 |
|
Highway remains closed for 5th
Free food for stranded passengers: CM
Rehabilitation of Militants’ Families |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Patients administered spurious drugs worth lakhs of rupees
Call to declare holidays in schools
59-day hunger strike suspended
Snow turmoil in Doda
Valley witnesses intermittent snow, rain
PDP sees new market economy as growth mantra
Impasse on dental college stir continues
Army turns to music therapy for de-stressing jawans
Jawan among 3 killed in avalanches
Function on women’s empowerment
Two Hizbul ultras held
Development body criticised
|
|
Highway remains closed for 5th consecutive day
Jammu, February 7 The stranded passengers staged a protest demonstration in which they raised anti government slogans as they alleged that the government had failed to provide any relief to them. Hundreds of Srinagar-bound stranded passengers took to streets and demanded that the government should make arrangements to airlift them to Srinagar. “For the past five days we have been neglected by the government and we have been left on the mercy of almighty God. There is no arrangement for us and we are forced to spend such bone chilling nights under the open sky,” said one of the stranded passengers, Ghulam Mohammed, a resident of Kupwara district. Another protesting passenger said, Abdul Jabbar from Pulwana, “For the past five days we have been waiting for the opening of the road and are camped in the bus stand but not even a single government official bothered to visit us.” Adding to passengers’ woes, the hotel owners are taking an undue advantage of the situation where they have increased rates manifolds. Meanwhile, the general bus stand Jammu have become a temporary residence for hundreds of Srinagar-bound stranded passengers as all such passengers along with their families are putting up at the bus stand waiting for the opening of the highway. “We have no other place to go, so for the past five days we along with our family members including women and children have been putting up here in the open,” said Abdul Khalid, a resident of Srinagar. The miseries of the stranded passengers don’t seem to be fading away as the met department has warned that heavy snowfall in the region would continue for next 24 hours. “Heavy snowfall and major landslides at many places on the route has blocked the highway and the continuous snowfall in the region is hampering the work undertaken to clear the road,” said an official of the Border Road Organisation. |
|
Free food for stranded passengers: CM
Srinagar, February 7 This was stated by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who arrived here from Jammu to review the situation arising out of heavy snowfall for the past few days. The Chief Minister was informed that enough food and LPG stocks were available and there was no scarcity of essential supplies anywhere in Kashmir, including inaccessible areas like Gurez, Tangdhar and Tulel, where winter stocking had been made in time. Azad also said LPG cylinders had been stocked to ensure there was no shortage of cylinders in the valley. The Chief Minister said free food would be provided to valley-bound stranded passengers in Jammu. He said Air Force planes would also be pressed into service to ferry stranded passengers as and when the need arised. He also informed that 43 snow clearing machines had been pressed into service in the valley, 27 of which were deployed in Kulgam, Anantnag and Shopian districts where maximum snowfall had been recorded. Roads to all district headquarters had been cleared of snow and traffic had been restored. The famous winter resort of Gulmarg was also connected despite 8 feet snow accumulation in the bowl. Azad added that priority had been accorded to the clearance of roads leading to hospitals, water supply schemes and other public service utilities. A round-the-clock monitoring was on to see that public transport was not interrupted. Efforts were on to restore road connectivity in all areas with men and machinery deployed in sufficient numbers, he added. On the power front, the Chief Minister was informed that barring a couple of receiving stations located in inaccessible areas, all receiving stations were on in the valley. Except for Shopian where heavy snowfall had been recorded, electricity had been restored at all district headquarters. Azad said consumers in the valley had been supplied 105 lakh units of power yesterday.
