Udhampur, July 19
A plan allocation of Rs 81.91 crore for the district has been approved for 2011-12 at a meeting of the District Development Board chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand here recently. The approved outlay comprises Rs 28.39 crore as revenue and Rs 53.52 crore as capital component.

Rachpal Singh, vice-chairman, J&K State Kisan Welfare Advisory Board; Lal Singh, MP; Harshdev Singh, Balwant Singh Mankotia, KC Bhagat and Baldev Raj Sharma, all MLAs; Yash Paul Sharma, member Legislature Council; Baseer Ahmed Khan, district development commissioner, Udhampur; Jagjit Kumar, DIG, Udhampur-Reasi range; and heads of various departments and district officials were present.

The Deputy Chief Minister complimented the district administration for achieving almost 100 per cent targets of expenditure allocated during the last fiscal. He directed the officials to put in dedicated efforts for the proper utilisation of funds by ensuring time bound completion of development works in a transparent manner.

Tara Chand directed the officers to frequently tour the remote and hilly areas to monitor the development works pertaining to their departments so that better results could be ensured on the ground with no compromise on the quality of works. He hoped that the officers would put in sincere efforts in achieving optimum results.

Reiterating the commitment of his government for equal development of all regions, the Deputy CM said emphasis was being laid on the progress of hitherto neglected areas by providing basic amenities. He assured them cooperation to redress the grievances of the people of their areas in a phased manner. He also appreciated them for helping the government in the execution of various developmental projects in their respective areas.

Lal Singh, MP, highlighted the demands of the people of the district, especially of those living in the hilly and backward areas which mainly included road connectivity, procurement of fruits and other crops, enhancement of wages of SPOs, construction of suspension bridges over nullahs in the hilly areas, upgrading Laddan Power House road, timely and adequate supply of fertilisers, holding of regular awareness camps regarding flagship programmes etc.

Harsh Dev Singh, MLA, Ramnagar, projected demands which mainly included land compensation to owners under PMGSY, filling of vacant posts in various educational and health institutions, adjustment of newly promoted teachers in their respective home districts, a degree college for Majalta tehsil, power connectivity to left out morhas in Ramnagar tehsil, proper and timely distribution of seeds and fertilisers to farmers and PHE water tankers for each tehsil.

MLAs of Udhampur, Chenani, and Reasi also presented the demands and problems being faced by the people of their areas which included the provision of five J&K transport buses for Udhampur to Ramnagar and Ramnagar to Dudu-Basantgarh, early execution of Devika development project work, a hostel for women at Government Women College, early completion of Shajalta sports stadium and a polytechnic college in Udhampur.

MLA Chenani demanded a winter degree college, upgrading of schools, sanctioning of medical block Ghordi, an institute of the Central Temperate for Horticulture and Agriculture at Madha etc.

Presenting the physical and financial achievements pertaining to the last financial year, the DDC said against the available allocation of Rs 87.92 crore, an expenditure of Rs 87.79 crore was incurred during the last fiscal which worked out to 99.85 per cent.

Highlighting the proposals set for the current financial year under major sectors, the DDC said Rs 35.69 crore had been earmarked for the education sector, Rs 14.49 crore under the PWD sector, Rs 3.14 crore under the PHE sector for the augmentation of drinking water supply, Rs 3.03 crore under the health sector for strengthening the heath institutional infrastructure, Rs 49.91 lakh under the forest sector, Rs.40.12 lakh for the agriculture sector and Rs 34.50 lakh for the repair of transformers.

Srinagar, July 19
The GOC of Srinagar-based 15 Corps of the Army, Lt Gen SA Hasnain, recently visited Lolab where five top militants of Lashker-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad were killed in a joint operation between the Army and police on Friday.

Lt Gen SA Hasnain, congratulated the J&K Police and its STF for their cooperation and action that contributed to the success of a difficult but boldly conducted operation, a defence spokesperson said.

The GOC said the success of the operation had resulted in a serious setback and undermined the operational capability of the the Lashkar in North Kashmir in general and Lolab in particular.

Srinagar, July 19
Maintaining that fruit business forms the backbone of the rural economy, Minister for Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir called upon the apple growers to benefit from the ideas of research scientists, extension officers and other stakeholders for higher profits.

While inaugurating the Apple Conference-2011, organised by the Kashmir chapter of CII in collaboration with Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology Kashmir and APEDA, he said such conferences had a great importance for sharing the knowledge about the subject. He said the geographical condition of J&K was the most favourable for the cultivation of apple crop and all stakeholders had to work jointly for its development.

The utilisation of technological innovations in apple cultivation helped in increasing quality production, Mir said, adding that SKUAST and other research institutes had been working for developing new varieties and technologies. “If there is better understanding and commitment at four levels i.e. research organisation, developmental departments, farmers and the CII, the fruit industry would revolutionise the economic scenario of the state,” he said.

