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Probe ordered into infants’ death
Four months on, a woman’s family awaits justice
Night temperature rises in Srinagar
A horsecart moves on a snow-covered road in Anantnag, 54 km from Srinagar, on Sunday. Tribune photo:
Amin war |
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Sale of commercial LPG cylinders gets a 400% boost in Valley
Chinar Corps pays homage to 1971 Indo-Pak war heroes
Drug menace widespread in Kupwara district
Movie ban by KU irks Hurriyat
Locals’ support brings down timber smuggling
Cong will work hard to form next govt in state: Ex-minister
6.3 lakh treated, 1.2 lakh surgeries performed this year so far
Health Dept seeks additional funds to keep hospitals warm
Woman held with cannabis in Kupwara
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Probe ordered into infants’ death
Baramulla, December 16 Baramulla Deputy Commissioner has also ordered a magisterial probe into the incident. A team of three doctors headed by Deputy Director Health Services of Kashmir Dr Masooda today visited the district hospital and recorded the statements of attendants and patients. The team is likely to submit its report by Monday, a senior doctor said. “The team is likely to submit its report tomorrow and if the hospital management was found guilty of negligence, it will face a stern action,” said the doctor. The attendants in the district hospital raised slogans against the hospital administration when the team of doctors from Srinagar reached the hospital this morning. They were pacified by repeated assurances of the visiting team that a stern action will be taken against the hospital management if it was found guilty of negligence. Following death of two infants on Friday, attendants at the district hospital had held protests for two consecutive days alleging that the infants died due to the carelessness of the hospital management. The bereaved parents had alleged that life-supporting machines, including incubators and ventilators, in the NICU remained non-functional for about four hours due to lack of power leading to the death of two newborn babies. They said the hospital management failed to start the generator to make the important machines functional as the operator was absent from his duty. “The hospital management is responsible for the death of newborn babies. They did not bother to start the generator and make the life-supporting machines functional. The management should be dealt under law for committing the murders,” said Tariq Ahmad Bhat, a parent of Sheeri village in Baramulla, whose infant died at the hospital. The two infants kept in the NICU had died allegedly due to a four-hour-long power cut that rendered the ventilators and incubators non-functional. The attendants alleged the hospital management did not start the generator because the operator was not on duty. |
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Four months on, a woman’s family awaits justice
Srinagar, December 16 Twenty-year-old Mehbooba Akhter hailing from Kakapora, Pulwama, had died along with her newborn child at LD Hospital on September 12 due to alleged delay in surgery by the doctors posted there. Mehbooba’s family has demanded a fresh probe into the matter, saying the inquiry committee set up by the LD Hospital eyewash. The family alleged that the inquiry committee was headed by a doctor who is one of the main culprits behind the deaths. Her family took the help of the police and an FIR was registered at Rajbagh police station against the accused doctors. The hospital administration had constituted an inquiry committee headed by Dr Shahnaz Taing, which submitted its final report after seven days. However, the report has not been made public as yet by the hospital authorities, which has been flayed by the Mehbooba’s family. “If an impartial probe was conducted, then they should have made it transparent and made the family aware of contents in the report. By keeping the report confidential, they have proved that the cause of my sister’s and nephew’s death was negligence of doctors,” Ghulam Mohiuudin, brother of Mehbooba, told The Tribune. Dr Mushtaq, Medical Superintendent, LD Hospital, said the report has been submitted to the police and the high court where the case is being investigated. “The matter is sub judice now. The court will give the final decision,” he said. |
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Night temperature rises in Srinagar
Srinagar, December 16 The minimum temperature in the city overnight was recorded at 2.5 degrees Celsius, which is five degrees above normal for this time of the year. The Saturday night temperature is a major rise in the mercury, which had earlier plunged to as low as minus 3 degrees Celsius in the city. The day temperature in the city was recorded at 9.5 degrees Celsius, an official said. Mercury in most of the region overnight was above the freezing point with Gulmarg and Pahalgam resorts being the only exception. In Gulmarg resort of north Kashmir, the night temperature fell to minus 9 degrees Celsius. The Gulmarg resort has recorded moderate to heavy snowfall over the last one week. At Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, the mercury overnight fell to minus 1.8 degrees Celsius while the day temperature was recorded at a maximum of 3.2 degrees Celsius, the official said. Qazigund, the southern gateway town to the Kashmir valley, recorded a maximum of 2.2 degrees Celsius during the day while the minimum temperature fell to 0.2 degrees Celsius. At the frontier Kupwara town in north Kashmir, the minimum temperature was recorded at 0.9 degrees Celsius while the maximum was recorded at 5.2 degrees Celsius. The official of the Met Department said it was snowing at nearly all the higher reaches of the Kashmir region. “Snow and rain was also falling today at Qazigund, Pahalgam, Kupwara and the Kokernag areas,” the official said. The weather department has forecast more snow and rain at a few places in the state in the next 24 hours. The Kashmir valley is gearing up for a harsh winter, which is set to begin later this week when 'Chillai Kalaan' — a 40-day-long harshest phase of the season — begins. |
