Construction material used to block the main gate of the palace at Mubarak Mandi in Jammu

Soujanya Sharma, Executive Director MMJHS, could not be contacted.

Gateway to pain

• The renovation of the Mubarak Mandi complex began in 2008 when Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was the chief minister of the state.
• The Centre had announced ~296 crore, including ~52 crore under the 13th Finance Commission for the complex
• Residents of Mubarak Mandi, Fattu Chowgan and Pacci Dhaki localities are forced to take the longer alternate route to reach homes due to repair work
• Lack of planning in execution of the repair work has exposed residents to many problems
• The parking in the complex was stopped earlier without prior notice to the residents

Jammu, June 16
The Union Sports Ministry has decided to construct synthetic turfs for football, hockey and athletics besides multi-purpose indoor halls across the country under its new Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS).

Sources said under this scheme, sanction is accorded to lay synthetic playing surface (for football, hockey and athletics) and for construction of a multipurpose indoor hall.

Sources say the Ministry had decided to come up with a number of projects across the country, including Goa, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala.

The projects approved under this scheme include the construction of a multi-purpose indoor hall at the Sports Complex, Chaudi, Canacona South, Goa at a cost of Rs 6.25 crore subject to the ceiling of Rs 6 crore, at Leh in the state at a cost of Rs 7.98 crore subject to the ceiling of Rs 6 crore, synthetic athletics track at the University of Calicut, Malapuram, Kerala, at a cost of Rs 7.2 crore subject to the ceiling of Rs 5.5 crore.

“Under the schemes for sports infrastructure in the state sector in 2005, a large number of sports facilities were created, but remained under-utilised for want of proper maintenance, coaches, equipment, etc. In addition, sizeable infrastructure created specially, for National Games also remain under-utilised or unutilised. Hence, there is need to have an effective mechanism available in the Centre or in the State to encourage their productive utilization", he added.

Sources said the issue was discussed at the Conference of State Sports Ministers held in 2009 and 2010, where it was unanimously decided to introduce a comprehensive scheme to support the creation of urban sports infrastructure. Thereafter, the matter was taken up with the Planning Commission during the Mid-term Review of the XIth Plan as well as during the Annual Plan discussions.

The Planning Commission agreed in principle to introduce a comprehensive Central scheme to promote Urban Sports Infrastructure on a pilot scale i.e., on the basis of feasibility and viability and not on a uniform basis.

Jammu, June 16
The Government Employees Joint Consultative Committee (GEJCC) has decided to go on a two day pen-down strike from June 21 in the state against the delay by the government to implement an agreement reached with the employee unions.

Union leader Kulwant Singh told mediapersons that the two-day strike will be held at every tehsil headquarter.

He accused the state government of adopting delaying tactics in settling the issues of the employees, despite signing an agreement with their representatives in 2010 and 2011.

Enhancement in the retirement age is one of the key demands of the amalgam of 50 unions of government employees, which had negotiated with the government sub-committee on a number of issues, including removal of pay anomalies, conversion of the cost of living allowance (COLA) into dearness allowance (DA) and regularisation of daily wagers.

Employees allege that the government had twice backtracked from the agreement as it was not serious about the welfare of employees.

Jammu, June 16
The J&K Olympic Association has claimed that the present secretary of the J&K State Sports Council, Daleep Thusso, has been continuously violating the constitution of registered body even after the term of autonomous sports body expired on June 3.

The association members said it was mandatory to form a new council and to elect its secretary, besides other office-bearers, after the expiry of four-year term. “This was not done and the secretary continued to take policy decisions. Following criticism, the secretary has decided to constitute an ad-hoc committee and its proposal has already been submitted to the higher ups,” the JKOA claimed. — TNS

Jammu, June 16
Perturbed over the failure of the state Education Department to introduce Dogri language in 31 higher secondary schools recently upgraded in Jammu, Dogri writers today said it was not only a deliberate attempt to discourage and denigrate Dogri language but its also created mistrust among the people of the state on the basis of languages.

“In an order issued by the Directorate of School Education, Jammu, while distributing various subjects in the 31 newly upgraded higher secondary schools of Jammu, the subject of Dogri language has been completely ignored and it has not been assigned to even a single school in the list," Lalit Magotra, president Dogri Sanstha Jammu, and noted Dogri writers of the region, told reporters here today.

Magotra said whereas Urdu, Persian and Kashmiri subjects had been introduced in these schools, only Dogri, which was the mother-tongue of the majority of the students of the Dogri speaking region, had not been included in the distribution of subjects.

"This act of government cannot be considered as unintentional oversight. It also belies tall claims of the government about promoting the regional languages of the state. On one hand, the Chief Minister had recently promised to introduce Dogri at Class IX and X but the recent order has exposed its true intensions," Magotra rued.

He said the dismal condition of Dogri could be gauged from the fact that there were 7,161 primary schools and 3,514 middle schools in Jammu but Dogri was not taught in any of these.

“This despite the fact that the government has issued an order in April, 2006 to introduce Dogri at the primary level,” Magotra said.

Jammu, June 16
Heaps of garbage has been scattered near Digania and its surrounding colonies, but the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has not bothered to lift it.

The absence of containers in several localities has worsened the situation with foul smell engulfing the surrounding localities.

Locals are quite angry over the attitude of the municipal corporation despite the fact that several reminders have been made to the officials concerned to regularly lift the solid waste from the locality to ensure proper sanitation. One can see heaps of fruit residue, packing materials and food dumped on the roadside. In the absence of garbage bins, it has become a favourite spot for the stray dogs and cattle which is a threat for drivers who are moving on the highway.