He called upon the universities to focus on local field problems and said the development department must function more aggressively to demonstrate the technologies.

The minister stressed on the development of technologies suiting local needs so that quality production of apple could be increased. He said entrepreneurs had to come forward with a greater zeal for setting up post-harvest handling and processing units, besides using better marketing strategies and skills which the state was lacking.

Mir said in J&K, technological interventions and adoptions are not only required by farmers but also by the entrepreneur community to make it a more vibrant industry. He said without the association and contribution of entrepreneurs, increase in productivity or production would not be of much significance.

He asked them to introduce technological innovations like electronic grading, waxing, development of post-harvest infrastructure, besides marketing of horticulture and agriculture produce are the basic tools for making it a profitable industry on modern lines.

Dr Tej Partab, vice-chancellor for SKUAST-K, welcomed the initiatives taken by the Kashmir Chapter of the CII for providing opportunity to share the knowledge with fruit growers of Kashmir.

He said the apple business was the lifeline of the rural economy and added that necessary steps were needed to preserve it in the face of various challenges. He called upon the farmers to share the ideas with the scientists, marketing people for its growth and expansion.

Katra, July 19
The Tourism Department has selected 53 youths from Kishtwar district for short-term training in Tourism/Hotel Management being imparted by it.

To explore possibilities of opening new employment avenues in this sector in Kishtwar district, applications were invited from the eligible unemployed youth to undergo short-term training programme, said an official release.

Accordingly, a committee under the chairmanship of the district development commissioner, Kishtwar, conducted the interviews of the eligible candidates recently. The representatives of some line departments of the district were also part of the interview process. The committee shortlisted 53 candidates from 167 applicants on the basis of the interview.

The Tourism Department will bear all expenses of the training, including boarding and lodging of the outstation candidates. The candidates will also be provided seed capital under the Sher-e-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Programme for Youth as well as for setting up their own self-employment units.

Srinagar, July 19
The government has constituted a committee for suggesting measures to bring improvement and efficiency in the functioning of private paramedical training institutions in the state.

The decision was taken at a review meeting held here recently under the chairmanship of Minister for Medical Education to evaluate the norms for the regularisation of paramedical training institutes operating in the private sector in the state.

It decided that the committee would be headed by the Commissioner Secretary, Health & Medical Education, while Directors, Health Services, Kashmir and Jammu, principals, AMT Schools, and two representatives from private paramedics institutions would be its members.

Chib said the committee would look into entire gamut of issues of these institutes, adding that the suggestions of the committee would not only help in streamlining the functioning of these institutions but also help in reshaping training programmes.

It was agreed by the representatives of private paramedics institutions that 10 per cent of the total intake capacity of the institutes would be nominated by the Department of Medical Education.

The quota would remain exclusively reserved for candidates belonging to weaker sections. Such candidates would have to pay only registration and examination fee dues.

Udhampur, July 19
Residents of Doda and surrounding villages have demanded Lal Draman or the "Red Meadow" - a lush, turfy, bowl-shaped meadow ensconced between the dense pine and fire woods and situated at a trekking distance of about 10 km north of Doda town - to be brought on the tourist map of the state.

Lal Draman is famous for the healing effects of its sweet, cool and serene waters and its salubrious climate. Situated at an altitude of 2,861 m above the sea level, the place has tremendous attraction for the local people wishing to unwind and relax.

No serious effort had so far been made to exploit the tremendous potential as a tourist spot and unleash its economic value by opening new avenues of employment in the area, rued Shahbul Haque, principal of Chenab Valley School, Doda.

Residents of Kotal, Bijarni, Sazan and adjoining villages are critical of the state government for not paying any attention to develop this place which can attract thousands of tourists and school children for picnics.

In fact, some schools of the area were bringing their students for picinics here, added Haque.

Another resident Farooq Ahmed Butt said that former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad had visited this place in 2008 and addressed a meeting of the residents of Sazan village where he announced to bring Lal Draman on the tourist map. “But the matter ended there,” said Butt.

Old timers recalled that that former CM Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and his wife Begum Abdullah once visited this place. It fascinated Begum Abdullah so much so that she said, “Gul Marg kahoon ya Sun Marg kahoon; mein ise kya Marg kahoon?”

Ishtiaq Ahmed, president of Doda civil society, said people of this area expected Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to fulfill the dream of his grandmother and take up the issue, which would help minimise unemployment among the rural youth.

In a normal press conference, mediapersons ask their queries from the organisers of the conference. But the scene was altogether different in a recently held press conference at the Press Club here.

During his first interaction with the media, new SSP Jammu Anand Jain was sitting on the sofa and listening carefully to the press people, the scribes did not ask him any questions but requested him to grant freedom to move in the city.

A photojournalist said, “How can a constable stop us? You will have to authorise some officer, only who will have the powers to do the same.”