Jammu, February 9
In an era of fast changing world of information, the official website of the Jammu and Kashmir government has not been taken care of during the past 12 months when it was updated last time on February 4 last year.

The website http://jammukashmir.nic.in of the state continues to splash outdated information to the amusement of hundreds of internet surfers across the globe.

A typical example of disinformation is judged from the fact that the website under its subsection “Government and Administration” continues to show Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad as the members of the state legislative assembly. Both these high profile ministers still find their name in the list of newly elected MLAs which is being prominently displayed on the website.

The website shows Dr Abdullah as MLA from two constituencies of Hazratbal and Sonwar and Azad representing Bhaderwah Assembly segment. It does not show anywhere that both Farooq and Azad have since been elected to the Rajya Sabha and later inducted into the Union Council of Ministers.

Even the matter has been raised last month with the much hyped CM’s online grievances cell under complaint number 9383. However, no corrective measure has so far been taken except shuttling the responsibility between the National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the State Information Department.

The website has more stale information to share and circulate. Intriguingly, it makes a mention of only 14 districts of the state as if eight new districts of Bandipur, Ganderbal, Samba, Reasi, Ramban, Kishtwar, Kulgam and Shopian, which were carved out in July 2006, did not exist at all.

Portfolios of only nine NC-Congress coalition ministers have been displayed under the category “List of Council of Ministers” while there is no mention of ministers like RS Chib, Sakina Itto, Raman Bhalla, Aga Syed Ruhulla Mehdi, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Abdul Ghani Malik, Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Dr Manohar Lal, Shabir Ahmad Khan, Nasir Aslam Wani, Ghulam Mohd Saroori or Javed Dar.

A senior government official remarked that websites were being created in the state with much fanfare but rarely taken care of.

Jammu, February 9
If the Pak-sponsored militancy in Jammu and Kashmir wreaked havoc in the past two decades, then it also saw increase of security forces to combat terrorism.

And in turn, lands, orchards, public infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and parks, were occupied by security forces inviting a public outcry in Kashmir. Though the problem was serious in Kashmir and it was made complex by politicians, it also plagued the Jammu region.

In particular, the CRPF, the world’s largest paramilitary force, which has 70,000 troops in the state, has occupied lands and public infrastructure to accommodate its troopers.

“We know that they are here to fight militancy and they work under extreme conditions for our safety and security, but public infrastructure like this park should be vacated,” said Subhash Sharma, a resident of Channi Himmat.

“We are not averse to them, but at the same time we cannot close our eyes to the incidents of jawans running amok killing their officers before turning the weapon on themselves,” said a housewife.

With the sudden eruption of militancy and in the absence of proper accommodation, the CRPF housed its troops in schools, colleges, hospitals and parks, but now the Union government has asked the state government to find a remedy to the problem, NK Tripathi, CRPF Special DGP, told The Tribune.

A survey is being conducted by the state government and the process is on to find out alternative locations so as to accommodate the troopers, he said.

“As far as a public park in Channi Himmat is concerned, we are already on a lookout to shift the camp,” said Tripathi, adding wherever the CRPF troops were located in parks in various localities, they would be shifted soon.

To a query, Tripathi said the government has been requested to find out alternative locations for a long period of time. Considering the militancy problem in the state, the CRPF may have to stay here for little longer and hence the government should identify locations keeping the reason in mind, he added.

It may be stated here that mostly the CRPF guards all vital installations in the state and takes active part in counter-insurgency operations, besides maintaining law and order.

However, after Omar Abdullah assumed the office of Chief Minister in January last year, he brought the police in the frontline keeping the CRPF at the back.

“Miles away from our homes we come here to protect civilians and guard vital installations under extreme weather conditions and in an atmosphere of total uncertainty, particularly in Kashmir. We also want good working conditions and proper infrastructure. But being the world’s largest force, we can understand the constraints and hence people should also bear with us,” said a CRPF jawan on a patrol duty in Jammu city.

Jammu, February 9
While all three assistant neurosurgeons have been attached with the Directorate of Health Services since October last year, the patients with brain injuries have been left to die at the main referral hospital for 10 districts, Government Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, Jammu.

With the neurosurgeries not being conducted at GMC hospital, the patients with head injuries have been left in lurch whereas the hospital authorities have been passing the buck over revealing the exact number of pending cases of neurosurgeries.

