Jammu, March 26
For 600 vacancies of paramedics advertised by Health Department across Jammu and Kashmir, the government has received 75,000 applications, showing the extent of struggle for the scare jobs in Jammu and Kashmir.

Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu and associated hospitals are already facing scarcity of medical staff.

The chronic problem of shortage of paramedical staff continues to cast a shadow on health sector in Jammu and Kashmir, with government quite slow in filling up vacant posts.

Officials said though the unemployment problem is a major challenge before the state, but lack of funds is hampering the recruitment process which has not only affected the functioning of the hospitals and other sectors, but thousands of technically qualified youth are without jobs.

Even Health Minister Taj-Mohi-Ud-Din has admitted in Legislative Assembly (LA) that health institutions are deficit in other paramedical staff. “Nearly 1000 junior nurses and related staff is needed at GMC Jammu alone. We have received thousands of applications and posts will be filled soon,” Taj said.

Sources also serious expressed concern over the shortage of paramedics in the hospitals. "Paramedics are the backbone of any hospital but the government has failed to fill up around 630 posts of paramedical staff. In Jammu hospitals, there is a shortage of 277 paramedics while Kashmir hospitals are facing a shortfall of 353 paramedics against the sanctioned strength," sources said.

Apart from facing a shortage of doctors and paramedics, the hospitals are facing a crunch of class four employees as a total of 260 posts in this category are lying vacant against the sanctioned strength in Jammu region.

It is not only critical areas which are facing shortage of manpower in the state, but even the routine patient care is suffering in absence of required paramedical staff.

According to official sources, acute shortfall of staff at the twin premier health institutions of Jammu, Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu and Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh Hospital has already stressed out nurses and other ancillary staff as they have to cope with patients numbering about 20 times the capacity.

Batote, March 26
The seventeen Daily Rated Wagers (DRWs) of the Maintenance and Rural Electrification (M&RE) of the Power Development Department (PDD), division Batote, have reportedly not been paid their salaries since October last year.

Their counterparts in Doda, Kishtwar and Udhampur districts have received their salaries upto February and January respectively.

“We all were paid even the salaries pending for period upto October in the first week of March, while some of us even work till late evening in our offices only for a meagre salary of Rs 3,750, against the Supreme Court ruling of “equal pay for equal work”, alleged a DRW wishing not to be identified. These DRWs reportedly even work as computer operators and clerks in the PDD offices.

The employees alleged that for the past one year, the relevant funds are not being released from the office concerned in Jammu and funds meant for use under the CDL account head have been diverted to pay the salaries to the work charge employees who get more than Rs 14,000 per month.

“Earlier, we used to be given a service break every 89 days, but for the last many years, we have been working continuously without any service break,” he added.

Many of these employees are married and have elderly parents besides their children and some of their parents are jobless.

“They are not the only ones. There are many more. Since they were employed on need basis as and when we needed their services, they don’t have any account head. I am busy and would confirm from the Superintending Engineer (SE) concerned as to how many of them are working continuously,” retorted Chief Engineer, M&RE, PDD, Jammu, Shenaz Goni.

“I’ll see to it,” said SE, M&RE, Circle III, Batote, SC Menia hurriedly.

Jammu, March, 26
Jammu Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rajesh Kumar today inspected the Police Control Room (PCR), asking officers to strengthen functioning of CCTVs and Dial 100 facility to respond to any emergency situation and respond to public grievances.

The IGP, after assuming his new assignment, held an introductory meeting with police officers, officials of PCR and reviewed functioning of different sections.

Upon his arrival, the IGP was received by Deputy Inspector General of Police Shakeel Beig and SSP PCR Jammu Vijay Kumar and a guard of honour was presented to him. Speaking on the occasion, DIG Shakeel A Beig welcomed Kumar on his visit and interacted with the officers. He touched upon important issues pertaining to the control room.

The IGP later met police personnel and officers and reviewed functioning of different sections of the Police Control Room. The IGP, while inspecting the OPS room, CCTV and Dial 100, told the officers that the control room has to remain alive to any situation round-the-clock. He directed officers heading different sections of the control room to bring in innovation and quickness to their work so that the department and people could be served better.

