|
|
|
|
|
Dudu Road Mishap
Govt to target pharma firms dumping low-cost medicines
Education board has failed to deliver, says JAC
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Shias remember martyrdom of Imam Hussain
PoK refugees remember 1947 war victims
Farmers grow exotic fruits, veggies, medicinal plants
CM to visit Rajouri, Poonch
Infant healthcare gets boost
29 militants active in Jammu, 11 killed this year, says IGP
10 cattle killed in house blaze
Plastic envelopes for question papers
Darhal win volleyball tournament
Panun Kashmir pays tribute to Thackeray
Mountaineering assn to impart training to 14 climbers
AP in commanding position against J&K in Ranji tie
Punjab Agricultural University log win
|
|
Criminal negligence snuffed out 18 lives
Not even 5% of sanctioned Rs 25 cr spent on 65 km stretch in past two years Arteev Sharma Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 25 Though the administration has claimed reckless driving and overloading were main reasons for the mishap yesterday, the government cannot escape the responsibility. Sources said Rs 25 crore were sanctioned for improving the condition of a 65-km stretch of this killer road about two years back. Two years on, the Roads and Buildings (R&B) department has allegedly spent less than 5 per cent of the funds meant to widen the road, raise railings on blind curves and other allied works. Furthermore, the mishap exposed the failure of the transport department to check the fitness of old and worn out vehicles being plied on hilly and mountainous roads of the region. “The state government had sanctioned about Rs 25-crore for widening and improving Ramnagar-Dudu road where the tragic accident took place. The amount was released on recommendations of Special Task Force constituted by the Government of India for Jammu in 2010. The department’s performance has remained dismal so far as it has failed to execute even 5 per cent of the total work,” Ramnagar MLA Harsh Dev Singh told The Tribune. Had they made substantial progress on the stretch, the lives of innocent people could have been saved, Singh said, adding, “The government officials and contractors executing the work have developed a well-knit nexus which was delaying the road project. Innocent people have paid the price of criminal silence of the government on the issue. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is holding the R&B department, should take serious notice of it.” The MLA also questioned the failure of the transport department in keeping tabs on fitness of old and worn out vehicles on hilly roads of Ramnagar tehsil. “Transport department has failed to check the fitness of old vehicles and fitness certificates are being given without proper checks on buses. Strict action needs to be initiated against those at the helm of affairs,” Singh said. DD Gorkha, Superintending Engineer, R&B department, Udhampur, said they had started the improvement work on the road from Ramnagar side. “The work is being executed in a phased manner and the place where the accident took place was quite far away from Ramnagar,” he said. Pawan Sharma, Assistant Regional Transport Officer (ARTO), Udhampur, tried to shift blame on R&B department for yesterday’s accident, saying the poor condition of roads was the main cause. Asked about the failure of the transport department to check the overloading menace, he said their officials conduct inspections in rural areas at regular intervals. Meanwhile, Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma, who visited the District Hospital Udhampur for inquiring about the health of those injured came up with the assurance he would take up the issue of old and unfit buses with the transport department. Udhampur DC Pandurang K Pole said the administration would deploy more buses of State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) on hilly areas of the district to reduce the incidence of such fatal mishaps.
|
||
|
Govt to target pharma firms dumping low-cost medicines
Jammu, November 25 An Intelligence-cum-Legal Cell to facilitate busting of spurious drug rackets and their prompt prosecution will be established jointly by the Health Department and D&FCO. Sources say spurious drugs are being slowly dumped in the rural markets where the mechanism of checks is not strong and only local people can be depended upon for information. During the ongoing drive, special squads have found paramedical staff of government health institutions has been running the drug stores during evening hours, without valid licences and providing medical advice to patients. Officials said many of the medicines sold in these stores were of low quality. “At times, we have found a person working as sweeper, nursing orderly or a multipurpose worker practicing medicine at a chemist shop in the locality in the mornings and evenings,” said Satish Gupta, Drug Controller. The controller said their special drive will continue and help of police is sought whenever raids are conducted and stores and shops sealed. Sources said after a detailed drug policy was approved by the state Cabinet, the law enforcement agencies have started the process to identify the pharma companies that are violating norms and are using the state as their dumping ground for its products. “Pharmaco vigilance centres will be established to monitor and document adverse drug reactions and events. These centres will collect data from the field and state-level formulary would be published annually in line with the WHO,” said a source. Monitoring and evaluation is an essential component of the state drug policy, with a provision for checking to take place at regular intervals being in place. Complete external evaluation of the drugs supplied is thus supposed to be conducted every five years.
