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CM’s visit over; illegal parking returns to Mubarak Mandi complex
Kashmiri Pandits yet to get special identity cards
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State to introduce emergency ambulance service: Omar
Hostel accommodation for J&K students in Delhi
Boosting
Tourism
AYUSH clinic at Sarwal hospital a big draw
Srinagar
DIARY
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CM’s visit over; illegal parking returns to Mubarak Mandi complex
Jammu, February 10 The complex, which impressed the Chief Minister with its cleanliness and ‘vehicle-free’ space during his recent visit, stands mired in shabby conditions with wrongly parked private vehicles. These vehicles were either towed away by cranes or shifted to the adjoining narrow
lanes ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit to give the complex a better look. “This heritage complex is not made for parking of cars and mini buses. The government seems to have turned a blind eye. Haphazard parking, unattended heaps of debris and wild plants grown on its walls are the perfect description of government’s neglect and nonchalant attitude towards the Dogra heritage,” said SK Sharma, a resident of Mubarak Mandi. For local residents, the Chief Minister’s visit was nothing short of a curfew, as they were not even allowed to pass through the complex to get eatables. “No two-wheeler was allowed to move out from the lanes that open on main road connecting Mubarak Mandi with the Panjtirthi area. The movement of people was restricted and they were subjected to several hardships. I was not allowed to get curd from a nearby shop, located just 200m away from my
residence,” a government teacher residing in the Panjtirthi area said. He alleged that the Chief Minister himself stressed on the public contact programmes but all these claims seemed to be made to fool the people. “He is pitching hard against the AFSPA, citing the return of normalcy in the state, but barbed wires, which were erected to restrict the movement of people during his visit to the complex, contradicts his claims,” he said. The erstwhile seat of the Dogra rulers spreads over 14 acres of prime land in the heart of Jammu city. Started in 2008, the renovation work undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had been stopped due to paucity of funds since the past six months. “It is irony that only a portion, Army headquarters and the Foreign Department of the erstwhile Dogra rulers, on the complex had been renovated over the past three years, while remaining structure is still in a shambles and is awaiting government’s attention,” a top official from the Tourism Department said. He said the project for the shifting of parked vehicles from the complex had remained only on paper so far. “The issue was discussed in the governing body meetings of the Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society several times, but all in vain,” he added.
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Kashmiri Pandits yet to get special identity cards
Jammu, February 10 The government had announced in 2009 that Kashmiri Pandits will be issued special Identity cards under the computerised data system, which will make the system easier and transparent. KPs who have been living in exile have got ‘migrant’ status and every KP has to be registered as a migrant to become a legal part of the community and get the benefits of being a migrant. The people of this community who have been living in different parts of the country find it difficult to go through the process of migrant registration in the state or in Delhi. As a result, the Relief Commissioner's office has incomplete data on them. To cope with the problem of inaccuracy and get precise data of KPs, the administration had decided to make special identity cards for every family so that all the records could be kept in their website. Changes can be updated through the Internet from any part of the world through the unique codes given to them from the Relief Commissioner's office. Vinod Koul, Relief Commissior Jammu, while talking to The Tribune said, “We have a computerised system but the identity cards could not be issued
“People need to come to us to update the changes in their family,” he added. Tej Krishan Bhat, originally resident of Bandipora living in Janipur now said, "I got my two children registered this year due to the hectic procedure involved. My elder son got registered 12 years after his birth. But no special identity cards have been issued yet". “If the process starts, it will be easier for us. The data updated will make the system faster which will be beneficial for the migrants as well as the administration," he added.
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Ladakh Scouts on trekking expedition
Jammu, February 10 This is an ancient route travelled and used by the locals when the Zanskar valley gets cut off from the rest of the Ladakh region. This is the shortest walking route to reach Leh during harsh winters. The Zanskar river, which originates from Brandy Nala in Sarchu, Himachal Pradesh, along with tributaries with feeder glacier ice field and snow-bound tops, supply the regular flow of water into the river. The river get merged into the Indus river at Nimmu and then become the Indus. Chader means frozen river and many of troops used to take this route once going on leave to Zanskar during winters. The aim of this expedition is to conquer the most inaccessible, formidable and impassable route during winters and to infuse a spirit of
The troops of Ladakh Scouts are proficient in ice and mountain craft, as the son of soil, are physically fit to undertake any challenging task. The Chader trek is famous for its inaccessible formidable, impassable and extreme cold conditions during winters and also the object of fascination for millions of people. A team comprising three officers, one JCO and 14 other ranks are carrying out the expedition from Chiling to Padum in Zanskar valley through the Zanskar River from February 6 to February 12. The team has been provided with special clothing, ration and mountain equipment. The team has also been giving pre-expedition training in trekking aspects for a week. The expedition was flagged off by Maj Gen AK Siwach of the 14 Corps.
