SRINAGAR | July 14, 2014, Monday Greater Kashmir C TY epaper.GreaterKashmir.com facebook.com/DailyGreaterKashmir Readers can email their write-ups to City Page for Colony Woes, We the Srinagarites and other columns. citypageeditor@greaterkashmir.com Every third day dharna triggers traffic jams City roads witness ‘record’ 60 street protests in 6 months M HYDERI Srinagar, July 13: What could be attributed to alleged misgovernance or part of election year politics, but Srinagar this year has witnessed a “record number” of roadside dharnas mostly against poor civic amenities. It has been some 60 protests in the past six months hinting that there was a trouble on the streets every third day. While for government it could be a law-and-order problem, the roadside sit-ins equally took a toll on traffic regulation leaving the motorways jammed and commuters helpless. Greater Kashmir is in possession of official data compiled by Home Department and Traffic Police –highlighting on why, where and when were the protests held. At places the protests lasted for two to three hours taking vehicular flow hostage. CAUSALITY TRAFFIC With dharnas being held on the busy links like SrinagarMuzaffarabad highway, the high security Airport Road and City center, traffic regulation remained the first causality. “See when a busy road is blocked, traffic jam is but natural reaction which has a cascading effect on entire City,” said a Traffic Police official. Explaining his point, he said: “If there dharna is on Tengpora highway, diversion rush on alternative links like Batamaloo and Karan Nagar have a cascading effect upto Jehangir Chowk… Once City center is chocked, things go out of control.” THE EXAMPLES The highway dharnas have often been in news for major gridlocks. On March 24, a breathless asthmatic old man being rushed to hospital got stranded on the SrinagarMuzaffarabad highway near Teng Pora. Luck favored the dying man. The other stranded was a medico Dr Suneem Ahmed Khan, who got some life-saving assistance from a nearby private hospital and Public fury against NC is 24X7 reality: PDP 60 protests in six months is just tip of the iceberg of public resentment against the ruling National Conference led government which has taken Srinagarites for a ride. The resentment is so high that there’s a sign of resentment in every breath of people as they have been subjected to worst tyranny. But most of the times these innocent voices avoid taking to streets for fear of being booked on serious charges even for seeking decent water, power or ration supplies. PDP LEADER MUHAMMAD KHURSHID AALAM thus the Pampora man could be saved. In the latest on July 10, traffic flow on Batamaloo-Jehangir Chowk-Barzulla route came to a halt for over two hours at peak time when Sarai Bala residents blocked the Magarmal Bagh road, which could be cleared only when police used force to disperse people on peaceful protests against water scarcity. PACIFYING POLICING Interestingly, as per official sources, police this year in most of the cases “exercising maximum restraint” acted pacifier than going bullish. “A peaceful resentment against poor civic amenities cannot be overpowered all the times with use of force. Our priority has been to pacify the protesters and this counseling takes sometime... But we are compelled to use force when traffic regulation goes out of control,” said a City thana SHO. Sources said on July 10 Chief Minster Omer Abdullah had to postpone a condolence visit in south City only because of protests near Indoor Stadium against “bungling” in written exam in Fire and Emergency Services Department. The incident took entire City centre traffic hostage. Even the personal monitoring by senior officials including Political rivals incite protests: NC Holding peaceful protests is a democratic right and our government has been giving space to this freedom of expression. But protests shouldn’t take other people hostage. Moreover we must remember that such acts are mostly politically motivated, particularly by the power-hungry opposition. People shouldn’t play at the hands of such vested interests because the fact is that Omar Abdullahgovernment improved public services in every sphere while Public Services Guarantee act was one such landmark. NC LEADER SALMAN ALI SAGAR Inspector