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Sale of commercial LPG cylinders gets a 400% boost in Valley
Srinagar, December 16 “The commercial sale (of LPG cylinders) has increased almost 400 times. Earlier, hotels, offices and banks were using domestic cylinders but after the KYC forms were filled up, they have started using commercial cylinders,” Jammu and Kashmir Gas Dealers Association (JKGDA) general secretary Jagmohan Singh Raina told The Tribune. Besides cooking, cylinders are used for heating purposes in the Valley, which has been witnessing inclement weather conditions much before the advent of the ‘chillai kalaan’ - Kashmir’s harshest 40-day winter period that begins on December 21. While the sale of commercial gas cylinders has increased significantly, Raina said there had been “no difference” in the sale of domestic LPG cylinders this winter. However, the commoners say they have been using LPG cylinders judiciously this winter season. “I hardly see locals using gas heaters at home but we have no option but to use LPG for cooking amid power shortage. Moreover, it takes much longer time in winters to boil water and cook food,” said Rais Ahmad, a local. “We are still hoping against hope that the number of subsidised cylinders per year will be increased at places like Kashmir and Ladakh, which see harsh winter conditions, as they cannot be put at par with other places,” he added. While the common man is hoping that the Centre will review its decision, the state government has already expressed its inability to increase the cap on its own. After demands poured in from various quarters that the state should take proactive steps instead of waiting for New Delhi to take any action, Finance Minister AR Rather had stated that the state government would loose Rs 260 crore annually if it announced a subsidy for three additional cylinders on its own. The state government had also sent a delegation to New Delhi to seek special concession for the state on account of the harsh winter here. However, the appeal failed to evoke any positive response from the Centre. |
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Chinar Corps pays homage to 1971 Indo-Pak war heroes
Srinagar, December 16 Over the years, this victory has been celebrated as ‘Vijay Diwas’ by the Army, an army spokesman said in a statement here. In Srinagar, he said, the Vijay Diwas function was presided over by the Officiating GOC, Chinar Corps. “In a solemn yet impressive ceremony attended by a large number of Army persons, Maj Gen Rajesh Arya, Officiating GOC, Chinar Corps, paid obeisance to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the war memorial in Badami Bagh Cantonment, Srinagar,” the spokesman said. “The GOC also congratulated all ranks for putting in their best efforts to ensure a peaceful 2012 in the Valley and exhorted them to continue to strive for excellence,” he said, adding that Major Gen Rajesh Arya also conveyed his gratitude to the families of war heroes. “He also conveyed his deepest gratitude to the families of martyrs,” the spokesman said.
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Drug menace widespread in Kupwara district
Kupwara, December 16 Most of the youth involved in the drug menace are school and college dropouts and consume banned codeine phosphate to avoid stress, the police sources said. They said the Kupwara police had recovered three dozen bottles of codeine phosphate from 10 youths in the past two months. According to the police sources, most of the youth from the district manage codeine phosphate drug from Srinagar and Sopore markets. “Most of them who consume codeine phosphate to avoid mental duress are school dropouts. They manage to get the drugs from chemists in Sopore and Srinagar as the same is not available at medical stores in Kupwara,” the sources said. They said some other youths were using charas and brown sugar and doing a trade of such drugs to make easy money. Last week, the police recovered 1,200 grams of charas from a woman Gulshana Bano of Lolab, when she was going to deliver the consignment. The number of cases registered by the police under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and use of other drugs this year indicates that the menace is widespread in Kupwara. Since February this year, the Kupwara police station alone has recovered brown sugar, charas, codeine and other prohibited drugs worth Under FIR no 122/2012 (NDPS), the police had recovered 1 kg of brown sugar from the accused, Mohd Amin Lone. At least 500 gm of charas was recovered from Nazir Ahmad Mir of Khumriyal and the accused was booked under FIR no 156/2012. Similarly, under FIR no 164/2012, the
Kupwara police post arrested eight youth on charges of consuming drugs. At least 308 bottles of codeine were recovered from them, the police sources said. “In some cases the addicts include educated but jobless youth.
