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Adhocism on rise at
JU
Traffic violations up at Kujwani Chowk
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Tawi exploited as Chenab project moves at snail’s pace
Garbage strewn at Gole Market an eyesore
Dearth of quality bookstores in city
Work on sports complex delayed
Two-day national seminar commences
Natrang’s ‘Aatmhatya se Pehle’ staged
Semi-finals of ‘Talaash-e-Hunnner’ held
Youths perform during the semi final of ‘Talaash-e-Hunnner’in Jammu on Sunday.
Tribune photo: Inderjeet Singh
State sportspersons opting to make career in other games
MLA inaugurates new SNCU unit
Power department reforms hanging fire for 30 years
State Sport Climbing C’ship begins
Ash clinches U-10 title
Youth felicitated in Doda
Experts respond to quieries of youths during Eid Milan in Doda on Saturday. A Tribune photograph
Blue Star win T20 tournament
BSF School excel in wushu
ARTA elects governing body
Teenager electrocuted
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Adhocism on rise at
JU
Jammu, August 26 Many senior faculty members, scholars and students of the university mince no words to take on the authorities for “promoting” adhocism on the campus. They alleged the university’s performance graph had shown a sharp decline in recent times. “As per norms, one man should hold one post only. And what is happening on the campus is contrary to the rules. A group of professors occupies more than three or more key posts which eventually affects the students as well as administrative functioning of the varsity,” a senior faculty member said while talking to The Tribune. “An ‘overburdened’ official holding three or more key positions can not justify with any of his or her position. Some professors holding key administrative positions have also been given the charge of directors of offsite campus. In such cases, the functioning of one or other departments occupied by them will either get affected and ultimately students will be at the receiving end,” the faculty member remarked. He suggested the Vice-Chancellor should “judiciously” distribute key administrative positions among experienced professors to streamline the functioning of the varsity. “Instead of adhocism and giving additional charge to some favourites, the Vice-Chancellor should go for a viable solution by filling these posts on permanent basis,” he said. Sources said that Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta had been holding four key positions in the university. “He (Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta) is holding the charge of director of the Directorate Distance Education (DDE), besides holding the key positions like director of the Colleges Development Council, Dean Business Studies apart from being member of University Syndicate,” the source added. Manoj K Dhar has been occupying the post of Controller of Examination besides holding the charge of director, School of Biotechnology which comprises bio-chemistry, microbiology and bio-technology wings. Prof Jasbir Singh has been given the charge of Provost Boys Hostel, besides the key posts as chairman of Campus Culture Committee, chairman, NSS, and head of the Economics Department. Sources said that Daud Iqbal Baba who was appointed as coordinator is presently holding the position of director of varsity’s Reasi campus, and coordinator of all campuses. Jammu Students Morcha (JSM) had raised concern over the university administration’s ‘preferential treatment’ to some faculty members and had urged the Vice-Chancellor to “decentralise the powers” by ending adhocism on the campus. “Some senior professors are calling the shots as they have been holding more than one position for long. It has been affecting the functioning of the varsity. We fail to understand how a person occupying more than one post delivers justice with the administration as well as the students,” Sunil Kumar, JSM president, said. Interestingly, the university authorities remained tightlipped over the issue when contacted. the chosen few *
Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta has been holding the charges of director of the Directorate Distance Education (DDE), director of the Colleges Development Council, Dean Business Studies apart from being the member of University Syndicate *
Manoj K Dhar occupies the post of Controller of Examination besides holding the charge of director, School of Biotechnology *
Prof Jasbir Singh holds the charge of Provost Boys Hostel, besides the key posts as chairman of Campus Culture Committee, chairman, NSS, and head of the Economics Department *
Daud Iqbal Baba is presently holding the position of director of varsity’s Reasi campus and coordinator of all campuses |
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Traffic violations up at Kujwani Chowk
Jammu, August 26 Kunjwani Chowk is one among the most frequented chowks along the National Highway- 1 which is a main link to the city. Minibuses, trucks and long route buses are usually seen making sudden stoppage just in the middle of the chowk. Motorists blatantly use the chowk for lifting or dropping the commuters. Road mishaps are reported here every now and then but the traffic police and other agencies concerned have not yet taken a serious notice of the worsening situation. The four prominent routes which converge here include Narwal-Kunjawani bypass, Bari-Brahmina-Kaluchak road, Sehora road and the road leading to Satwari. Amit, a resident of Sainik Colony, said the spot witnesses maximum traffic violations in the city. “The whole stretch from the chowk to another roundabout near Greater Kailash has become a danger zone in terms of road mishaps. I am sure maximum accidents have been occurring on this particular stretch which is four or five km long. The major reason behind this is blatant violation of traffic norms. Those who follow the traffic signals are among the victims here,” he said. Tanya, who works in a school in Kaluchak, said that unchecked parking of vehicles on the chowk and nearby roads was another issue. She said, “The major issue is wrong parking which leads to traffic chaos and accidents. It is really shocking to see vehicles parked on roads and most of the times the chowk is used as a bus stop. But nobody is there to check this.” The spot is very sensitive and the authorities should install traffic signals there, she said. |
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Tawi exploited as Chenab project moves at snail’s pace
Jammu, August 26 Sources said that senior officers of the department had conveyed to the state government if the work on the Chenab project was not started soon, the authorities would be in a fix as the Tawi river would not be able to bear the burden of water requirements of about 13 lakh people. The population of the city is slated to double in the next decade.
