News Notes

Banking ON
T
he whooping growth rate of J&K Bank is on. The premier bank of JK state has registered a thirty five percent increase in

its net profit at the end of the first six months, September this year and is all set to achieve a net profit target of Rs 1000 crore and business target of Rs one lac crore by March 2013.

The bank registered a net profit of Rs 515.62 as compared to Rs 381.94 crore profit of the corresponding period of the fiscal 2011-2012.

For the second quarter (Q2), the bank registered a net profit of Rs 269.53 crore as against Rs 199.65 crore recorded for the corresponding quarter of the last financial year, registering an increase of 35 % during the period.
The business of the Bank reached Rs 89,198 crore witnessing an increase of 17.89% from Rs 75,660 crore recorded during the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

The interest income has grown by 34.60 % to Rs 2976.75 crore. The operating profit has gone up by 33.17% from Rs 629.15 crore to Rs 837.85 crore. The NPA Coverage Ratio increased to 93.30% from 92% recorded during the corresponding period last FY.

The Bank’s Earnings per Share have considerably increased by 35% reaching 212.72 from 157.57.
Chairman and CEO of the Bank Mushtaq Ahmad said, “The results are encouraging and we hope to achieve our target figures for the fiscal 2012-13 well in time. Our key ratios have improved further.”

He revealed that hike in net profit was possible due to the bank’s special focus on agricultural sector, “Agriculture have received special focus in our lending policy during the current financial year.”

Chairman further elaborated, “Under the Apple Project in two districts of Baramulla and Shopian, the Bank has already financed 16300 growers to the tune of Rs 343 crore. Besides, 1.38 lakh Kissan Credit Cards (KCC) have been issued to farmers across the state till date amounting to Rs 471 Cr.”

Pertinently, J&K Bank has already pumped finances worth more than Rs 1200 crore in the agricultural sector and is also planning to extend the Apple Project to all districts of J&K soon.

Amarnath CONTROVERSY
A
fter the Hurriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani claimed that the state government was constructing a concrete road inside the forests along the north Kashmir Baltal route. The State government took a bunch of Scribes for aerial ride in the quest to negate Hurriyat (G) Chairman’s claim of construction of road to Amarnath cave.

A group of 15 media persons were flown in three helicopter sorties to have an aerial view of the Baltal-Panjtarni-Holy cave route for a first-hand account of the condition of the track.

The aerial survey that was facilitated by state government revealed no changes in the track from Baltal to the cave shrine as was seen before the end of the annual yatra in August this year in which around 7 lakh pilgrims performed Darshan.

However, Hurriyat (G) Chairman hit back at government by calling the aerial tour of a group of journalists to Amarnath cave shrine as a ‘move to divert the attention’ from the real issue. He further stated that the party never talked about the macadamization of road or construction of a concrete structure.

Shelving the agitation plan for now, the Hurriyat Conference (G) on Wednesday announced a five-member committee to consult other separatist groups, trade unions, civil society and other groups over the Amarnath track issue.

The committee will meet Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Ahmad Shah and other senior separatist leaders to come up with a consensus on the issue.

Of late, National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah Thursday joined the chores by lashing at leaders who, he said, were hoodwinking the people with emotive slogans and false information about Amarnath route.

Briefing the journalists after their return, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir, S M Sahai said the statement on construction of road or macadamization of the track is misinformation.

Geelani has threatened to launch an agitation if the State Government did not shelve its plans.

OBITUARY: Hafizullah Mir
H
e followed the popular wave during nineties and crossed the Line of Control for arms training. But once Hafizullah Mir, 41, a resident of Budgam, reached the other side of the fence, he choose books over guns. After fighting hard to create his name in the field of journalism in international arena all these years, he finally succumbed to cancer early this week.
Mir passed away on Tuesday at 3 am in Srinagar and was laid to rest close to the grave of his grandfather at Wadwan, Budgam. After a gap of nearly 21 years, he had recently returned to Srinagar via Nepal and spent almost 80 days with his family. But the reunion after two decades did not bring expected joys to his family when they came to know about his ailment.

Being an engineering student, he felt it was very tough to change his subject from Engineering to Arts. However, circumstances compelled him to do so. Having completed his graduation, Mir started his career as a cub reporter with Kashmir Press International (KPI), the-then only news agency in Pakistan administered Kashmir.

To learn the art of journalism, Mir did his M.Sc. Mass Communication from Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad that helped him hunt job in the US embassy in Islamabad. In 2002, he was appointed as a “media analyst”.

With an undaunted determination and hard work, Mir’s analytical writings received praise that opened doors of international arena for him. He was sent on international assignments to Bangkok and Washington where he remained the best employee of US Embassy for many years.

When he was 34, he was diagnosed with cancer that played a spoilsport in his journalistic career since the lethal disease was taking roots in his body. But he remained tightlipped about his health to his family and friends. He continued his job till June 2012 when cancer had spread in his entire body. In his more than ten years service at the US embassy in Islamabad, he received five back to back “Best Employee Award”.

