Srinagar, September 15
Work in the valley’s most visited maternity hospital, Lalla Ded (LD) Hospital, continued to be affected on the third day of the strike by the hospital’s junior doctors here today. Unconfirmed reports said two infants had ‘died’ due to lack of health care since the strike began.

Though the emergency ward functioned normally, the functioning of the OPD of the hospital was suspended. The doctors went on a strike on September 13 when one of the junior doctors was allegedly abused and thrashed by an attendant of a patient.

The striking doctors today blocked the road outside the hospital. They were demanding appropriate security and expressed serious concern over the incident.

Sharing details with The Tribune, a group of doctors said on September 13 a woman attendant used abusive language and thrashed a junior doctor in the recovery room of the hospital.

They said, “Despite giving our best, our services go unnoticed. We work round-the-clock, and expectations from us are very high. But it does not mean that people could abuse and thrash us.”

The striking doctors said the internal security in the hospital was incompetent to handle the situation. It has been alleged that two infants have died ever since the doctors went on the strike. However, the same could not be confirmed.

“There is no one to look after patients and they are suffering immensely,” said a group of attendants.

Mumtaza Bano, an attendant, said they had to literally ‘beg’ the doctors to see the patients “otherwise they don’t bother”. “For every single thing, we’ve to grease the palms of the staff here.”

Dr Mohammad Shafi, Medical Superintendent, said despite the strike the hospital functioned normally.

“The OPD functioning has been hampered. However, normal work is going on in the casualty ward, emergency ward and labour rooms,” he said.

“I assured the doctors that their demand for adequate security would be taken up with the government. The principal of the Government Medical College is out of the station. They agreed, but since yesterday they have again started their protest,” said Dr Shafi.

Rajouri, September 15
Physically challenged Noor Hussain, who is said to have died in police custody, may have been beaten to death by the police personnel who picked him up, in connection with a family feud, from his native village of Chowdhary Naad here on Saturday evening.

Sources in the district hospital told The Tribune that even as the police and the medical superintendent of the district hospital (DH), Rajouri, claimed that the deceased was handed over to his family in normal condition, doctors after washing his stomach had actually referred him to Government Medical College, Jammu. They said fluid was coming out of the patient’s nostrils and his condition was serious.

An eyewitness who had gone to see his nephew at the hospital and knew Noor Hussain also told The Tribune that the deceased was in a serious condition. “I told the police personnel accompanying Noor Hussain that he would not survive for long,” the eyewitness asking not to be named said.

When asked that the police and the medical authorities claimed that a brother of the deceased was with him at the hospital, the eyewitness said: “When I saw him there was nobody from his family accompanying him.”

The police authorities on Sunday had told mediapersons that the deceased was wanted by the police in connection with a family feud between two groups and a local court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

Medical Superintendent, district hospital, Rajouri, Zahoor Ahmed Shawl said the doctor on duty had informed him that the patient, who was accompanied by his brother was discharged after his condition became stable.

A brother of the deceased, Muhammad Bashir, said: “We are five brothers and two had died a few years ago. Our elder brother Muhammad Sharief is about 90 and cannot move and we carry him if he has to be taken somewhere. If the police and the hospital authorities are saying he was present at the hospital, it is not possible. If it is me, I was so scared that I didn’t go to the hospital.The police personnel handcuffed him in front of my family, kicked him and dragged my handicapped brother. In the morning they kept him on the road and two of them in plainclothes came to my house to inform me that my brother had died and I should take his body. They (police) killed my brother,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Jaipal Singh, said a probe committee headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri, Robin Singh Mehta would submit its report within 10 days.

Jammu, September 15
The Gramin Dak Sevakas (GDS) of the Department of Posts today held a protest outside the office of the chief postmaster general, Jammu and Kashmir, demanding revision of their wages as per the recommendations of the sixth pay commission.

Demanding revision of their salaries, members of various unions of the GDS gathered outside the office and raised slogans against the department and the Information Minister for what they alleged ignoring the working class.

Charan Das president of the Joint Action Committee said: “For the past 30 years we have been associated with the department. We perform similar duties as are performed by the permanent employees, but while they get Rs 18,000 per month we are paid only Rs 3,000 a month.”

He said if the department failed to implement the pay panel recommendations immediately over 3,000 GDS in Jammu would go on indefinite strike from September 16.

“We are getting peanuts for our survival, we are unable to send our children to good schools and we cannot even think of providing them better higher education,” Das said.

Rajouri, September 15
To counter the anti-India propaganda by the Pakistani radio and television, Prasar Bharti has planned to install more towers in the border areas of the state, including Rajouri and Poonch districts, to improve its reach in these areas.

