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Get ready to pay more for power, water
Traffic blues in Jammu, Srinagar
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40,000 posts for Scheduled Tribes ‘vacant’
PDD aims at 100 pc metering of power supply
Exam fever grips college students
Valley gets respite from intense cold
Srinagar diary
Samba Fort’s reservoir being renovated
Preserving heritage:
The restoration work of a historical reservoir in progress at Samba Fort in Jammu.
Photo: Rajesh Bhat
Army still ‘guarding’ Akhnoor bridge
Forest conservator gets state award
Gandhi Sewa Sadan unit a hit with pilgrims
Bachan Lal gets the Presidential Appreciation Certificate from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi.
Global recognition for Jammu advocate
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Get ready to pay more for power, water
Jammu, February 4 With the levy of water usage charges, the cost of power generation is likely to go up and the consumers will have to bear this burden as well. According to an estimate, the cost of power generation is likely to rise by 16 paisa per unit and it will surely be passed on to the common man. The government has fixed a rate of 25 paisa per cubic metre to be charged from companies operating hydroelectric projects in the state. The rate is likely to be reviewed in the days to come. Further, the government has also decided to revise the rates of potable water in the beginning of the next financial year which is a clear indication that water tariff will also go up. Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister of Public Health Engineering (PHE), has also disclosed that for domestic consumers, the government intends to introduce water meters for its judicious use. He said groundwater had also been brought under the purview of the Act and accordingly, usage tariffs for domestic, industrial and commercial usage had been fixed. The Act was enforced on November 11, 2010 and on November 12, all power projects were issued notices to register themselves with the State Water Resources Regulatory Authority (SWRRA) within six months. Terming the Act as the first step towards self-reliance of the state, Taj said Rs 913 crore would be collected as water usage charges in the coming year, which was 25 per cent of the state’s total resource base. He said once projects like Kishan Ganga got completed, revenue generation on account of water usage by power projects was expected to cross Rs 1,500 crore. The minister said Jammu and Kashmir had become the first state to had such an Act and states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand had asked for the copies of Act. He said inspectors for measuring water discharge at project sites had already been posted and so far, 150 challans had been issued regarding various violations of the Act in Kashmir.
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Traffic blues in Jammu, Srinagar
Jammu, February 4 The idea behind launching the website and Facebook account was to get suggestions from people on the traffic scenario, but hardly any step has been taken on the suggestions thus received. The project of installing electronic traffic signals in the state is still hanging in balance. For the past one year, the authorities have been saying that the proposal is before the state government. However, even as the Chief Minister has already given his nod for installing traffic lights, the work has not been started. In a recently held meeting to review the traffic regulation system, Mubarak Gul, adviser to the Chief Minister, also stressed on this matter. He said, “Traffic lights should be installed within a short period so that the precious time of office and school goers and other commuters could be saved from long traffic jams”. He added, “All departments concerned should be modernised for the regulation of traffic.” He also stressed upon the need for enforcing halting of public transport vehicles at identified stops and checking of parking on the roadsides. Earlier, HK Lohia, IGP Traffic, had said the department was keen on installing traffic lights at the earliest and it was negotiating with companies to install them free of cost in lieu of right to advertise on poles.
