Anantnag, April 15
A devastating hailstorm hit more than 15 villages of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday evening. This has led to the fruit industry of the district incurring losses running into crores, reports said.

The hailstorm has hit the area at a time when the blossom on the apple trees was in full bloom.

“The losses are huge,” said the District Horticulture Officer, Shopian, Farooq Ahmad Mirza. “Preliminary estimates have revealed losses ranging from 20 per cent to as high as 80 per cent in some cases,” he stated.

The worst hit areas, according to reports, have been Ranipora, Khasipora, Pratap Pora, Matribugh, Zaipora and Talupora.

“In these areas, the devastation is large scale and nearly 80 per cent of the apple blossom has been damaged by the hailstorm,” said Mirza.

He said other villages including Dangam, Wangam, Chakoora, Ratnipora, Hajipoa, Gehan and some other villages have reported mild damages to the apple blossom.

“We have assessed the situation and a report will be filed in the coming days indicating the scale of the losses incurred due to the hailstorm,” said Mirza.

The fruit market is a prime contributor to the economy of Shopian district.

“We were expecting a huge turnover this year,” said Bashir Ahmad of Ranipora village. “The effect of the devastation will be deeply felt by the farmers,” he added.

This is the second time in less than a year that a hailstorm has hit the orchards of Shopian district, the first one being in August 2012, causing 95 per cent damage to the crop.

Locals are apprehensive that the hailstorm might also result in diseases to the crops.

“It will be a double blow for us and we hope there would be timely help from the authorities,” said a local.

Srinagar, April 15
The Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) today urged the government to redress the grievances of employees affiliated with Kashmir Motor Drivers Association (KMDA).

“The KMDA is one of the oldest organisations in the transport sector in the Valley.

Representatives of KMDA have maintained their premises near Budshah Chowk used to be their main operational headquarters and they have been in possession of the said premises since 1928. Now that the government is contemplating utilisation of the said premises for the purpose of parking and commercial complex, it is likely to dislodge the KMDA from the possession of the premises,” said KEA chief spokesman Siraj Ahmad.

“Representatives of KMDA have also stated that the matter is pending disposal in the lower court and as such is subjudice. Most of the big buses of KMDA have been rendered condemned as a result of which, their owners and employees have been left jobless,” he added.

The KEA urged the government to address the grievances of KMDA and take appropriate steps to rehabilitate members of the transport association.

Srinagar, April 15
Kashmir’s Chemists and Drug Traders Association (KCDTA) today claimed that 90 per cent of the drugs available in the Valley markets supplied by private drug dealers and sold by chemists are safe to use.

A spurious drug scam has led to shocking revelations of involvement of high-rung officials of State Drug and Food Control Organisation in the scam.

The KCDTA president, Fayaz Azad, said the state government pointing fingers at chemists and drug dealers and blaming them for the scam is uncalled for.

“The official reports which have come in clearly state that the batches of tablets, capsules and even antibiotics which were supplied to the government hospitals of the Valley were fake. The chemists and drug dealers have nothing to do with it. The state government had a contract with non-local pharmaceutical companies which supplied these spurious medicines to Valley hospitals. Why should chemists and drug dealers be blamed for that?” Fayaz questioned.

He stated that the association has differences with the government over the dubious manner in which the drug policy was framed while not consulting the major stakeholders of drug sector in the state - the Private Chemists and Drug Dealers Association.

“With the state government proving incompetent in supplying safe drugs to hospitals, how could people entrust it with the responsibility of establishing generic medicine stores at Valley hospitals? Therefore, we are rasing an outcry against the state government,” he added.

The association also urged the state government to constitute a probing committee comprising sitting High Court judges which could carry out an impartial investigation in the matter.

Srinagar, April 15
District hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir would soon have neonatal care units to cater to healthcare requirements of newborn babies besides generic drugstores offering affordable medicines to the patients, the Minister of State for Health said on Monday.

The Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmad Khan said the neonatal care units and generic drugstores would be opened in all the district hospitals of the state.