Officials said although the Economic Reconstruction Agency had constructed over 50 tubewells in and around Jammu in the last four years, the city was still facing a shortage of 30 lakh gallons of water per day. They rued that despite the city being in such a tight spot, the Rs 1,008 crore project to lift water from the Chenab was moving at a snail’s pace. The city is getting 42 million gallon litre (MGL) of drinking water each day but it requires 45 MGL of water per day. Over 50 water tankers have been provided in the city to cater to the needs of residents. “We are exploiting the Tawi ruthlessly even though it is does not have much water. About 25 MGL water is lifted from the river every day. The department has no other alternative as it is the only natural river flowing through the city,” said a senior PHE officer.
As per the Chenab project, water was to be carried by gravity from the river and filtered at a suitable spot on a higher contour through an open channel or pipes at Roop Nagar, on the outskirts of the city. PHE Chief Engineer BR Dogra said, “In view of the increasing population, such a project was the need of the hour as the Tawi will not be able to cater to the needs of such a large population in the next 20 to 30 years.” Dogra said many residential areas were facing scarcity of water as water pumps could not be used on account of power shortage. “If the Chenab project is completed on a fast-track basis, it will be a sustained source of water supply,” said the PHE Chief Engineer. Many areas of Jammu city face acute shortage of water during the summer season despite the authorities’ claims to enhance the water supply. Areas such as Roop Nagar, Janipur, Indira Colony, Buta Nagar, Naseeb Nagar, Ploura, Durga Nagar, Muthi, Ban Talab, New Plots, Sainik Colony, Bathindi, Sunjwan, Narwal, Greater Kailash are reeling under severe water shortage. Many areas get the water supply just once a day and that too not for the prescribed time period. city’s water woes *
Although the Economic Reconstruction Agency has constructed over 50 tube wells in and around Jammu in the last four years, the city is still facing a shortage of 30 lakh gallons of water per day *
The PHE officials rue that despite the city being in such a tight spot, the Chenab project is moving at a snail’s pace |
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Garbage strewn at Gole Market an eyesore
Jammu, August 26 Garbage waste can be seen at the central point of Gole Market area till afternoon hours. Surprisingly, the open space facing one of the most popular eating joint of the city is a ghastly site as garbage is also strewn all over the place. Dumping containers overflowing with waste material are parked right in the middle of the ground. It is really difficult for people to move around the shops with a nauseating smell. The commuters and shopkeepers also face the same problem. “On the one hand, the area is sought after by real estate developers while people suffer because of the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned. Shopkeepers complain the garbage keeps lying out in the open making the area rather untidy. As to why there is so much garbage in the area, the Jammu Municipal Corporation Commissioner KL Khajuria said, “The garbage gets accumulated from all the shops in the area. Since they all dump their waste here, we get two or more dumpers to collect the garbage on most days. Today was one of the days when the dumpers did not reach the area on time and hence the garbage was seen in the area.” |
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Dearth of quality bookstores in city
Jammu, August 26 The concept of big commercial literature-oriented franchisees is yet to find place in Jammu. Throughout the city, there is not a single shop that focuses on bringing new best-sellers and other books on fiction and non-fiction. With the exception of the intelligentsia associated with the university or those preparing for the civil services examination, the interest of the average youth in pursuing literature is abysmal in comparison to students in big cities. While there are scores of coffee houses, informal meeting points, cinema halls and occasional theatre performances, there is a dearth of quality book cafes and exclusive bookstores catering to all genres of readership in the city. Most people interested in reading order books online as it is the easiest way to gain access books of their choice here. However, the book enthusiasts, who are not fond of online purchases or are not internet-savvy, have no choice but to place special orders at small-scale book stores. Though the number of students in the city has been rising, little has been done to cater to their literary interests. “There are various reasons for the absence of a literary culture in Jammu. In a state like this, which is so politically active, there are more people who are politically vocal than those who are bibliophiles. The college authorities should organise seminars, the clubs need to hold book-releases and interactive sessions with reknowned literary personalities and most importantly, the state government should provide adequate infrastructure for printing in the city to encourage the budding writers,” said Mahesh, a scholar from the Jammu University. |
