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Rare, historical books missing from library
An MC employee works at the choked drain on the Canal Road in Jammu. Photo: Inderjeet Singh |
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Youth’s
killing
GMCH suffers from manpower crunch
A board installed outside the emergency ward of
the GMCH displays a message for patients to cooperate with staff. Photo:
Inderjeet Singh
Speaking
Out
A view of the shrinking Mansar lake. Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Ill-treated woman finds solace in alcohol
Surrender policy a good initiative, say troops
Hindi language may get its due in state legislature
Ration cards 2010-11 released
KPs still follow age-old rituals on Shivratri
All set for school board examinations
Jammu diary
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Rare, historical books missing from library
Jammu, February 16 Informed sources said some of the reference books from the library had been borrowed even in early 60s, but never deposited back. Incidentally, most of the defaulters were either bureaucrats or state’s influential people against whom library officials
did not dare to take any action for decades together. Some of the erring high-profile persons had retired from services
or passed away without returning the library books, the sources said. They said in the absence of stringent penalties, the borrowers were unwilling to return the rare books of this library which was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 19th century. Further, some of the valued reference books had been issued by the library staff in violation of certain rules and regulations governing the maintenance of libraries in the state, the sources said. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Libraries and Research recently issued a public notice impressing upon the defaulters to return the books or face the humiliation. The department concerned has warned the defaulters that their names would be published in local newspapers in case they failed to return the books. Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Director Libraries, however, said a very few books have been returned in response to the notice. He admitted that some of the books had been issued to the borrowers way back in 60s. The director did not give exact number of the missing books, but said it could be in hundreds. “We are presently on the job of compiling the data of defaulters and those gazetted officers who had stamped the members’ application forms seeking books from the public library,” he said. Divided into five sections, the library has a good number of reference books, periodicals and rare manuscripts. It also contains books and documents of great historical and literary importance. “Shanama Firdoosi” (1874 AD) written in Urdu is one of the oldest books in the library. Presently, about 10,000 readers have been enrolled as the members of this library. |
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Choked drain bane of residents
Jammu, February 16 The drain is around 10 ft deep and it passes through three municipal wards from Medical College to Krishna Nagar. Recently, rainwater overflowed the drain and stagnated on the main road which disrupted traffic movement for long hours on the Canal Road. While talking to the Tribune, the councillor said after consulting the chief town planner of the municipal corporation, engineers of the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department and Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), a proposal of Rs 1 crore had been prepared for the reconstruction of the drain. “I will soon submit the proposal with Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand for his approval,” the councillor said, adding that he was hopeful that the proposal would be accepted. Criticising Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, MLA of the area, the councillor complained that Prof Gupta had never paid a visit to examine the problems faced by the people of his constituency. He said the drain always remained blocked as pipes and cables laid by BSNL and the Public Health Engineering Department besides other passes through it, obstructing free flow of drain water. He said besides, the drain was constructed around 50 years ago and a concrete double slab was laid beneath this drain. “The slab is so strong that even JCB machines could not remove it.” He added that the other main reason for the blockage of the drain was a lack of awareness among residents who throw polythene bags, plastic remains, earthen wars and even cloths of deceased persons into the drain. The councillor also appealed to the people that they should not throw domestic waste into the drain.
