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12 water samples fail test in Jammu
Unmindful of the harmful effects of drinking unsafe water, a boy quenches his thirst from a tap at a public place in Jammu.
Tribune photo: Anand Sharma |
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Despite a ban on the use of polythene bags in the city, locals still use them.
Photo: Inderjeet Singh
11-km-long road under construction for 7 yrs
A footpath on the MA Road between Lal Chowk and Dalgate, which has been dug up. Tribune photo: Amin War
Ganderbal gets state’s first biological freezer
Roadside dhabas a health hazard
A roadside dhaba near Hiranagar on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.
Jammu-Patnitop
road
People suffer due to absence of bridge on nullah
Kashmiri Pandits hold a demonstration in support of their demands in Jammu.
Implementation of pay panel report
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12 water samples fail test in Jammu
Jammu, August 7 The samples were tested at the Micro-Biological Section of Government Medical College and Hospital, Bakshi Nagar. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department supplies water to the inhabitants of Jammu. Expressing concern over the supply of contaminated water in the area, Vipen Sharma, a resident of Raghunathpura, said, “We purchase packaged water from the market for drinking purpose. Due to the consumption of contaminated water in our area, most of the residents had suffered from water-borne diseases. I don’t want my family to suffer due to it”. Pooja Sharma, another resident, mentioned that after repeated pleadings to the officers concerned, no action had been taken to ensure pure supply of water to the residents so far. Dr Bharat Bushan Gupta, professor and head of department, Medicines, Government Medical College and Hospital, said, “Everyday we attend around 60 patients suffering from water-borne diseases. Out of them, around 10 patients get admitted in the hospital for further treatment”. “Out of the 10 water samples, nine samples depict high level of coliform during purity testing,” he said. Earlier also, eight samples collected from Anandnagar, Hazuribagh and Raghunath Pura were found contaminated. “Earlier, we collected three samples of potable water from Ragunathpura, which were found contaminated and were the cause of water-borne diseases in the area,” said a food inspector of the corporation. The corporation had forwarded the cases of contaminated water for remedial action to the PHE Department, but it has not received any reply from the department so far. Interestingly, while the action is awaited from the department, JMC officials are facing financial problems in the testing of further samples. Since April this year, the medical college has started charging Rs 20 per sample. The JMC does not pay the amount due to which food inspectors were paying it from their own pockets. “Earlier, water testing was done by the Micro-Biological Section of the medical college free of cost, but for the past four months they have started charging Rs 20 per sample. We can’t pay it from our pockets, so we may stop the process now,” said the food inspector of the corporation. VK Abrol, chief engineer, PHE, could not be contacted for his comments. |
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Stunned friends say he had strong willpower
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 7 However, the man who made rapid strides in the automobile spare parts industry by dint of his hard toil met his tragic end on a day when people were celebrating Raksha Bandhan. He was found dead under mysterious circumstances in the office of the JCCI around 2 pm on August 5. Even as circumstantial evidences indicate it to be a case of suicide, Sahai’s contemporaries never dreamt that “domestic problems” would force him to resort to such an extreme step. “He lost his father at an early age, but he kept treading despite odds. After finishing his studies and doing master’s degree in social welfare, he worked for a brief stint on a clerical post in Kashmir University before taking over the business of his father,” recalls Rajendra Motial, secretary-general of the JCCI, and a close friend of Sahai. After the death of his father, Ram Sahai worked relentlessly to carve a niche and ultimately tasted success in the business of automobile spare parts, says Motial. Sahai’s forefathers hailed from Mirpur in Pak-occupied-Kashmir and the family eventually settled in Jammu. Whosoever came in his contact was influenced by his charm, says Motial, who feels that being a dominating personality, he left an indelible imprint on everyone’s mind. Be it his family, industry or society, Sahai had an impact on everyone but like in the case of such dominating personalities, he never used to share his feelings, adds the JCCI secretary-general, who had an association of two decades with him. “Though some people were envious of his helping nature and growing popularity, he had no enemy as far as I know,” he says. But such people can resort to taking such an extreme step, if hurt emotionally, he responds to a pointed query. “He had a licensed revolver, but he never used to carry it. Further, he never opted for personal security despite the fact that during the Amarnath land agitation, he had received several anonymous threats