|
|
|
|
|
24 more drug samples found substandard
Nisar ul Hassan, Doctors Association Kashmir president, addresses mediapersons in Srinagar on Saturday. Tribune photo: Amin War
Kargil road link restored
A shopkeeper removes rainwater from his shop in Kargil. A Tribune photograph
Trans-LoC traders seek Shinde’s
intervention
|
|
|
Second tremor jolts Doda, Kishtwar
Parvez Rasool not in playing 11,
family
disappointed
Endless wait for two Kathua women for their husbands
J-K’s first-ever mega science fest from Aug 23
CPM calls for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue
Cong leaders mum over NC attack on Soz
BJP to launch campaign to end discrimination against Jammu region
IAF officers rescue people stranded in flash floods in
Kathua. A Tribune photograph
Hurriyat rejects Panun Kashmir's demand
|
|
24 more drug samples found substandard
Srinagar, August 3 In July, the CDSCO, in its status report to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, had disclosed that analysis reports of 25 samples had been received, out of which two samples were declared substandard. In the status report, the CDSCO had identified the two spurious drugs as nitrofuratoin tablets (trade name martifur) and ofloxacin tablets (trade name onofbact-200). However, in the new sample report, the CDSCO has disclosed that 24 drug samples drawn from various parts of the state were declared not of standard quality. “A total of 156 samples were drawn by drugs inspectors of the CDSCO from various places in J&K, in connection with the supply of spurious drugs in government hospitals of the state,” reads the four-page sample report by the Assistant Drugs Controller, CDSCO, Sub-Zone, Jammu, which is addressed to Drugs Controller, Drugs and Food Control Organisation, J&K. The Drugs Controller of J&K has further been instructed to take action on the basis of the sample report. “It is requested to depute the area drugs inspector under your control to make seizure of the products (declared as substandard) from where the sample was drawn and distributed. Action taken in this regard should be intimated,” the report reads. Independent probe panel demanded The Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) has said the government had failed to punish those involved in the spurious drug scam in the state despite many drugs having been found of substandard quality. Addressing a press conference here today, the DAK along with the Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), Bar Association Kashmir and civil society groups demanded the constitution of an independent commission to probe the drugs scam. “The persons charge sheeted in the scam should be punished and criminal cases registered be against them. Besides, the officials found involved in the scam should be suspended from their services,” DAK president Nisar ul Hassan said. He claimed that the supply of the spurious drugs was the main reason for the death of infants at GB Pant Hospital. The DAK president warned of intensifying the agitation against the culprits behind the drugs scam after Eid.
|
||
|
Kargil road link restored
Srinagar, August 3 Flash floods following heavy rain in Kargil area of Ladakh had disrupted traffic. Some portions of the highway were also washed away. The restoration work is in progress on other roads connecting Kargil town to the surrounding areas. Two persons are reported missing following heavy rain and flash floods, officials from the district headquarters of Kargil said. Efforts were on to trace them, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Fida Hussain said. The rain and flash floods had inundated several houses in 12 villages around Kargil town. No loss of life was reported due to the rain. One person who was injured during the flash floods was hospitalised. The district administration has already constituted a committee to assess the extent of the damage caused to the houses and property due to the rain in the area. The committee will submit its report in a couple of days, Deputy Commissioner, Fida Hussain, said over the phone from Kargil. He said traffic on the crucial Srinagar-Leh highway was restored yesterday and it was being restored on the roads in the nearby areas by this evening. These link roads had got buried under two to six feet of mud and slush at different places, after the rains lashed the area on Thursday evening.