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Telltale evidence led to ‘killer’ BSF troops
Srinagar, February 16 “The convoy of three vehicles headed by commandant R.K. Virdi of 68 Battalion was returning from the Nishat headquarters in the afternoon of February 5 when the tragic incident occurred,” sources said. According to sources, investigators got hold of crucial evidence pointing towards this convoy on the day of the incident in which Sheikh was shot in the chest and killed. A live bullet of an INSAS rifle was recovered from the site, as also a piece of a uniform, pointing towards the involvement of BSF troopers, the sources said. The investigators were fortunate enough to lay their hands on the CCTV footage from the CRPF headquarters in the Nishat area, barely 300 metres away from where the youth had been shot, the sources added. “The CCTV footage was given to us willingly by CRPF officers and it recorded the time the convoy of three vehicles had crossed the CRPF headquarters, exactly two minutes after the shooting incident,” they said. As the police informed senior BSF officials about the evidence they had gathered, the BSF decided to hand over one of the troopers, who was one of the 15, including the commandant, travelling in the convoy on that day, they said. “The sustained questioning of Lakhwinder Kumar, the trooper handed over to the investigators, led him to disclose that he had fired at the youth under direct orders from his commandant,” they added. After the disclosure, the police summoned all other 14 BSF troopers travelling in the convoy. “All weapons the 15 troopers carried have been seized, besides the three vehicles.” One bullet has been found missing from the chamber of an INSAS rifle the troopers carried with them on February 5. Meanwhile, the BSF has removed Virdi from his duties at the Line of Control and attached him in Srinagar to be available to the investigators for questioning. The BSF has recommended his suspension and also constituted a court of enquiry to be headed by an inspector-general. Meanwhile, the BSF has issued a statement maintaining that it had never tried to protect or cover up the involvement of any of its personnel allegedly involved in the youth’s killing. — IANS
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GMCH suffers from manpower crunch
Jammu, February 16 The “red” board in the Chamber of Chief Medical Officer says it all as one enters into the emergency ward of the hospital. It cautions patients and their attendants against “misbehaving” with the medical or paramedical staff in any situation. The board reads: “We observe zero tolerance policy. Patients, attendants and visitors are required to avoid misbehaviour or offensive language against medical staff which restrains them to perform their duty. Else, it shall be reported to the police for immediate action.” Manpreet Singh, chowki officer at the hospital, said scuffles usually break out between attendants and junior PG doctors. “Senior doctors use restrain. They also pacify the staff during the wake of any ugly situation.” “Senior doctors understand the worries of attendants and therefore they prefer not to lodge complaints in such cases,” he said, and added, “Last year and even this year, we have not registered any case against any attendant on account of misbehaviour.” The hospital, as the government claims time and again, has limited staff and infrastructure. Officials concerned have time and again said on record that bed occupancy at the emergency ward exceeds the limit set under the medical norms. Ramesh Gupta, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said: “Whenever such an incident takes place, we try to sort out issue through arbitration and mutual understanding. Even though it does not work out, we report the case to the police.” He said manpower shortage and limited infrastructure were affecting patient care. “Besides several vacancies in non-gazetted posts, at least 200 posts of class IV employees are vacant and we have sent the proposal to the division commissioner, whereas 30 posts of nurses are also lying vacant for the past two years. Interviews in the second case have already been conducted by the Staff Selection Recruitment Board and the final selection lists are expected soon,” said administrator of the hospital. Prof Rajinder Singh, principal of GMCH, said a proposal for the appointment of medical staff had been sent to the government. However, he could not reveal the exact number of posts. |
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Metro service need of the hour
With reports that the government is weighing the option of introducing metro service in Jammu, TNS talked to cross-section of people on whether it is feasible. Here is what they have to say:
— Veena Sharma, housewife
— Amaan Raza, tailor
— Nisha Verma, college student
— Boby Behl, college student
— Sanjeev Arora, employee
— Lokesh Sharma, businessman
— Priti Bala, employee
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PHE ‘sucking’ life out of Mansar lake
Mansar, (Samba), February 16 The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department has been taking out huge quantity of water from the lake everyday which is also the main reason of its shrinking. Although Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while speaking at a function on the banks of this lake to commemorate the World Wetland Day, had promised to take steps to preserve it, locals have lost all hopes. “For the past one decade, politicians have been making promises, but nothing concrete has been done to preserve the lake,” pointed out Ravinder Singh, a local shopkeeper. In the past five years, water of the lake has shrunk 14-15 ft, but the authorities have not yet woken up despite the fact that locals have repeatedly given representation to them. The Department of Environment and Remote Sensing has shifted responsibility on the Wildlife Department to preserve the lake while officers of the latter department too expressed their helplessness. The Wildlife Department has claimed that some steps like afforestation, water harvesting and creating of check dams have been taken but these initiatives could not yield any result unless PHE Department stop drawing water from the lake. A