|
|
|
Rehabilitation of Militants’ Families
Udhampur, February 7 The Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has already announced to come out on the streets if any package was announced for the kith and kin of slain militants. The Unemployment Electricians Association and unemployed agriculture graduates have also opposed this policy and warned the government against ignoring educated youth to appease the secessionists for vote bank. Activists of the ABVP led by Pawan Sharma, in charge of Udhampur and Doda districts took out a procession against the PDP’s proposal. They have warned to launch an agitation if the proposal was implemented. Later in a statement, Sharma regretted that unemployed educated youth had been struggling on the streets to get jobs but the government seemed to be more concerned in rehabilitating families of those militants who were responsible for destruction and bloodshed in the state. The ABVP activists further said they would oppose the “pro-militant” proposal of the authorities. Many unemployed agriculture graduates have also taken a strong note of this proposal and expressed surprise that the government had been giving an excuse of financial crunch to adjust them but for militants' families, the government had been planning to release a huge amount. Echoing similar views, the Unemployment ITI Association has vindicated a stand taken by their counterparts in Jammu and vowed to oppose any move to implement welfare package for families of militants. It is worthwhile to mention that the state president of the association had already expressed their reservation on this proposal and had pointed out that unemployed ITI electricians were jobless for the past almost a year, but no heed has been paid to them. Meanwhile veteran BJP leader and former MLA from Udhampur, Lala Shiv Charan Gupta, has exhorted the youth to oppose the policy tooth and nail. In a statement issued here today, he warned the state government against succumbing before the pressure of the PDP. He termed the PDP and the Hurriyat Conference as two sides of the same coin.
|
|
Patients administered spurious drugs worth lakhs of rupees
Jammu, February 7 Throwing norms to winds, the government issued sub-standard drugs worth Rs 14.14 lakh to patients in various health institutions of Jammu region. As per norms different drugs are procured annually by director Health Services Jammu after central purchase committee approves the rates. The drugs supplied should conform to the specifications of Drugs and Cosmetics Act. Subsequently, payment has to be made to the suppliers after verification of supplies. “Drugs and dressing material worth Rs 17.64 lakh were purchased during March 2003 to August 2005 from six pharmaceutical companies. However, in utter disregard of norms the drugs had not only been paid for but were issued to hospitals well before the receipt of test reports,” says an official document. Talking to The Tribune a senior official of Health and Medical Education Department said, “In case where Drug and Food Control Organisation lift samples, the payment has to be made only after receiving successful test reports.” Pharmaceutical companies like National Surgico Jammu, Cecil Pharmaceuticals Jammu, JK Pharmaceuticals, Kwality Pharmaceuticals Private Limited Amritsar, Samrat Surgicals Private Limited and Halycon Pharmaceutical Hissar had supplied the medicines. However, test reports declared the drugs to be substandard but by the time they were received spurious drugs worth Rs 14.14 lakh had already been administered to patients. It may not be out of place to mention here that government hospitals in the winter capital, especially Government Medical College, have a track record of administering substandard drugs and fluids. In the wake of test reports the Drug Controller initiated action launching prosecution in the court of law against three pharmaceutical companies. However, surprisingly in 2004-05 the central purchase committee of Directorate of Health Services Jammu finalised rate contract with Cecil Pharmaceuticals and Kwality Pharmaceuticals, the two of six companies that had supplied substandard drugs. Official sources said, the central purchase committee had been repeatedly asked by the government to purchase drugs from reputed pharmaceutical companies to ensure safety of human life. An official of the Drug Control Organisation said, “Despite repeated instructions the unethical practice goes on unabatedly.”
|
|
Call to declare holidays in schools
Jammu, February 7 Mankotia in a press statement issued here said the government had shown insensitivity towards the plight of tiny scholars who were forced to attend schools in prevailing winter conditions when the temperature had dipped to -0°C in many areas of Jammu region. He said the government should have declared holidays in Jammu region and instead it had cancelled the winter vacations. He said educational infrastructure in the state especially primary, middle and higher secondary schools was dismal and schools were being run in one and two rooms where there were no basic facilities available. He said the roofs were in a dilapidated condition. |
|
59-day hunger strike suspended
Jammu, February 7 The members of the youth wing of the All India Kashmiri Samaj were on a chain hunger strike for the past 59 days as they were demanding relief benefit for the bifurcated ration cards of the non-relief category migrants. According to a press statement issued here by the samaj, its president R.K. Bhat said after getting assurances given by the political advisor on behalf of the Chief Minister, we decided to suspend the strike. “In view of the positive attitude shown by the Chief Minister, we have suspended our chain hunger strike for today,” Bhat said. He said, “We hope that it will not be a political promise and the government will release relief benefits with in speculated time of one month, failing which we will be forced to come on streets with more effective agitation and responsibility will lie on the shoulders of the government.”
