Jammu, December 7
All is not well inside the newly opened emergency block of Government Medical College and Hospital, the main referral hospital of the Jammu province, as the vacant part of the block has turned into a stinking bin in the absence of upkeep.

Given the extreme callousness of the hospital administration, the imposing structure that was constructed at a cost of Rs 10 crore has started giving a shabby look hardly five months after it was opened in July 29 this year.

While some of the doors are locked on well-furnished second and third levels that were meant to be used for emergency ICU ward as well as other facilities, rest of the rooms are being used for smoking, drinking and other purposes.

While walls bear stains of gutkha, pan etc, floor and staircases are littered with garbage and empty cigarette packs. The sorry state of affairs is prevailing despite the deployment of paramilitary force and security men of the hospital at the entrance of the block.

In view of the official apathy, miscreants have even broken a glass door besides damaging other property in the same part of the building.

The imposing structure of the hospital houses nearly 50 beds and ICU ward, which is not being used at this point of time, besides separate cabins for chief medical officers, doctors as well as rooms for nurses.

The new block was opened to ease the rush of critical patients in the existing emergency block. Presently, the hospital is using only ground floor and first storey of the building to run its emergency services.

The building was inaugurated by Minister for Medical and Technical Education, Youth Services and Sports Rajinder Singh Chib in the presence of MLA, West Jammu, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, general manager, JKPCC, Syed Nayeem Ahmed, provincial president, National Conference, Rattan Lal Gupta, besides Health and Medical Education principal secretary RK Jerath, the then director Health Services Dr Jasbir Singh, and senior doctors of the GMCH.

Prof Rajinder Singh, principal of the GMCH, said: “Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation Limited (JKPCC), that has constructed the building, has not handed over the upper part of the building to the hospital. For the time being, we are using only ground floor and first floor”.

“We are work executing agency. We have completed the building and now it’s the responsibility of the hospital management to maintain it as they have security apparatus and manpower for the upkeep of the hospital,” said the general manager of JKPCC, adding that, “The hospital authorities are not taking the charge of the entire building. Similarly, Shri Maharaja Ghulab Singh Hospital is also not using the complete building of the paediatric ward”.

However, he added that the keys of the upper portion of the building were with JKPCC as the hospital authorities were not using it.

Jammu, December 7
State government’s decision to cancel winter vacation in all schools in the winter zones to compensate the loss of study due to the four months of turmoil has evoked strong reaction in the Jammu area as the authorities have also cancelled vacation in Jammu schools that fall in the winter zones.

During the unrest period in the Valley, all educational institutions remained closed. To compensate for the loss of study, the government has asked all schools in the winter zones, including those in Jammu region, to remain open so as to complete the syllabus in time.

However, since schools in the winter zones of Jammu functioned normally during the unrest period, the cancellation of winter vacation in such schools has not gone down well with teachers and parents.

There is a fear among students and teachers that due to lack of heating arrangements they would have to suffer during the peak of winter. “When our schools functioned normally during summer, there is no reason to cancel our vacation,” argued a teacher and warned that such decision would not yield any result as students would not turn up during the peak winter period.

Avtar Singh, president of the Provincial Teachers Association, has also termed the decision as ill-advised and wrong and expressed concern over the “irrational” cancellation of annual vacations in the winter zones of the Jammu region.

He pointed out that in Jammu province, all schools functioned smoothly and annual examinations had been conducted as per schedule as such the studies were not affected anywhere in the region. He demanded revocation of the order issued for the winter zone areas of Jammu.

However, despite resentment shown by the teaching community, the government has made it clear that winter schooling is inevitable for securing future of the students.

Peerazada Mohammad Sayeed, Education Minister, has already convened a meeting of all senior officers to ensure smooth functioning of schools during winter.

It has been decided that the chief education officer of the respective districts will ensure effective heating arrangements in all schools in their jurisdiction after observing all formalities/procedures. Funds for the purpose will be provided by the concerned CEO to the heads of institutions well in time.

Jammu, December 7
Known for its historic and ancient forts, Kathua district is fast emerging as hub of heritage tourism in the state.

This is evident from the fact that a number of such forts have been renovated this year with a mega plan to promote this sector in a bid to woo local and outstation tourists who evince keen interest in edifices and monuments.

The 17th century Hiranagar Fort, which was in a shambles, has now been given a facelift. Its razed walls have again been raised on modern scientific lines after seeking an expert advice from various archaeologists and historians of the state.