Despite stern action by the police to demoralise the potential drug-addicts, more youth seem to be falling prey to the menace of drugs,” a senior police official said. The situation in Handwara town is no better. Under FIR no 36/2012, the police this year arrested Showkat Khan, Abdul Majid Gojri, Ab Majid
Banday Showkat Ahmad Shah and two others and recovered at least 300 gm of charas from them. Drugs worth lakhs recovered
Since February this year, the Kupwara police station alone has recovered brown sugar, charas, codeine and other prohibited drugs worth lakhs. The recovery of drugs includes at least 380 bottles of codeine. Over 24 youth have been arrested on the charges of consuming drugs and doing “lucrative” trade. |
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Movie ban by KU irks Hurriyat
Srinagar, December 16 “There is no scope for this in a civilised world,” the separatist group said in a statement referring to the university administration’s move to stop the screening, which was scheduled for Saturday. The documentary film, sponsored by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, is based on violence meted out to Kashmiri women during the conflict in past two decades. The separatist group blamed the government for the ban on the film’s screening saying the university had been turned into a “political arena”. “India’s claim to democracy has been badly exposed in Jammu and Kashmir and the KGB and Mossad’s rule has been applied to this state,” the group said while comparing the state government’s functioning to that of the intelligence agencies of the erstwhile Soviet Union and Israel. The group also accused the government of imposing “martial law” in the state. The screening of ‘Ocean of tears’, which has been given a clean chit by the Indian Censor Board, was scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the university’s Convocation Complex. The programme was cancelled minutes before the show time. The university authorities said the police had informed them that it (police) had received complaints about some “disturbing content” in the film, which could lead to violence, and that was why the screening was stopped. “I have nothing against the film. There were apprehensions of law and order problems due to the film’s screening. That’s why we took the step,” said Prof Zaffer Reshi, registrar of the University of Kashmir. THE SHOW-STOPPER
The screening of ‘Ocean of tears’, which has been given a clean chit by the Indian Censor Board, was scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the university’s Convocation Complex. The programme was cancelled minutes before the show time. The university authorities said the police had informed them that it (police) had received complaints about some “disturbing content” in the film, which could lead to violence, and that was why the screening was stopped.
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Locals’ support brings down timber smuggling
Kupwara, December 16 Following specific information, the police yesterday evening recovered at least 87 cubic feet of timber from Kralpora market and seized the truck bearing registration no JKO1A-8711 used for its transportation. The driver of the truck, Abdul Jabar, was also arrested. “Locals have shown great courage and support in curbing the menace of timber smuggling. It was only because of their support that the police was able to curb the illegal practice to a great extent,” said a senior police official. Last week, the police recovered around 100 cubic feet of illicit timber from a truck bearing registration number JKO2A-F0642 in Panzgam village. “Had the police not received information in time, we would have certainly failed to recover the illicit timber. Locals have come forward to help the police in curbing the smuggling of this natural resource,” he said. Earlier in September this year, under FIR no 3/2012 u/s 379 RPC 6 Forest Act the police recovered around 74 cubic feet of timber. Local resident Javid Ahmad said, “Forest is a natural resource and it is our moral duty to help protect this resource.” In its crackdown against the smugglers, the Kralpora police station under FIR no 45/2012 u/s 379 RPC 6 Forest Act recovered around 129.72 cubic feet of timber. Under FIR no 75/2012 u/s 409 RPC 6 Forest Act, a timber planner and 11 cubic feet of timber were recovered from forest range office Ramhal. Similarly, under FIR no 78/2012 u/s 379 RPC 6 Forest Act 40 cubic feet timber was recovered. In another incident, at least 145 cubic feet of timber was recovered. In this case, the forester and a forest guard were arrested. |
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Cong will work hard to form next govt in state: Ex-minister
Srinagar, December 16 Vakil said this while addressing a gathering of party workers here. Asserting that the people of the state were interested in “one party rule in order to avoid uncertainty”, he said, “People are fed up with sentimental slogans that are aimed at exploitation and nothing else whether it is a slogan of autonomy or self-rule.” “People are interested in development and corruption-free society. The Chief Minister has himself said the eradication of corruption in a coalition regime becomes impossible….so why he is batting for alliance with the Congress?” Vakil asked. He said Omar too should have advocated a one-party rule in the state so that the menace of corruption was uprooted. Claiming that promises made with the people during 2008 elections by the ruling party had not been met, Vakil said the decision over alliance in the 2014 elections would be taken by the party high command in New Delhi.