|
||
|
Trans-LoC traders seek Shinde’s intervention
Jammu, August 3 A day after The Tribune reported alleged autocratic attitude of some of the Forest Department officials, who have started seizing the consignments of herbs, the cross-Line of Control (LoC) traders today came out in the open, demanding that justice be done to them. Addressing mediapersons here today, Sheeraz Ahmed Khan, spokesperson for the Chamber of the LoC Trade, J&K, said despite being in the list of 21 trade items, the Forest Department all of a sudden started seizing their consignments of herbs. “It has never happened ever since the trade started between the two divided Kashmirs on October 21, 2008. It is not happening at Salamabad Cross-LoC Trade Centre in Kashmir,” said Khan. The Forest Department has started seizing consignments of herbs on a flimsy ground that the trader must get naqsha number 25 (rabdari) from the department. "Where they (Forest Department officials) sleeping since 2008?" he asked. Khan also requested the Union Home Minister to immediately cancel the visit of the 47-member delegation of the LoC traders from the state to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to discuss trade-related problems with their PoK counterparts on August 26. “Only a few trans-LoC traders have been included in the delegation. We want that a fresh delegation having 11 trans-LoC traders each from Kashmir and Jammu be included because those who are actually doing trade with PoK know the problems and want solutions,” said Khan. Besides 165 trans-LoC traders from Poonch in the Jammu region, over 600 traders are associated with the LoC trade via Salamabad in Kashmir. Khan also seized the opportunity to reiterate a long-pending demand of traders in Chakan da Bagh and Salamabad to install full-truck scanners at the two trade centres. Khan also appealed to the Home Minister to bring the LoC trade via Chakan da Bagh on a par with the Salamabad trade centre that exports over 50 trucks of merchandise to PoK during the four days of trading every week, in sharp contrast to 25 trucks a day from Chakan da Bagh. Following The Tribune report in May last year, the then Union Home Secretary, RK Singh, had ordered 50 trucks every day to PoK from Chakan da Bagh as well, but the practice didn’t last long and things were back to square one again. He also urged that 21 items on the export list under the standard operating procedure be resumed via Chakan da Bagh on the lines of Salamabad. The traders have submitted detailed memorandums to the Union Home Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State for Industries Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo.
|
||
|
Second tremor jolts Doda, Kishtwar
Doda, August 3 The epicenter of the quake was near Kishtwar town, 240 km from Jammu. This was the second earthquake which jolted the region in less than 24 hours, besides tremors of less magnitude. Though no loss of life has been reported but the quake has further damaged the
houses, which developed cracks during the May 1 earthquake. “During early morning today, the area felt another earthquake but no loss of life has been reported so far. The quake has damaged several houses in the region,” said Saleem Muhammad, Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar. According the Meteorological Department, the epicenter of the quake was near Kishtwar town with its depth 10 km beneath the surface. The depth of the Friday’s earthquake was 28 km beneath the earth and lasted only for few seconds but the earthquake today shook for more time. “When the quake hit the area; people came out of their houses. No body dared to go inside to have Sehri,” said Sajid Hassan, a resident of Doda. Frequent earthquakes may affect shopping as Eid-ul-Fitr approaches near. “Our house is unsafe and with frequent quakes in the area, we may not be able to enjoy Eid,” said Gulfam Ahmad (35), whose houses was declared unsafe by the district administration after the May 1 quake. Friday’s quake left three persons injured in
Kishtwar. “Structures already damaged during the May 1 quake have got damaged further but no loss of life has been reported. In the morning, all Naib tehsildars of the district were asked to asses the damage in their respective areas,” said Mubarak Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Doda.
|
||
|
Parvez Rasool not in playing 11,
family
disappointed
Anantnag, August 3 However, disappointment is the only word that describes the mood at Parvez’s house, Bijbehara town in particular and the Kashmir valley in general, as the captain of the Indian cricket team announced his team after winning the toss at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo in Zimbabwe on July
24. Parvez was picked up as part of the 15-member squad representing India in the two-nation series against Zimbabwe. His fans in Kashmir had been waiting for him to make a debut at the highest level and perform well, but that was not to be. “We were hopeful that he will make his debut today,” said Ghulam Rasool
Zargar, Parvez’s father. “India having won the series already, with a 4-0 lead, I was hopeful that he will be in the playing 11 today,” he
said. Zargar said he was disappointed and a bit sad for his son, however, he had not lost hope. “I am disappointed because everybody in Kashmir is disappointed,” Zargar said. “But at the same time I do hope that he will get chances in the future. This is just the
beginning.” Parvez’s brothers, who are also cricketers, maintained that they knew how teams worked and even though they were a bit sad for their brother, they were not disappointed. “He has climbed the ladder by working hard. I’m sure he has a long way to go. The world does not end with this series, neither does the Indian cricket,” said Asif
Rasool, Parvez’s brother. Meanwhile, people in Bijbehara town were also disappointed after waiting for more than a week to see Parvez debut in the international cricket. “I skipped school and watched all five matches which India played against Zimbabwe, just to get a glimpse of
Parvez,” said Talha Ashraf, 13, a student. “I’m really disappointed,” Talha said.
|
||
|
Endless wait for two Kathua women for their husbands
Jammu, August 3 “My husband Om Prakash went missing on June 4, 1998. Four years later, in 2002, I came
to know about his arrest in Pakistan. Till 2006, he had been kept in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi and then shifted to a Mohajir camp in Muzaffarabad in PoK,” said Bishno Devi (45) of Budhi Nagrota in
Kathua. Bishno would get letters from her husband till last year. She produced one of the letters sent by her husband on July 14, 2012. It was written in Urdu and was posted from a Mohajir camp in Muzaffarabad. “Given these particulars, it would not be a big deal to trace my husband. But being poor, no one has come forward to help me, not even human rights activists,” rued
Bishno. She said, “My husband was convicted for a spying charge that was never established by Pakistan. I also wonder who decides the duration of the sentence. He is there in Pakistan for the last 15 years and our lives have been ruined here.” Urmila Devi, wife of Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Makwal in Billawar, also gets letters from her husband from Kot Lakhpat Jail. Her husband would call her sometimes. She said she could not understand the criminal silence on the part of the Centre.
“He was arrested in Pakistan on December 16, 1992, for spying. He has been there in the jail for 21 years now. By now even the cruelest of the cruel would have shown mercy,” she said. The Centre and human rights activists should do something for the living dead like us, she said.
|
||
|
J-K’s first-ever mega science fest from Aug 23
Srinagar, August 3 The organisers said around 15 engineering colleges from the country had registered for the festival. These include IIT Delhi, IIT Roorkee and IIT
Kharagpur. National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jaipur, NIT Hamirpur and NIT Jalandhar are also
participating. Techvaganza -2013 will host various inter-college competitions in robotics, rocket making, algorithm solving, designing electrical engineering equipment and metallurgy. “There is something for every budding engineer in the festival. Software engineers will develop new software solutions, electrical engineers will solve modern problems of electricity, civil engineers will help develop alternate routes and bridges to help ease traffic problems. Basically, each branch of engineering will have a series of events under its banner, in which interested students can participate,” said event convener Nitin Kumar. The festival is also expected to host a series of lecture sessions and workshops being conducted by noted scientists from all over the country, including Arvind
Bharti, Director, Planning and Coordination, Union Department of Research and Development; Ravi
Batra, an Indo-US economist and Professor at the University of Texas, USA; UK
Chaterjee, faculty member at the Indian Institute of Technology,
Kharagpur, and SC Suri, chairman of the Indian Institute of Management, Delhi. “Experts will delve into matters related to latest trends and innovations in the field of technology,” said the event convener. Besides technology, budding engineers also aim at resolving social issues by starting a social initiative, SAY (Social Awareness and Youth), focused on uplift of women, saving wild species and arranging for career counselling for underprivileged children.
|
||
|
CPM calls for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue
Srinagar, August 3 "Now the time has come that rigidities must be replaced with bonhomie and both governments should realise the urgency of this commitment and make serious efforts to move forward and revamp the stalled peace process," CPM state secretary MY Tarigami said in a statement after addressing a party convention at Khanbal in south Kashmir's Anantnag district. The CPM leader said the people of Kashmir were forced to bear the brunt of disruptions in Indo-Pak dialogue. "I urge India and Pakistan to appreciate the phenomenal societal change across the border and shed old ways of thinking," he
said. Tarigami said the resolution of the Kashmir issue was in the interest of both countries and it had the potential to bring peace and prosperity in South Asia. "It is ironic that resources which need to be utilised for the welfare of the poor and hungry are being used to keep vigil on glaciers. The two countries should end the path of confrontation and go for reconciliation to resolve all outstanding issues, including
Siachen, Sir Creek and Kashmir," he said. He said with the new government in Pakistan, people across the border are looking for a fresh and refreshing approach in foreign relations of the two countries. "In order to restore the lost mutual confidence, the two countries need at least, to resolve less contentious issues to pave the way for the resolution of other outstanding matters," he said.