Residents say that these dumps have created health problems for them as flies and stray dogs flock these sites. "We have to inhale the foul smell daily which has affected our health. There is no other option for us but to dump our waste in the open as there are no containers in our locality,” said Gurjeet Singh, a local resident.

“It surprises me, where is the civic body? Our area has become a garbage dump. It seems that the authorities have no concern for the local inhabits who are suffering,” said Bhagwan Singh.

Despite a ban, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) continues to transport solid waste generated in the city by municipal trucks during the day hours. One can see these trucks with heaps of rotten garbage travelling along with the commuters.

Residents of various localities like Shastri Nagar, Nai Basti, Nanak Nagar, Janipur and Talalb Tillo are facing the same problem as the municipal corporation has not taken any step for regular lifting of the solid waste.

Doda, June 16
Minister for PWD (R&B) and Mechanical Engineering Abdul Majid Wani today laid a foundation stone of 9.6 km link road from Bijarni to Lal Draman and assured the construction of other PMGSY roads in the region.

He directed the officials concerned to work out a compensation package for those farmers whose land had come under the debris of various PMGSY roads.

Addressing a series of public meetings at Bijarni, Beoli and Gadi villages, He said the government had taken steps to bring transparency and accountability in the functioning of government machinery.

The minister said whereas many habitations had been provided electricity in the region, all left out villages and hamlets would be covered under the RGGVY in a phased manner.

Wani cautioned the people to stay away from the anti-social elements who were trying to disturb the peace and harmony in the region. He said peace was vital for the implementation of welfare schemes and developmental activities in the region.

Responding to the demands projected by the locals including upgradation of schools, roads, health care facilities and uninterrupted power and water supply, the minister issued on-the-spot directions to officials concerned to mitigate the problems being faced by them.

Jammu, June 16
The J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association has directed all players to register themselves with the association as per the decision of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India.

President of the association Anil Gupta said players would not be allowed to compete in any affiliated tournament, including the north zone, All-India tournament, sub-junior, junior and senior nationals, beach and circle style if they do not register themselves with the J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association.

The association has already sent circulars to all affiliated district units of the state to register the players with the state association.

J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association general secretary Kuldeep Kumar Gupta said all state kabaddi players would be registered from June 20 to August 31 before the participation in the coming nationals, but the applications for the registration of players would be entertained by or before August 31. — TNS

Jammu, June 16
Activists of the Dogra Front and the Shiv Sena today protested against the non-availability of sugar at fair-price shops. They urged the state government to ensure adequate supply of sugar, flour and rice through the government ration depots.

The protesters, led by Ashok Gupta, state president Dogra Front, raised slogans against the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department alleging that subsidised ration was being sold at exorbitant rates.

Gupta said, “41 per cent residents are below the poverty line as per a recent survey in the state. Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar and Kathua districts are among the districts where the population is increasing day by day and there is no policy or programme to redress the non-availability of ration.”

He also demanded to direct flying squads to conduct raids against black-marketers and urged the minister to open more LPG outlets in the state.

Jammu, June 16
The Commissioner Secretary, Agriculture Production Department, J&K, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon conducted a tour of border district of Rajouri and reviewed the progress on various agriculture developmental activities and programmes launched under various Central and state sector schemes being implemented by Horticulture, Agriculture, Sericulture and Horticulture Planning and Marketing Departments.

He reviewed the functioning and implementation of schemes and programmes and also interacted with farmers, fruit growers and inquired about the benefits they were getting from the government agencies concerned.

The Commissioner Secretary was impressed with the high density apple plantation, apricot/plum plantation in the district undertaken by the Department of Horticulture.

At Thanamandi, high density apple plantation, water harvesting tank and vermi-compost unit was highly appreciated by the visiting officer.

Jammu, June 16
Bhartiya College of Education, Udhampur, organised a day-long national seminar on “Rethinking Teacher Education in 21st Century” wherein leading academicians, practitioners and professors from different states participated.

The main objective of organising the event was to provide a platform to all stakeholders in the field of teacher education to brainstorm and deliberate upon the issues of relevance pertaining to teacher education in the 21st century and to make recommendations and suggestions to the policy makers that might be helpful in framing future policy in the important field.

Farooq Khan, Inspector General (IG), director, Sher-e-Kashmir Police Academy, Udhampur, inaugurated the seminar. In his address, Farooq Akhan hoped that the scholarly deliberations would certainly benefit the students of the college.

About 40 participants from all over the country participated in the seminar which revolved around the core areas like social transformation through effective teacher education in global context, teacher education in J&K: Problems and Prospects, Technology intervention in teacher education, quality concerns in teacher education system, teacher educators: empowerment through capacity building measures, gender perspective in teacher education, teacher education through distance mode and strengthening public-private partnership in teacher education.

The first session was chaired by Dr Rainu Gupta, principal, Hindu College of Education, Sonepat. She said such an effort would successfully move the field of teacher education beyond the fragmented and superficial treatment of diversity that currently prevails.

The speakers were Shivani Manhas (Kalra College of Education, Kud Udhampur (J&K), Aditee Sharma, Rajeev Gandhi Memorial College of Education, Kathua, Rajni Kaul, Nidhi Koul, Sai Shyam College of Education Jammu, Sonamika Swara Government PG College (Boys) Udhampur, Daksha Kane, Savita Sambyal, Bhartiya College of Education Udhampur and Sheetal Sharma, Bhartiya College of Education Udhampur.

In the valedictory function, Dr Meenakshi Kilam, Director, Internal Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC), University Of Jammu was the chief guest. Samiksha Raina proposed the formal vote of thanks.