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Healthcare eludes this tehsil
Srinagar counts its stray dogs, paints them pink
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PDP protests against LPG shortage
Explosive device defused along NH
Expert panel submits report to High court
Omar launches FM channel of Radio Kashmir
Rs 15 cr for Srinagar drainage project
House rejects resolution on rehab of militancy victims
65-yr-old woman beaten to death by policemen
Handball championship inaugurated
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Healthcare eludes this tehsil
Srinagar, October 6 More than 60,000 people living in 70 villages of the tehsil are deprived of specialised healthcare facilities with the nearest healthcare provision being 50 km away in Srinagar. People say the Primary Healthcare Centre of Khag suffers from acute staff shortage, as there are only six MBBS doctors who are posted here under the supervision of a Block Medical Officer (BMO). The centre is ill-equipped to handle even minor surgeries, USG, ECG, paediatric cases, gynaecological and other specialised cases. “Recently, a pregnant woman from Checkpora village died on way to Srinagar while she was having labour pains. Since the road infrastructure is too bad, it took us two hours to reach Srinagar, but by then the patient had already died,” said Muhammad Aatif, a relative of the deceased. With the onset of winter, health concerns of the people increase and travelling problems become worse. But according to Khag residents, the authorities have turned a deaf ear towards their problems. “Even for minor injuries, people have to go to Srinagar for treatment which causes a lot of inconvenience to them. The authorities seem to ignore us,” Kausar Jan, a local resident, opined. Residents said they could not afford travelling to Srinagar even for minor ailments as most of the village residents come under the below poverty line (BPL) category. “Khag is a hilly area and most of the population here comes under BPL. If all the facilities are provided here, then there is no need to move to other hospitals of the Valley,” said Kusar, a local resident. Budgam Chief Medical Officer Dr Ibrahim said he was unaware of the public concerns since he had joined the Health Department recently. “I will look into the matter and see what could be done to address their grievances,” Dr Ibrahim said. Staff shortage ails Primary health centre
Residents of 70 villages are deprived of healthcare facilities The nearest healthcare provision is 50 km away in Srinagar Primary Healthcare Centre of Khag faces
acute staff shortage The centre is ill-equipped to handle even minor surgeries, ECG, paediatric and gynae cases
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Srinagar counts its stray dogs, paints them pink
Srinagar, October 6 The methodical census - through which a specific number of dogs are painted pink - is now being carried by the Humane Society of India (HSI), a Delhi-based NGO, and they are being assisted by the officials of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). “On the instructions of the AWBI, the NGO is conducting canine Census. They have done the groundwork and are now tabulating the figures,” SMC Commissioner Dr GN Qasba said. The new census, the officials said, would help in conducting systematic sterilisation that is currently in progress. Unlike the past Census, where the dog population was counted physically by the SMC, the HSI is conducting the Census based on Lincoln Index method, wherein a certain number of dogs are captured from a locality, marked with pink colour and later released in the same locality. The dog catchers return to the same locality again after a specific time and paint the dog again second time. After the colouring of dogs, through Lincoln Index method, the number of dogs painted pink in the first and second time is mathematically counted under a formula that gives the number of dogs in a particular locality. "The new census will help in conducting a systematic sterilisation," said an official. The stray dog menace has become a major issue in Srinagar which turns into a dog "empire" after the sunset. The state government claims that the present dog population in the city was 91,110. Official figures reveal that over 55,000 people had The dog menace in the Valley had earlier this year sparked protests from the civil society members who accused the government of failing to curb the stray dog population. The increase in the dog population in the Valley is mainly due non-culling of dogs for the past several years after protests from animal rights activists. The dog menace has even reached the high court as well. On the directions of the court, the state government had made several plans to check the menace, including a plan to sterilise the dogs, to check their population. The sterilisation of the dogs has already started at the Sheri Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) and the Minister of State for Urban Development told the State Assembly on Thursday that nearly 700 dogs have been sterilised. |
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PDP protests against LPG shortage
Srinagar, October 6 The protest march, which took off from party headquarters, was led by party president Mehbooba Mufti. The protesters, including senior PDP leaders, later staged a sit-in for half an hour near the Regal Chowk. Carrying placards against restrictions on the sale of LPG, the protesters raised slogans against the state government led by Omar Abdullah. "The people in the state are suffering because of anti-people policies adopted by the state government," Mehbooba said while addressing the party workers. "The present government has unlimited money for its luxuries but nothing for the benefit of the common man," she added. Mehbooba said the state government had failed to address the cooking gas problem which has hit the state badly with the onset of winter. "In Jammu and Kashmir, the LPG is not only meant for cooking but a source of heat, light and survival," she said. Mehbooba said the government's intentions were exposed when it could not satisfy the opposition parties after the PDP brought adjournment motion in the Legislative Assembly to discuss this issue. The state Assembly on October 3 had passed a resolution urging the Centre to reconsider its decision to place a cap on the number of subsidised LPG cylinders. The PDP president said the NC should take cue from the Congress-ruled states where they have announced the subsidy on the LPG. "The government here claims that it is not in a position to provide subsidy on the LPG, which is a joke. The states where Congress is ruling have announced the subsidy on the LPG. So why is the state government here not following them," she said.