|
|
Snow turmoil in Doda
Udhampur, February 7 Even though the district administration claims to have taken up the required measures to ensure security of the people, officials sources disclosed to The Tribune that “Several areas, including Padar, Marwah, Warwan, Dachan, Kashtigarh, Thanala, Sarthangal, Jai, Gundoh and Thnawa are cut off from rest of the country.” Officials sources further said,“The state administration is making effort to seek cooperation of the Air Force and Army services to initiate rescue operations.” Continuous snowfall and incessant rains has further increased miseries of the people and life had been thrown out of gear. The worst sufferers are the labour class as there has been no work for them for the past at least a week and their families were on the verge of starvation. The authorities have sought the Army’s help to maintain supply of essential commodities as well as to protect lives and properties of the civilians. Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar towns of this mountainous belt have been cut off from the rest of the country as the movement of vehicular traffic came to a halt due to accumulation of snow at different places. Hundreds of passengers have been trapped at various places as most of the link roads have been closed. Some houses also reportedly got damaged in Chanchura and Naggar village of Bhaderwah teshil. Although there has been no report of loss of human life, authorities have shifted people to a safer place in the area. While MLA from Kishtwar, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo has termed the situation as grave and out of control, authorities on the other hand claimed that the administration was geared up to face any situation. Deputy commissioner, Doda, Khurshid Ahmed Bhat, while admitting that situation was worse in many parts of this mountainous belt said the civil administration had sought the Army’s help to face this grave situation. “Army administration has been requested to help the civil administration to ensure supply of essential commodities like flour, rice and kerosene oil”, the DC told the Tribune and added that troops deployed at Army pickets, set up at far-flung areas, were keeping a strict vigil in their respective areas. Notwithstanding claims of the authorities, MLA, Kishtwar, Sajjad Kitchloo said the situation had gone out of control. “The situation is as worse as it was in 2005 when snow tsunami had struck the state”, he observed and lamented that except tall claims, the authorities had done nothing to ameliorate lot of the affected people. “Most of the areas have been cut off from the district headquarters”, he said and pointed out that remotest areas like Paddar, Wardwan, Marwah and Decchan had been facing an acute shortage of ration. The MLA brought the matter to the notice of the Chief Minister and the divisional commissioner to direct the district administration to take immediate steps to provide relief to the affected people. Meanwhile, Bhaderwah recorded 5 feet snow, Sartangal 7 feet, Thanala 13 feet, Jai 12 feet, Basti 13 feet and Thubba 10 feet.
