Jammu, October 5
As trees are leading to short-circuit in high tension power lines supplying electricity to various localities in the city and damaging the transformers, the Power Development Department (PDD) today started chopping trees at various places, which are hindering the supply.

Trees alongside roads, particularly in posh Gandhi Nagar, Shastri Nagar, Kunjwani Road, and many of the interior areas, have become a major culprit for snapping of electricity supply, plunging residential colonies into the darkness.

“The trees that soar near the high tension lines create hazards and if left unattended can result in fire or extensive damage to the distribution and transmission system”, said a PDD official.

It is not only the old worn-out power lines but high trees are a constant threat to the supply of electricity, as they not only obstruct the flow of power but at times lead to short-circuit.

While crores of rupees are being spent on ‘so called power reforms’ in urban cities of Jammu and Kashmir, worn-out power lines and supporting infrastructure is becoming a threat to people’s lives.

“As homeowners and landowners, people have a responsibility to keep their property safe from real dangers that exist from trees being too close to power lines. Their responsibility extends beyond their property too”, said an official of the PDD.

Officials said the government was also considering bringing coded cables project in the purview of new scheme keeping in view opposition from the people.

Electricity supplied to most of the areas is passing through worn-out cables laid three decades ago, which have become a threat for the people, particularly living in the congested areas of the city.

Sources said though nearly 2,160 km of power lines have been changed, most of the urban and rural centres have remained untouched, putting lives of thousands of people at stake.

Jammu, October 5
Hundreds of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees today courted arrest and threatened to intensify their agitation if the government failed to fulfil their long-pending demands.

They also requested the government to announce Rs 1,700-crore rehabilitation package for their permanent settlement.

Raising slogans against the state as well as the Central government, the PoK refugees of 1947, 1965 and 1971 assembled under the banner of PoK Refugee Front at Mubarak Mandi Complex and demanded immediate granting of one-time settlement package for refugees.

“The state government had submitted a proposal to the Centre but it has not been approved by the Union government till date,” Front general secretary Rachhpal Singh Chib told reporters here. He demanded immediate implementation of the Wadhwa Committee Report for their “final and comprehensive” settlement.

The leader also appealed the refugees to vote against the ruling dispensation in the 2014 elections. 

“There are specific reports that Kashmir-based anti-social and anti-national forces are working under a well-planned strategy to create a communal divide and create tension in otherwise peaceful Jammu region. Separatist elements have been pushing their sympathisers in all major educational institutes of the Jammu region to target youngsters,” the sources added.

A senior police official insisting anonymity said, “Educational institutions have been continuously witnessing group clashes between students and it has now become a permanent phenomenon especially after results of India-Pak cricket matches. The clear strategy of these forces is that they would incite students by raising anti-national and pro-Pakistan slogans.”

The police official said the recent incidents were an eye-opener for security agencies. “The need of the hour is to single out and keep hostile elements under scanner so that such incidents are averted in future,” he opined.

On October 1, a violent incident took place at SKUAST Jammu between two groups after India defeated Pakistan in T-20 Cricket World Cup. Some groups had objected to the celebrations of Indian team’s victory and raised anti-national slogans. The campus again witnessed another clash after Pakistan got qualified for semifinal despite the Indian team’s victory over South Africa. A complete shutdown was also observed in RS Pura in protest against ‘anti-national’ elements on SKUAST Jammu campus.

The similar incident was reported at BGSBU Rajouri while a clash broke out at the Government Polytechnic College, Bikram Chowk, after Pakistan team crashed out of World Cup tournament late last evening.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Jammu-Kathua Range, JP Singh admitted that though these incidents were related to cricket match, some forces were definitely trying to play a ‘mischief’.

“The outcome of cricket match acted as a trigger for these incidents but we will seriously look into the matter and will identify the troublemakers,” the DIG said. 

She even asked the nurse to drag me out of her room and take me to a mental hospital, he added.

A senior doctor, who declined to be named, said due to workload some doctors lose their temper.