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Explosive device defused along NH
Anantnag, October 6 Sources said the joint team reached on the spot after a suspicious package was found lying along the road by a party of 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in the morning. “The bomb disposal squad reached the spot and defused the explosive well within time,” sources said. They said the traffic remained suspended along the national highway till the bomb disposal squad was at work. “The bomb was defused by the bomb disposal squad of 163 battalion of the CRPF,” the sources said.
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Expert panel submits report to High court
Srinagar, October 6 The court directed the Advocate-General of J&K, who submitted the report, to provide a copy of the Expert Committee report to the Bar Association, which has also been included as an intervener into the case. The committee was tasked to “suggest action plan other than the sterilisation of dogs under the Animal Birth Control Programme” for controlling the dog menace in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. The high court, which is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an end to increasing number of stray dogs in Srinagar, had on August 27 granted the state government three weeks’ time for filing the Expert Committee report, based on the study of suggestions invited by the authorities from public for checking the growing canine population in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir valley. As the PIL came up for hearing today before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice MM Kumar, Advocate-General Mohammad Ishaq Qadri submitted the Expert Committee report and the status report by the Health Department, giving stock position and availability of the anti-rabies vaccines in different hospitals of the Valley. Advocate Mian Qayoom of the Bar Association said he has not been provided the copy of the expert committee report, following which the Bench asked the Advocate-General to provide him a copy within a week. In the PIL filed by advocates Nadeem Qadri, AR Hanjura, and a law student Syed Musaib, intervention of courts had been sought to address the dog menace in the Srinagar city, whose population according to SMC figures has touched over one lakh. Besides, there are daily reports of canine attacks on humans from different parts of Srinagar and other areas in the Valley. Public suggestions
Most of the public suggestions, which have been studied by the Expert Committee and might form part of its report to the court, had called for culling/ destruction of the street dogs as the “only solution” for getting Srinagar rid of its rising canine population. Following directions from the high court, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation had in July invited suggestions from the general public on part of the Committee for suggesting an end to the growing dog menace. Subsequently, it had received more than 30 suggestions, mostly from eminent citizens of the state, wherein various solutions had been suggested for controlling the population of stray dogs. “Most of the suggestions received by the SMC had called for destruction of the stray dogs as an end to controlling the dog menace in the city”, a government lawyer associated with the case told The Tribune. 1 lakh stray dogs in Srinagar
On October 3, the J&K Government admitted in the Assembly that dog population is nearing one lakh in the Srinagar city, which has resulted in an alarming rise in the canine attacks and bite cases. It added that the authorities were adopting humane ways to get rid of dog menace in Srinagar. |
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Omar launches FM channel of Radio Kashmir
Srinagar, October 6 “The staff and officers had to pay a heavy price for the same,” Abdullah said. He was speaking at a function after launching the 10 MW FM Channel-2 of Radio Kashmir, Srinagar. “You became the voice of people and worked for showing light to them in dark days,” he said and mentioned the work done by Radio Kashmir and Doordarshan for restoration of normalcy and peace. Describing the launch of FM Channel-2 as yet another step of Radio Kashmir to enhance its reach and provide entertainment to the people, Abdullah said there was a greater potential for encouraging private FM stations in the state. He expressed the hope that Radio Kashmir and Doordarshan would focus on producing more informative, educative and attractive programmes for the general public’s benefit. He mentioned the current feature programme of Radio Kashmir “Shahrbeen” and appreciated its production. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary, Prasar Bharti, Uday Verma said four new FM stations at Kargil, Drass, Tsuru and Padam had been completed. He requested the CM to announce their distant inauguration, which he accepted and announced the stations open. Verma said 10 to 15 new FM stations were being set up in J&K in the near future, adding that Prasar Bharti had a plan of setting up 839 new FM stations in private sector in 290 cities of the country and the state was getting priority in the plan. He said that 10 to 20 FM Channels in private sector had been earmarked for the state. “The license fee for the private parties intending to launch FM stations in the state would be half as compared to the fee in rest of the country,” Verma said adding that the rental fee for the private parties of J&K will also be half as compared to others.