One such patient lying in semi-conscious state in ward no 4, Chanchal Singh, a resident of Sanasar village in Ramban district, was rushed to GMC hospital on February 2 in a serious condition. He met with a road accident and his condition ceases to improve as the head injury needs immediate surgery. But in the absence of any neurosurgeon at the hospital, he is struggling for survival.

“The doctor attending to my brother said he needs a surgery, but there is no surgeon,” said Tara Chand, adding that they were waiting for the surgeon as they could not afford the cost of surgery.

Though the hospital sans an exclusive neurosurgery department, all three assistant neurosurgeons, Haroon Salaria, Sudhir Sabarwal and Adarsh Kumar, were relieved and attached with the Directorate of Health Services in the wake of medicos’ strike last year.

The case of Chanchal is not an isolated one. There are several other patients who have been suffering for the want of neurosurgeries. Going by the dismal scenario of road accidents alone, more than 3,500 people have been killed across the Jammu region in the past five years.

According to MK Dhar, medical record officer, more than 70 to 80 patients with head injuries visit GMC hospital every month. “The figure does not include major accidental cases,” he said, adding, “On February 3 only, more than 80 patients with head injuries visited the hospital”.

Before the neurosurgeons were relieved from the hospital, sources revealed that on an average basis 2 to 3 neurosurgeries were conducted on a routine daily basis.

Dr Rakesh Saraf, head of the Surgery Department, and Dr Ramesh Gupta, medical superintendent, refrained from revealing details about the pending neurosurgeries at GMC hospital saying that the information was available with the other official.

Srinagar, February 9
Kashmir Chapter of Geo-informatics based at University of Kashmir has been adjudged the best chapter in India for its contribution in promoting growth and development of geo-informatics in the state.

Dr. Shakil A Romshoo, chairman of the Chapter - University of Kashmir received the award at a ceremony held at the Space Application Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad.

“A number of research projects based on Geo-information technology have been initiated in the state that has tremendous societal importance,” said Showkat Shafi, PRO, University of Kashmir.

The PRO said the Kashmir chapter, constituted only three years back, is relatively a smaller chapter with 48 members but its members from the University of Kashmir had till date won two international and three national research awards in the field of geo-informatics in the past six years.

The University of Kashmir has emerged as an important centre of research and education in the field of geo-informatics at the national level and has been given the status of a collaborating partner by ISRO.

The Japan Space Agency recently accorded the university membership of the Sentinel Asia System (SAS) for operating space-based technology and web-GIS technology for disaster management in the Himalayan region.

The varsity is the first institution in north India to start a postgraduate diploma in geo-informatics in 2004. The university has started the masters’ programme in geo-informatics from the current academic session.

Geomatics engineering is a rapidly developing discipline the world over that focuses on location as the primary factor to integrate a wide range of data for analysis.

Jammu, February 9
The low budget business of tiffin or "dabba" service has caught the fancy of residents, particularly housewives, of the winter capital.

In order to cash in on the rising PG culture, housewives mainly of the middle-class families, have started the business of supplying home cooked food to students and working professionals. It can also be called as a step towards self-dependence.

The reason behind the popularity of the tiffin system among housewives is that less investment is required to start this business while from the customer point of view, it is good and hygienic food at affordable price.

Being the winter capital of the state, the city attracts a number of students from far flung areas and office goers, which has given a boost to the venture.

The city has a number of colleges, a university and office of large companies. Students and working professionals usually prefer rented or PG accommodation and opt for tiffin service. Thus, they get home cooked food at reasonable price.

One-time meal or tiffin is available between Rs 25 and Rs 30 and the person need not go to any hotel or dhaba.

If go by doctors' advice, three times meal is necessary for good health and it should be fresh. Keeping these words in mind, a number of housewives have jumped into the venture and are earning almost similar amount to their husband's income without even stepping out of their houses.

"I am getting tiffin for the past three months and I am loving it. It is a much better deal than go to any restaurant. It is cheaper and good for health," says Rakesh Thakur, a university student.

Dheeraj Manhotra, a resident of Nanak Nagar, says, "I am suffering from gastro disease and cannot eat junk food or dhaba food daily. So, I am getting home cooked food in my neighbourhood." He adds, "The tiffin system has one more positive point that those who cook these meals provide it at our doorsteps even at odd hours".