senior wildlife officer has warned if the PHE continued to draw water from it, the lake would soon become extinct. “On an average 5,500 to 6,000 gallons is being taken out from the lake to the supply the same in the adjoining localities for drinking purposes,” the officer disclosed and regretted that instead of developing alternative sources of water supply, the PHE Department had been totally dependent on the lake. Water being drawn from the lake is being supplied to Majalata, Manwal, Battal and some other areas of Udhampur district. Even Chief Minister Omar Abdullah admitted this fact by saying, “Large quantity of water is being drawn from the Mansar Lake daily to supply it to people in the areas. This has increased pressure on the lake and the government has now approved a Rs 6-crore PHE scheme to relieve the lake from this burden”. According to official data, the lake covers an area of 329.4 hectares but now it has been shrinking. “For the last one decade, I have been witnessing how this lake is shrinking”, said Tara Chand, a vendor who sells eatables to tourists. “During the past one decade, water of this lake has gone down by 15 ft and the exploitation is going unchecked,” he pointed. Echoing similar views, Mohammed Ishaq, a native of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, who runs a small shop at the resort, said during the past seven years, he had been witnessing how this lake was dying slowly. |
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Ill-treated woman finds solace in alcohol
Srinagar, February 16 This continued for years till Aseema too started drinking. She believes that she finds ‘temporary solace’ in drinking and forgets her pains and anxieties. “I started consuming alcohol at the age of 25. I saw my husband drinking regularly and the same made me tense. After he was drunk he used to argue with me, unnecessarily. Finally, he resorted to battering. It built up tension. Finding none to share all this and to save myself from the torture, I also took to drinking,” said the middle-aged Aseema. After a brief pause, she continues, “I started drinking on my own as alcohol was lying in our house”. Recollecting the incident, Aseema said her husband had severely thrashed her. “I wept bitterly. Finding no solace, I consumed less than half a bottle of alcohol. I felt out of this world. I forgot every thing. I felt good and happy”. Then Aseema got habitual to it. “I started drinking regularly. It has become a habit, now. I feel it is bad. It has spoiled my health and I have lost my respect. I regret that I should not have taken it. Despite trying hard, I am not able to give it up”. She shared that either she drinks alone or with her husband adding that drinking has affected her domestic work, as well. Alcohol is purchased by Aseema’s husband. “We spend Rs 300 to Rs 500 per day on alcohol. It is not only drinks, but it is also important to have meat with it ,” she said. Aseema said she had been heavily drunk couple of times, but denied having used any other drug. “I never tried to commit suicide. I love my life”. She said she had visited de-addiction camp organised by the Hindustan National Social Security (HNSS) De-addiction Centre, Khanyar. “It was good and I am feeling better after visiting the camp. But it is hard to quit”. “My daughter knows this and she wants me to quit it,” she said adding: “No one objects to drinking except my daughter. How will others object, they all are drunkards”. She alleged that the police cannot do anything. “They are corrupt and are always drunk”. Aseema feels that if things go the same way, her condition might become worse, “but I have to get my daughter married. My job too is not regular”. “I like to get out of this mess and stop drinking. I want to live a respectable and peaceful life, but I know it is just a dream,” she said adding, “I would love to stop drinking, I would love to be myself. I want to laugh, smile and live,” desires Aseema. |
Surrender policy a good initiative, say troops
Jammu, February 16 The Union government in consonance with the state government has started pondering over a new surrender policy for nearly 800 youths, who are willing to return from Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). They had crossed over to PoK for arms training in the name of “jihad”. “This is a good initiative to bring back misguided youth. We should welcome the move and there is nothing wrong in it because everyone wants peace in the state,” CRPF Special DGP NK Tripathi told The Tribune. It may be recalled here that the erstwhile PDP-Congress coalition had also framed a similar policy for rehabilitating surrendered militants. The previous regime had announced a fixed deposit of Rs 1.50 lakh and a monthly remuneration of Rs 2,000 each to surrendered militants. However, at the same time the move had come under sharp criticism from Jammu-based political outfits and unemployed youth. “Though at this stage we do not know the contours of the new policy, yet any measure to curb insurgency is a good tool,” sources in the Army said. There might be some, who may not want to come back and there might be others who would like to return home, they said. “We should first know that what was being offered to them and if we see it in the larger perspective of peace then we should not be averse to any move that could help restore peace,” they added. “We all know that under coercion and lure of money youths were dragged into militancy but at the same time any effective surrender policy with wide publicity and right intentions of the government functionaries in implementing it would definitely yield positive dividends,” said a senior police officer. “Since we are fighting a psychological war such moves if implemented in right earnest would demoralise our enemy,” he said. But if things work out, amnesty must be provided after a system of foolproof verification in place, he added. Meanwhile, sources in the Home Department said that the Centre had agreed to hold discussions with the state government officials before giving its go-ahead to the policy. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had been raising the issue with the Union government and now it appears that things would eventually fall in place, they added.