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6.3 lakh treated, 1.2 lakh surgeries performed this year so far
Srinagar, December 16 “During the current year, 6.3 lakh patients were treated while 1,22,667 major and minor surgeries were conducted in Kashmir division. Besides, 36,907 deliveries and 18,82,525 different diagnostic tests were also conducted,” an official said. He said the figures were revealed in a meeting that was convened by Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman here yesterday. The meeting was convened to review performance and future planning of health services in the Kashmir division, the official added. Director, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Dr Yashpal Sharma, and Project Director, AIDS, Rakesh Khajuria, besides medical superintendents and chief medical officers of Kashmir Division were among those present in the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman urged officials of the Health Department to utilise the funds available with them while implementing various health-related schemes. He also urged the officers to intimate the traffic authorities concerned while shifting patients in ambulances from far-off places towards headquarters in advance so that smooth passage was assured. The authorities had recently decided to give ‘VIP treatment’ to ambulances plying on the road during emergencies while the traffic police had been directed to cooperate during the exercise. Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman also asked the officers to identify the institutions where solar system facility was needed for better services.
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Health Dept seeks additional funds to keep hospitals warm
Srinagar, December 16 The Health Department has sought additional Rs 1 crore from the government for heating nearly 1,700 health institutes (majority of them being housed in rural Kashmir). “We have received nearly Rs 93 lakh for keeping hospitals and institutions warm. But this amount is not sufficient. We have requested the government to provide over Rs 1 crore more for heating arrangements,” Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman said. The additional money sought for heating the health institutes does not include the Government Medical College and its associated hospitals in Srinagar. At present, the Directorate of Health Services in Kashmir manages 12 district hospitals, 43 sub-district hospitals, 345 primary health centres and 1,249 sub centres in rural districts of Kashmir. In Srinagar, the Directorate runs the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Hospital, Gousia Hospital and Kashmir Nursing Home. Sources said due to the lack of funds, patients, attendants and hospital staff were suffering, especially in the far-off places. Reports from various district and sub-district hospitals reveal that attendants have been complaining about inadequate heating arrangements being in place. Though few hospitals have centrally heating system, these are not functional in most of the hospitals. The heaters and blowers which have been provided to many health institutions are also inadequate to warm up the rooms and wards of the hospital. “In the past, LPG cylinders were kept in the hospitals, but with the Valley facing crisis of LPG, there was no proper arrangement for heating in various health institutes across the Valley,” said an official. “The patients have to shiver in the absence of proper heating arrangements.”
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Woman held with cannabis in Kupwara
Srinagar, December 16 She was found carrying 1,200 gm cannabis at a naka near Gujar Hostel. The police has initiated inquest proceedings under Section 8/20 of the NDPS Act in this regard. |
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Night temperature in Srinagar city rose five degrees above normal, giving a respite to residents here even though the Met Department issued a forecast saying more rain and snow is expected in the region in the next 24 hours.
Even as the common man has been hit hard by the cap on subsidised LPG cylinders amid chaos over filling up of the ‘Know Your Customer’ (KYC) forms, the gas dealers have witnessed a whopping 400 per cent increase in the sale of commercial gas cylinders in the Kashmir valley.