Shanti Rani, a tiffin service provider, says, "We are five people in our family and it became a trouble for us when my husband lost his job who was the lone breadwinner in the family. I then decided to start the tiffin service, which proved a success and made our life easier".

She says her children are also helpful and they generally deliver the food.

Rajni Kumari, another tiffin food maker, says, "On an average, I earn Rs 10,000 per month. My in-laws are also happy with my initiative."

Srinagar, February 9
The five-day (February 8-12) employment-cum-awareness mela for Srinagar district has been postponed due to the death of two youths, allegedly at the hands of the security forces.

Such melas in several other districts have witnessed a good response, with youths thronging stalls set up by different departments, including industries, handicrafts, handlooms, fisheries, animal and sheep husbandry, agriculture and horticulture.

Inaugurating a five-day employment fair in Budgam district on February 2, Minister for Finance Abdul Rahim Rather said: “About 20, 500 literate youths have been provided jobs through various recruitment agencies since the government took over. The process will continue.”

The minister said the youth would be provided training under various categories by different departments and agencies.

A sum of Rs 23 lakh was released for 31 unit holders as subsidy under the DRDA and Rs 90,000 among three fertiliser units during the fair, said Mohammad Rafi, District Development Commissioner, Budgam.

Rafi said 110 units had been registered by unemployed youths in the animal and sheep husbandry sector and 20 youths were trained in mushroom growing during the mela.

Jammu, February 9
A symposium on climate change was held by NGO Savera at Government Higher Secondary School, Purmandal (Samba), yesterday.

Expressing concern over the shrinking forest cover, students at the seminar emphasised on plantation of more trees for clean atmosphere.

Zonal education officer SS Samyal was the chief guest. Savera vice-president YP Khajuria expressed concern over the increasing level of air pollution and global warming.

Roopa Rani of Government High School, Kalachak, was declared first whereas Pooja Devi and Pooja Sharma, both of Government Higher Secondary School, Purmandal, were adjudged second and third, respectively.

Kud, February 9
After 85 years of a single roadside sweets shop in Kud, a small town about 103 km from Jammu, this town has been virtually turned into a famous eating joint with a number of shops selling top variety of desi ghee sweets en route to Srinagar.

It was in 1925, when one Khajuria family opened a sweets shop in this town near Patnitop to provide snacks and sweets on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Now the situation is altogether different from those days and sweets have taken a form of an industry here.

The crisp of patisa, pera burfi and kalakand sold by these shops attract tourists from Kolkata, Delhi and Chennai for their taste. This has also become a famous eating joint for the pilgrims of the Amaranth Shrine because it is situated in the middle of the way to Srinagar from Jammu.

After visiting the town, this correspondent witnessed a long queue of vehicles stopped on the roadside to eat lip-smacking sweets and the traffic barely moved due to delicious food.

It was also observed that a number of shops were named as Prem Sweets, Prem Sweets and Dhaba, etc., because Prem was the founder of a sweets shop in this town.

When asked from the owner of Prem Sweets and Dhaba that why most of the shops were named after Prem? Ajay Khajuria, owner of the shop, said: "Prem is the name of our grandfather and our family runs three shops on different names under the much-famous brand, Prem, in Kud.

Not only Prem's sweets shops, but also many other shopkeepers are doing a brisk business by maintaining the taste of their sweets. Sweets sold here are much cheaper than the markets of metro cities. As burfi and patisa prepared from pure desi ghee are available at Rs 160 per kg. While busy in packing boxes of burfi, another shopkeeper said: "Our halwaais are trained to prepare and maintain the taste of sweets. We use high-quality products, which is the reason behind the popularity of this place and people from across the country again and again visit our shop". He further said they always check the samples before selling their items.

A group of tourists from Kolkata was witnessed buying sweets from Prem Sweets. "We are regular customers of this shop. Last year we bought burfi while returning from the Amarnath. The sweets sold here have their own taste and force us to stop here every time," said Dhiraj Mohan, a tourist from Kolkata.

Actually, it can be said here that no one moves from Kud without buying a box of sweets from these shops.

The statue of Mahatama Gandhi at the main rotary of Satwari has not been cleaned for years, presenting a poor picture of the working of the department concerned.