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Hindi language may get its due in state legislature
Jammu, February 16 The complaint number, 9123, lodged by former Jammu mayor Narinder Singh on January 22 this year had highlighted the neglect of Hindi language in the state. However, responding to the complaint, the Chief Minister on February 1 took up the matter with the secretary, Legislative Assembly. The former mayor in his letter has requested Omar to provide business of the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council in Hindi language for the larger interest of public and a healthy democracy. After describing Jammu and Kashmir as the most vital state of the country having international dimensions because of obvious reasons, Narinder’s letter stated that the state constitution guarantees right to every individual of the state to know about the functioning of the government. Describing the state legislature as a temple of democracy, the former mayor appreciated Omar’s endeavours to bring transparency in the system and requested him to ensure that proceedings of the state legislature should be conducted and published in Hindi language as well. “Special measures should be taken to promote Hindi language in the state as nearly 60 per cent of the state’s population can read and understand the language, while six to seven per cent of people can write and comprehend English language. I think people have a right to know how their representatives act, behave and work inside the House. So in the favour of a healthy democracy, Hindi language be introduced in both the Houses,” read a portion of Narinder’s letter. So, Hindi should also be introduced in the Assembly, otherwise it would be pure injustice with the major chunk of population in the state, he stated. Narinder hoped that Hindi would find its place from the ensuring Budget Session beginning from February 22. However, it may be stated here that after the erstwhile PDP-Congress regime had remained non-committal to fulfil its promise, at least three legislators, viz, Harsh Dev Singh of the Panthers Party, Jugal Kishore of the BJP, and Yogesh Sawhney of the Congress, had given a representation to Omar Abdullah in February last year requesting him to provide official business of the state Legislature in Hindi language as well. During the previous regime of the PDP and the Congress, the trio had even moved private member’s Bill in the Lower House seeking the business of the House in Hindi language. But the then Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig had requested them to withdraw the Bill on an assurance that the government would bring a similar Bill on its own to pave way for Hindi. Paradoxically, before the government could bring the Bill, the PDP parted ways with the Congress over the Amarnath land dispute and the national language became a casualty. As of now, the state legislature had been providing the business to legislators in English and Urdu languages when the matter of the fact was that most of the legislators, particularly from Jammu, can neither read nor write both the languages. Since the ex-mayor has raked up the issue afresh, it has to be seen whether the national language gets its due share in the temple of democracy in the state. |
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Ration cards 2010-11 released
Srinagar, February 16 The ration cards, 2010-11, developed, designed and printed by J&K Bank were released by Qamar Ali
Akhoon, Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution (CA&PD) and Transport, at the bank’s corporate headquarters here yesterday. Abdul Majid Mir, executive director of the bank and Asghar Ali
Samoon, commissioner-cum-secretary, CA&PD, and Mehraj-u-din Kenu, director, CA&PD, Kashmir, were present on the occasion. As part of the its corporate social responsibility, the bank has got the ration books printed on behalf of the state government for the consecutive second time and the book has three variants viz. APL, BPL and
AAY, the director, CA&PD, said. In his address, Akhoon thanked the bank management for taking lead in initiatives that focus on peoples’ welfare. “Bank’s intervention of printing the three variants of ration cards in three different colours has definitely helped the CA&PD Department to streamline the monitoring and supervision on modern lines,” Akhoon revealed. Hailing the bank for giving ration books a decent, foolproof and durable presentation, Akhoon congratulated the bank, especially its chairman Haseeb
Drabu, for encouraging professionalism and technology. “The bank’s performance based on excellence of professionalism and leveraging of technology has today made it an institution that is being looked upon with high esteem by the corporate world and is being applauded not only at the national level, but also at the international level,” Akhoon said, adding, “Bank’s intervention in designing and printing of ration books has really made a big difference”. Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Majid Mir, executive director and chief financial officer, J&K Bank, said from the bank’s perspective, the idea behind undertaking the printing of ration cards was to extend the benefits of various deposit and advance products to all segments of society. “The bank, alive to its corporate social responsibility, thought that ration cards, owing to their massive reach, could help us reach out to almost every household of the state,” Mir stressed. |
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KPs still follow age-old rituals on Shivratri
Jammu, February
16 This festival is celebrated for around 21 days to mark Lord Shiva’s wedding with Goddess
Uma, the daughter of the Himalayas. The festival begins from cleaning of houses and buying “puja” articles which consumes around one week. Then comes “Dyara
Daham”, the day on which married girls and newly weds receive gifts from their parents. On the day of “Vagur
Kha”, KPs worship “Bhairavas” who are said to form “baarat” of Lord Shiva. On the day of
Shivratri, devotional prayers are offered to Lord Shiva and Goddess
Parvati, which is also called “Vatuk-Puja”. “Vatuk” comprises different articles. Two pots, which represent Lord Shiva and Goddess
Parvati, are filled with walnuts soaked in water. This ‘Vatuk’ is worshipped along with Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati till