Khan announced the decision today at a meeting with health department’s senior functionaries, chief medical officers and medical superintendents which had been convened to review the healthcare system in Kashmir division, a government spokesman said.

Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education MK Dwivedi, Director ISM Abdul Kabir, Director Health Services Kashmir Saleem ul Rahman, Director NRHM Yashpal Sharma and other senior officers attended the meeting.

The minister directed the authorities concerned to submit proposals for taking necessary steps.

He said the government would also consider setting up of health centres at the main spots of the road.

“Nobody would be allowed to play with lives of people … Stringent action would be taken against those found involved in supply of spurious drugs,” Khan said, while issuing directions for conduct of regular administrative inspections of all the health institutions to avoid irregularities and to ensure accountability and transparency in the working of health institutions.

Khan instructed the State Drug Purchase Committee to make necessary drug purchases in keeping with the approved rate contracts of Health and Medical Education Department out of Essential Drug List of Drug Policy to meet requirements.

The minister directed the Drug and Food Control Organisation to ensure testing of drugs and injections before these are distributed for consumption by patients.

Srinagar, April 15
The Department of Posts (DoP), J&K circle, organised a seminar on women empowerment at the Government College for Women, Maulana Azad Road, here today.

The seminar was co-organised by the Women Study Circle, Women’s College.

The objective of the seminar was to create awareness about women empowerment and to encourage them to be involved in nation building, said John Samuel, Chief Postmaster General.

Besides Samuel, Dr GN Qasba, Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Gous-ul-Nisa, District and Sessions Judge, Prof Tanveer Ara, Principal, Government College for Women, MA Road, Shoba John of the Pioneer, Health Bridge group, Roma Wani, Honorary General Secretary, Red Cross, Srinagar, Dr Gazala Amin, Entrepreneur, Dr Sandeep, Professor and Head of Department of the Government Dental College and Dr Jahan Ara Jabeen, Associate Professor, Institute of Management and Public Administration (IMPA), spoke on the occasion.

During the seminar, a Dak Sewa Award was presented to Bilkees Akhter, Postwoman of Srinagar GPO, in recognition of her excellent services. The award carried a citation and a cash award of Rs 5,000.

“Bilkees has been working at Srinagar GPO for the past many years and she has been quite exemplary in her dealing with the customers and providing them good postal services,” an official said.

Earlier, a three-day philately exhibition on women was also inaugurated at the Government College for Women.

Handwara, April 15
Farmers in Maidan Chogal village of Handwara tehsil on Monday protested against department of land settlement (Revenue) for failing to correct erroneous land records during the past three years.

The department has made grave errors in land records of at least 680 farmers, leaving them high and dry. The farmers, including women and children, blocked the Srinagar-Kupwara road near Chogal for hours. They raised slogans against the department and demanded early correction of records.

“For the past three years, we have been forced to run from pillar to post for correction of land records. We will be forced to move court if the department does not make necessary corrections in records at the earliest,” said Mohd Sultan, a farmer.

The farmers said the errors made in the land records have led to infighting between many families in the village. They said despite repeated rounds of revenue offices in Srinagar and Handwara, the records have not been corrected.

“As a final resort, we went to the Chief Minister with a written representation, seeking his necessary intervention in the matter and for directions to the authorities to correct the records at the earliest, but to no avail. Erroneous records have led to infighting between many families,” said Habibullah, sarpanch of Maidan Chogal.

“The Tehsildar Settlement Handwara and Land Settlement officer Kashmir are delaying the corrections for unknown reasons,” he added.

The farmers called off protests following assurance by Revenue department officials that erroneous records would be set straight in due course of time.

Pertinently, vide letter no 302/SOK-ADM/1525-77 dated 10-03-2011, Settlement officer Kashmir, under the subject “verification of land records”, wrote to the Assistant Settlement Officer Handwara to supervise the team personally and submit the report along with recommendations before March 18, 2011.

The officer failed to submit the report, thus prolonging verification of records, farmers said.