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Work on sports complex delayed
Jammu, August 26 “The authorities will take a month to complete the process,” said one of the senior officials of the J&K State Sports Council. “After the Memorandum of Understanding is prepared by the state government, a formal agreement will be signed by both the parties which would clear the decks for receiving the sanctioned amount,” the official said. The Union Sports Ministry, under its National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) scheme, had sanctioned Rs 6 crore for the construction of a state-of-art multi-purpose sports complex. The hall will be constructed at an approximate cost of Rs 8 crore. The remaining Rs 2 crore will funded by the state government. Sources said the hall will have facilities for sports disciplines such as gymnastics, wu-shu, squash and wrestling. Sources said during Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken’s recent visit to the state to review the progress of sports-related schemes and activities, he had expressed a desire to build adequate sports infrastructure for sportspersons so as to enable them to compete at higher levels. They said the sports council was under fire for not providing adequate infrastructural facilities to its sportspersons. It had later called for the attention of the concerned sports authorities, who in turn took up the matter with the Union Sports Ministry. |
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Two-day national seminar commences
Jammu, August 26 Writers, students and scholars attended the inaugural day of the seminar. Two plays ‘Toba Tek Singh’ and ‘Hatak’ were staged by the artists of the Amateur Theatre Group and Rangmanch from Jammu. Prof Ishar, vice-chancellor of JU, said, “Manto was against the partition of the country which led him to write short-stories like ‘Toba Tek Singh’, ‘Tetwal ka Kuta’, ‘Thunda Ghost’.” Prof Ishar said Manto was ahead of his times and now they were trying to understand and appreciate his revolutionary thinking that is reflected in his writing. Dr Reyaz Punjabi congratulated the centre for professional studies in Urdu for organising a two-day national seminar. He paid his tributes to Sadat Hassan Manto and said he was a writer par excellence who projected the realities of life in his writings. Prof Shohab Inayat Malik, director, Centre for Professional Studies (Urdu) said though Manto was not so literate yet he wrote some of the most marvelous stories like ‘Kali Shalwar’, ‘Mozeel’, ‘Dowan’, ‘Bhoo’, ‘Upper Niche aur Darmiyan’, and ‘ Neli Ragaien’. Prof Reyaz Punjabi said though he was a progressive short-story writer but he also wrote drama, letters, and radio features. |
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Natrang’s ‘Aatmhatya se Pehle’ staged
Jammu, August 26 The story revolved around ‘Popat Lal’ who was informed by ‘Madhav’ that their friend ‘Nagji Bhai’ is going to end his life by committing suicide as he was fed up with his life and was unable to handle the demands of his family. Popat plans to get benefit of his death in a manner that it becomes an aspiration for many others who are confused whether to commit suicide or not. Popat and his friends Madhav and Ghanshyam try to insure huge amount and beneficiaries after their friend’s death and conspire to project the suicide as an accident. But, their dreams were shattered on knowing that Nagji Bhai had not ended his life, as he keeps announcing about his suicide whenever he feels frustrated. Uplaksh Singh as ‘Popat Lal’, Ashwani Bali as ‘Madhav’, Rohatashiv Sharma as ‘Bihari Bhai’, Antriksh as ‘Ghansham’, Shekhar as ‘Nagji Bhai’ and Sajra Qadir as his ‘wife’, justified their performances. |
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Semi-finals of ‘Talaash-e-Hunnner’ held
Jammu, August 26 The young artists participating in the competition will get a platform to show their talent. Ram Kumar, president, Ram Kumar Imagine Production said, it is very important to preserve the folk music and dance of the region. The grand finale will be organised at General Zorawer Singh Auditorium on September 9. The outstanding winners will get a chance in the upcoming productions. ML Dogra, president, Bhartiya Lok Sangeet Kala Sansthan said, “I do believe that each one of us have a creative mind but the idea is to explore the talent.”
