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Untested blood given in 3 J&K hospitals: CAG Refugees sore over norms for travel to PoK Bus service a sham, says Hurriyat Councillors demand raise in salary |
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| Funds misutilised, says CAG Jammu, March 23 In a gross misutilisation of funds meant for the Assembly elections, state government officials have purchased television sets, furniture, cordless phones, refrigerators and kitchenware worth Rs 1.89 crore. 
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Untested blood given in 3 J&K hospitals: CAG Jammu, March 23 The CAG report pointed out that as many as 31,280 units of blood not tested against HIV and Hepatitis have been administered to patients by three hospitals functioning under the Health Department in the state. Not only this, but the Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), which is considered to be an institute of the level of the PGI, infused 1235 units of blood into patients without testing it for HIV and Hepatitis owing to non-availability of kits. The CAG has pointed out that the health institutions were endangering the lives of patients by infusing untested blood and the Health Department did not even ensure the mandatory testing of blood units for want of equipment. As many as 14,492 units of blood were not tested for HIV and 17,173 units for Hepatitis B by the three hospitals — Lalla Ded Hospital, Srinagar, and the district hospitals at Rajouri and Udhampur. Pointing out serious lapses in the blood banks, the report pointed out that unlicensed banks were operating in the Lalla Ded Hospital and the district hospitals at Anantnag and Rajouri. The blood bank in the district
hospital, Doda, did not have storage facility, the report added. The report further pointed out that bio-medical waste was being dumped in open pits, hospital lawns or in the open in gross violation of the rules although it was mandatory to set up waste-treatment plants by December 31,2002. Sub-standard medicines worth Rs 10.82 lakh purchased by the two directors of health services at Srinagar and Jammu were administered to patients. The two directors purchased medicines worth Rs 12.43 lakh out of which medicines worth Rs 10.82 lakh were declared sub-standard by the
Controller, Drug and Food Control Organization. Injections, chemicals and other equipment worth Rs 11.17 lakh issued to the three hospitals, district
hospital, Udhampur, Block Medical Officer, Ramnagar, and Lalla Ded Hospital, Srinagar, expired as the requirement was not assessed. Forty two machines purchased at a value of Rs 1.52 crore between September 1995 and July 2003 could not be put to use as trained manpower and infrastructure were lacking. The dental unit, haematology and bio-chemical analysers purchased for the district
hospital, Anantnag, were not installed. A perusal of the report indicates a number of irregularities in the Lalla Ded Hospital, Srinagar. In another stinker to the hospital, the CAG pointed out that out of the stationery worth Rs 14.08 lakh got printed by the Medical Superintendent of the Hospital, stationery amounting Rs 14.25 lakh was lying idle. The CAG has also pulled up the Drug Controller for sending 1087 of the 2036 samples to the analyst after a delay of four days to six months. Follow up action in case of adulterated food was poor. Diet worth Rs 44.24 lakh was supplied irregularly to attendants of indoor patients in the Children Hospital, Srinagar, during 1999-2004. The CAG has also brought out the fact that the Srinagar-based SKIMS, which was declared a research institute, had neither undertaken any research work nor funds were demanded in the Budget for the purpose. However, a sum of Rs 1.14 crore was paid to the faculty members between October 2000 and December 2003 as per the decision of the governing body to pay clinical research allowance of Rs 2500 per month to the faculty members. But detail of the research work was not produced before the audit. The functioning of the institute was adversely affected due to the shortage of doctors and para-medical staff. There was a shortage of 1077 posts in the SKIMS where the staff strength was 2702 against the 3779 sanctioned posts. As many as 1007 patients were awaiting various types of surgery for over three to eight months. |
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Refugees sore over norms for travel to PoK Jammu, March 23 Mr Gurmukh Singh Raina said: “While applying for the permit we have to mention the name of the relation we wish to meet in occupied Kashmir.” He said: “I do not have any blood relation in Muzaffaranbad after 35 members of my joint family were killed in the turmoil during the Partition”. Mr Raina, who was a transporter, had left a couple of houses and agricultural fields in Chakoti. “I want to visit the place and see the condition of my houses and the land that I had left at the time of migration to Jammu in 1947,” he said. Mr R.L. Tandon (70) and Satya Devi (75) who live in Bakshi Nagar colony in Jammu are keen to visit Muzaffarabad. They said: “We want to visit our ancestral land, see the plight of