Brother of slain cop in J&K succumbs to injuries: Police
SRINAGAR: The brother of a slain Special Police Officer (SPO), who was injured in a terrorist attack in Kashmir, succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of Sunday, officials familiar with the matter said.
On Saturday, terrorists shot dead 29-year-old SPO Ishfaq Ahmad and wounded his 21-year-old brother Umar Jan at their residence in Valley’s Budgam district in another targeted attack on security personnel. Jan was undergoing treatment at Srinagar’s SKIMS Hospital.
“SPO Ishfaq Ahmad and his brother Umar Jan (a student) were fired upon by terrorists at their residence in village Chadbugh area of Budgam. Later, both Ishfaq Ahmad and his brother succumbed to their injuries,” the Kashmir Zone Police tweeted.
The attack came against the backdrop of an increase in targeted killings in the region. On March 2, terrorists killed an independent panchayat member, Mohammad Yaqub Dar, in the Srandoo area of Kulgam. A week later, an independent sarpanch, Sameer Bhat, was shot dead on the outskirts of Srinagar. Two days later, Shabir Ahmad Mir, a sarpanch from south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, was gunned down. The terrorists have also attacked offduty personnel, killing CRPF soldier Mukhtar Ahmad Dohi and army jawan Sameer Ahmad Malla this month.
The family of the two brothers was shrouded in grief as they were laid to rest in their village, with hundreds of people attending the funeral.
“What will I do now? Why didn’t they kill me? What was my fault that this happened to my two children,” their mother (name) said at the funeral.
Inspector general of police (IGP) Vijay Kumar, along with other senior police officials, met the family of the deceased to offer condolences, the Kashmir Police tweeted.
Political leaders from different parties condemned the attack and called for an end to the violence in the region.
“In Kashmir we watch helplessly as young lives are snuffed out. Death & destruction have become the norm. Sadly GOI doesn’t seem to care since Kashmiri lives have little value for them. Deepest condolences to the family,” tweeted PDP president and former J&K chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti
“Unfortunate that brother of SPO Ishfaq Ah. too succumbed to injuries taking toll to 2. We are short of words to express our sympathy with the bereaved family. The terror mercenaries must be happy as another family got devastated. May Almighty grant Peace to the departed souls,” the J&K People’s Conference tweeted.
NEW DELHI: As the demand for electricity spiked amid soaring temperature, the government on Saturday asked states, Union territories and electricity generating companies (gencos) to ensure adequate coal stocks and timely turnaround of the mineral’s supply (unloading from railway rakes).
Owing to a continuing shortage of coal due to its record high prices in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Union power ministry also made it clear that the supply of coal to gencos will only be made on a proportional basis.
“The procurer and sellers are legally bound by the PPA (power purchase agreement) signed by both parties. While the procurers are bound to pay the bills timely, the gencos (sellers) are bound to maintain adequate fuel stocks and offer availability as per PPA,” the ministry said in a circular issued on Saturday.
“Not maintaining adequate fuel stocks or not giving availability on any pretext (such as the high price of imported coal etc) is inexcusable.”
The circular, a copy of which HT has seen, further said such conduct on the part of a seller should be immediately responded to by the procurer sternly by using all possible contractual and other available legal interventions at the level of state government. “If any gaming is noticed on the part of
The power ministry also asked states to ensure timely turnaround of coal supply.
the seller, such as not supplying electricity under PPA and selling in the market, it should be brought to notice of the regulatory commission without any delay under intimation to the ministry of power for immediate intervention.”
With mercury soaring, the ministry has projected this year’s peak electricity demand to touch 215,000 MW (megawatt) and to meet the same, the government has asked gencos to import about 9 million tonnes of coal for blending at thermal power stations, Union power secretary Alok Kumar had told HT last month.
The power ministry also said that domestic supply will be made proportional to the coal received from CIL/SCCL for all gencos and it will not be possible to give more coal other than on proportionate basis to make up any shortfall.
The country witnessed its highest ever peak power demand of 200,570 MW on July 7 last year. This year, the record is set to be broken again, Kumar said, adding that ensuring adequate coal stocks at power stations will be a key challenge.
India has been reeling under a coal crisis, which aggravated between October and November last year owing to extended monsoons and an increase in the demand for domestic coal over expensive imported coal.
The crisis triggered power supply issues in several states and UTs such as Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat where distribution companies (discoms) had to resort to scheduled power cuts.
The circular also mentioned certain actions to be taken on priority to enhance the supply of domestic coal. Firstly, production in captive coal mines allotted to power plants may be maximised to the limit permitted by the ministry.
Secondly, it has been decided that a lesser number of rakes would be made available to such power plants where there is slackness in prompt unloading of coal.
Thirdly, many generating companies have overdue (for coal companies) running in several hundred crores of rupees.