from Kashmir,” maintains Motial. It may be mentioned here that it was Sahai who took the Citizens’ Cooperative Bank Limited to new heights during his stint as its chairman. Not only this, Sahai brought international recognition to the JCCI. Regarding impending elections to the JCCI, an issue which saw his opponents moving the court, Motial says, the matter had been sorted out amicably and elections were scheduled for October 28 this year. “We will stand by Sahai’s commitment and hold the elections on the scheduled date,” he avers. Annil Suri, a former chairman of the Federation of Industries, who, too, had an association of two decades with the deceased, has described the entire incident as shocking and unbelievable. “Though I can’t digest the suicide theory, going by the media reports it appears to be a case of suicide, which, if true, shouldn’t have happened,” he says. Survived by his wife, Ritu Kakkar Sahai; two sons, Rahul Sahai and Sushant Sahai; and a daughter Rimple; Sahai started his business career with Republic Motors in Narwal and then went on to become a big name, highly regarded in the corridors of power, Suri says. Meanwhile, IGP Jammu zone, Ashok Kumar Gupta told The Tribune that the business tycoon had been confronting some family problems. “In the suicide note recovered from his office, the deceased had stated about some family problems,” said Gupta, who refused to divulge full contents of the suicide note. “As of now, there is no evidence of foul play, but we have to see the truth and many stages will come up during the investigations,” he added. The IGP said the police had been awaiting the FSL and autopsy reports to speed up the investigations. To ascertain the genuineness of the suicide note it has already been handed to the document analysis wing of the FSL, he added. The 10 to 12 line unsigned suicide note written by Ram Sahai before he was found dead in his chamber, was found in the dustbin the same day on August 5. After recovering the suicide note, the police had reached the conclusion that Sahai had shot himself to death with his licensed German-made .32 bore revolver because of some problems at the domestic front. Official sources, quoting the suicide note, divulged that 65-year old Sahai could not cope up with the pressure and took the extreme step. However, before committing suicide, he had prepared his property details, bank statements, and had signed some blank cheques besides withdrawing some amount from bank on August 4. On August 5, he had gone to operate his locker in HDFC Bank at Bahu Plaza before coming to his office. Before shooting himself , Sahai had put all his property documents, passbooks, ATM cards, blank signed cheques and two packets containing Rs 1.4 lakh and five live rounds of German-made .32 bore revolver in his briefcase before coming to the JCCI office.
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Lack of clarity hits implementation
Ashutosh Sharma Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 7 The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) has sought a clarification from the government in this regard. It has also sought more powers for the local bodies to confiscate and penalise the offenders. Meanwhile, the ban is being flouted in many parts of the Jammu region, especially in towns and villages. The government banned polythene carry bags in the state under the Jammu and Kashmir Non-Biodegradable Material (Handling and Disposal) Act 2007, in June this year. The ban proved a major success in the Kashmir region, but in the Jammu region due to half-hearted approach of the local bodies, the ban is yet to phase out polythene bags completely. “The term ‘polythene carry bag’ in the Act is quite elusive as we are not sure whether it signifies the polythene bag with or without the handle or both,” said regional director of SPCB BM Sharma. “We have written to the government, seeking definition of the polythene carry bag so that the new law is observed in letter and in spirit,” he added. “We have sought an amendment to the existing Act so that the local bodies are empowered to confiscate the polythene carry bags and penalise the offenders,” he said. However, official sources said under the provisions of the existing law, the heads of the local bodies have the responsibility of enforcing the ban within their jurisdiction, but they were not doing the needful. “So far, none of the deputy commissioners has confiscated any stock of polythene carry bags at any of the district headquarters,” they said. The sources said there were as many as 50 manufacturing units of polythene bags in Jammu, out of which only 20 units are registered with the SPCB. On the other hand, in the Kashmir valley there were only two units, which are shut since 2007, even before the ban on polythene bags was enforced. The SPCB, Jammu, has so far confiscated more than 6 metric tonnes of polythene carry bags after the ban was imposed. “The ban has yielded results and the face of city has changed in the aftermath of it. During the rainy season, the drains are now less susceptible to choking. Earlier, the roads used to be littered with polythene bags, but after the ban was enforced roads as well as lanes seem cleaner,” said a safai karamchari at the Parade Chowk. “The government must also ban other packaging material made up of plastic and polythene”.