|
||
|
Education board has failed to deliver, says JAC
Jammu, November 25
Briefing the media, JAC members said ever since the present chairman of the board took over the reins, he has failed to initiate the examination of session 2008-10 till now. They further said this was for the first time ever in the history of any educational organisation that a full-fledged session, that of 2010-12, was declared zero. The Joint Action Committee wondered as to how many times the stakeholders will have to approach the court of law for getting even the smallest of their grievances redressed. Likewise, it expressed the hunch that huge sums of public money within the board were spent on the litigation concerned. The Joint Action Committee said it was unfortunate that despite a commitment by the board chairman to regularise the session 2011-13, the stakeholders are running from pillar to post to get the same done, which has a direct bearing on the present session. It further claimed that ETT colleges who were granted new NoCs are being harassed and have been denied the right to admit students in the session 2011-13 despite valid NoCs. The Joint Action Committee said the board’s autonomy has been diluted by the present chairman. It also decided that if its grievances were not addressed by November 28, the JAC will hold a hunger strike from November 29 on the board premises. Hari Dutt Shishu, JS Chouhan, KK Pandoh, KK Chadha, Pitambar, Rakesh Pant and KK Bakshi were present on the occasion.
|
||
|
Shias remember martyrdom of Imam Hussain
Jammu, November 25
Addressing the gathering, speakers threw light on the significance of Muharram in Islam and sacrifices made by Imam Hussain and his family. Speakers threw light on the importance of mehandi procession and stressed on maintenance of peace and communal amity at all costs. The procession culminated at Karballah Peermitha late in the evening. Hundreds of Shia mourners, carrying Alams (flags) in their hands, recited Marsia. The representatives of Shia Federation, led by its president Ashaq Hussain, Ladakh Students Federation and Kargil Students Federation besides hundreds of community members from the Jammu region and the Kashmir valley, also participated in the mehandi procession. Early in the day, a procession travelled from Imambara New Plots via Ustad Mohalla, Mohalla Dalpatian, Khatikan Talab and culminated in a religious congregation at Imambara Peermitha.
|
||
|
PoK refugees remember 1947 war victims
Jammu, November 25
Most of them were killed at Deva, Watala, Chhamb, Mirpur, Poonch, Baag, Bimber and Muzaffarabad, when tribals attacked the state after the partition of the Indian sub-continent. Thousands of families fought against the heavily equipped Pakistan army soldiers. Meanwhile, the front has asked the state government to provide sufficient relief to these families and provide reservation for them in technical courses.
|
||
|
Farmers grow exotic fruits, veggies, medicinal plants
Ramban, November 25 “With the help of the agriculture department, I have succeeded in having a good crop of saffron this year after experimentation last year. Besides know-how, I was given 40 kg saffron corms free,” said Govind Sharma, a retired headmaster of Mansar, Batote. “Since saffron does not require irrigation, its corms, once sown, hold good for three to four years,” he stated. Scientists at the Indian Institute of Integral Medicine (IIIM), Jammu, have helped his son, Amit in growing medicinal plants like aloe vera, lemon grass, lavender, geranium, rosemary, ashvagandha, Tagetus minuta, kala zeera and several varieties of ocimum (tulsi) and mentha (pudina) etc by providing him free training and seedlings. “Saffron fetches high returns, with apparently less marketing hassles, requires less irrigation and fertilisers, and is being preferred at Batote, Banihal and Gool. With the department’s help, some farmers are also growing mushroom and dhingri in these areas. Virus-free potato grown at Gool and Sanasar has a high demand. In hot areas of Ramban, farmers are preferring cultivation of peas, broccoli, turmeric and ginger,” said Ramban Chief Agriculture Officer Vijay Kumar Bhushan. “The benefits under National Mission on Saffron Development may be extended here in the coming years if it is cultivated on a larger scale successfully. Organic farming of peas through vermicompost will soon be started from Seri in Ramban,” he added. Besides conventional fruits like apple, pears, plums, apricots, peaches, walnuts, citrus fruits and anardana, farmers have started growing kiwi, parsimom (Japanese berry/amlook), Ganesh or Kandhari pomegranate, strawberry, olive and peacanuts here. “We have also started promoting hybrid grapes, guava and gooseberry here. For increasing production of conventional fruits, we have started intensive cultivation and high-density plantation under the National Horticulture Mission, improving varieties and area expansion under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and district plan,” said Abhinav Gupta, HDO, Ramban. “The Indo-Italian horticulture project from 1983 to 1985 promoted cultivation of high-yielding olive varieties (wild olive is grown in Ramban) strawberry etc besides introducing the greenhouse method of growing fruits and vegetables in the adverse weather,” he said.