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Rs 15 cr for Srinagar drainage project
Srinagar, October 6 He was reviewing the progress of development works taken up under urban development in Srinagar city at an officers meeting held here today. An official spokesman said the Deputy CM underlined the need for proper evaluation of the areas coming under the Srinagar Master Plan. “Drainage is an important component of the development plans framed for a particular place or locality,” Chand said. The Deputy Chief Minister asked the officers to speed up the survey process of the areas of the Srinagar Master Plan so that a vision document is prepared at the earliest. He directed them to keep into account the present and future civic needs while formulating the master plan of the city. Tara Chand said the consultation of public representatives in this matter can go a long way in framing a long-term vision document. He said the government was focusing on framing plans as per the needs of the people and directed the officers to keep into account the expansion of Srinagar city while framing the development plans. |
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House rejects resolution on rehab of militancy victims
Srinagar, October 6 PDP legislator Nizamuddin Bhat, who moved the resolution with amendments by another PDP MLA Choudhary Zulfikar Ali, said the orphans, widows, disabled persons and men suffering destitution were facing several problems. He said the victims of militancy related victims be declared a “national liability” while urging the House to support the resolution cutting across party lines. However, Minister for Social Welfare Sakina Ittoo said there was no need for the resolution as the government had already taken several steps for the rehabilitation and welfare of the militancy related victims through its Rehabilitation Council. She said the council was already giving monthly assistance of Rs 750 to the orphans and widows. “Marriage assistance too has been raised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 20,000. We are all concerned about their rehabilitation….there is no need to press for the resolution,” Itoo added. Even as Bhat refused to withdraw the resolution, the same along with its amendment was defeated with a voice vote by the House.
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Week-long Urs festival begins from Oct 12
Srinagar, October 6 The government also nominated the tehsildar, Charar-i-Sharief, Ali Mohammad, as nodal officer to coordinate and monitor activities of different departments during the festive days. This was decided during a meeting, which was chaired by the Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather, held to finalise the arrangements for the week-long event. An official spokesman said several decisions were taken for providing adequate facilities to the pilgrims during the Urs days. “The Minister has directed the engineers of the Public Health Engineering Department to ensure uninterrupted water supply in the town, besides setting up about one hundred temporary wash rooms for ablution of the pilgrims,” the spokesman said. He added that the officials had been directed to keep water tankers available. The Power Development Department will ensure round the clock uninterrupted power supply to the shrine and the town, whereas the tourism department will make about 50 streetlights, at various places of the town, functional within two days. The traffic department was asked to formulate a foolproof traffic management plan to provide to and fro availability of vehicles to the pilgrims and to regulate the traffic movement to check traffic jams during the week, the spokesman said. |
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65-yr-old woman beaten to death by policemen
Anantnag, October 6 The district administration has decided to conduct a post-mortem examination of the deceased. Locals said two policemen along with a civilian raided the house of Sulaiman Naikoo in the Ahlan Bala village around 10:30 pm yesterday. “They apparently raided the house to search some smuggled material. After an altercation with the deceased’s family members, they resorted to violence and killed 65-year-old woman Mokhti,” a local resident. They alleged that Sulaiman Naikoo’s son-in-law Yousuf Dakka misled the policemen to believe that his in-laws were involved in the trade of “He (Yousuf) is a notorious smuggler and a police informer and had a strained relationship with his in-laws. That is why he got his in-laws’ house raided,” said another local. The locals said, “Even if the policemen had some negative information about Sulaiman Naikoo, they should have shown restraint and not resorted to manhandling the inmates.” Taking cognisance of the matter, the Anantnag district administration and police have taken three policemen along with Yousuf Dakka into custody. “I met the police authorities and a case has been registered. The accused have been arrested,” said Nisar Ahmad, ADC, Anantnag. |
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Handball championship inaugurated
Srinagar, October 6 A total of 23 teams drawn from various states are participating in the Boys’ Tournament, whereas 14 teams are participating in the Girls’ handball championship, a government spokesman said. The six-day championship is being organised by the J&K Handball Association, under the aegis of the Handball Federation of India and J&K State Sports Council. The Governor, who was the chief guest on the occasion, complimented the Handball Federation of India and the J&K Handball Association for organising this important event in the state. Vohra said organisation of sporting events promotes camaraderie and enlarges understanding among the youth of various parts of the country, besides giving a fillip to sports and improving the overall environment. The Governor took the salute from the contingents of the players at a parade, which was followed by oath taking ceremony by the teams. On this occasion RS Chib, Minister for Youth Services and Sports, K Rajendra, ADGP, JP Singh, Director, Youth Services and Sports and other officials were also present. |
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A dog’s life seems to be doing well in Kashmir. In a recent census of sorts, the J&K Government put the number of stray dogs in Srinagar alone at nearly one
lakh.
Srinagar, October 6
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave full credit to Radio Kashmir and Doordarshan Kendra, Srinagar for braving challenging circumstances and keeping the broadcasting and telecasting stations functional during the bad times.