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State to introduce emergency ambulance service: Omar New Delhi, February 10 “As 108 helpline is in place in other states, we are working towards making available emergency ambulance services in Jammu and Kashmir. Buses fall off from hill tops, leading to loss of many lives. An emergency ambulance facility can help save many lives and limbs,” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said recently. He was inaugurating the First International Congress on Emergency Medical Care Services System, 2012, at the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences. The minister stressed the need for public-private partnership in the healthcare sector and a change in the mindset of people for better delivery of medicare services. “How many of us have given way to ambulances in crowded areas? Ambulances get stuck in the crowd due to VIP movement. If we are actually looking for delivering better healtcare services, then it should not be enforcement of rule but civic responsibility,” he said. "As justice delayed is equal to justice denied, so also healthcare delayed is equal to denied,” he added.
— PTI |
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Hostel accommodation for J&K students in Delhi
Srinagar, February 10 The MoU was signed by the Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education, Tanveer Jahan, on behalf of the state government and the registrar, JMI, SM Sajjad, and Union Joint Secretary (K), Ministry of Home Affairs, K Skandan in presence of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister for Home Affairs P. Chidambaram, Union Education Secretary and Vice Chancellor JMI in New Delhi recently. An official spokesperson said the state government would release a sum of Rs 16.22 crore to JMI in instalments to finance the construction of hostel building, including appropriate furniture and fixtures, on the JMI campus to enable it to provide accommodation to 400 students from Jammu and Kashmir. The amount so released by Jammu and Kashmir is being reimbursed by the MHA. A committee of representatives of the MHA, Government of Jammu and Kashmir and JMI, would review the progress of the project and recommendations of the said committee would guide the construction and its accomplishment. The project would be completed within two years from the date of commencement of the construction. The 400 students from Jammu and
Kashmir to be accommodated in the hostel would only be those admitted to JMI University and its affiliated schools and for that purpose the hostel committee concerned of JMI would include a representative from the state government (Education Department) while allotting hostel accommodation to the students. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has flagged education sector as one of the important concerns in the state’s policy planning and accessibility of higher education to the people in the far-flung and remote areas is receiving considerable fillip. The Chief Minister is keen to see the students of the state attaining excellence in different fields of modern science and technology in various higher educational institutions in the state and outside. The need of such accommodation for the students of the state was being felt for long time now. The initiative in this direction taken by the Omar-led government would fulfil this requirement to a greater extent, the official spokesperson said. Presently, different subjects in the higher and technical educational fields are being taught in 73 government degree colleges in the state, of which, 23 have been sanctioned during this year. Other institutions in government sector include one government engineering college at Jammu, one national institute of technology at Srinagar besides 142 BEd colleges, three M.Ed colleges, 20 degree colleges, three postgraduate course colleges, 35 BCA colleges, four MCA colleges, 31 BBA colleges, six MBA colleges, seven law colleges and three engineering colleges in the private sector. |
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Boosting
Tourism
Srinagar, February 10 Currently, restoration work to the tune of Rs 6 crore of Rampart Wall around and inside the Hari Parbat fort is going on as a part of the Centre-approved project of Rs 38.14 crore under the Mega Tourist Circuit Scheme (MTCS) for the development of Naagar Nagar. The fort is located on the top of Sharika Hill, which was built during the Afghan rule in 1810 by the then Governor Ata Mohammad Khan. Earlier this week, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Samoon visited Naagar Nagar to take stock of the construction works where he also directed the officers concerned that facade lighting system at Hari Parbat Fort should be restored immediately. Samoon said about Rs 1.94 crore would be expended on the construction of public convenience at various places and pedestrian path from the fort to the shrine for the convenience of people. About Rs 1.20 crore
would be incurred on the renovation and repair works of historical monuments inside the fort, he added. An interpretation centre and a restaurant were also coming up at a cost of Rs 1.75 crore which would be constructed at Kathidarwaza, the entrance of Naagar Nagar. He said Rs. 1.7 crore would be spent on the construction of Eco Park at Nigeen Pokhribal. The Divisional Commissioner also reviewed the pace of ongoing work on “Sump” (Water Plant) at Pokhribal which is particularly meant for the convenience of the devotees visiting the Makhdoom Sahib shrine. He was accompanied by the officials of several departments, including Roads and Buildings, Public Health and Engineering, Power Development Department, Tourism, State and Central Archaeology and Forest, who also reviewed the pace of ongoing works.