Located on the Jammu-Pathankot national highway, the preservation and restoration work of this 400-year-old fort of the Jasrota dynasty was assigned to the Tourism Department, which is presently engaged in beautifying the area as well.

They said the authorities were planning to construct a rest house and a park around the newly renovated fort. However, some encroachments in its vicinity were delaying the process, they added.

The fort lies towards north-western side of the present day Hiranagar town and is surrounded by villages like Suba Chak, Chanjjal, Sanyal, and Jandi.

Similarly, work on the renovation of the Lakhanpur Fort in the same district has also been completed. In the absence of proper care and preservation, this one time magnificent fort was also losing its grandeur.

Even as a number of steps have been taken to protect the ancient sites, the sources said no much headway had been made in renovating the 11th century fort of Jasrota which is alarmingly losing its magnificent walls and well-designed pillars to the official neglect.

The sources, however, said work on the construction of the pathway leading to the fort and preserving the ancient Shiva temple within the fort complex had been taken up during the past few years.

The fort, spread over 700 kanals and housing different palaces, ponds and ancient temples, was included in the list of protected monuments in 1986. It is believed to have been built by Raja Jasdev of Jammu in 1019.

Leh, December 7
The festive spirit was missing among the people when they gathered at Chokhang Vihra of Leh town on Monday to celebrate the festival of Losar (New Year), which remained a quiet affair across Ladakh, which is still mourning the death of over 200 people in the devastating cloud burst in August this year.

The Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA) too skipped all those gala events, including music concerts, to express solidarity with those who lost their near and dear ones.

Lobzang Rinchan, LBA president, said, “For the past few days, the LBA has been appealing to the public to celebrate Losar in a quiet manner as Ladakh is still coming to the terms after a huge loss to human life and property in the disaster”.

Meanwhile, the entire Leh town was illuminated on the eve of Losar, which is known as Stong, since illuminating residential houses and religious places with butter lamp is major part of the celebrations. The residents did illuminate their houses, Leh Palace, monasteries, stupas and other religious monuments.

Unlike other Himalayan regions of the country, Buddhists of Ladakh celebrate Losar from the first day of the 11th month of Tibetan lunar calendar, which is being followed in the region. The celebrations of Losar begin with the observance of the birth anniversary of Galwang Tsongkhapa, a Buddhist saint and founder of yellow sect of Tibetan Buddhism on 25th of the 10th month of Tibetan calendar which falls on November 30, and it last for a week.

Jammu, December 7
For the first time, Government Maulana Azad Memorial (MAM) College has started capacity building programme (CBP) to provide benefit to students. This time, the programme is available only for hostel students of the college who are availing the opportunity with full zeal.

Meanwhile, the college is also running remedial classes for poor and weak students of the college.

“We have started three-week-long capacity building programme in the college to benefit the students. The programme will conclude on December 13. We have also started remedial classes for poor students,” Prof Ajeet Angral, principal of the college, said.

Around 60 students of the college hostel are taking benefit of the programme. Prof Rajshri Dhar of the Mathematics Department of the college, who is the convener of the programme, said the CBP would make the students aware about how to develop personality, face interviews and improve communication skills.

“The programme will definitely help the students in future. This time it is available for hostel students only, but may be the college will arrange the same programme for other students from the next year,” said Dr Dhar.

The convener of the programme further said: “Resource persons from the University of Jammu come to the college everyday who deliver lectures on the programme to the students”.

“The programme is being conducted in evening, which is favourable time for hostel students,” said Prof Dhar.

She further said on the concluding day, students, who are participating in the programme, would be provided certificates of participation.

Dr Dhar added that these programmes help students as they get exposure through such programme and become aware about how to face interviews.

While highlighting the advantages of remedial classes, Dr Dhar said these classes were being conducted for one hour everyday in the college. These classes are given to those students who could not afford tuition classes.

“The problem areas of the students in each subject are considered in remedial classes,” said Dr Dhar.

She added that: “We are giving them 15 days teaching in each subject and clear their doubts and problems. About 40 students of part 1 and 60 students of part III are taking benefit of the remedial classes presently”.

“Initially, we are conducting classes for two subjects i.e. English and Mathematics. After completing these subjects, we will start classes for other subjects as well,” said Dr Dhar.

A group of the students of the college jointly said by pursuing remedial classes of English they were feeling that they had improved communications skills to some extent. 

