwar Allah tero naam, sabko sanmati de bhagwaan’. May Mehbooba Mufti get this sanmati.”
His remarks came after the PDP leader on a micro-blogging site shared a video from a school in the valley. The school is located in Kulgam where the teachers can be seen singing a bhajan while the students join the tune and wave their hands. Taking to Twitter, she slammed the government and wrote, “Jailing religious scholars, shutting down Jama Masjid and directing school kids here to sing Hindu hymns exposes the real Hindutva agenda of Government of India in Kashmir. Refusing these rabid dictates invites PSA and UAPA. It is the cost that we are paying for this so-called ‘Badalta J&K’.” (Agencies)

BARAMULLA, Sept 20: The State Investigating Agency (SIA) on Tuesday morning raided the office of Falah-e-Aam Trust in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in connection with a terrorism funding case.
SIA sleuths accompanied by Police conducted raids at the trust premises in Sopore today morning.
Similar raid was also conducted at another Falah-a-Aam Trust office in Nowgam area of Srinagar today morning.
The raids were underway when reports last came in.