Anantnag, February 8
In protest against acute shortage of electricity in their areas, residents of Kadlabal and Pampore in Pulwama district today blocked the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for more than two hours.

The residents alleged that officials of the Power Development Department (PDD) had been diverting their share of the electricity to industrial units in the adjoining Khanmon and Khrew areas.

“While we continue to suffer in the wake of acute shortage of electricity, the industrial units enjoy uninterrupted power supply,” said a protester.

The protesters said despite paying their electricity bills well in time, their households had been reeling under complete darkness for more than past two months.

“A blackout of more than 48 hours at a stretch has forced us to take to the streets. It’s ironic that people are being kept in darkness in an area where the collection of fees is more than 95 per cent,” said a protester.

Students of the area said they had been suffering by the sheer indifference attitude of the PDD officials. “I am preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination and with this condition of power supply, I cannot study a word after it gets dark,” said Mudassir Ahmad, a local student.

Moreover, the protesters alleged that the indifference attitude of the officials started some two months ago when a senior official of the PDD was confronted for his wrong doings by the locals in front of the advisor to the Chief Minister during an interactive session.

“Since then the official has made it a point to make us suffer,” said a local resident.

The officials of the PDD from the area maintained that no power was being diverted to the industries and blamed people for using more electricity than they were entitled to.

Meanwhile, officials of the police, district administration and the PDD assured the protesters of immediate action and persuaded them to leave the highway and call off their protest. 

Srinagar, February 8
In a first, Chief Postmaster General, Jammu and Kashmir circle, John Samuel led a “PMG Walk” here today to reach out to customers. Samuel interacted with several customers and owners of business establishments along with postmen and other officers of the Department of Posts (DoP) at Lal Chowk and Residency Road areas.

Talking to mediapersons before the walk, Samuel said: “Postmaster General (PMG) Walk is a big event in countries like the US. We are creating history by holding this walk for the first time in the country and we hope it reverberates in other states. Usually, people come to the post office but PMG Walk will take the post office to the people. Through this event, we will come closer to the people.”

He said the focus of the department this year would be to take post offices from “good to great”. After the walk, Samuel said he had taken valuable suggestions from a cross section of people. He said similar walks would be held in other parts of the state as well. Stating that the event was held also to motivate the postmen, who are the “brand ambassadors of the department”, he said: “It adds to their courage and dedication towards their work.”

When asked if the walk was held to "revive" the post office, Samuel said the J&K circle had witnessed “35 per cent growth and leads at the national level in terms of business growth.” “Saving accounts have witnessed 62 per cent growth this fiscal. People in urban areas do use electronic means of communication but a majority in rural areas still depends on post offices. Moreover, we get 14 to 15 tonnes of parcels everyday,” he added.

Samuel also announced that a “Postmasters conference” would be held here on March 10 that would be attended by more than 500 postmasters from across the Valley.

Anantnag, February 8
Despite being the largest hospital in the entire south Kashmir, Mirza Afzal Beg Memorial District Hospital, Anantnag, is facing acute shortage of staff, space and machinery.

Sources said official apathy towards addressing the shortage of all these things was severely hindering the working of the hospital, forcing doctors to often refer patients either to Srinagar or private health centres in the area.

Sources said most of the departments in the hospital were facing a dearth of specialist doctors and simple assistant surgeons were doubling-up as specialists.

“These doctors without a specialisation have been occupying positions in various departments since long, even decades in some cases, and have formed a nexus with pharmaceutical companies prescribing unnecessary expensive drugs and tests,” said a doctor of the hospital.

He said these doctors had been posted in the hospital for well over a decade now throwing the transfer norms of the Health Department to the wind. “Assistant surgeons are supposed to be transferred after every three years but this does not seems to apply to our hospital,” said the doctor.

Lack of beds in the hospital is another problem being faced by patients. The hospital witnesses a mammoth footfall of patients every day; however, lack of space forces these patients to share beds with other patients putting their lives in danger with the risk of getting infected.

Even though a new block has been sanctioned for the hospital, but the work on the block is moving at a snail’s pace.