The officers came up with a resume of the working of their respective sections. The IGP underlined a number of measures for strengthening the system at the control room. — TNS

Poonch, March 26
The construction work on the Tehsil Complex of Mandi tehsil in Poonch district which started four years back, is still waiting for its completion.

Residents said the construction work started in 2009 after Mandi got the tehsil status. Notwithstanding, the tall claims of the government about fast infrastructure development in the rural areas, the construction of the complex is still incomplete.

Sources said the work on the complex was started by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department in 2009 and the project was to be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 338.5 lakh under the district plan but due to non-availability of funds, the project completion got delayed, resulting in cost escalation.

Sources said after laying the foundation stone of the complex, the work continued in full swing for about one-and-a-half year. “However, the construction has been going on at a snail’s pace after that,” sources said.

They said if the work continued at the same pace it would take years to complete the project.

Locals said, despite several representations to the senior functionaries of the district administration, the work on the project hasn’t been expedited.

“Our repeated pleas have fallen to deaf ears,” said Shamim Ganai, a local resident, adding that when the government announced its construction in 2009, the people welcomed the step, but the slow pace of construction on the building had disappointed them.

R&B executive engineer Mohammed Abdhullah said, “Due to non-availability of funds, we are unable to complete the construction work of the building.”

He said Rs 1.20 crore had already been spent on the project and if we get rest of the amount, the work would be completed shortly. 

Katra, March 26
The Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, staged a protest near electricity M&RE office in Katra.

While briefing mediapersons here today, association president Sham Lal Kesar alleged that feeders supplying electricity to hoteliers and allied persons were fully metered. As per the orders and practise, the areas with 100 per cent metering should remain free from power cuts but the Power Department was not adhering to the instructions in this regard, he said.

He said people from across the country visit Katra, base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, and the arrival of tourists was completely dependent on the services provided by government departments and local residents.

Kesar criticised the department for unethically cutting the power connection in the region without informing the reason for the same.

Association vice-president Rakesh Wazir said, on one hand, the Finance Minister, during his budget speech, said all dues and surcharges would be waived off if the outstanding balance was paid by March 31, but on the other hand, the department was not entertaining such cases on the pretext that they had not got any orders.

The superintending engineer, Batote, and executive engineer, Udhampur, intervened into the matter and assured the people that their genuine demands would be taken care of within a few days.

The delegation, before sitting on dharna, also met the PHE Department and discussed problems related to acute shortage of water, its uneven distribution and metering of water connections when there is hardly any water and each hotelier/guest house is purchasing water worth lakh of rupees.

The delegation, among others, was attended by J&K Wrestling Association president Shiv Kumar Sharma, Muncipal Committee, Katra, ex-president, Ashu Magotra, Sham Sharma,Virender Kesar, Awtar Suri, Sher Singh, Kuldeep Dubey, Abdul Rashid, Shyam Lal Padha, Vijay Jamwal, Shyam Sharma, Sunil Dogra, Vishal Sharma and Rattan Sharma. 

Jammu, March 26
A camp on climate change and its impact on agriculture for farmers was organised at Thanda Pani in Rajouri.

The programme was organised by the All India Coordinated Research Project, under the National Initiative on Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) project sponsored by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), on agrometeorology in order to make awareness about climate change and its impact on agriculture and its allied fields among the farmers in rural and far-flung areas of the state.

Scientists from SKUAST-Jammu gave a detailed presentation to the cultivators about the need for green farming and effects of global warming on crops.

The main objective of the camp was to identify ways for strengthening local capacity for the rural communities to adapt and deal with the impacts of climate change and variability.

As many as 157 farmers and farmwomen from nearby villages participated in the camp. Dr Sanjay Koushal welcomed the participants and briefed them about the programme. Dr. MKKhushu, chief scientist and head, agrometeorology, highlighted the objectives of the awareness programme.

He emphasised the importance of various agricultural practices, which could mitigate the impact of climate change. The rise in temperature and shifting of rainfall pattern in the state are major concerns for the local farmers.

Various scientists namely Dr Jai Kumar, junior scientist of agronomy, Dr Ranbir Singh Sodhi, assistant professor of division of plant pathology, Dr Kamlesh Bali, junior scientist of entomology, and Dr Veena Sharma, technical officer agromet advisory services, Rajouri, delivered talks on the subjects concerned.

