The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Two big films release today
Vikas Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 12
It is going to be a Diwali bonanza of sorts for cinema lovers in Jammu city as two much-talked about films, Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ (JTHJ) and Ajay Devgn-starrer ‘Son of Sardaar’ (SOS) are all set for release on the festival day.

KC multiplex and Indira Audi are receiving an overwhelming response as advance booking for both movies is in full swing.

“Though advance booking for both big star cast movies is on, JTHJ being the last directorial venture of veteran film director late Yash Chopra, it has become emotionally significant for film lovers,” Shishupal, manager of KC Multiplex, said. “Advance booking of SRK starrer JTHJ started on November 9 while that for Ajay Devgn’s ‘Son Of Sardaar’ took off on November 10. All the tickets for both movies have been booked in advance for next Thursday,” he added. “The reasons behind the heavy rush for advance booking for both movies are obvious. Both movies have a big star cast and secondly, both are releasing on Diwali. Everybody wants to enjoy the festival with his family and if a good movie with a decent script is releasing on festival day, it would be like a bonanza,” Shishupal maintained.

“JTHJ is a high expectation movie as the Yash Chopra-Shah Rukh Khan duo is back after a long time since Veer Zara. Anticipation is already high, with performances of other actors apart from Shah Rukh expected to steal the show again,” he said.

JTHJ is a romantic love saga in two periods. The first part shows story of a musician Samar Anand in his early twenties who lives in London and falls in love with his friend Khushi (Katrina). Samar proposes Khushi. She refuses, saying they are just friends. A heartbroken and dejected Samar leaves for India and becomes an Army officer to serve his country. Later, he meets a 21-year-old aspiring documentary filmmaker Akira (Anushka) and falls in love with her.

Directed by Ashwani Dheer, ‘Son Of Sardaar’ (SOS) is a remake of a Telugu movie ‘Maryada Ramanna’. It is a romantic-comedy-action movie that has Rajveer Singh (played by Ajay Devgn) as the central character. Rajveer returns to his paternal village, where he meets Jiya (Sonakshi Sinha) and immediately falls in love with her.

Rajveer approaches a feudal lord (Sanjay Dutt) to sell five-acre property owned by himself, but situations turn around; the feudal lord comes to know the father of Rajveer had killed his brother and he gets trapped in his house.

Emergency complex still in dire straits
2005 earthquake had partially damaged the Poonch hospital block
Darshan Bharti

Poonch, November 12
The emergency block in Maharaja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital Poonch, which suffered huge losses in the 2005 earthquake, is yet to come up due to financial crunch and is set to miss the deadline this year again.

The District Hospital Poonch has a chequered past. The emergency block of the hospital suffered huge losses in a devastating earthquake in 2005. The building had collapsed partially. In 2009-10, the state government had decided to build a new emergency block with modern facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 3.81 crore. The block was started in a 10-bedded pre-fabricated hall with bare minimum basic facilities on the hospital premises.

Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma laid the foundation stone on January 18, 2010, with much fanfare with the promise that no financial crunch will hamper the construction work of the emergency complex and it would be completed in a year.

Despite all promises, the construction of the emergency complex is yet to be completed. Due to inordinate delay in its completion, Poonchites are suffering a lot.

“When we heard in 2010 that shortly, Poonch will have a modern emergency block, we were very happy and were hopeful that it would be completed within the stipulated time, but after lapse of almost three years, we don’t think it would be completed,” said Satish Kumar, a social activist.

“Poonch is a hilly and accident-prone district. Whenever an accident takes place, the hospital authorities find it difficult to treat the patients in a 10-bedded hall without required equipment. Many a time, we are unable to treat patients and have to face the wrath of people,” said a senior doctor, wishing anonymity.

Locals feel the state government has nothing to do with Poonch district and CM Omar Abdullah not visiting the hospital even once proves they are not keen to provide medical facilities to the district. Residents also held local leaders responsible for delay in completion of the emergency block.

“The emergency block will have two minor operation theatres, X-ray equipment, staff duty rooms, dressing rooms and 20-bedded block for emergency patients,” said Dr Vijay Sawhney, Chief Medical Officer, Poonch.

On being asked about delay in its completion, he said, “Rs 1.60 crore have been spent on it till last month and the required funds are yet to be released. Once the funds are released, the leftover work will be completed and the emergency block will possibly start functioning in the next year.”