General of Police Traffic Muneer Ahmed Khan and DIG Jagjit Kumar who are often personally out on roads, couldn’t bring any respite till the protesters were dispersed by police. DEPARTMENTS IN NEWS Most of the public protests have been against allegedly poor power or water supplies, or the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution department while the ongoing construction of Omar Abdullah’s prestigious Jehangir Chok Ram Bagh flyover also attracted anti-government protests. A retired police official said staging roadside dharna has been “preferred means of drawing attention of concerned officials and media alike when otherwise the woes go unheard.” TRAFFIC POLICE VIEWPOINT SP Traffic Srinagar HaseebUr-Rehman while endorsing that roadside dharnas as cause of jams said, “Our main concern during such situations remains movement of patients being rushed to hospitals. But protesters at times are so reluctant that they don’t even allow ambulances to move.” “People should realize that blocking a road puts others to inconvenience. For a stranded patient it’s a matter of life and death.” GOVERNMENT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT CIVIL SECRETARIAT NOTIFICATION JAMMU, THE 28TH MARCH, 2014 M-006 SRO 93. In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 28, 38, 65, 96, 107 and 111 of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988 (59 of 1988), the Govt hereby proposes to add following provisions to the rule 176 of Jammu and Kashmir Motor Vehicle Rules 1991; namely. Provided that, no parking place shall be determined nearby water bodies and no water body shall be allowed to be used for washing of vehicle or throwing of used parts of the vehicles. Provided further that, no workshop of vehicles shall be permitted to operate near the water bodies. The concerned local authority, while allowing use of any shop for repairing of vehicles in its jurisdictions shall obtain prior no objection certificate from concerned District Magistrate and Regional Transport Officer”. The aforesaid proposed amendment is hereby published, as required under subsection (I) of section 212 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, for information of all persons likely to be affected; Any person who has any objection or suggestion to the aforesaid propped amendment may submit his/her suggestions/objections in writing, to the Secretary to government, Transport Department, Civil Secretariat Jammu, within a period of one month from the date of issuance of this notification. By order of the Govt. Jammu and Kashmir DIPK-3555 Sd/- Secretary to Government, Transport Department S No Date Dharna Spot Protests Against 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 02.01.2014 03.01.2014 06.01.2014 09.01.2014 10.01.2014 11.01.2014 15.01.2014 28.01.2014 Ahamad Nagar Shaheed Gunj Bemina Crossing Dalgate MA Road Maharaj Bazar Bagh-e-Methab Qamarwari PDD PDD PDD PDD College Authorities PDD PDD PDD 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 01.02.2014 08.02.2014 Khanyar Ram Bagh Qamarwari Khanyar DC Office 14. 15. 18.02.2014 20.02.2014 Habak Pantha Chowk PDD PDD PDD PDD Against creation of new administration blocks. PDD Against demolition of shops 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 23.02.2014 24.02.2014 01.03.2014 04.03.2014 05.03.2014 06.03.2014 22. 07.03.2014 Pantha Chowk Pantha Chowk Ram Bagh Qamarwari Ghanta Ghar Reck Chowk Batamloo Jawahar Nagar 23. 24. 25. 26. 08.03.2014 13.03.2014 15.03.2014 18.03.2014 Jawahar Nagar HMT crossing Raj Bagh Teng Pora ‘ 27. 19.03.2014 Teng Pora 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 20.03.2014 26.03.2014 28.03.2014 05.04.2014 09.04.2014 10.04.2014 19.04.2014 21.04.2014 23.04.2014 28.04.2014 05.05.2014 06.05.2014 10.05.2014 13.05.2014 19.05.2014 HMT Crossing Ikhwan Chowk Nati Pora Saki Dafar Teng Pora Khanyar Khanyar Batamaloo Reck Chowk Zewan Allocha Bagh Allocha Bagh Bemina Teng Pora Solina Bazar 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 26.05.2014 28.05.2014 29.05.2014 31.05.2014 02.06.2014 03.06.2014 07.06.2014 09.06.2014 09.06.2014 09.06.2014 11.06.2014 Exchange Road Teng Pora Umarabad HMT Teng Pora LD Hospital Teng Pora Naaz crossing Omerabad HMT Pantha Chowk Nowgam Teng Pora Shopkeepers against confiscation of 2 shops Do R&B PDD Blockage of road by rain water Blockage of road by rain water PDD Arrest of youth PDD PHE Food and supplies Dept. PDD PDD Stone pelting PDD Bad road condition PHE Macadamization of road PDD PHE Against construction of flyover corridor PHE employees against Govt PHE Deptt PDD PHE Against death of a women Bad road condition Against PHE Against teaching staff Plying of army convoy Assault of tipper driver PHE 54. 