Jammu, March 26
Bahu Fort Development Committee (BFDC) started its door-to-door campaign to generate public opinion for the establishment of the shrine board for ancient Kali Mata temple at Bahu Fort, for its better management and development.

Committee president Rajeev Charak said the agitation would not stop until the state government fulfills our demand for constituting the shrine board for Mata Maha Kali Temple Bahu Fort.

Charak said the government had to take some steps against priests of the temple, who made the temple their personnel property.

“Priests misuse and sell the offerings being offered by the devotees in the open market which should be stopped and a board appointed by the state government is the only way to develop the shrine,” he said.

Charak demanded a white paper for the delay in the establishment of the board for Bahu temple, which was a cultural symbol of the city for the last 3,000 years.

He said after the constitution of the Shrine Board for Mata Vaishno Devi there was a vast development in the area. He said on one hand, the shrine board constructed colleges and hospitals on the name of Mata Vaishno Devi, but on the other hand, development works were lacking in the area.

He said we appeal to the state government to look into the matter and construct shrine board for Mata Maha Kali Bahu Fort as well.

Poonch, March 26
In an endeavour to extend medical aid to the far-flung areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district, the 39 Rashtriya Rifles (Grenadiers) organised a free medical camp under the Operation Sadbhavana at Government High School, Dara Dullian, yesterday.

Most of the villages along the LoC are deprived of basic necessities like hospitals and clinics.

The camp was inaugurated by Dr Vijay Sahni, chief medical officer, Poonch, in the presence of large number of civil and Army doctors along with local sarpanches of the villages. The patients were examined by a team of civil and regimental medical officers and specialists.

Over 840 patients comprising 200 men, 430 women and 210 children were benefited from the camp which provided free treatment, consultation, counselling and specialised medical care to the poor and needy population of all age groups. Medicines were also provided free of cost.

An interactive lecture-cum-demonstration regarding Women’s Health and Hygiene was also conducted by MO 169 MH and Civil Health Assistant which was appreciated by all.

The close liaison between the Army and civil administration, particularly medical department, provided a long-awaited opportunity to the local population of Dara Dullian and its adjoining areas.

Locals requested for more such medical camps in the future, which will further boost the growing liaison between the Army and civil population to an unprecedented high and project the humane touch of the Indian Army. 

Jammu, March 26
The All-Zonal Gender Coordinator under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) of Jammu division today held a general meeting to form its provincial body.

Suman Bala was unanimously elected as president while Reeta Gupta as vice-president. Jyoti Devi, Anita Sharma and Trishna Sharma were elected as secretary, cashier and assistant cashier, respectively.

Office bearers said the salary of contractual employees was enhanced from time-to-time except zonal gender coordinators. They claimed that their counterparts were drawing salaries 13,500 per month but the zonal gender coordinators were drawing a meagre salary of Rs 3,000 per month as an honorarium.

Jammu, March 26
The ongoing theatre festival of Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages lit up today with a Shivani Cultural Society production.

Entitled ‘Padaav’ - The Sojourn, the play journeys through different shades of transition of a woman in the contemporary milieu.

Vikram Sharma has interwoven the contemporary subject with the fabric of the play’s plot while authoring and directing the show.

A collage of the playwright’s earlier journeyed courses on the theatrical idiom, ‘Padaav’ is a woman’s insight into the world’s perspective through a male’s vision.

A girl who often frequents a bayside restaurant, is attended to by Nandu, the steward, who serves her drinks while she unfolds the mystery of woman’s subjugation.

She journeys along her own thought process of a woman’s reflection in the world, probably a very small indication of a nurturing feminism.

While the opening ushers in a restaurant, it follows through the storyline knit around female integrity, wherein she has to undergo the litmus test of life.

How she faces love, later to be a wife to someone, then an entity desirous of her own identification and ultimately sometimes holding onto the reins of male chauvinism is the essence of “Padaav”.

Neha Lahotra gave a scintillating performance in five different roles of a maturing woman while Himanshu Darshan produced vibrant hues of male bigotry stealing upon the process.