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11-km-long road under construction for 7 yrs
Srinagar, August 7 The road passes through Hazratbal, where the revered shrine and the University of Kashmir are located. The construction, which began in 2002, has been hampered mainly on account of acquisition of land after the removal of hundreds of structures at various stretches between Dalgate and Zakoora- most of the areas within the city limits. Since there was no component under the CRF earmarked for the land acquisition, mainly by the removal of shops and residential houses, an inordinate delay has been caused in its completion. However, with the release of Rs 58 crore from the state government as compensation, the project is expected to be completed within two years, according to officials of the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department. It requires a total amount of Rs 210 crore as compensation for 332 structures, including 700 shops. The state earlier could not provide these funds, leading to the delay in the construction while the work had been completed in several areas where the land acquisition from owners was not involved, said superintending engineer (SE) Mushtaq Ahmad Lone, R&B, Srinagar. The delay in its construction, among other developmental projects within the city limits, has been a bone of contention between the ruling National Conference (NC) and the opposition PDP. The NC, which has its representation on all eight seats in Srinagar, had lost only one seat of Batamaloo in the byelections after the 2002 poll. Both the parties have been speaking against each other for neglecting the development of the city. The project involves construction under seven different stretches with four bridges at Dalgate, Nowpora, Saidakadal and Ashai Bagh. While there has been a delay due to the land acquisition on certain stretches, the R&B Department has decided to make the road four lane, under which tarring was done, said Mushtaq. The seven different stretches are
Dalgate-Kohnakhan-Rainawari-
Saidakadal-Ashaibagh-Hazratbal-Habbak-Zakoora. Under this, a major bridge over Chhonte Kohl, connecting the Dal Lake to the Jhelum and erecting of pillars to widen the road are major challenges. Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, and Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar, representing the Khanyar constituency of Srinagar, during his recent visit impressed on the officers to speed up the pace of the work on the Meerak Shah Road saying that it is one of the prestigious projects undertaken by the government for the proper management of traffic and also for the convenience of pedestrians. Another major road under reconstruction passing through the city that shoots off from the Dalgate-Zakoora Road at Khanyar leads to Pandach via Zadibal and has a length of 10.45 km. This four-lane road to cost Rs 217 crore is also expected to be completed within two years with the land acquisition through the removal of 368 structures, including 750 shops, said Mushtaq. Both the roads from the central Lal Chowk area lead to Ganderbal-Sonmarg on the Srinagar-Leh Highway. |
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Ganderbal gets state’s first biological freezer
Srinagar, August 7 As part of it, the first biological freezer of the state was commissioned at Ranbir Bagh in Ganderbal recently. The freezer would provide germ plasm facility and is supposed to be the nucleus for further development of cattle in the state. The
centre, spread over an area of 324 kanals, would house state-of-the-art facility. The centre would harvest the germ plasm of a number of exotic bulls mainly Holstein, Fresian and Jersey kept at the station. The germ plasm after being harvested would be further processed at the frozen semen process lab. After this, the germ plasm would be put in small straws of 0.25 ml capacity of 20 million spermatozoa/straw and then immersed in liquid nitrogen so as to maintain a temperature of -196 degree Celsius. All this process ensures survival and a minimum shelf life of 10 years of the germ
plasm. The adequate use of this available germ plasm is being seen as a breakthrough for farmers, especially those living in the hilly and far-flung areas. The frozen semen straws go through vigorous quality control checks before being put in liquid nitrogen containers through automatic filling and sealing machines and dispatched to the district collection centres for further supply to farmers. This latest technique is likely to diversify the role of the animal and sheep husbandry department. This is expected to reorient productivity of milk, poultry, eggs, meat and wool through the use of latest technology and techniques of management. The freezer was commissioned by Agha
Ruhullah, Minister of Animal and Sheep Husbandry. On the occasion, the minister was told that the centre was contemplating to procure SMILE software at the freezer unit for integrated semen production, analysis and development of database as per international
standards. Ruhullah also visited a training school in Ganderbal and took stock of its functioning. He was accompanied by the district development commissioner,
Ganderbal, Inayatullah; director, animal husbandry, Dr JL Mattoo; director, sheep husbandry, Dr RL
Khar; and other officers. |
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Roadside dhabas a health hazard