Srinagar, December 7
The Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), a group of various trade organisations formed recently, has said that economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir was impossible without finding a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue.

"We can sustain and survive but we cannot grow in such circumstances. Economic growth is impossible without a solution to the Kashmir issue," , KEA Member and Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association president Siraj Ahmad said here. Ahmad said Kashmir had huge natural resources, enough to make it self-reliant and help its economy grow.

"We have such huge potential and resources that we can be self-reliant and even export but what is missing is the political will to do so," he said.

The KEA comprises several organisations of hotel and restaurant owners, traders and manufacturers, drivers, food processors and electronics and mobile distributors.

"Peace and tranquility, being the essentials for healthy growth of the economy, can only be achieved if the core issue of Kashmir is addressed to evolve a permanent and peaceful settlement of Kashmir," KEA said in an official statement. The alliance blamed the government for not doing enough to help growth of the economy.

"The government is practically doing nothing, they are only visible on newspapers. The government has to change its strategy and come up clear with what it wants to do for the economy," he said.

Supporting the shutdown policy of hardliner Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the alliance said the strikes were not a war against the establishment but a form of resentment.

"Strikes can be one of the options. Strikes are only meant to show your resentment," Iqbal Tramboo, a member of the KEA, said when asked about Geelani's shutdown calendars. — PTI

Srinagar, December 7
The government plans to set up a stream of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) here to provide succour to those suffering from multiple disabilities, whose number has been increasing every day due to the violence in the Valley over the past two decades.

This was disclosed by Dr Abdul Hameed Zargar, director, SKIMS, while speaking at a function of Shafaqat Special School for children with multiple disabilities at Bemina here on the occasion of the World Disability Day on Saturday. He said the Central government had given an assurance to provide all sorts of facilities so that higher education could be pursued at the SKIMS in streams of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

“The proposal, if given a go ahead, will also help in providing some help to the people suffering from multiple disabilities,” he said. He also stressed the need to create awareness among people so that the chances of children suffering from multiple disabilities were reduced.

“We are living in a highly volatile region that has witnessed violence during the past two decades,” Dr Zargar said, adding that such a situation created potential for increasing the number of people with multiple disabilities.

“We need to aware people to provide exact iodine and folic acid dosage to expectant mothers so that children are born healthy and do not suffer from any multiple disability,” he said. He also stressed the need to provide proper care during pregnancy and child birth.

Earlier, in his inaugural address, Dr Mir Mohammad Maqbool, president of Shafaqat Special School, announced the launch of Shafaqat Special Centre for Spinal Injuries. The centre would be launched in a year’s time and would be provided with state-of-the-art facilities. He said this sort of centre would be the first-of-its-kind in the region.

Dr Maqbool laid a special thrust on enhancing the facilities and services that needed to be provided to the children suffering from multiple disabilities. “The children suffering from multiple disabilities need various facilities for their rehabilitation and this feat cannot be accomplished by efforts by a small group of people,” he said.

“We need a cohered effort and dedication so that we are able to provide some relief to these needy children,” he said.

Dr Maqbool said the Valley had witnessed an increase in the number of people with multiple disabilities because of the turmoil and the government and various NGOs needed to come forward to provide a helping hand to them.

“The government should formulate a policy that will go a long way in providing help and succor to these special children as the rehabilitation process is cumbersome and even costly,” Dr Maqbool said.

He said: “Presently, we do not posses any special rehabilitation centre or facility to provide any help to the children suffering from multiple disabilities”.

Jammu, December 7
Amway Opportunity Foundation (AOF), Amway India’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm, recently renewed its association with its Project Sunrise partner - National Federation for the Blind (NFB), for the second successive year.

Coinciding with World Disability Day, the AOF handed over a cheque for Rs 72,295 to fund the education of 15 visually challenged children. In addition, the AOF has also committed to providing the NFB with a computer, printer and fax costing Rs 35,700.

Under Project Sunrise, the AOF envisages partnering with needy orphanages / children’s homes for a three- year period and take care of children’s education, health and hygiene . The AOF has identified 64 such partners under this initiative.

One of the biggest challenges in education of visually impaired children is to make books available in Braille, text or audio-described format so that students can read themselves. Under the National Project for the Blind, the AOF has ensured availability of Braille textbooks to over 85,000 school-going visually challenged children in 15 states. The AOF has partnered with 54 orphanages across the country.