Women’s CONFERENCE:
I
t was eve’s turn to press for the demilitarization and repeal of controversial laws like AFSPA and PSA on a daylong convention on “Peace and Justice for Kashmiri women” at Kashmir University on Tuesday.

They were unanimous in seeking independent investigation into the incidents of violence against the Kashmiri eves during the past 23 years of armed conflict.

Director Central for Policy Analysis (CPA), Seema Mustafa demanded establishment of a commission of inquiry to be headed by an impartial judge to probe the present condition of women and make recommendations thereafter in a time-bound manner.

Former member parliament and president of All India Democratic Women’s Association Subhashini Ali said centre and state is duty bound to punish the culprits who had committed the crimes against Kashmiri women.

Speaking on the occasion, chairperson of Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS) Dr Hameeda Nayeem said since 1990 Kashmir was subjected to a range of legislative provisions like AFSPA, NSA, PSA, TADA etc in effect suspending all human rights.

Prominent women activist from New Delhi, Sabeha Farooqi said, “After listening to tragic tales of Kashmiri women, we feel that democracy is under threat in our country and from now onwards civil society wouldn’t behave as a mute spectator towards the sufferings of Kashmiri women.”

Chairperson of Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons, Praveena Ahangar said successive regimes in JK since 1996 have made hoax promises with the families of disappeared persons.

Columnist and academic Syeda Afshana demanded setting up of an independent commission to probe the disappearances in Kashmir as well as clearing the contradictions over figures of disappeared persons.

Former president of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) Syed Shakeel Qalandar said that Kashmir has undergone through hell during past two decades and women were worst affected by the turbulent situation.

Aliens in LADAKH
D
efence establishment has reported continuous sighting of non-metallic and apparently non-celestial flying objects near the Sino-Indian LoAC, especially around Pangong lake, India Today magazine reported. A phenomenon being witnessed since 2003 has led to a series of investigations by different scientific bodies without any success. “An ITBP unit based in Thakung, close to the Pangong Tso Lake, reported over 100 sightings of luminous objects between August 1 and October 15 this year,” the magazine reported, quoting a report that has gone to the PMO. Termed as ‘unidentified luminous objects’, these are seen during day as well as night. “These were not unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS), drones or even low earth-orbiting satellites, say Army officials who have studied the hazy photographs taken by ITBP.”

The report said the Army moved a mobile ground-based radar unit and a spectrum analyser that picks up frequencies emitted from any object to a mountaintop near the lake but it failed to detect the object otherwise tracked visually. Besides, a reconnaissance drone was sent in the direction of the floating object but it also failed. “The drone reached its maximum altitude but lost sight of the floating object,” the report said. In September, astronomers from the Indian Astronomical Observatory at Hanle studied the phenomena for three days but could not conclusively establish what the objects were. To add to the embarrassment, experts from the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) and Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) have also failed to identify the objects. In 2010, the magazine reported, the IAF probed and dismissed Army sightings as Chinese lanterns. The Army reported it for the first time in 2003 but was ridiculed. The magazine reported that a five-member group of geologists and glaciologists led by ISROs Dr Anil Kulkarni were on a research trip through the barren Samudra Tapu Valley (Lahul Spiti). “They filmed a four foot tall robot-like figure that walked along the valley, 50 m away from them. The humanoid object then rapidly became airborne and disappeared. The encounter lasted 40 minutes,” the report said adding it was seen by 14 persons.

Clarification
I
n the obituary column about former DIG Allah Bakhsh that Kashmir Life carried last week it was erroneously reported that he was DySP in 1990 and was somehow linked to the massacre at Gaw Kadal. During the fact checking, it was revealed that state police lacked any direct involvement in the massacre and that included Allah Bakhsh who was then the city police chief for Srinagar.

The Gaw Kadal massacre was the culmination of a major demonstration that had more than twenty thousand people participating. It had started from somewhere in Kursoo belt and after passing through Jehangir Chowk, it was halted near Basant Bagh where it was fired upon. It has been widely reported that the firing was initiated by soldiers, a posse of which was deputed near Basant Bagh. After the initial rounds, it was CRPF that took over.

The state police was around but its only role was to collect the dead bodies (believed to be 58) and drive them to the mortuary in the police control room where they were identified and sent to the respective cemeteries for burial. It is perhaps this part of police’s history that IPS officer Basant Rath had mentioned in his poetry like this:

You are seven shocked
policemen
who came to collect fifty eight dead bodies.
Angry but helpless, helpful but unlucky,
they loaded the truck
and drove
to the police control room.

FIR 3 of 1990 was registered with PS Kralkhud u/s 148, 149, 307, 188, and 153 RPC. There was no follow up to the FIR. In fact, most of the documents that should have been part of the case file are still missing.

Kashmir Life carries this clarification to put the record right so that history stays objective.

Editor