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40,000 posts for Scheduled Tribes ‘vacant’
Jammu, February 4 It was informed by a former member of the National Commission for Schedule Tribes (NCST), Tsering Samphel, at an extension lecture-cum-interactive session organised by the Department of Lifelong Learning (formerly Centre for Adult, Continuing Education and Extension), University of Jammu, here recently. “While 40,000 posts for the STs in the government sector are lying vacant, there are 667 fellowships for the Scheduled Tribes for M.Phil and PhD under the Rajiv Gandhi Fellowship which are never filled,” said Samphel, who hails from Ladakh and had also remained the chairman of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA). He recently completed his three years tenure as the member of the NCST and is now working for the betterment of the ST Community in Ladakh. He said there were very few takers of government schemes, including the fellowships for students. “In Jammu and Kashmir, the welfare schemes and the constitutional provisions for the STs are extremely good but the implementation is very poor both at the state and the Central level. It may also be because of the fact that sometimes it becomes quite difficult for the NCST to monitor all states with its just five-member body, including one chairman, one vice-chairman and three members with three years’ tenure each which is very less,” he said. Quoting an example, he said: “In J&K, there is post-matric scholarship for STs which is handled very lightly by the government. Tribal people are not getting this scholarship in the state as there is deficiency in handling, disbursement and delay in sending the demand for funds from the Centre”. “There is also a delay in getting the funds from the Centre. So, the problem is at both the ends. I also feel that the state government needs to handle the tribal sub-plan at the district-headquarters level and not at the secretariat level,” he said. “We have 700 scheduled tribes in the country. For me, it was a big assignment which I successfully completed. The NCST is just like a semi-court. There were 3,000 pending petitions before the commission which were disposed of,” said the former member of the NCST. Earlier, welcoming the guests, Dr Kavita Suri, assistant director of the department, said the department was committed to the cause of the SCs and the STs students through its minority coaching schemes. Under this scheme, she informed that the DLL was giving free coaching to the students from the minority and the marginalised communities for KAS, NET and JRF. Prof BL Thusso said Ladakhi students, who were presently getting coaching for competitive exams in the Department of Lifelong Learning, possessed a good awareness level and had high career aspirations. He complimented the DLL for organising such programmes. Vivek Sharma, coordinator of the DLL, also spoke on the occasion.
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PDD aims at 100 pc metering of power supply
Srinagar, February 4 Reviewing revenue realisation and energy supply by the Power development Department (PDD) at a meeting here yesterday, Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, said the government would provide every possible logistic support to the PDD in this regard. The minister said effective metering was necessary for providing better and assured power supply to the consumers, besides curbing power theft. Rather asked the department to complete computerisation of the billing system by April-end to check pilferage of revenue. He said metering and computerisation of the billing system would be important milestones in bringing reforms in the power sector. The minister called upon the PDD authorities to complete the revenue realisation target of Rs 592 crore this fiscal. Basharat Ahmad Dhar, Commissioner-Secretary, PDD, called for completing the metering of power supply as a mission. He also suggested outsourcing the process of computerised billing and expressed satisfaction over the PDD’s bold initiative of conducting inspections to rein in power theft. About surprise inspections conducted by the field officers, the minister was informed that a penalty of about Rs 40 lakh had been imposed on consumers found indulged in power theft. A power point presentation showed how some well-off families too were resorting to power theft. |
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Exam fever grips college students
Jammu, February 4 Meanwhile, some of the city colleges have conducted second internal assignment examination, while the remaining are conducting the same. So, most of the students were found engaged in preparation for the internal assignment tests as well as for the annual examination. According to officials, over 80,000 college students would appear in the examination. The examination of part III would start from March 5 and would end on April 26. The examination of part I would commence from March 15 and would end on May 5 and the examination of part II would begin from March 24 and last till May 26. The college authorities claim that they have completed around 90 per cent of the syllabus of part I, II and III. While talking to The Tribune, Pratap Singh, a final-year student, said: “All students are happy this time as the college authorities have completed the syllabus of part I, II and III on time. Last year, we faced lots of problems as the syllabus was not completed on time”. Rajesh Koul, a student of part I, said: “I have started studying hard for securing highest marks in the college”. |
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Valley gets respite from intense cold