|
||
|
CM to visit Rajouri, Poonch
Rajouri, November 25 |
||
|
Infant healthcare gets boost
Jammu, November 25 The specialised Facility Based Newborn Care (FBNC) programme was organised by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), J&K in collaboration with the Department of Paediatrics, Government Medical College, Jammu, and National Collaborative Center (NCC) in FBNC, New Delhi, under the guidance of Dr Yashpal Sharma, mission director, NRHM, J&K. National trainers from the NCC for FBNC, New Delhi lead by Dr Sushma Nangia, co-convener at Kalawati Saran Children Hospital and Lady Harding Medical College, New Delhi, Dr Sadhna Mehta, project coordinator, NCC for FBNC at Kalawati Saran, Dr KK Verma and Dr Mamata Sharma, consultant paediatricians, New Delhi, Dr Inderpreet Sohi, professor of Paediatrics, CMC, Ludhiana imparted training to paediatricians, medical officers and staff nurses from the GMC, Jammu and Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) in the district hospitals of Anantnag, Handwara, Poonch, Rajouri and Government Hospital, Gandhi Nagar. Dr Yashpal stressed the trainees to utilise their skills in operationalisation of SNCUs in their respective health institutions for better newborn care. “NRHM is willing to provide any help for the execution of the central schemes. For any kind of help and support one can contact our officers,” he said. Others who supervised the training programme along with the mission director included Dr Aniece Choudhary, principal, GMC, Jammu, Dr AK Sharma, medical superintendent, SMGS Hospital, Dr Rekha Harish, Dr Vikas Gupta, consultant, GMC, Jammu and Dr Dara Singh, deputy MS, SMGS Hospital. The training was coordinated by Dr Harjeet Rai, divisional nodal officer, NRHM, Jammu, Dr Robinder Khajuria, state training facilitator, Dr Younis Mushtaq, associate programme manager, Child Health, NRHM J&K and Rakesh Sharma, DMEIO.
|
||
|
29 militants active in Jammu, 11 killed this year, says IGP
Poonch, November 25 “Our people and security forces, especially the police have sacrificed a lot during last 25 years to bring normalcy in the state, but till the last gun is active in the state, attempts from the anti-nationals to derail peace in the state would continue,” said the IGP. “With the killing of the top militant commanders, as many as 11 militants have been killed in the region this year and as per inputs only 29 militants are still active in the region” the IGP said. During his extensive tour to Poonch district, IGP Jammu Zone, Dilbag Singh-IPS, visited Pir-Ki-Gali, Surankote, Mandi, Poonch and Mendhar areas. He also visited posts on the LoC at different locations in the Poonch district. He reviewed the deployment on the Mughal road. SSP Poonch Shamsheer Hussain briefed the IGP about the overall crime and militancy situation in the district and strength of deployment of the police personnel of different subordinate units. While interacting with the officers and jawans at various police stations and police posts, he emphasised to work with great zeal and zest, besides having good rapport with the general public. He also stressed for qualitative and professional investigation of the cases, arrest of absconders, tracing of missing persons and updating of record of the police stations. During his visit to the LoC stretch of Krishna Ghati and Balnoi area, the IGP interacted with Commander KG Brigade, Brig TS Sandu. All the issues of the border management and recent incidents of cease fire violations from across were discussed threadbare. The IGP stressed for goods synergy between local police and the Army for achieving the desired goals.
|
||
|
10 cattle killed in house blaze
Batote, November 25 However, the two children aged six and two years, who were sleeping on the first floor along with their mother, were rescued unharmed by the neighbours. The owner of the house, Amru, son of Sunder and other family members, had gone to attend a wedding function in the village. MLA Ashok Kumar urged the administration for immediate release of ex-gratia, free ration for three months and compensation to the family. |
||
|
J&K Board of School Education Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 25 Javed Khatib, a senior official of the secrecy wing of the state education board told The Tribune that the process was under consideration and likely to be introduced soon. “The department is seriously thinking of introducing the special envelopes wherein the seal of the envelope containing the question papers is difficult to be broken,” said Javed Khatib. “The plastic envelopes are specially designed for this purpose and once they are introduced, it would minimise the risk of leaking of question papers to a great extent,” Khatib said. The experiment with these envelopes was recently concluded in the Class XI examination in the Kashmir Division, a senior BOSE official said. “Though the series system being introduced by the school education board has proved to be a great success in keeping a check on unfair means in the board exams but there is a need to take more initiatives to ensure better functioning. There will be lot of changes in the Class X and XII upcoming examination,” he said. Sources said after the infamous incident of leaking of Class XII question paper at Miran Sahib centre (RS Pura) in 2009 came to the fore, the school education board authorities were criticised for their poor management. A case FIR was lodged in the incident wherein several arrests were made and inquiry was also ordered. Prof Desh Bandhu Gupta, the then JKBOSE chairman, took a serious note of the matter and immediately made some recommendation for better working of the organisation. “I have recommended the introduction of special envelope containing question papers at that time,” said the former BOSE chairman. “I also made a recommendation wherein all the question papers were required to be kept in the J&K bank branches. One key of the bank is to be in possession of the bank management while the other has to be kept by the examination centre concerned. On the day of examination, the principal of the school or superintendent of examination concerned would go to the bank and get the question papers from the bank manager concerned,” Prof Gupta maintained.