Kathua, August 7 Ironically, most of such dhabas have been started at dark and isolated spots where drivers deliberately halt their vehicles forcing the passengers to consume whatever is offered to them at odd hours. In the absence of proper checking, the dhaba owners make hay while the passengers fall prey to the high rates. Such dhaba owners, having their establishments right from Bari Brahamana up to the Lakhanpur toll post, also sell outdated and inferior cold drinks, snacks and biscuits to the passengers. “Some of these dhaba owners at times also sell countrymade liquor illegally and that, too, at exorbitant rates,” remarked Pritam Singh, a daily commuter. He said some drivers were in league with selective dhaba owners who offered them both commission and free food for halting their vehicles in front of their establishments. Ashok Kumar of Ghagwal said most of the inter-state bus drivers, shuttling between the cities of Punjab or Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, were in the habit of halting their vehicles at these dhabas and not at quality restaurants. “The passengers are left with no choice, but to consume unhygienic food,” he said. Since all such highway dhabas were operating away from the main towns on the highway, the municipal and the local bodies did not own responsibility for conducting inspections and surprise checks on them. “We only inspect those hotels and restaurants which fall within our jurisdiction,” informed Rajinder Singh, president, Kathua Municipal Committee. He claimed that it was the responsibility of the chief medical officer (CMO) of the district concerned to check such dhabas. Ashok Sharma, CMO, Kathua, said strict action would be taken against all those who were running unregistered dhabas in the district. “Food inspectors will be asked to submit a detailed inspection report at the earliest,” he added. |
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Humps make travel risky
Jupinderjit Singh Tribune News Service
Patnitop, August 7 The Border Road Organisation (BRO), the agency responsible for constructing and maintaining the road, does not seem to have a permanent solution to the problem. A major seismic fault line passes through the state, which causes movements under the earth. The BRO seems helpless in so far as the under-soil activity is concerned. Humps have come up all over the highway, but the problem is acute between Udhampur and Patnitop. The road just looks like a large rumble strip that shakes the entire machinery of the vehicles. Sourcs in the BRO say the movement of heavy vehicles on the melted tar adds to the mess. The subsoil is already weak and cannot grip the road surface. Traffic police sources say some drivers had complained to them about accidents after they lost balance either while avoiding a hump or riding over it. A BRO official says humps are not because of poor road construction material but because of the seismic activity. “Moreover, the highway has been made on the old cart road without specific study. To avoid humps, the road needs to be realigned, but that does not seem possible in near future”. Experts reveal due to the melting of bitumen in the summer and the weak subsoil, the surface of the road moves. Excess pressure of heavy vehicles on the road also causes humps, he adds. Clearing the road of humps is a tedious task. There are three ways. One is to burn the humps which is not environment friendly. It releases noxious gases. The other is to cut the humps, which require costly machines. The third and the most practical solution is to heat up the humps under a machine and melt them and bring them to the road level.
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People suffer due to absence of bridge on nullah
Samote-Buddhal
(Rajouri), August 7 But even as her parents and parents-in-law tried their best to shift her to the district hospital, she died while being taken to the hospital as the vehicle carrying her couldn’t cross the overflowing Kroon Nullah (stream) where the state government has failed to reconstruct a bridge for the last 20 years. The locals, who are furious over the government’s failure to reconstruct the bridge which was washed away in 1992, complain that every year hundreds of patients who are seriously ill and are to be shifted from Buddhal (in Rajouri district) and Mahore (in Reasi district), to Rajouri District Hospital or Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H), Jammu, die during the rainy season as the vehicles have to cross the overflowing stream. They added it was not only the precious lives which were lost due to the lackadaisical attitude of the government, but also during the rainy season when the water level rises in the river, the areas of Buddhal and Mahore are cut off leaving the people helpless. “In 1992, heavy rains washed away the bridge near Samote along the Rajouri-Buddhal-Mahore Road connecting Koteranka with the far-off and backward areas of Buddhal and Mahore. Every year, during the rainy season, hundreds of patients, including pregnant women, die as the vehicles can’t cross the overflowing river during emergency situations. If it continues to rain for 2 days, our areas comprising more than 50,000 people are totally cut off from the rest of the world,” said Muhammad Rasheed, a resident of Bathan. “The government should take a sympathetic view of the problem faced by the people here and should immediately get a bridge constructed so that we are not made to suffer further,” he added. Jaipaul Singh, deputy commissioner, Rajouri, said a bridge was being constructed on the stream and would be completed soon. |
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‘Give jobs to Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu’
Seema Sharma Tribune News Service