“In view of complaints from the Chief Minister, a team for its verification has already been constituted by Tehsildar settlement Handwara, as such you are requested to supervise the team personally and submit the report along with recommendations before March 18, 2011,” the order reads.

DC Kupwara Sarmad Hafeez said, “The farmers have not come to me with a written representation in this regard. I have directed Tehsildar Handwara to look into the matter.”

Srinagar, April 15
The Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shabir Ahmad Khan, said providing modern health-care facilities to the people of the state was the top priority of the government.

He said this during a surprise visit to the Sub-district Hospital in Budgam district of central Kashmir on Sunday, while on a tour of the Kashmir valley.

He said infrastructure was being upgraded, especially in rural areas of the state, under the flagship programme National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and the state plan, so that the rural population received improved health care facilities. “There is no paucity of funds to complete the under taken health projects but the need is to pay focused attention to monitor the pace of work for time-bound completion”, he said.

He instructed Chief Medical Officers to keep a close vigil on the works being carried out in their districts, besides frequently inspecting the functioning of the hospitals, with assurance that no patient faces any inconvenience during treatment.

The Minister also exhorted upon the functionaries of the Health Department to work with devotion and dedication for improving health care facilities across the state, ensuring punctuality among the hospital staff and bringing complete accountability and transparency in the working of the health institutions.

Khan, during his visit to Chadoora hospital, directed the concerned Medical Superintendent to ensure all possible treatment facilities to the patients, besides ensuring maximum benefits of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS), Reproductive Child Health and Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) schemes and other programmes to the deserved patients under the NRHM. He took stock of the facilities being provided to the patients under centrally-sponsored schemes RKS and JSS.

He directed the concerned officials to utilise funds for hospital welfare with close consultation of the legislators concerned.

Khan received appraisal about several programmes and policies initiated to upgrade health care facilities in Budgam district from the concerned authorities. He asked the authorities to bring in more reforms in the department to infuse efficiency, transparency and a qualitative change in the patient-care at all hospitals. 

Kupwara, April 15
Fruit and vegetable vendors of Kupwara have threatened to take to streets in protest against a “harsh decision” of the Municipal Committee (MC) Kupwara. On Saturday, the MC had warned the vendors through the public address system to vacate Kupwara bus stand or face consequences. As a result, on Monday the vendors were forced to wind up their business from the bus stand.

Mohd Ashraf said, “For the past few years, I have been feeding my family by selling fruits on a hand cart at the bus stand. My children will face starvation-like conditions if I am not allowed to set up my business at the bus stand or at any suitable place in the town.”

There are as many as 210 ‘rehriwallas’ selling vegetables, fruits, readymade garments and other commodities at the bus stand to earn their livelihood. Some other vendors demanded that they should be relocated at a suitable place in the town so that their businesses do not suffer.

“We will suffer immensely if the MC does not relocate us at some other place. The authorities cannot ignore the fact that the livelihood of hundreds of people depends on running the make-shift shops at the bus stand,” said Nazir Ahmad. Shabir Ahmad, another vendor said, “The district authorities should set up a separate place for makeshift shops and accommodate all businessmen there. This will help remove congestion from the bus stand and also save the livelihood of the rehriwallas”.

Traders at the bus stand said the removal of the vendors would streamline their business. “Our business is affected due to their presence but that does not mean they should be removed from the bus stand. Authorities should relocate them at a separate place in the town,” said Aijaz Ahmad, a fruit seller.

A senior MC official said, “We are in touch with traders and district administration and the vendors will be relocated soon.”

Jammu, April 15
The government today ordered the following transfers and postings in the state administration. Dhananter Singh, awaiting orders of adjustment in the Revenue Department, is posted as Assistant Commissioner (Revenue), Ramban, against an available vacancy.