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AYUSH clinic at Sarwal hospital a big draw
Jammu, February 10 Sarwal Hospital, being located in the heart of the Jammu West area, caters to the need of the residents of Janipur, Rehari, Old Rahari, Rajpura, Shaktinagar, Shiv Nagar, Talab Tillo, Bantalab, Roop Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Sarwal and Newplot. Even for the people living in the old city, the location is nearby and accessible. The Health Department had started a special AYUSH clinic in Sarwal hospital in the recent past. The clinic included treatment facilities of Ayurveda and Unani systems of medicines. Shradha Sharma, a resident of Janipur, said, “It is really a welcome step as most of the patients opt for alternate system of medicines. People believe in holistic ways of treatment and with the advent of Internet, a majority of the population, particularly youth, has become aware of the health issues”. She said, “Sarwal is an ideal spot for such clinic as there has been a considerable amount of increase in the number of patients reaching here for the past one year”. Devinder Magotra, a resident of Ram Vihar, who works as an assistant general manager in a Jammu-based bank, said opening of the AYUSH centre would mostly benefit the elderly, who indispensably needed a tonic or stimulant for age-related debilities. “Our senior citizens do believe in Indian system of medicines. Even, my father, who is an octogenarian, always prefers Ayurveda medicines over allopathic. It has helped us a lot, as we can get consultation and procure medicines now from the nearby Sarwal hospital,” Devinder said. Dr Arun Sharma, Medical Superintendent, Sarwal Hospital, told The Tribune that he had sensed a huge scope for the alternate system of medicines in the hospital with the growing number of patients. He said, “Earlier we started the AYUSH OPD from a small room, but much to our surprise, within a week we had to shift it to a large room, owing to the increased public response. I am amazed to see the response, as daily over 60 patients are being examined at the OPD. Medicines are also provided at the AYUSH dispensary”. He said, three doctors, one from the Unani system and two from Ayurveda, along with four paramedics, had been running the OPD. Dr Arun said in view of the increasing response from the residents, they would dedicate a separate registration counter to the AYUSH clinic. |
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Srinagar
DIARY There was a time when people in the Kashmir Valley used to make fun of weather predictions announced on television and radio. But now after advances in the field of science, the predictions made by the Met office rarely go wrong. The local Meteorological Department needs to be lauded for its almost 100 per cent accurate predictions this winter season. As this winter remained harsh, people used to closely keep an eye on the weather forecast. The predictions were helpful especially for those, who were planning to embark on a journey via Srinagar-Jammu National Highway as the Met office and the Disaster Management Cell also issued regular travel advisories along with avalanche warnings.
The accurate predictions also helped the administration to gear up in advance to tackle inclement weather conditions, especially the measures to clear snow from the roads. Mutton prices shoot up Despite government’s claim to keep the prices of essential commodities under control, it seems to be helpless. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway getting blocked frequently due to snow added to the problem. In January, the highway remained blocked for many days after intermittent closures due to heavy snowfall. Though the flow of essential supplies resumed with the movement of truckloads of different commodities, the winter has left its scars. The closure of the highway was an opportune time for the mutton dealers to sell it at exorbitant rates in the black market. No mutton shops were open for many days, but many people, particularly in the old city, used to fetch it at higher rates through back-door. The government has reaffirmed its fight against black marketeers and made public the rates of mutton at Rs 240 per kg. While mutton was being sold at Rs 260 per kg for many months or over a year, the recent highway blockade provided an excuse to the dealers to sell it at a higher rate around Rs 300 per kg. The government seems to be helpless in keeping a check on the rates of essential commodities, which the dealers continue to raise exorbitantly at will. (Contributed by M Aamir Khan and Ehsan
Fazili)
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