‘Amavasya’. On the 14th day or “Salam”, most of the KPs prepare vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Children receive money as a gift on this day, while women get gifts from their husbands. After
‘Amavasya’, these walnuts are taken out of the pots. Wet walnuts, along with rice cakes, are distributed among friends and neighbours as
‘prashad’. This festival also provides an opportunity to Kashmiri youths, who are doing jobs in different states of the country, to meet their friends and relatives during the festival. Ajay Pandita (29) of Subash
Nagar, who is doing a private job in Mumbai, said: “I have come here to celebrate the festival with my family. Every year, this festival gives me an opportunity to meet my relatives and friends”. Explaining the importance of the festival, Jai Krishan Bhat (56) of Purkhoo Migrant Camp, said: “This festival helps to remain connected with our religion, customs and rituals. It also helps to maintain unity in the family”. |
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All set for school board examinations
Jammu, February 16 BOSE has almost completed the pre-examination preparations of elementary teachers training (ETT), Class X and XII. According to officials, the ETT (2nd year) examinations would start from February 22 which would be followed by the commencement of examinations of Class XII from March 1, Class IX from March 6, Class XI from March 10, and Class X from March 15. The ETT examinations would be conducted in 91 examination centres whereas the centers for Class X and XII are yet to be identified. “We are ready with all stationary material to conduct the examinations. We have also sent an application to the DC and the SP to ensure proper law and order situation and to impose Section 144,” said AK Abrol, joint secretary, BOSE. He added that the supervisory staff had been selected from
the chief education office to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations. Dr Sheikh Bashir Ahmad, secretary, BOSE, said the board was ready with answer scripts printed from Delhi and all confidential material. “We have finished the process of distribution of roll numbers cards to the candidates,” said the secretary, adding that BOSE would now establish a control room with manual telephone set to address queries of the examination centres. BOSE has put a ban on carrying cellphones and calculators inside the examination centres in order to resist students from adopting unfair means. “We have come to know that some students use latest electronic equipments which remain connected with cellphones for qualifying in the examinations. In order to stop this practice, we have put a ban on the entry of such things inside the centres,” said the secretary. |
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Not keen to drop self-rule move
Although the working group headed by Justice Saghir Ahmed has rejected the self-rule proposal presented orally by the PDP during the deliberations, the party is still keen on presenting this proposal as the only viable solution to the Kashmir problem. While educating party workers about self-rule, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti devised an idea to popularise this slogan. She asked all PDP workers to make the self-rule slogan as the ring tune of their cellphones. The party has prepared a song favouring self-rule as the only proposal for solving the vexed Kashmir problem. Even as a large number of party leaders have made the song as the ring tune of their cellphones, senior leaders are yet to follow the directions of the party chief. All irony of fate
Ragpickers are deprived of their childhood as they do not get any time to enjoy themselves. Most children belonging to the 5-8 age group are engaged in this work. Like other children, ragpickers too have dreams. Some of them desire to read books and acquire good education while some want to become sports stars. But irony is that they have to wonder here and there to collect refuse to be able to make both ends meet. Jawan’s courtesy floors scribes
Combating terrorism for the past two decades, not only higher-rung officers of various security forces know the importance of the Fourth Estate but soldiers also have become hospitable and soft-spoken. The other day after undergoing security checks before being allowed entry into the CRPF’s group centre for an investiture ceremony, a CRPF trooper in combat fatigue at the main gate softly expressed gratitude to the journalists. “Thank your, sir. Have a nice day,” the trooper said to the journalists leaving the CRPF’s group centre after covering the ceremony. The small gesture on the part of the trooper was well-received by the journalists. (Contributed by
Dinesh Manhotra, Sunaina Kaul and
Ravi Krishnan Khajuria)
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Government
Medical College (GMC) and Hospital, the premier health institution of the
region, is grappling with chronic manpower shortage that belies the state
government claiming the health sector to be its top priority. The “red”
board in the Chamber of Chief Medical Officer says it all as one enters
into the emergency ward of the hospital. It cautions patients and their
attendants against “misbehaving” with the medical or paramedical staff in
any situation.
Like other states, we should also have metro trains. It will help us cover longer as well as shorter destinations in a short time and secured way. 
Yes, it is feasible here. Common people will be more benefited by this service. It will overcome the nagging problem of traffic jams. 
It is feasible and besides providing better transport facility to the people of Jammu, it will enhance the beauty of the city. It can surely change the way people commute. 
Besides metro trains a number of flyovers are also required immediately to meet the demand of the rising vehicular
traffic. 
Metro service is the need of the hour and the government should waste no time in introducing metro as soon as
possible. 
Sure, it is feasible. It is required immediately so that we can get freedom from regular traffic jams. It will benefit people commuting within the city and districts. 
Though it is required, it might take a long time to materialise. Jammu has become a congested city and in order to get rid of traffic jams, the government should construct more flyovers in the city.