Srinagar, February 4 During the “Chillay Kalan”, the Valley witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall, which brought smiles on the faces of the people associated with the tourism industry. The snowfall was also a boon for the horticulture sector of the Valley as a good snowfall in the winter means a good fruit crop during the summer. “There was sufficient snowfall in the winter and due to sub-zero temperature, lot of snow is frozen on the mountains. The frozen snow will make sure a consistent flow of water in rivers and rivulets during the summer months, which is a good sign not only for the horticulture sector but also for the agriculture sector in the Valley,” said Ali Mohammed, an official of the state Agriculture Department. Though people had to face various hardships due to the erratic power supply in the Valley, the situation on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the only surface link between the Valley and the rest of the country, remained good as by and large the highway remained functional throughout the winter months. “We made it sure that the highway remains opened for traffic. So, whenever there was snowfall, the Beacon made it sure to throw the highway open in the shortest possible time so that the people in the Valley don’t face any problem,” said an official of the Divisional Administration of Kashmir. He said even the winter was harsh, the people had sufficient supplies of ration, kerosene, cooking gas and other essential commodities. “There was no dearth of essential commodities. The Divisional Administration, Kashmir, had taken all precautionary steps and the department had made the sufficient stock for the winters,” said the official. The people associated with the manufacturing of kangri also saw a good business this winter as all electrical gadgets used for warming could not function due to the erratic power supply. Even as the administration had made it sure that the people in the Valley don’t face the shortage of essential commodities during the winter season, there was some shortage of cooking gas and the dealers blamed the huge gap in demand and supply of the gas during the winters responsible for it. |
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A minister holds the fort when ‘govt is away’
The same is the case with the winter capital when the seat of the government is shifted to Srinagar during the summer months. This arrangement in practice over the years has been made to address the problems of the people in the two regions of the state in view of particular weather conditions. When it is the hot summer in the Jammu region, the government functions from Srinagar, and when it is the harsh winter in Kashmir, the government functions from the warmer environs of Jammu. In order to address the problems of people when the government is away, the presence of a Cabinet minister has been of great importance all these years. However, the ministers during their week-long stay address the issues related to their ministries alone, leaving most other burning problems unattended. Stray cattle menace
The entire city of Srinagar is plagued by the stray cattle menace, making it difficult for not only the drivers but also pedestrians to move freely on the roads and streets. These domestic cattle are left in the open during the day to graze on left-over items but these are a nuisance on the roads. On many occasions these cattle result into traffic jams. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) seems to have turned a blind eye towards the problem which has been responsible for a large number of traffic accidents. The common man continues to suffer as these stray cattle keep on moving in herds on most roads. The authorities concerned need to to take some concrete action to solve the menace lest the the summer capital should become a ‘city of cattle’. (Contributed by
Ehsan Fazili and Tejinder Singh Sodhi)
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Samba Fort’s reservoir being renovated
Jammu, February 4 The reservoir, constructed of square and rectangular stones with elegant steps, is believed to have been built by the rulers of the Samba dynasty. The 60-ft-deep reservoir of equal length and breadth was providing water to the entire population in this Shivalik belt round the year, besides acting as a major source of rainwater harvesting. However, owing to its neglect, the reservoir was in a deplorable condition and almost lost its grandeur. This has prompted the authorities to renovate it along with the entire historical Samba Fort. Some encroachments within the Fort premises are also being removed. Funds for its restoration work have been arranged under a Central scheme. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also recently announced additional funds for the restoration of the Fort. Khursheed Ahmed Qadri, a consultant attached with the Department of Tourism and Culture, said the restoration project required the help of highly skilled labourers from the Engineering Wing of the state’s Tourism Department. Qadri, former director, Archives, said efforts were being made not to deviate from the original structure or material utilised in the construction of the Fort and the reservoir. “We have procured stones from Ramnagar town to renovate the reservoir,” he said. Qadri said after the proper bedding of the pond, the department intended to install a fountainhead to give it an elegant look. “We hope that the renovated reservoir would be a source of attraction for the locals as well tourists,” he added. |
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Army still ‘guarding’ Akhnoor bridge
Jammu, February 4 While the police claimed that the Army withdrew its men from the bridge compelling the former to take over the job of regulating traffic, the Army said it always wanted to relinquish the task. “Though the Army had been regulating traffic on the bridge since long, we wanted to relinquish the job. But, the state administration initially showed a lot of resistance to take over the charge,” said sources in the Nagrota-based 16 Corps, a formation of which provides security to the bridge. “However, the issue was taken up at the Core Group meeting in December last wherein it was decided to handover the charge to the police as a part of our strategy to reduce the visibility of the