Shahnaz Akhter, awaiting orders of adjustment in the Revenue Department, is posted as Assistant Commissioner (General), Jammu, vice Tilak Raj Sharma. Tilak Raj Sharma, Assistant Commissioner (General), Jammu, is transferred and posted as Collector, PDC Jammu, on deputation basis under the standard terms and condition vice Pawan Kumar while Pawan Kumar, under orders of posting as Collector, PDC Jammu, is posted as Assistant Commissioner (Relief), Relief Organisation Jammu.—TNS

Jammu, April 15
Minister for Housing Raman Bhalla today inaugurated a five-day photography exhibition of the winners of the 4th State Photography Competition, organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages (JKAACL) here at Kala Kendra today.

The winners of the competition were also presented prizes by Bhalla.

Addressing a gathering of artists, poets, photographers and sculptures after inaugurating the exhibition, he hailed the JKAACL for promoting music, art forms, culture and heritage of the state by arranging photo exhibitions, book fairs, cultural and theatre shows.

Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Khalid Bashir Ahmed, Additional Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Savita Bakshi, eminent personalities, besides artists from different fields, were present on the occasion.

Bhalla said photography, besides being an art, was a powerful medium of communication as it brought a lifeless thing to life and gave expression to a silent object. He said the camera captured what a naked eye might fail to catch. The aim of holding such exhibitions was to create awareness among the people about the art of photography, he added.

Ahmad said 89 entries were received by the academy for the competition. Of these, the Adjudicating Committee selected 67 entries.

The names of the consolation prize winners were also announced. These were Maqsood Bhat, Mir Sarwar, Mushtaq Assad and Parveen Kumar. All the four would get Rs 1,000 each as prize money. Later, Bhalla also distributed State Photography Awards, conferred in three categories, carrying a cash prize of Rs 15,000, 10,000, and 7,000 for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. 

Jammu, April 15
The J&K Rugby Association held elections to elect its new office bearers on Sunday. Members from all the 11 districts of Jammu, Rajouri, Poonch, Bandipora, Kupwara, Budgam, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Srinagar, Pulwama and Anantnag were present.

The election was held under the supervision of Tabasum Gillani, member, the J&K State Sports Council. An observer from the Indian Rugby Football Association, Sarmad Hafeez, was elected as the president of the J&K Rugby Association while Aijaz Ahmad Chisti was chosen as the senior vice-president. Farooq Ahmad Rather and Nazir Hussain were elected as vice-presidents for the Kashmir and Jammu Division respectively while Irfan Aziz Butta was elected as general secretary. Ravinder Singh and Ashiq Hussain Zargar were elected as joint secretaries while Farooq Ahmad became the treasurer.

The newly-elected office bearers assured that the association would organise events in far-flung areas of districts like Kupwara, Akhnoor, Reasi, Ganderbal etc in the future.

JAMMU, April 15
It is estimated that one out of ten patients in the developed countries is harmed while receiving hospital care and the probability of such harm is much higher in the developing countries. Keeping this belief in mind, a Continuing Medical Education (CME) on patients’ safety was organized in the Dhanvantri Auditorium of 166 MH Satwari here today.

Brig Pawan Kapoor, Brig Medical, White Knight Corps, was the chief guest of the event. Brig Man Mohan Harjai, Commandant, 166 MH was the chairman.

The audience comprised consultants, specialists, medical officers at primary level, dental surgeons, nursing officers and health care workers. 

Srinagar, April 15
One person died and four others were injured in four separate road accidents in Kashmir valley, the police said today.

In south Kashmir’s Awantipora town, a passenger cab turned turtle near Charsoo, resulting in death of one person and injuries to another. The injured has been admitted in hospital for treatment, a police spokesman said.

A 10-year-old girl identified as Insha Jan, a resident of Buhama village in north Kashmir, was injured when she was hit by a vehicle at the village, the spokesman said. The injured girl has been admitted in Sub-district Hospital of Kupwara for treatment.

In another accident, a cab hit and injured a six-year-old boy Fezan Altaf, a resident of Karhama village, near Kunzer town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district. The injured child was admitted in a hospital for treatment, the spokesman said.

A woman identified as Roshan Babi, a resident of Hiller, Pernniya village, was injured when she was hit by a bus in Baramulla district, the spokesman said. The injured woman was admitted in hospital for treatment.

Police has registered cases in all the accidents, it was stated.