|
||
|
Darhal win volleyball tournament
Rajouri, November 25 The event, in which a total of four teams participated, saw tremendous sportsmanship and enthusiasm in all the matches. The final match was played between the team of Darhal and Thanamandi and was witnessed by the local supporters of both the teams, in which Darhal was the deserving winner. All the teams participated with a spirit of sportsmanship and displayed commendable skills and enthusiasm. The closing function was attended by the village heads, sarpanches and panches of the nearby villages. Mohd Sarif, principal, Govt Senior Secondary School, Thanamandi, who was the chief guest said the sports and games play important role in shaping the personality of the youth and nurturing them both mentally and physically. The participants while interacting with the media expressed profound gratitude to the Army for conducting such tournaments, which gave them opportunity to showcase their talent and foster friendship among their other colleagues.
|
||
|
Panun Kashmir pays tribute to Thackeray
Jammu, November 25 PK Vijay Bhat, president, said with Balasaheb’s passing away, millions of Hindus, in particular, the people of Maharashtra and the exiled Kashmiri Pandits have lost the crusader of fighting for the Hindu cause. PK said the void created by his demise in national politics and principled stand on each issue concerning the country’s internal and external security was difficult to be filled. “He will continue to live in the hearts of people for several decades with reverence,” Bhat said. |
||
|
Mountaineering assn to impart training to 14 climbers
Jammu, November 25 A total of 50 students, including 20 girls of Shangrilla Higher Secondary School, Sarwal, Jammu, attended the competition. The students were divided into various age groups. Aditya Kumar (12) topped the wall to secure the first place in the sub-junior boys’ category. Musaib Rasool finished second. Keshav Kohli and Akash Nehru also climbed well to finish joint third. A tough competition was witnessed between Mritunjay Sharma and Ashish Kohli in the U-12 age category wherein Mritunjay emerged victorious while Ashish Kohli had to be contented with second position. The third place was shared by Akshit Negi and Manik Kumar. On the basis of performance of the climbers during the camp, the association had selected 14 climbers for imparting further coaching to be held in December. These included Aditya Kumar, Musaib Rasool, Keshav Kohli, Akash Nehru, Mritunjay Sharma, Ashish Kohli, Akshit Negi, Manik Kumar, Purvi Sharma, Nandni Kohli, Hitashi Bhan, Nitya Sharma, Jannat Kour and Vaishali. The competition was organised under the supervision of Shawetica Khajuria, a national judge in sport climbing.
|
||
|
AP in commanding position against J&K in Ranji tie
Jammu, November 25
Earlier, resuming the overnight score of 118/4 with AA Majumdar unbeaten on 40 and AG Pradeep on 4, the visitors played with utmost caution in the morning session. AA Majumdar was the first to go after making an impressive 60 runs off 86 balls. He pierced nine delectable hits to the fence. AG Pradeep was the star attraction of the day, who played a scintillating knock of 136 runs off 248 balls, containing 17 boundaries and a six. He was eventually castled by Ram Dayal Punia but not before ensuring a match-winning lead for his team. After his heroics with the bat, KS Shahabuddin displayed his skills with the bat too. He played a defiant knock of 55 runs with the help of seven fours. RV Pawar also chipped in with handy 52 runs. For J&K, Ram Dayal Punia was the pick of the bowlers with a five-wicket haul while RM Sambyal, SS Sharma, MS Gupta, IR Singh and Hardeep Singh shared a wicket each. At stumps, J&K were 13/0 in four overs with openers Manish Dogra and SP Khajuria unbeaten on 4 runs each.
|
||
|
Punjab Agricultural University log win
Tribune News Service
Jammu, November 25 Batting first after winning the toss, PAU Ludhiana posted 132/8 in the allotted 20 overs. Haresh (38), Jagtar Chand (35) and Eklove (27) were the notable scorers. For Jalgaon University, Shashikant took three wickets while Jayant and Subash shared two wickets each. In reply, Jalganon University was bowled out for 116 runs in 18.5 overs to lost the match. Arvind was the top scorer with 28 runs whereas Arvind and Shashikant contributed 15 runs each. For PAU Ludhiana, Vinod Kumar took two wickets while Parveen chipped in with one wicket. Meanwhile, in other matches played, Delhi University beat Punjab University, Patiala, Himachal Pradesh University Shimla beat Mumbai University and GNDU Amritsar beat DDU Gorakpur.
|
||
|
| HOME PAGE |
| Punjab |
Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | |
