J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

CM: Check encroachments on Dal Lake
SRINAGAR, April 12 — Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has called for effective monitoring of the Dal Lake to check encroachments therein and asked the agency concerned to ensure that people rehabilitated elsewhere do not return to the lake.

CAG censures health services
JAMMU, April 12 — Following the failure of the state government to fix norms for regulating expenditure on various components of healthcare the overall share of expenditure on drugs, diet, linen, machinery and equipment had declined from 25 per cent to 20 per cent in 1998-99 despite 28 per cent increase in the number of patients in 68 district and subdivisional hospitals.

J&K capital to be shifted to Srinagar
JAMMU, April 12 (UNI) — The capital of Jammu and Kashmir will be shifted from Jammu to Srinagar in the first week of May.

CM: Check encroachments on Dal Lake
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, April 12 — Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has called for effective monitoring of the Dal Lake to check encroachments therein and asked the agency concerned to ensure that people rehabilitated elsewhere do not return to the lake.

Describing the lake as “our heritage that had to be preserved for the posterity”, the Chief Minister said all people would have to be moved out of the lake in order to save it from further degradation, and ultimate extinction. He said even if this would be unpleasant for many people, the government would have to take this step. The dislocated people, he said, should be rehabilitated nearer their working place. He asked the authorities concerned to keep provisions for schools, parks and small dispensaries in colonies planned for the rehabilitation of the people moved out of the lake.

Dr Abdullah was speaking at the sixth meeting of the Board of Directors of the J&K Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority (LWWDA) here yesterday. The Vice-Chairman, Wajahat Habibullah, Commissioner/Secretary Tourism, Parvez Dewan and Divisional Commissioner, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai were also present. The Chief Minister had a round of the Dal Lake and visited several areas faced with encroachments on the banks of the lake, and portions cleared of weeds by the LWWDA.

The Chief Minister asked the LWWDA to expedite the removal of encroachments and the structures acquired by it within the lakes and said all structures had to be cleared to restore the lake to its prestige glory. He suggested that instead of removing the structures one by one in different areas, the authority should go in for removing an entire mohalla and only then move on to another.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Abdullah suggested privatisation of the northern foreshore road on the banks of the lake to develop it into a recreation area on the pattern of Switzerland where areas around lakes are beautified.

He asked the Vice-Chairman, LWWDA, to set up a committee comprising himself, Commissioner/Secretary Tourism and the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir to discuss the idea with experts and prepare a feasibility report. This would not only beautify the area but also stop encroachments to which otherwise it would be prone, he added.

Mr Habibullah said 9.26 lakh cubic feet of silt had been drawn out from the water body. Several measures had been initiated for preserving the lake and rehabilitation of the families affected due to evacuation for which Rs 5 crore had been earmarked.

CAG censures health services
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, April 12 — Following the failure of the state government to fix norms for regulating expenditure on various components of healthcare the overall share of expenditure on drugs, diet, linen, machinery and equipment had declined from 25 per cent to 20 per cent in 1998-99 despite 28 per cent increase in the number of patients in 68 district and subdivisional hospitals.

This has been made in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General CAG of India for the year 1999, which was tabled in the state assembly here yesterday.

It has said that owing to non-recovery of token admission fee from outdoor and indoor patients and irregular waiver of medical investigation charges, the Health Department suffered a revenue loss of over Rs 2.08 crore between 1995-1999.

Against the sanctioned posts of 428 doctors, including specialists, for 22 hospitals only 390 had been recruited till March 1999.

The report has censured the health services for not having made proper use of machines and equipment purchased between 1993 and 1996. It has said that six X-ray plants purchased at a cost of Rs 45.33 lakh had not been installed or commissioned during the past six years. The German aid commodity equipment procured for Rs 67.13 lakh was also lying idle in district hospitals since 1995.

It has said that 80 per cent of sub-standard drugs worth over Rs 93 lakh, purchased between 1993 and 1998, were administered to the patients due to belated receipt of test reports from the Drug controller.

As far as Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the utilisation of central funds was poor and the main cause was that the funds were released at the fag end of the financial years between 1992 and 1997. Funds allotted by the state government during 1992-99 were sufficient for providing nutrition for 180 to 220 days against the requirement of 300 days per year. In 24 per cent anganwari centres nutrition was provided for less than 120 days.

Lack of a proper system for checking adulterated and infected items were provided to children in anganwari centres of Srinagar during 1996-97. Against the 54 vehicles supplied by the central government during 1992-98 only 27 were accounted for in the books of the department.

The rural employment general and flood control programmes have come in for sharp criticism in the report. It has said that the failure of the state to ensure utilisation of available funds, release its share of funds in full and failure to contain administrative expenses within the prescribed ceiling resulted in shortfall of central assistance of Rs 5.05 crore between 1995 and 1999.

The state diverted over Rs 2.90 crore for activities outside the purview of the programme during 1994-99. It has disputed the claim of the government that 781.16 lakh mandays during 1992-1999 had been created for providing wage employment. It said that the claim was found fictitious as it was not based on the muster rolls. While casting aspersions on the functioning of the Flood Control Department the report has said that despite expenditure of Rs 98.32 crore on flood control measures between 1992-1999, floods caused recurring losses.

J&K capital to be shifted to Srinagar

JAMMU, April 12 (UNI) — The capital of Jammu and Kashmir will be shifted from Jammu to Srinagar in the first week of May.

The government offices in Jammu will close on May 1 and reopen at Srinagar on May 8.

According to a government order, all moving departments will send their advance parties, comprising gazetted officers and four or five officials, one week in advance for making necessary arrangements for receiving records at Srinagar.

The departments observing five days’ week have been asked to pack their records in boxes after working hours on April 28 and the departments observing six days’ week after working hours on April 29.

A sum of Rs 2,050 as travel allowance has been sanctioned for employees which will be paid in advance. However, employees who do not move within the prescribed date would not be allowed the benefit.

All departments have been asked to relieve officials, including Class IV employees, who do not belong to the Civil Secretariat cadre but are attached with the administrative departments with a direction to report back to their parent departments before the closure of offices at Jammu.

The State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) has been asked to make available sufficient number of tickets from April 17. Booking counters will be opened at the civil secretariat for the purpose.