16.062014 Batamalloo PHE 55. 16.062014 Teng Pora PHE 56. 16.062014 LAWDA office PHE 57. 19.062014 Qamarwari PHE 58. 19.062014 Poloview to Press Enclave Bike rally of APHC(M) 59. 23.062014 GB Panth Hospital Protests by attendants against GB Panth hospital authorities 60. 24.06.2014 Reck Chowk Batamalloo, Nazz crossing, Maisuma Stone pelting 61. 27.062014 Zewan Arrest of some youth 62. 07.07.2014 AS College Against Fire and Emergency Department 63. 10.10.2014 Magarmal Bagh PHE department 03.02.2014 Against Cutting of trees Do PDD PDD Arrest of a person PDD (SOURCE HOME, TRAFFIC DEPARTMENTS) 05 twitter.com/GreaterKashmir_ DISCLAIMER: Views expressed in We The Srinagarites column are author’s own Finally, police wakes up to stunt biking 5 stunt bikers booked, bikes seized SYED IMRAN ALI HAMDANI Srinagar, July 13: Finally, police woke up to stunt biking, which claimed precious lives and wounded many in the past few years of this rage on the City roads. Initiating a special drive against stunt biking the police has seized five bikes from Hyder Pora, Parray Pora, Baghat and Barzulla areas and booked five stunt performers while some groups like Dhoom3, Hells Angels 81 and Racing Rebellz have been found to be active. “Five bikers were booked for rash driving besides for violation of other provisions of Motor Vehicle Act. These bikers were performing stunts on the road thereby endangering life and property of other people using the road,” a police handout said. “All the bikes that were seized were plying without number plates. The bikes have been modified for stunt making. The mudguards of the rear wheel have been removed so that it doesn't touch the road while performing stunts.” During the current year Police Station Sadder has taken cognizance of 102 violations of Motor Vehicle Act in their area where large number of tuition centre’s are located. SDPO Sadder Feroz Qadri said out of 102 cases around 90 cases involve motorcycles. “In most of the cases par- ents of the bikers found violating the provisions of Motor Vehicle Act were called to the Police Station and apprised about the riding behavior of their wards,” police said. Sources said drive against the stunt biking was initiated following civil society appeals to Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Kumar. Stating that this menace could be curbed effectively only through active public participation, the SSP “advised parents of students riding bikes to maintain a vigil on their wards.” “The parents should counsel their wards on safe driving and equally check if they have modified the bike in any manner or removed any of its part.” Police said “Some stunt bikers have been found to have formed groups and named them "Hells Angels 81" and "Racing Rebellz". These groups have defaced walls at many places by writing their group name with spray paints.” While the civil society has hailed the police initiative it appealed the City police chief to bring an end to stunt biking. SKIMS faculty for retirement age at par with AIIMS GK NEWS NETWORK Srinagar, July 13: Faculty Forum of SKIMS Soura has demanded enhancement of retirement age of SKIMS faculty at par with AIIMS New Delhi. In a statement, spokesperson of SKIMS Faculty Forum said the issue was discussed in a meeting. “We unanimously reject the proposed enhancement of retirement age of SKIMS faculty from existing 60 to 62 years. SKIMS is linked to AIIMS, New Delhi through SRO -283, dated 03/09/2009 promulgated by Government of J&K. In light of this SRO 283, the retirement age of SKIMS should be 65 years as is in vogue at AIIMS, New Delhi. All aspects of SRO 283 need to be implemented in letter and spirit,” it said. The meeting was attended by Prof Altaf Ramazan, Executive Secretary of the Forum and executive members including Prof Shoukat Hussain Khan, Dr Syed Amer Zahoor, Dr Sarabjit Singh and Dr Muzaffar Wani