Army on the ground,” the sources said. “The bridge had always remained strategic for us and one of the prime targets of Pakistan during wars in the past. Hence, security is being looked after by the Army from a nearby post,” they said. “Our officers and men are still there guarding the bridge from an Army post situated near the bridge, but they are no visible on the ground. Now, the traffic aspect is being looked after by the local police,” they added. From November 20 last, the Army had stopped regulating the traffic. The sources divulged that frequent interference by the police to facilitate the movement of VVIPs and politicians on the bridge didn’t augur well with the Army, which decided to withdraw its men from the tedious job. In 2008, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated another bridge to the nation on his visit to Akhnoor thereby easing burden on the bridge. |
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Forest conservator gets state award
Leh, February 4 As a project director of the LREDA, Jigmet has supervised the electrification of 200 un-electrified remote and inaccessible hamlets of the district through solar energy installing 8,000 home-lighting systems and 5,000 solar lanterns. In 2001, Leh became the first district in the country in the achievement of the government's target of electrification of remote villages. He also supervised in designing, installing and commissioning of the first-ever state's solar power plant with the capacity of 100 KWP at the remote and backward Nyoma block in 1999 and the Durbuk block in 2005 of the district. Installation of solar power plant at the Nyoma block was the first in the northern parts of the country. Jigmet, who is one of the pioneers in the standardisation of sea buckthorn plantation, said: "The announcement of the award has boosted my morale and it will be a source of inspiration in the future to work for the development and prosperity of Ladakh". Jigmet, who is also a member of the Drafting Committee which is constituted under the Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan for the conservation of Tsokar and Tsomoriri wetlands, said he was instrumental in drafting the management plan for the Hemis High Altitude National Park and a similar plan was also under progress for the Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary and the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India. Introducing eco-tourism in Ladakh focusing protected area, the Leh Wildlife Department has established 450 Tourist Home Stay till date in the Hemis High Altitude National Park, the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary and the Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary and the youth of these protected areas have been trained as eco guide. Because of his expertise in the renewal energy, Jigmet is presently entrusted with the responsibility of work of supervision in the installation of six wind-monitoring stations in Leh after the successful installation of two stations during 2007-08 and the implementation of the Ladakh Renewal Energy Initiative, a special centrally sponsored project for Leh and Kargil districts.
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Gandhi Sewa Sadan unit a hit with pilgrims
Jammu, February 4 His notable contribution even in the present times was development of cottage industries as self-sustaining units preserving age-old crafts, way of life, skills and entrepreneurial spirit. Even 63 years after his death, Gandhiji's ideas seem to activate Gandhi Sewa Sadans across the county. The sadan's Jakh unit situated on the Jammu -Kathua national highway is one such example. Mohd Ismail , manager of the Jakh unit, said it had been manufacturing indigenous and home-made products with emphasis on quality and guaranteed nature of its products. The goods manufactured range from khadi to woollen blankets, mustard oil, honey, balms, herbal and cosmetic products, soaps, shampoos, henna pouches, rajmah and basmati rice packages, animal feed and shawls. It also promotes khadi as fashion. Ismail said people had been appreciating most products manufactured by the unit, particularly honey and mustard oil. The unit is a favourite spot for pilgrims to Mata Vaisho Devi, who make it a point to visit the unit upon their return journey.
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Customs officer conferred with Presidential Award
Jammu, February 4 The Certificate was conferred by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee at a function in New Delhi recently. Bachan Lal, who hails from RS Pura, joined the department in 1979. He has been instrumental in effecting seizures of gold, narcotics and other contraband goods worth more than Rs 13 crore. He also earned cash rewards in 34 cases till date. He has displayed exemplary courage in the field and outstanding executive ability in the performance of his duties undeterred by the difficult time and terrain of Jammu & Kashmir. — TNS
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Global recognition for Jammu advocate
Earlier, he became the first advocate from the state to get the membership of the Indian Council of Arbitration. With members from 131 countries and 8,464 corporations, the IACCM is leading the way in responding to the demands of global-networked markets having headquarters in the US, Middle East, Africa and the UK. His appointment has also been confirmed as a consultant for post-award contract legal management to a US-cased company engaged in construction projects. |
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He was awarded the Socrate's Award 2008 and nominated for the title of honorary Professor for International University, Vienna "for contribution in strengthening international relations in the sphere of education". This award came for the first time to Asia. — TNS
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Jammu, February 4
Every week during the winter months, one Cabinet minister remains available in the Winter Secretariat in Srinagar (See photo) when the government functions from the winter capital, Jammu.
Jammu, February 4
Srinagar, February 4