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State sportspersons opting to make career in other games
Jammu, August 26 The state lacks adequate infrastructural facilities, despite the sportspersons had been able to carve a niche for themselves in other disciplines like boxing, gymnastics, judo, badminton, wushu and
fencing. “The state sportspersons are now thinking beyond cricket because they are fed up with the inability of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) which has failed on all fronts to promote the game in the state,” a budding shuttler told The Tribune. He said, “The unearthing of infamous multi-crore scam has exposed the claims of the association to construct an international standard cricket stadium at Bajalta. The youth have realised the fact that there is nothing more in the JKCA except hollow promises”. The commendable performances of the Indian contingent in the recently concluded London Olympics has shown us a path that there is a lot more in other sports as well”, another sportsperson said. “In J&K, the scenario is completely different from other states because the sportspersons are struggling to get necessary infrastructural facilities. The authorities are not taking much interest for the encouragement of sports but the sportspersons have been able to win medals in various national championships,” a sportsperson said. “There has been a mark improvement in the performance of state contingent in the national games as far as medal haul is concerned, but the sportspersons are not getting enough sponsorships which is the biggest impediment for them,” he opined. No doubt, the state government is taking initiatives to host championships of national repute but things will turn better if the government announces financial aid for the medal winners like other states do, he opined. |
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MLA inaugurates new SNCU unit
Poonch, August 26 He lauded positive attitude of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah who sanctioned Rs. 14 crores for construction of Mini Secretariat in the district.
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Power department reforms hanging fire for 30 years Jammu, August 26 After repeated warnings by the Centre to improve PDD functioning, Omar Abdullah-led government had formed a Cabinet-Sub Committee to study the problems and needs of the department which has so far failed to submit its report which otherwise could have paved way for the requisite manpower. The department is facing huge shortage of manpower and nearly 4,000 posts, including engineers and clerical staff, are lying vacant. This has adversely affected the functioning of the department for so many years. Last reorganisation of the PDD took place in 1981 and no major change has been brought in its structure since then. Not only this, even the process of regularisation of daily wagers has got stuck due to a causal approach of the government which again has proved to be an impediment in its delivery system. Sources said though the government was fully aware about PDD’ plight, it had slowed down the reform channel keeping in view the fund crunch. “At present, most of the work is done by daily wagers who are seeking regularisation and the administration is a mere mute spectator to this. Expansion needs funds which the state does not have or it has not been able to generate in the sector,” an official said. “Power infrastructure has increased manifolds during the past few decades and the existing manpower is not enough to run the show. Against the requirement of five people, only two are available,” he added. Minister of State (MoS) for Power Shabir Khan said the issue would be discussed by the Cabinet in upcoming meetings and once the report gets cleared, the process would be started to bring reforms in the department. “So far, many steps have been taken in this direction and the government is also taking keen interest in reorganisation of the PDD,” Khan said. The PDD has a staff strength of nearly 32,000, but 5,000 daily wagers conduct most of the maintenance work across the state. Sources said that even the process that was initiated to regularise the daily wagers has not been implemented despite thousands of vacancies were available in all the three regions in the state. Many critical areas are being looked after by daily wagers who are getting just Rs 2,170 per month to keep the electricity supply running in the state. The Power Development Corporation (PDC) has around 500 daily wagers.