The construction work is being carried out by J&K Projects Construction Corporation Limited (JKPCC) and despite repeated warnings by the authorities, even the first 120-bed section of the block remains far from completion.

Patients visiting the hospital often advised to get even basic diagnostic tests done from outside.

“The hospital does not have a CT Scan machine. Even the X-Ray machine is old and wearing out. Repeated requisitions have been sent to the department on behalf of the hospital administration but to no avail,” said the doctor.

The authorities maintained that the new block would be completed by April this year and some machinery had been ordered and would be delivered to the hospital in due time.

“As far as the transfers are concerned, it’s a decision taken by the Commissioner Secretary of the department. I don’t have a say in that,” said a senior official of the department in the district.

The Commissioner Secretary, Health, MK Dwivedi, despite repeated attempts did not pick up his phone.

Srinagar, February 8
Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Valley’s mainstay tertiary hospital, has devised its first-ever surgical technique for the treatment of portal hypertension (high blood pressure in portal vein, which impacts BP of overall body), the most common medical problem in Kashmir.

The procedure has come to be known by Dr Omar’s technique named after Dr Omar Javed Shah, professor and head of the Department of Surgical Gastroenterology SKIMS. The technique has shown positive results and there is a high patient satisfaction rate as observed by experts. It has not only reduced surgery duration but also intra-operative blood loss thus largely reducing the mortality rate.

“The splenorenal shunt commonly used in portal hypertension patients is Linton’s technique, introduced by Robert Linton, which is technically demanding and complex. However, the new technique is simple and has shown good results and patients have been benefitted by this simple procedure,” said Dr Omar Javed.

“Linton’s procedure is associated with inherent difficulties, as such new technique provides the best alternative for the surgical treatment of portal hypertension,” he added.

Research study conducted by Dr Omar Javed shows the procedure is useful and has benefitted the patients in the Valley. The study was based on 20 patients with portal hypertension and underwent splenorenal shunt surgery from December 2001 to May 2004. The research findings confirm the simplified shunt procedure reduces mean operative time by 150 minutes and reduces blood loss by 1,021 ml. 

Handwara, February 8
Merely two months after he completed his graduation in Arts in March last year, Muzzafar Ahmad Gojri (24) started a small business at his native Chogal village under Handwara tehsil of Kupwara.

Nearly a year after he ventured into the business at the local level, Muzzafar is happy with his earnings as a large number of customers visit his shop to buy cheese. He looks forward to expand his business to attract more customers. “I am comfortably and respectfully earning my livelihood. The idea of selling cheese near my house is paying off rich dividends,” he said. Muzzafar says hunting for a government job in a job-starved state amounts to sheer wastage of precious time. “The youthful energy could be utilised for generating livelihood means to lead a respectable life. One should not waste precious time in hunting for a government job but try other avenues to settle down,” he said.

Encouraged by returns of his business, Muzzafar wanted to expand his business. “I plan to add a few more products in my shop to attract more customers. Cheese is a preferred dish in almost all seasons and I prepare a good quality cheese to make it more popular among people,” said Muzzafar. Urging youth not to waste their energy and utilise the same for their prosperity, Muzzafar said: “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop and educated youth should not wait for government jobs. Youth who sit idle resort to drugs and other immoral activities.”

Most of his classmates have been inspired by his business and want to follow his footsteps. “He did a great job by setting up his own business after completing a degree course. I also plan to open a dry fruit shop in the local market and earn my livelihood,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, a graduate.

Another jobless graduate Muneer Ahmad said, “Relying on government jobs in Kashmir is a sheer wastage of time. I am impressed by Muzzafar, who successfully set up his own business and did not waste time running after government jobs,” he said. “I will apply for financial assistance under the self-employment scheme of the government and set up a hardware shop in Kulangam,” added Muneer.

Srinagar, February 8
In yet another case abandoning babies, a newborn girl was found abandoned in the Valley's lone paediatric health facility, GB Pant Hospital today. Doctors at the hospital said a woman today brought the newborn girl to the hospital at Sonwar, Srinagar. Interestingly, the abandoned baby was registered under the registration number (MRD No. 2897) at the hospital's help desk. The woman registered her name as M Asim Mir, a resident of Shankarpora,Tral from Pulwama district of South Kashmir.