One could gauge the sorry state of affairs from the fact that on an average, 60 deliveries, including around 20 Caesarean sections, take place in a day here. Besides, gynaecologists have to attend obstetrician cases and OPD patients. The burden squeezes life out of them, he said.

However, he admitted that the doctor on duty should not have lost her temper.

“We are into this profession out of our own choice, therefore, we have to be polite with patients and their attendants,” he added.

He informed that the hospital as of today has 12 consultant gynaecologists, eight house surgeons and 16 postgraduate students.

Unseemly fracas between attendants and the hospital staff refuses to die down but the root cause of the problem is acute shortage of staff, he said.

Despite adding 250 beds and taking the total strength of beds in the hospital to 750, things haven’t changed much.

Two women with their newborn babies on a single bed is a common sight in the hospital, said a hospital source.

There is an acute shortage of paramedical staff in the hospital with more than 150 posts of staff nurse lying vacant, the source added.

The SMGS Hospital caters to over three lakh patients in various OPDs and over 40,000 patients get hospitalised for various ailments every year. The hospital has attained a dubious distinction of having a mortality rate of more than 60 babies every month.

It also witnessed more than 2,400 deaths in the past three years with an average of 65 infants dying every month.

Medical Superintendent Dr Dara Singh said the government recently referred some posts of paramedics and doctors to the Service Selection Board and Public Service Commission to streamline the system.

Rajouri, October 5
The 200-bed district hospital here lacks fire safety equipment. The hospital was built at the cost of Rs 60-crore.

No fire safety measures have been implemented at the hospital despite the government order to maintain safety measures in all government hospitals and private nursing homes across the state following a major fire incident at the AMRI Hospital in Kolkata last year. The tragedy led to the death of 90 persons mostly patients who were choked to death in sleep.

It appears that the district hospital Rajouri has not learnt any lessons from the past and they are ill-equipped to tackle any such mishap.

Superintendent of the District Hospital, Rajouri, Chaman Basin said, “We have no such safety measures or equipment available at the hospital to help in any such incident.”

“Fire safety and protection is a matter of vital importance concerning everyone in the hospital, but our hospital does not have such vital equipments,” he added.

For fire safety an intelligent building design is needed to prevent such incidents. The main objective of the fire safety design of the buildings should be to save life and property but no such measures have taken at this hospital, sources said.

“The Health Department authorities running the government hospitals have not paid any attention towards installing fire fighting equipment as well as to ensure general preparedness to meet any such eventuality,” sources said.

“The hospital at Rajouri has been built without a proper plan as it lacks a number of life saving mechanisms, including fire service system,” a doctor working here said.

“If the government can invest crores to build and modernise hospitals, why not a part of the investment be made to install fire safety equipment,” a resident said. The head of the fire department, Rajouri, Chander Krishan said, “We have not received any request from the head of the hospital or the CMO to check availability of such safety measures.” 

Rajouri, October 5
The 76 Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) organised a medical check-up camp at the middle school at Vaishali village, Veer Badeshwar road, near the line of control (LoC) in Rajouri yesterday.

B Kaushal, Commandant, 76 Battalion, inaugurated the camp. People from Vaishali, Ratal, Jhalas, Samti and Muktidhara villages took part in large numbers.

District Hospital, Rajouri, provided the services of doctors. Free medicines were also distributed to the residents of Vaishali, Ratal, Jhalas, Samti and Muktidhara villages at the camp. Nearly 300 villagers, including women and children, were examined at the camp.

Commandant B Kaushal talked to the villagers from the remote areas to know about the problems faced by them. He assured them of help from the BSF. The villagers also appreciated the facilities made available during the medical camp and the help provided to them by the BSF from time to time. 

Jammu, October 5
The Wildlife Protection Department of Jammu celebrated the Wildlife Week at a programme at Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary at Sidha Nature Point.

The programme included a village meet, symposium and a painting competition in which students from various schools, local residents, sarpanches and panches of various blocks, teachers and wildlife officials took part.

The students of Shining Star High School Jajhar Kotli, Government High School Tarha, Government Middle School Domail, Government Middle School, Jajhar Kotli, Government Primary School, Nandini, and Government Primary School, Sarnohi (Bun) took part in the painting contest and a symposium.

The Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Jammu, Asif M Sagar, was the chief guest.

Sagar emphasised upon the need to involve locals, students and young generation to help maintain the ecological balance and the sustainable use of natural resources. He also advised the people to take all precautionary measures to minimise the man-animal conflicts.

Wildlife Warden Jammu, Tahir Shawl, emphasised upon the urgency to make judicious use of natural bounty and realise the importance of safeguarding the natural heritage for posterity.

Mankaran Singh of Class IX of Shining Star High School, Jajhar Kotli, bagged the first position, Shilpa of Class VIII of GMS Jajhar Kotli the second place and Umesh Sharma of Class IX of Shining Star High School, Jajhar Kotli, bagged the was bagged the third position. The consolation prize went to Rekha of Class X of Government High School, Tarha.

Poonch, October 5
Normal life was disrupted in Surankote Tehsil today due to a strike called by several organisations to protest against the district administration for the delay in the verification process of LPG connections leading to an acute shortage of LPG cylinders in Surankote tehsil.

Schools, shops, business establishments and fuel stations were closed in Surankote due to the strike called by various organisations. People gathered at the bus stand at Surankote early in the morning and shouted slogans against the state government and the Centre. They were demanding issuance of LPG cylinders at Surankote instead of Poonch.

Tariq Manhas, chairman, Surankote Peace committee said, “The government has already put a limit on the number of LPG cylinders annually and raised the cost of non-subsidised cylinders and the closure of tehsil-level LPG outlets which has increased the cost of the cylinders. People have to go to Poonch at a distance of 30 km to fetch LPG cylinders by spending Rs 100 per cylinder and after wasting an entire day.” He also demanded that LPG Cylinders be issued at Surenkote instead of Poonch. He demanded an early completion of the verification process for an early supply of LPG cylinders.

Some of the agitators also tried to damage government property who were stopped after some senior citizens intervened. Teshsildar, Surankote, Mohd Sayeed, and SDPO, Surankote, Javid Mir, rushed to the spot and pacified the protestors. They asked them to hold a meeting with the LPG distributors to resolve the issue. Following assurance by the officials the protestors called off the strike at 12:30 pm and held a meeting with the tehsil administration as well as LPG distributors, sources said.

In an hour-long meeting held at the SDPO office, Tehsildar, Surankote, Mohd Sayeed, directed three National Youth Corps to assist the LPG distributors for an early completion of the verification process so that all households get LPG cylinders as early as possible, sources said.

It was also decided in the meeting that all verified connections would get cylinders at Surankote from tomorrow onwards and others would get the cylinders at non-subsidized rates.

Sources said there are 15,000 gas connections in Surankote but only 800 connections have been verified till now, whereas the documents of 2,000 connections have been submitted for verification. Sources said District Development Commissioner, Poonch, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, had also directed LPG distributors to complete the process early.

Jammu, October 5
The Jammu and Kashmir Agricultural Technocrats Association today held a demonstration against the state government for not taking serious steps for regularisation of agricultural technocrats on a batch-wise manner and luring them on fake verbal promises.

Agricultural Technocrats from all districts gathered at the Press Club, Jammu, and to demand their regularisation. The JKATA has strongly condemned the state government for not regularising them on a batch-wise pattern.

JKATA president Dr Surinder Radotra said the administration must keep its promise to meet their demands for which they had also observed 55-day long fast unto death earlier this year.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had intervened in the matter after which Mubarak Gul was given the task to resolve the issue, he said. Omar had also promised to make the necessary amendments in the various government and cabinet orders to meet their demands, he added.

Association president Dr Vishal Singh Manhas announced that REZs would hold protests in all districts on Monday if their demands were not fulfilled. 

Jammu, October 5
A stamp design competition was organised by the Department of Posts, Indian Jammu and Kashmir Circle here on Friday.

Shubam Singh of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Pubic Higher Secondary School, Kunjwani, bagged the second prize in the stamp design contest and won a cash prize of Rs 500 along with a trophy and certificate of merit.— TNS