No decision on sanitation workers’ induction
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 12
Despite facing a huge shortage of sanitation workers, the government is undecided over allowing people from outside the state to fill vacant posts in Jammu Municipal Corporation.

There is a demand to lower the eligibility condition of candidates so that many youth belonging to economically weaker sections of the society could apply for the same. Last year, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development Nasir Aslam Wani announced in the Legislative Assembly that a committee constituted for handling selection to the posts falling under direct recruitment quota will submit its recommendations, but so far, no such report has been submitted. At the moment, the minimum qualification for applying for the post of sanitation worker is middle pass (8th standard) and unions have been demanding lowering of the qualification bar, as many youth eager to apply for the posts have not studied till eighth standard.

The MC has a total of 1,000 vacant posts, whose incumbents are supposed to keep the city and its outskirts clean and remove solid waste generated by nearly 13 lakh souls inhabiting Jammu.

Further, the regularisation process of 400 sanitation workers is on at snail’s pace as most of them hail from outside the state and sources say as per rules, they cannot be retained in government job, owing to the state subject clause. “We should be granted state subject as most of the sanitation workers have served the state for the last three to four decades. The government should also help us as we have spent our time serving the state,” said union member Mark Gill.

The corporation has engaged 2,000 sanitation workers, but they have not been able to cope with the rising demands in the city. For the last few years, the corporation has been engaging services of NGOs to keep the city clean. Apart from regularisation of workers who are already working on ad hoc, consolidated, contractual or daily wage basis, unions have been demanding better work conditions, keeping in view the rising workload and contact with highly contaminated garbage and other such material.

Shortage of water hits villagers in border areas
Ranjit Thakur

Rajouri, November 12
Thousands of villagers of border areas of district Rajouri are hard-pressed. More then 90 per cent of the dug-up wells have dried up within three to six months of digging.

Villagers of Rehan, Trigula, Indrola, and Kardia are carrying water to their respective villages on horses from faraway areas in the face of total apathy and neglect of the department concerned, PHE, which is supposed to ensure drinking water facilities to these villages.

Residents of these areas facing acute shortage of drinking water have expressed serious concern as there are only two sources of water in the villages, which have dried up.

Subash Chander, a local villager, said, “Though water pipelines have been laid in the villages, so far, drinking water has not been supplied by the department concerned.”

Zulfkar Choudhary, MLA Dral, lamented that despite having taken up this serious issue with the authorities and government, no heed has been paid.

SMVD varsity shines in placements
Our Correspondent

Katra November 12
Indian Army visited Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU) for the campus recruitment programme ‘University Entry Scheme’. Young engineers of the university showed keen interests in making a career in Indian Army. The Indian Army team headed by Commander R Mahajan recommended 25 students for SSB. Colonel Mahajan was pleased with the quality of students and infrastructure of the university campus.

A France-based multinational IT consultancy Capgemini also conducted a campus drive for 2013 passing-out batch. Selection process was conducted in four stages, including online test, group discussion, technical interview and HR interview. A four-member team headed by Manoj Hota, vice president (Fresher Hiring), selected 21candidates after rigorous multiple sessions.

SMVDU vice-chancellor Prof RN K Bamezai congratulated the selected students and advised them to work hard to come up to the expectations of the institution.

Prof Bamezai also complimented the T&P faculty and student coordinators and placement officers for their efforts. He advised the students not to be complacent and to prepare for other placement opportunities, expected to materialise shortly.

SMVDU placement officer BK Bhatia said 90 students of a batch of 198 have been placed till now in companies like TCS, HCL, and Capgemini. He also said campus hiring-2013 for management students has been scheduled from November 22.

Lt Gen Hooda briefs Governor
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 12
The GOC, 16 Corps, Lt. Gen DS Hooda today called on the Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhavan here. During the meeting, the Corps Commander briefed the Governor about the overall security situation in the area of his responsibility. Certain other issues, including internal and external security management, were also reviewed.

Jammu emerges state champion in karate
Tribune News Service

Jammu, November 12
Jammu district emerged as the overall winner at the state-level universal shotokan karate championship held at Bhartiya Vidya Mandir, Ambphalla here today. Rajouri and Kathua had to settle for second and third positions respectively.

Black belts were awarded to Tarun Sharma (2nd dan black belt), Shruti (2nd dan black belt), Anil Sharma (1st dan black belt) and Arun Jamwal (1st dan black belt).

Vote of thanks was presented by Sanjay Kumar (3rd dan black belt AIKF), chief instructor and state president of the universal shotokan karate-do association.