"She had left the baby in a ward. The newborn baby's umbilical cord was found loosely tied with thread and bleeding. The baby is under the care of the hospital now," said Dr Muhammad Salim Khan, Deputy Medical Superintendent, GB Pant Hospital.

Interestingly, the woman had given in her phone number to the hospital, which was later found to be switched off.

Four babies were found abandoned in various hospitals and at a Srinagar-based sufi shrine in January this year.

Of the four abandoned babies, three were girls. Doctors at the hospital are trying to contact the telecom operator who might help in tracing the woman who abandoned the baby.

Although Kashmir's hospitals have started installing CCTV cameras to increase surveillance inside the hospitals, the civil society members have called for stricter registration procedures so that the culprits do not get away with the crime.

Srinagar, February 8
Two houses were damaged in separate fire incidents in the Valley.

The police said the fire broke out in the house of Abdul Rashid Dinda, son of Mohammad Akbar and resident of Gojithaji, under the jurisdiction of Khansahib Police Station in Budgam. The roof of the house was partially damaged in the fire. The house owner also received minor burn injuries in the incident.

The fire was brought under control with the help of fire tenders and police personnel, the police said.

Meanwhile, another fire broke out in the house of Mohammad Shafi, son of Abdul Rashid Wani and resident of Feroz Pora, Tangmarg, resulting in complete damage to the house.

Srinagar, February 8
A person was injured in a road accident at Rawalpora in the district last evening. A Sumo bearing registration number JK-01M-5961 and an auto bearing registration number KMT-1143 collided at Rawalpora, in the jurisdiction of Police Station Sadder, Srinagar, resulting into injuries to auto driver Mohammad Shafi Dar, son of Ghulam Mohammad and resident of Rawalpora.

The police said the injured was shifted to a hospital. The police has registered a case in this regard.

Srinagar, February 8
The hardliner faction of the Hurriyat Conference, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, has called for a shutdown on February 11, to mark the death anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front founder Maqbool Bhat.

The JKLF, headed by Yasin Malik, has already called for a shutdown on the same day. Bhat was hanged on February 11, 1984, in New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on charges of murder.

Supporting the shutdown call, the Kashmir High Court Bar Association on February 3 said it had decided to suspend work in courts to show solidarity with the families of those killed over the past two decades in the region.

Earlier on February 1, a faction of separatist group, led by Javed Mir, held a signature campaign in the city to demand the return of the remains of Bhat from Tihar Jail, where he was buried after his execution.

For the last two decades, on every February 11, the Valley shuts down on the call of separatist groups to demand the return of Bhat’s body to Kashmir.

Srinagar, February 8
The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front’s (JKLF) bid to take out a march towards the office of the United Nations Military Observer Group was foiled here today.

Acting JKLF chairman Advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt tried to lead a procession from Maisuma area of the city, as part of its programmes in view of the death anniversary of party founder Maqbool Bhat.

However, the police foiled the march by taking a few protesters into preventive custody.

The JKLF spokesman said the party wished to submit a memorandum to the UN office located at Sonwar area. The memorandum had demanded the return of mortal remains of Bhat, who had been hanged on February 11, 1984 at New Delhi’s Tihar Jail on charges of murder, he added.

The JKLF had held a series of programmes from February 2 in view of “Maqbool Day” functions. While the 10-day-long programme had begun with a candlelit march here on February 2, it would culminate with a shutdown on February 11, the death anniversary of Bhat.

Rajouri, February 8
Thirteen Veer Naris of Sunderbani Tehsil were felicitated in a function organised by Kalidhar Brigade, under the aegis of Crossed Swords Division.

The ceremony was presided over by Padmashree Patnaik, Chairperson, FWO Crossed Swords Division, who interacted with the awardees and distributed shawls and cash as a token to them.

Various other activities like cultural and traditional programme were also organised by the families of Kalidhar Brigade in the honour of the brave ladies.

Other than the 13 brave women, 55 families attended the ceremony. All the awardees expressed their gratitude to the Army for its noble gesture.