Jammu, August 7 Under such circumstances, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, chairperson of Panun Kashmir, has given a suggestion to create similar jobs in Jammu for unemployed KP youths and shift them along with their jobs to the valley when the situation becomes conducive there. He says, “Why force KP youths to settle down in the valley for jobs when their safety is not ensured there. The government needs to rein in the exodus of a large number of KPs from the state. For this, jobs, which were to be created in the valley, should be created in Jammu. The Centre has already agreed to bear the financial burden of 3,000 jobs out of the proposed 6,000 jobs. So, those 3,000 jobs can be created in Jammu”. However, Jatin Bhatt, president of the Youth National Conference, does not find the proposal applicable as he says, “We are thankful to Jammu for having accepted and accommodated KPs in their region despite vast differences in history and culture. But if we create special jobs for Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu, it would create a chasm between both and lead to a lot of tension”. Chrungoo emphasises, “The additional jobs to be created in the public sector undertakings and other areas will come under the special package and not infringe upon the rights and jurisdiction of Jammu people”. He gives many instances where KPs have been accepted in various government jobs without any opposition. Bhatt counters that saying that there won’t be opposition to a few jobs but for the bulk of jobs, it might trigger panic. He says the goal of his community is to go back and settle down in Kashmir. A source in the office of the Relief and Rehabilitation Commission refuted any possibility of creating jobs in Jammu saying, “If the matter is only to get jobs, then KPs are free to appear in any state competitive exam in Jammu”. He says people of Jammu, too, are facing unemployment. “They will fiercely oppose any such move. The suggestion is not viable for bureaucratic reasons also.” The source stresses upon the fact that the proposal of employment under the PM package has been prepared only to rehabilitate KPs in the valley and for this 13,000 youths have given consent in writing to shift to the valley. After this nobody else should have any problem, he adds. KN Pandita, president of the Jammu Kashmir Nationalist Movement, says the government needs to tread cautiously on this matter, and take the people of Jammu in confidence through their MLA about the safety of their rights in such a situation. No tension should be created between KPs and the people of Jammu. He asks for fair treatment as he tells how 230 KP women PG teachers employed by the Delhi government in its schools have not been regularised even after 19 years, and they are still serving on petty salaries as ad hoc teachers. This should not be repeated in Jammu, he adds.
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Implementation of pay panel report Dinesh Manhotra Tribune News Service
Udhampur, August 7 Agitated over this, the doctors, engineers and lecturers have decided to form a join front in support of their demands. While the lecturers and doctors have already launched an agitation, the engineers are on a warpath as the implementing authorities have equated the salaries of junior engineers (JEs) with the salaries of Class IV employees. For the past two years, the JEs have been moving from pillar to post for the removal of pay anomalies, but to no avail. During the recent visit of Roads and Buildings Minister Ghulam Mohammad Saroori to Udhampur, the engineers brought their demand to his notice. The minister was surprised when he was informed that the pay grade of a Class IV employee was equal to that of a JE. He said he would take up the matter with the Finance Minister for the removal of discrepancies. Surprised over the grade structure, he assured the engineers that if required, he would even bring this matter to the notice of the Chief Minister. In the Sixth Pay Commission, JEs have been placed in the pay band I and their grade is equal to the Class IV employees. Interestingly, due to non-regularisation of their services, a person who would be promoted from JE to either Superintending Engineering or Chief Engineer would get the salary in the JE grade and if anomalies were not removed, the grade of a peon and a Chief Engineer would be the same after some time”, said Prakash Sharma, a newly appointed engineer whose salary under the new structure is less than that of a senior peon in his office. Engineers in other states and central departments have been getting Rs 9300 as their basic salary, but in Jammu and Kashmir, they are getting Rs 5200 which is equal to the basic salary of a Class IV employee. Before implementing the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, the state government had constituted a committee headed by senior bureaucrat S.L Bhat. This committee had given its recommendations which were accepted by all sections of employees, but instead of implementing these, the government on its own created a grade structure which infuriated engineers, newly appointed doctors and lecturers. “ The modified recommendations of the pay commission are nothing but a cruel joke on newly recruited doctors, engineers and lecturers appointed by the Public Service Commission”, rued Loksevak, leader of the All-Jammu and Kashmir (PSC) Plus Two Lecturers Coordination Committee. The Bhat committee had recommended the pay band-III for all lecturers, but the authorities after implementing the modified pay commission report singled out all those who were appointed after 1-1-2006.
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Jammu, August 7
Suicide by Sahai
Polythene Ban
Much to the disappointment of many old-timers, footpaths on the MA Road between Lal Chowk and Dalgate have been dug up to widen the road for better traffic management. This stretch on the MA bridge is connected to the 10.89-km-long Syed Meerak Shah Road between Dalgate and Zakoora, which has been under construction for the past seven years and was initially estimated to cost Rs 25 crore under the Central Road Fund.
There has been a mushroom growth of tuck shops and wayside dhabas offering stale and unhygienic food to passengers on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway.
Ironically, most of such dhabas have been started at dark and isolated spots where drivers deliberately halt their vehicles forcing the passengers to consume whatever is offered to them at odd hours.
PM’s Employment Package