|
|
|
Valley witnesses intermittent snow, rain
Srinagar, February 7 The police has rescued around 60 people trapped in avalanche prone area in Waltengu Nar in Anantnag. Many of the rescued people were carried to safety by the policemen on their backs. According to SP Kulgam, Swayam Prakash Pani, after heavy snowfall in the area, an avalanche warning was given at Waltengu Nar where around 60 people of 15 families were trapped in avalanche prone area. On this, a team from police station Qazigund headed by SHO Qazigund Reyaz Ahmed was immediately dispatched to the spot to rescue the trapped people, he added. He said that during the rescue operations, the police shifted 60 people to safer places. Of the rescued people, an individual was injured who along with children and few elderly people were carried by Policemen on their backs from snow bound area to safer places. The air link, which also remained disrupted for the past two days, was partially restored today with the operation of only one flight that landed here this afternoon. Several areas in the valley today witnessed intermittent snow and rains, after incessant snowfall during the past 36 hours. Met officials said that Srinagar recorded 3.4 mms rainfall equivalent to snow today as compared to 8.6 mm to 14.8 mms in Kokernag and Jawahar tunnel areas. At least six to seven ft snow was recorded on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel, dividing Kashmir division from warmer Jammu division. Weather forecasts revealed that rains and snow are likely to occur at many places in the state, while it warned of isolated heavy rains and snow in Jammu and Kashmir divisions during the next 24 hours. According to Brig A K Bhutani, Chief Engineer, Beacon Project of the Border Roads Organization (BRO), looking after the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, avalanche warnings and continued snowfall hampered the snow clearance around Jawahar Tunnel. Though there was some respite this afternoon, but the clearance could not be fully undertaken due to further downpour. Heavily snow bound Shaitani Nalla near Jawahar Tunnel posed greater challenges before men and machinery of the Beacon, he said adding that the road may be clear by Saturday in view of the weather forecasts. Snowfall also occurred at Patnitop and Batote areas on the highway, which gets cleared within a couple of hours, he said. The people in Kashmir have been experiencing much awaited heavy snowfall during the past five days, which however, has thrown the normal life out of gear since Sunday last. This has led to the snapping of road communication links, powers and water supplies in many areas of the valley, while most of the distant areas falling in the high mountain reaches have remained disconnected without the supply of essential services due to continued snowfall. The bad weather condition has also led to least business activity in the main markets with lesser road communication links and scarcity of essential commodities in the markets. All the essential commodities and consumer goods are being transported to the valley through the only surface link, the 300-kms-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway. Having remained blocked for the past five consecutive days, the scarcity of essential commodities like LPG, Kerosene oil, vegetables, mutton and poultry, rice and cereals, is imminent with the consumers facing shortage of these items. |
|
|
PDP sees new market economy as growth mantra
Jammu, February 7 Addressing a public meeting at Raipur Domana here yesterday, the PDP president said, “The rich intellectual capital that the state has in the shape of thousands of trained professionals should be utilised to achieve a turnaround in living standards and making Jammu and Kashmir economically self-sufficient.” She said the youth development policy of the party is a step towards bringing the state's youth on the radar of focused development so that the young men and women get similar opportunities as “their counterparts are enjoying in other parts of the country,” she said. Attacking the National Conference, Mufti held the NC and Abdullah family responsible for the ongoing turmoil in the state. PDP president and MP Mehbooba Mufti said, “Unfortunately, we got politicians, who perpetuated the political uncertainty for their own survival in politics and never cared about the well-being of the state or its people.” Both the historical reasons of political instability and divergent inter-regional sensitivities were, over a period of time, fully exploited by the state's traditional political clan to grab power at whatever cost,” she added. Mehbooba said nobody ever tried to make a genuine effort towards pulling the state out of “this mess.” She said it was only after 2002 Assembly election after her party came into power that a serious effort was made not only at the political but at the government level to channelise the aspiration of the people on one hand and on the other the government addressed their developmental needs. “This momentous transformation in delivery of governance has now entirely transformed the state's political discourse and the politicians have now become fully conscious of their responsibilities,” she said |
|
|
Impasse on dental college stir continues