It has also planned to start new TV programmes for border area residents, as they are the first “target” of the propaganda by the Pakistan radio and television.

Sources in Prasar Bharti said recently a secretary-level officer from the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting held a meeting with top officials of Prasar Bharti in the Jammu division. Prasar Bharti officials from Rajouri and Poonch districts attended the meeting to discuss mechanisms to counter the Pakistani propaganda against India.

They said Prasar Bharti officials from the Jammu division were informed by the visiting officer that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was planning to strengthen the radio and television networks of national broadcasters like the All India Radio and Doordarshan by installing more towers along the LoC. The sources said Prasar Bharti was planning to start new

programmes like Bollywood movie songs for these border area residents.

Srinagar, September 15
The 15-day annual Ladakh Festival concluded at Polo Ground in Leh with a scintillating closing ceremony this afternoon. Governor NN Vohra was the chief guest on the occasion.

The first lady, Usha Vohra, the Minister for Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora, the chairman and chief executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Chhering Dorjay, executive councillors and other senior officers, prominent citizens, a large number of people and tourists also witnessed the closing ceremony.

The Governor said the tourism sector was most important for the state, which had more to offer than many other tourist destinations. He expressed satisfaction that an increasing number of tourists were thronging Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu.

Vohra said while over seven million pilgrim tourists visited the Vaishno Devi shrine last year, and the number of Amarnath yatris was about four lakh this year, the number of tourists visiting Ladakh was still not very significant.

The Governor stressed the need to take adequate measures for enhancing the logistical infrastructure to attract an even increasing number of tourists visiting this region. He said Ladakh had thousands of years of traditions rooted in history, century-old monasteries and other tourist attractions.

Jora, who presented a memento to the Governor, spoke about the future road map for developing the tourism infrastructure in Ladakh. He said Ladakh would also be promoted as a destination for spiritual tourism.

The Tourism Minister said Ladakh was bestowed with a unique ambience, high mountain passes, glaciers and lakes. He added that it was also a paradise for trekkers, river rafters and cultural tourists.

Jora said the tourism infrastructure to be raised in Ladakh would be in conformity with its traditions and ambience. He also referred to the Ladakh Confluence, a music festival, and said this would be institutionalised and made a regular feature from next year, as an added tourist attraction.

Chhering Dorjay, chairman and chief executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, said the festival was started with a view to showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Ladakh and promoting tourism activities in the area.

Rajouri, September 15
Students of Government Postgraduate Degree College, Rajouri, belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes

(ST), protested against the state government’s ‘failure’ to give them scholarship money here this morning.

Sources said the college students blocked traffic on the Sher-e-Kashmir Bridge in the heart of the town for about half-an hour. They later lifted the blockade after Additional Deputy Commissioner Robin Singh Mehta assured them that their grievances would be taken up with the higher authorities immediately.

Jammu, September 15
The police today arrested an Army deserter-turned interstate thief from the Narwal area while he was trying to sell stolen iron shuttering plates weighing 1,700 kg.

Gurbachan Singh, alias Sonu, of Dhera Babbar village in Reasi district was arrested and a truck carrying iron shuttering plates stolen from an under construction tubewell site in Kalibari of Kathua district was seized, Manohar Singh, SSP, Jammu, told mediapersons here this evening.

“In 2003, the accused had joined the JAK Rifles at Udhampur and completed his basic training from Jabalpur in July 2004. Subsequently, he was posted in ‘C’ Company of 17 JAK Rifles at Jabalpur itself, where he remained till July 2005,” the SSP said.

In December 2007, Gurbachan came on leave to his native place, but never returned to his place of posting, Manohar Singh said. He instead started committing thefts in and outside the state, he added.

However, in May this year, the Army authorities took him to the Jabalpur centre, but he managed to escape in June. The SSP said Gurbachan committed thefts in Reasi and had stolen property of the Railways from Katra. He had purchased a truck (JK02C/6430) for the purpose of committing thefts, added the SSP.

After two FIRs were registered against him, he left his native village and went to Jalandhar, where he connived with scrap dealer Babla and committed thefts.

Jammu, September 15
The police has arrested the main accused in the murder of a 45-year old man in Sayal Jagir village of Sidhra on the outskirts of the city.

SHO, Nagrota police station, Nazir Dar told The Tribune that while Alam Din, son of Noor Jamal of Sayal Jagir was arrested, his brother, Shafi Mohammed was still at large.

It may be stated here that due to old rivalry, Alam Din and Shafi Mohammed had killed a middle-aged man, Mubarak Din, in the village two days ago.

After killing Mubarak with a sharp-edged weapon, the accused had fled the village along with their families.