Jammu, October 31
Students hailing from Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan today held a demonstration in front of the office of the vice-chancellor of Jammu University. They were protesting against alleged irregularity in filling vacant seats for Bachelors of Education (B.Ed) course in various B.Ed colleges affiliated with Jammu University.

The students alleged despite of having the required percentage of marks for admission they were being denied admission and bribe was being demanded.

“The agents placed by the colleges and the university administration are demanding hefty amounts from the candidates which every candidate cannot pay to get a seat’ said Daleep Singh a B.Ed aspirant from Punjab.

“I have 43 per cent marks in graduation, but was denied seat and an agent got a seat for a candidate who had only 39 per cent of marks,” said Sreetam Singh, a candidate from Punjab

They also alleged the university administration had violated the orders of union HRD minister Arjun Singh for granting quota to the students belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes.

“They say we don’t have any quota of B.Ed seats for SC and ST students in Jammu. the university administration is violating orders of the union HRD minister” said Vinay Kumar from Rajasthan.

Another student Parbakhar Kumar,who had come a from Hisar in Haryana said, “For the past 10 days they have been saying seats are vacant and everybody having more than 39 per cent of marks at graduation level would be absorbed in various B.Ed colleges of Jammu University. But today suddenly they said all seats have been filled.”

The National Students Union of India (NSUI), Jammu wing also supported the protesting students on the university campus and alleged the vacant seats have been sold to candidates who could pay hefty amount.

“The agents charged Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000 per seat from the candidates, but everybody won’t be able to bribe the administration to secure a B.Ed seat’ said Vinay Singh a local leader of the NSUI.

“The major reason for this large- scale bungling in the allotment of seats is the management quotas given to the colleges, the college along with the university administration sell these seats at much higher rates.”

Efforts to meet the vice- chancellor of the university failed as the security staff did not allowed the reporter to enter theV-C’s office.

Udhampur, October 31
As deaths due to unavailability of medical facilities have been increasing, the SDM, Mahore, this morning visited the hospital in this remote area of Reasi district and found most of the staff absent.

All absentees, except one doctor who was on sanctioned leave, were suspended and their cases forwarded to the deputy commissioner, Reasi, for action against them.

“What to say of treatment to the patients, the hospital itself has been spreading many diseases as it had virtually been turned into a dumping ground with waste materials seen spilled in the wards and on the premises of the hospital,'' admitted SDM, Mahore ,Tanbir Iqbal Malik.

Located in the heart of the Mahore tehsil, this hospital caters to needs of 60 villages of most backward hilly belt of Jammu and Kashmir. Two employees have been appointed to maintain cleanliness of the hospital but both of them were found absent for one month. The SDM said keeping in view the seriousness of the matter, the DC, Reasi, had been sounded about poor medical facilities.

Many centrally sponsored schemes to improve health facilities in remote areas of Reasi district failed to take off due to the failure of the Health Department to keep check on its employees.