— PTI
|
||
|
Cong leaders mum over NC attack on Soz
Jammu, August 3 Kamal, who is Union Minister Farooq Abdullah’s brother and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s uncle, has come out in the open to expose Soz and the local Congress leadership despite both parties running a coalition government in the state. Instead of countering Kamal’s repeated verbal assault, Soz loyalists issued a statement yesterday on behalf of former MLA Om Chopra, demanding an apology from the National Conference (NC) leader. Sources in the Congress said senior leaders were hesitating to openly come forward to take on Kamal because the majority of them wanted to be in the NC’s good books. “There was strong resentment among party workers after a news item carrying indecent statement of Kamal appeared in a section of the media. No senior Congress leader was ready to come forward to confront the NC leader,” a source said, adding, “The statement in the name of Om Chopra was issued to placate angry workers. Being a part of the government, Congress ministers have a reason not to speak against the NC but some Soz loyalists have also maintained a criminal silence over the issue,” said a Congress leader.
|
||
|
BJP to launch campaign to end discrimination against Jammu region
Jammu, August 3 Addressing a function at Akhnoor today, Gupta said both Hindus and Muslims of the Jammu region should oppose such biased and discriminatory policies of the state government. He said the BJP would involve the Muslim brethren in its campaign against discrimination. He said Kashmir-centric parties always divided people of the Jammu region to accomplish their nefarious designs. “Let all Muslims and Hindus get united for their common interest of regional development and if it happens, It will change the fate of the region,” Gupta said, adding that he was going to launch a full-fledged campaign to end discrimination against Jammu province and get Muslims and Hindus under one platform. “The BJP will try to bridge all gaps between these communities to bring them close and fight together for their common cause,” he said, adding, “The confidence-building measure is very important between these communities, if Jammu people want to move ahead.”
|
||
|
Told to airlift two, IAF pilots come back with 23
Jammu, August 3 Pilots of the IAF Cheetah helicopters, Squadron Leader AK Bharmoria and Flight Lieutenant Joe Prashanth and the winch operator LAC Sonu Kumar, who took off from the Udhampur Air Force Station, were told about their mission by Commanding Officer, Wing Commander, Ajay Bhardwaj at 2.30 pm. Their task was to go to one of the villages by Ujh River, close to Pathankot, near the international border. The helicopters could not take off due to rain and bad weather till 4.30 pm. Station Commander, Group Captain, DP Hirani cleared them to fly. The helicopter landed on the terrace rescued three men. They dropped them to a nearby bridge. Before returning to their base, they flew a recce mission and found many more stranded. Even with less time in hand, the pilots stayed on and evacuated the stranded people to the bridge. Short of time, they evacuated many to the nearest bank of the river. They went towards Pathankot Air Force Station to re-fuel.
|
||
|
Hurriyat rejects Panun Kashmir's demand
Srinagar, August 3 "Such an idea was a clear reflective of the communal thinking ingrained in that party (Panun Kashmir),"
he said. "The Hurriyat has made it clear that it would never accept the split of Jammu and Kashmir on the religious or regional basis since it would stoke a fire which would be impossible to douse," Mirwaiz said while addressing a gathering at Khanyar here. He said the Kashmiri Pandits were an inalienable part of the Kashmiri society and the community should not heed to the propaganda of communal fanatics. "They should return to their respective homes in Kashmir," he said.
— PTI
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Twentyfour new drug samples have been found to be of substandard quality in the state after analysis by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation.
Road connectivity to Kargil was completely restored today. The movement of traffic on the 434-km long
Srinagar-Leh highway was restored last evening after remaining suspended for more than 24 hours due to the flash floods on Thursday.