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State Sport Climbing C’ship begins
Jammu, August 26 Ten other women climbers have made it to the final in lead climbing. In the boys section, 13 climbers led by Deepak Choudhary, Lovish Kumar, Rahul Choudhary and Harvinder Singh, who all topped the 40-ft high wall, have advanced into the final round. The championship was inaugurated by the president Dogri Sanstha and Prof Lalit Magotra, who is also president of the J&K State Sports Climbing Association. Result: Semi-finals (Women): Rohini Chib, Urgin Chosket, Surbhi Jamwal, Navneet Kour, Tsering Disket, Jaspreet Kour, Rinchen Angmo, Sonam Chosdon, Nikita Sharma and Dechen Chosdon. Boys: Deepak Choudhary, Lovish Kumar, Rahul Choudhary, Harvinder Singh, Vijay Kumar, Dhanver Singh Thappa, Manish Raj, Sumit Singh, Sahil Singh, Aman Arora, Ajay Singh, Vikrant Gupta and Rahul Damathia. Sub-junior Girls: Sheetal Choudhary, Pawandeep Kour (senior), Riya Choudhary (senior), Riya Choudhary, Pawandeep Kour, Vanshika, Ruby Chandotra, Luxmy Devi. Sub-junior Boys: Nikhil Sharma, Varun Sharma, Simranjeet Singh, Abhishek Slathia, Namkha Dorjey, Abay Singh, Adarsh Singh, Manish Kumar, Manpreet Singh, Sudhanshu Choudhary, Sourav Deep Singh, Rahil Mir, Javaid Mir. |
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Ash clinches U-10 title
Jammu, August 26 Earlier, in the U-10 girls singles semifinals, Mridula beat Shej Sharma by 21-10, 21-10 while Bavni subdued Parikh by 21-8, 21-12. In the U-13 girls’ singles, Bawani had the last laugh against Tamanya by securing 21-10, 21-18. Sonam beat Muskan by 21-16, 21-18. She also outdid Ananya by 21-15, 21-5 while Pihushee prevailed upon Janvi by 21-4,21-4. In the meanwhile, Shivani outplayed Nidhi by 21-11, 21-10, Shweta beat Shriya by 21-5, 21-3, Naman beat Wakita by 21-2, 21-9, Mridula outdid Kanishka by 21-16, 21-9 and Liza subdued Mehak by 21-11, 21-11. On the other hand, in the U-13 boys singles, Shrey Sharma beat Arihan, Arihan got the better of Jatin, Arihan Verma outplayed Pranay, Somdeep Singh outdid Jagpreet, Savinay beat Nitin, Rahul Kapoor beat Aryan, Aryan subdued Sanjay and Ash Goswami beat Parv. In U-13 boys doubles event, the duo of Arjun/ Akshay beat Parv/Yaksh, Jatinjit/Rahul drubbed AbhinathVanshraj, Vaibhav/Aryan outplayed Shray/Shiv and Naman/Arjun outplayed Shikher/Abhinai. |
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Youth felicitated in Doda
Jammu, August 26 The programme aimed at discussing ways by which the youth could channelise their talents. People from various communities took part in the programme. The participants held discussions on topics related to education, politics and religion. “A threadbare discussion on the role of the youth in various fields was held and experts addressed the queries of the participants,” said Ashiq Hussain, coordinator of the programme. After the discussion, a mushaira was organised in which local poets recited their compositions in Urdu. A quiz was also held on the occasion. |
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Blue Star win T20 tournament
Jammu, August 26 While batting first, the Rainawari XI set a target of 136 runs in the stipulated overs but the Blue
Star Khankah-i-Maula team outdid the target with ease. Minister for Youth and Sports RS Chib was the chief guest and Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Ali Mohammad Sagar was the guest of honour on
the occasion. The Ministers gave away the trophies, cash prizes and medals to the members of the winning and the runner-up teams. Speaking on the occasion, Chib appealed to the youth to work for the promotion of sports activities in the area. |
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Jammu, August 26 The medallists included Sadaf Khan (36kg gold), Khushboo Bhat (40kg gold), Sagar Singh (60kg gold), Sushmita (52kg gold), Nirbhay Singh (48kg gold) Gurmohit Singh (45kg gold) Ashish Sudani (52kg silver), Vikas Dayal (70kg silver), Venposh Raina (+70kg silver) and Lakhan Sharma (40kg silver).Sourav Bhagat and Ankush Choudhary bagged two gold medals in 45 kg and 70 kg respectively. — TNS
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It’s not only the by-lanes or main roads in the city that are unsafe. Major chowks in Jammu are increasingly becoming prone to accidents of late. The reason: motorists are hardly following any traffic norms while the authorities concerned seem to be the least bothered over the issue.
The
Public Health Engineering (PHE) has asked the government to speed up the Chenab
water project work as the exploitation of the Tawi river to meet city’s
demands has gone beyond limit. Sources said that senior officers of the
department had conveyed to the state government if the work on the Chenab
project was not started soon, the authorities would be in a fix as the Tawi
river would not be able to bear the burden of water requirements of about 13
lakh people.
Jammu, August 26
Jammu, August 26
Jammu, August 26