our immovable assets and meet our old neighbours.” “But our enthusiasm is over as we have been told that only those who have their relations across the border could receive the permit for travelling on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road,” they said. Mr Tandon’s daughter-in-law, Anuradha Tandon, who is 40-years-old, was excited when she heard that the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was to be thrown open to bus service. She said: “I was not born when the Partition took place. I want to visit the land of my inlaws with my father-in-law.” She wants the permit system to be modified so that there is no discrimination. Others, including Satpal , said: “It is discrimination on the basis of community.” He said: “If the current system for issuing permits is not modified it will mean that only Muslims, who have their relations here and there across the border, will be given permission to travel to Muzaffarabad and Srinagar.” Mr Gopal, a senior citizen said: “In 1947-48, 35,000 families from Muzaffarabad and Mirpur were registered as refugees in Jammu.” He said majority of them had died in the past 58 years. Some of the families had settled outside Jammu and Kashmir. Approximately 50,000 refugee families are settled in Jammu and other areas of the region. However, government sources said there would be no discrimination on the basis of religion. They said: “We have decided to facilitate meetings of members of divided families on priority.” As the travel picks up, people will be given permits to visit areas in occupied Kashmir even if they do not have any blood relation across the border. Sources said since 30 visitors were to be cleared for a period of one month preference had to be given to those who having blood relations across the border. Refugees from Mirpur, settled in Jammu, have renewed their demand for opening the Jammu-Mirpur road. Mr Satvir Gupta, hailing from Mirpur, said: “It may take our kin living in Poonch and Jammu over three days to reach Mirpur via Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road but it may take not more than one-and-a-half hour if the Jammu-Mirpur road is thrown open.”
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Bus service a sham, says Hurriyat Srinagar, March 23 A spokesman of the APHC, Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi, quoting acting chairman, here today alleged that killings continued in Kashmir even as India and Pakistan were engaged in the process of dialogue and restoration of peace. The acting chairman blamed India for playing a dubious role by entering into dialogue with Pakistan “to cover up excesses and war crimes” by the security forces in Kashmir. The APHC chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has been against the beginning of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service describing it as a “diversion from the core issue of Kashmir”. Referring to various CBMs between India and Pakistan as a “futile exercise”, he had last week urged Pakistan to take Kashmir as a core issue.
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Councillors demand raise in salary Jammu, March 23 The councillors rejected the monthly honorarium of Rs 5,000 for the Mayor and Rs 2,500 for the Deputy Mayor. They demanded that the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor should be entitled to a salary of Rs 15,000 and Rs 12,000, respectively. They also rejected the notification that entitled them to a daily sitting allowance of Rs 300 for attending meetings of the corporation and its standing committees. Their demand was that the councillors should be paid Rs 10,000 per month. The Urban Development Minister, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir, while addressing the meeting, said that the government was keen to make the municipal bodies viable and more effective. He appreciated the first resolution of the newly elected councillors that sought to name the road outside the Secretariat after the retired Army Chief, Gen N.C. Vij, who belonged to the town.
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Funds misutilised, says CAG Jammu, March 23 This has been stated in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) that was tabled in the Assembly today. The report has pointed out that inadmissible items were purchased out of the grant of Rs 9 crore for conduct of the last Assembly elections that concluded in phases in 2002. This has come to the notice of the CAG during a test check of records of the Chief Electoral Officer, the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, the Director-General of Police, the ADGP (Armed Police), five district election officers and 13 Senior Superintendents of Police. The test check revealed that Rs 29.50 lakh out of the election fund was diverted towards construction and repair works and Rs 61.55 lakh for clearance of liabilities that included expenditure of the Amarnath pilgrimage and purchase of furniture. Pre and post-poll expenses amounting to Rs 83.93 lakh, which were not incidental to elections, were also spent out of the fund.
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