High schools to reopen in parts of Valley today

Srinagar: Security restrictions remained in force for the 23rd day on Tuesday in many parts of the Kashmir Valley and a few areas of Jammu region. Life also remained at a standstill in areas from where restrictions have been lifted or eased. Private vehicles plied on the roads in select Srinagar areas and some other areas in the Valley, reports received here said.

The government has also decided to reopen the high schools in parts of the Valley where there are no restrictions in force from Wednesday.

While shops remained shut, a few vendors were seen doing business in Srinagar’s Lal Chowk area. Elsewhere, groceries, bakeries, pharmacies were opened for a few hours in the morning and again in the evening.

Official spokesperson Syed Sehrish Asgar, briefing reporters, said the restrictions have been eased in 12 more police station areas, taking the number to 81. She said the areas falling in ten more police stations would be opened for such relief by Thursday. She also said landline phones had been restored from 15 more telephone exchanges.

She evaded a question that even the fire service emergency number (101) was not working and there were instances when people had to walk long distances to report fire incidents to officials. When a reporter told her “you are saying the situation in the Valley is normal, but people don’t have access even to phone to inform the fire service authorities about fire incidents”, she said: “Nobody is saying the situation is normal but what we’re trying to say is that the number of telephone exchanges made operational has increased. There’re certain difficulties which  BSNL is facing in reopening all the lines.”

School education department director Muhammad Younis Malik said that after 3,037 primary and 774 middle-level schools, the government had decided to also reopen the high schools in the areas of the Valley where there are no restrictions in force. “I can say that over the last one week there has been significant improvement in attendance of the teaching staff at these primary and middle-level schools. We’re making efforts also to ensure an improvement in the attendance of students,” he said, adding: “From tomorrow (Wednesday) we are declaring high schools open in all those areas where from restrictions have been lifted.”

Asked to name a few schools where students are attending their classes, the official, instead of sharing that information, said: “I’m telling you we are making our best efforts to improve the attendance of students.”

Srinagar SSP Haseeb Mughal said there were no major violence reported from any part of the Valley on Tuesday. “However, there were two minor incidents of stone-pelting in Srinagar’s Tattoo Ground and Hawal areas. The situation is getting better day by day. We’re closely monitoring the situation and taking action as per law whenever and wherever required,” he added.