Jammu, February 7 However, students staged a demonstration outside the college reiterating their demand of conferring Dental Council of India (DCI) approval to previous three batches comprising 58 students. Since the inception of the college in 2004 previous three batches of 58 students have been pursuing BDS course without DCI approval. After gaining entry into the college students once again locked the hospital OPD. Talking to The Tribune, office-bearers of the Dental Students’ Association (DSA), who have been spearheading the agitation, said, “At around 8 am over 70 policemen, including woman constables, were deployed outside the college gate, who didn’t allow us to enter inside.” “Though we did manage to lock the hospital OPD to lodge our protest but the college staff broke it,” they added. “The Pucca Danga police also arrested two AISF leaders Riaz Atish and Ranjeev Jamwal, who had come to our support,” they said. When contacted, duty officer at the police station said, “They were taken into preventive custody and were released after 10 minutes.” Agitating students alleged that last evening Health and Medical Education Minister Mangat Ram Sharma while talking over phone asked one of their leaders to either call of the strike or get ready to face the consequences. DSA office-bearers said, “Health Minister Mangat Ram Sharma while talking over college Principal Dr MR Sharma’s cell phone to one of our colleagues asked him to call of the strike and in fact tried to intimidate him.” Admitting that the health minister made a call from his cell phone, college principal Dr Sharma, “The minister was simply trying to convince agitating students to call off their strike.” He said, “When Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had given an assurance to them then I think they should better call off their stir and concentrate on their studies.” However, despite repeated attempts the minister could not be reached for his comments. In the evening a meeting between Dental Students’ Association and college principal was going on to break the deadlock. |
|
|
Army turns to music therapy for de-stressing jawans
Jammu, January 7 The Army has decided to take the help of music therapy to de-stress soldiers working in hazardous conditions. And carrying on with the task, the authorities organised a meditation music therapy concert in the northern command. Sitar maestro Raj Dogra, who is also a mediation expert and is creative director of London-based Swarangan Meditation, presented a meditation music therapy concert for the army personnel and their families. Speaking to The Tribune, Raj Dogra said, “My concert was to de-stress the solders, who are under tremendous operation and domestic stress.” He was asked by the Army authorities to do so, he added. ”The increased incidents of suicide and fratricides are a major problem in the paramilitary forces as well as in the Army, the authorities approached me and wanted me to perform to de-stress the soldiers.” He said the response of his first concert for the Army was tremendous and that the Army authorities have asked him to perform again to de-stress their soldiers. “Mine was the first of its kind concert for the Army, and it is said that classical music is the shortest way to God, it not only relaxes the mind of the person by inducing sleep, but also relaxes the heartbeat of the person thus reducing his blood pressure.” The earlier measures taken by the Army and paramilitary forces to de-stress their jawans working in hostile conditions had failed as there was no decline in the number of suicide and fratricide incidents, just in past two days two soldiers had committed suicides. Dogra said he has given cent per cent assurance to the Army authorities that he would remove the stress from the soldiers and would help in minimising the suicidal tendencies amongst the soldiers that arises in them due to stress. “I give the assurance that if any body with the suicidal tendency listens to classical music for only seven minutes he would drop his idea of ending his life,” Dogra said. He said, “After my first performance in the Army, the army has decided to distribute my classical music cassettes amongst soldiers who can listen to them during their duty hours, the music would help de-stress them.” “They have requested me to distribute the cassettes of my music amongst the Army authorities had kept the function a low profile event as it had not informed its public relation officer based in Jammu about the event. “I have no information, as the army authorities did not bother to give me any information,” Jammu-based PRO of the ministry of defence Lt-Col S.D. Goswami said.
|
|
|
Jawan among 3 killed in avalanches
Srinagar, Febraury 7 The jawan was killed when he was hit by an avalanche at Badi Behak in Trehgam area of the district. In a separate incident, two civilian porters on army duty were hit by a snow avalanche in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district last evening, a police spokesman said today. While the porters have been categorised as 'missing', sources said there were bleak chances of their survival in view of the continuing heavy snowfall in the area. Meanwhile, a jawan of Border Roads Organisation, who was injured in a snow avalanche in Tangdhar sector on Monday, succumbed to injuries last night, a defence spokesman said. Nearly 20 people, including 12 army jawans, were killed or missing in snow avalanches since last month following heavy snowfall across Kashmir valley.
Authorities have already declared an avalanche alert in the hilly areas of
the valley. — PTI |
|
|
Function on women’s empowerment
Udhampur, February 7 Women from Katra, Reasi, Pouni and adjoining localities participated in this programme in which representatives of various NGOs and self help groups were also present. |
|
|
Two Hizbul ultras held
Srinagar, February 7 They said the police and the 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) conducted a search operation at Dusoo village in the south Kashmir district of Pulwama this morning. During the operation, two HM militants Nazir Ahmad Rather and Abdul Qayoom Bhat, alias Qayoom Kali, were arrested. — UNI |
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