Ashish Zadoo as Nandu made his mark as a budding actor. Prithvi Sharma, Puneet Gupta, Pooja Raina, Satish Bhatt and Farhan Ahmed as five elements of nature, namely air, water, fire, space and earth, joined in chorus for overall impetus of the play.

Jammu, March 26
Holi celebrations have started in the state as several institutions and schools celebrate the day.

Students greeted each other with colours and at several places, youth could be seen purchasing colours and other articles.

“Holi is on March 27 and it will be a holiday, so we celebrated it with friends today,” said Rupali Sharma, an NIFT student.

Vimal Muni College of Education, Ramgarh, organised a Rangoli competition on the eve of Holi on the college premises here today. The competition was inaugurated by the college chairperson Anu Gupta, wherein 25 students participated and decorated their Rangoli using colours.

Two groups stood first: Priya and her team was adjudged first while Monica and her team settled for the second spot. Ritu & Shamma and their team finished third in the competition.

Jammu, March 26
As per the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the recently held 53rd General Council Meeting, the J&K State Sports Council in its proposed sports policy draft has categorised various sports disciplines under the Olympic and non-Olympic charter on the basis of present level of performance at the state and national level.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the president of the sports council, had directed for formulation of a concrete sports policy in order to ensure focused attention for a balanced development of different disciplines.

The categorisation has also been done on the status and popularity of games at the district/province/state level so as to draw line between good, bad or worst and extent incentives to outstanding sportspersons. However, the scale of grant-in-aid to the sports bodies shall remained unchanged. The disciplines are placed as Category A, B and C under the Olympic and non-Olympic charter.

According to proposed sports policy draft, Olympic disciplines that have been included in Category A included athletics, badminton, boxing, volleyball, football, hockey, wrestling, handball and table tennis. Other disciplines namely gymnastics, basketball, rifle shooting, rowing, judo, swimming, weightlifting, kayaking and canoeing, skiing (Ice and Snow) and fencing have been included in the B Category. Category C sports disciplines included cycling, archery, tae kwon do, triathlon, equestrian, yatching and tennis. As far as categorisation of the non-Olympic disciplines is concerned, games like squash, chess, power lifting, baseball, softball, bowling (ten pin) and polo have been included in the Category A. The draft said the above categorisation is not conclusive and would be reviewed from time to time depending upon the relative performance, status and popularity of various disciplines.

It further claimed that the games in the Category A would get precedence over B or C Category games in matters of creation of sports infrastructure, admission in professional courses and reservations of jobs under the sports quota. The main focus will be on organising championships at the district and state level on regular basis. Special financial incentives for hosting the zonal/national competitions will be given to state sports bodies. The sports council will also notify the scheme of financial assistance to sports associations separately.

Jammu, March 26
The events continued on the second day of the ongoing inter-department sports meet in multi-disciplines at the University of Jammu today.

In badminton, the Department of Physical Education toppled Business School by 2-0. Taranpal Singh defeated Aditya Paul while Amit Sharma had the last laugh against Rohit Gupta.

In another match, Law School defeated the MCA Department by 2-0. In the first singles, Chander Dev Manhas thrashed Ashish Manotra whereas Anurag Singh overcame the challenge of Balpreet Singh in the second singles. The Departments of Law, Chemistry, Physics and Electronics got early walkovers.

In table tennis, the Department of Physical Education beat Law School by 2-1. In the first singles, Sandeep Khadotra thrashed Anurag Singh while Amit Sharma lost to Abhinav Kumar. In the decider, the duo of Sandeep/Amit thrashed Abhinav/Anurag to emerge victorious. Library Science beat MCA by 2-0 in the second match. Mohammad Hassan got the better of Vishal Sharma while Vijay trounced Balpreet Singh in the second singles.

In Carrom, the Department of Mathematics edged out the Department of Law by 2-0. Vimal Singh beat Thakur Vinay and Minkal Sharma beat Pardeep Gandral. In another match, Law School beat the Department of Physical Education by 2-0. Anurag Singh beat Taranpal Singh and Akash Gupta beat Amit Sharma.

The Department of Chemistry proved too good for Library Science in chess. In the first match, Abhishek Sharma beat Sunil Goswami while Mukesh Sharma overwhelmed Sumit Sharma. In the second match, the Department of Law drubbed the Business School.