Srinagar, June 17
Paramedics working under the Centrally sponsored National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme protested against the alleged indifferent attitude of the government in addressing their concerns at Press Enclave here today.

The protesters said there were approximately 6,000 paramedic employees working in various health institutions across the state under the NRHM who were not their salaries for the last three to four months.

The employees said ever since their recruitment in 2005, they were awaiting for regularisation of their services. They said paramedic staff in the state were being discriminated against their counterparts in other states.

“We have not received increments from the past two years. Female employees find it tough to get their maternity leaves sanctioned. The problems are even worse for the employees work in far-flung areas,” said Shahnawaz Malik, president, J&K Paramedical Employees Association.

Malik said their Rs 10,000 per month salary was not as per the guidelines of the Union Health Ministry.

“In other states, NRHM paramedics are getting salaries to the tune of Rs 20,000 per month, but here we are given half of the amount. This is total injustice and we stand firmly against it,” said a protester.

A female protester said they were facing a lot of financial constraints due to non-payment of their salaries and despite repeated assurances from the higher authorities, their grievances had not been addressed.

“We have families to feed. Some of us are the lone bread earners for their families. We have been working consistently to earn money. But, if we are not given our due wages, what is the point in working,” said Rubeena.

Kupwara, June 17
Light to torrential rain this afternoon added to the woes of farmers in north Kashmir. Yesterday, heavy rainfall followed by hailstorm badly damaged paddy crop, vegetables and fruit orchards leaving the farmer community high and dry.

Submerged in rainwater, the paddy fields received more rain adding to the woes of the farmers, who were busy draining the water from their fields. “The paddy is sailing over the rainwater everywhere in our village. Rainfall today inflicted more damage to the crop, uprooting the plantation that may have remained unaffected due to the yesterday’s natural calamity. We expected a sunny day today and were busy draining the water, but the rainfall wrecked havoc to the crop,” said Ghulam Hassan, a farmer from Warnow.

Thick clouds since morning threatened rainfall, which finally happened around 2pm and lasted for two hours. “Rainfall today snatched everything from us. We were planning to plant the paddy afresh in the fields where the damage was more than 90 per cent. But now, we are unable to do anything due to total damage caused by the downpour,” said Mohd Shafi, a farmer from Muqam Lolab.

Another farmer Abdul Jabar from Hirri village said, “The plantation season of paddy is already over by more than two weeks. Even if we plant paddy afresh, chances of its growth are unlikely in the off-season. Authorities should consider the huge damage caused to the farming community and compensate the loss.”

Reports said rain also lashed Handwara and parts of Baramulla district. “As if hailstorm had inflicted less damage to the crop, the torrential rain saw paddy fields completely submerged in rainwater. The freshly planted paddy crop is sailing over the water in the fields and we are watching it helplessly,” said Mohd Ramzan, a farmer from Rajwar, Handwara.

Srinagar, June 17
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today launched the mobile medical service in the region and flagged off four mobile units which will serve in far-flung areas of the Kashmir Valley.

The four high-tech medical mobile units or critical-care ambulances are fitted with the latest equipment and machinery including an X-Ray machine, ECG machine, suction machine and refrigerator. A doctor and a paramedic would also be attached with each ambulance.

The mobile medical units would be used in far-flung areas of the state to ferry critical patients to tertiary care hospitals. “These ambulances are the part of 2035 National Mobile Medical Units which are to be inducted in 431 districts of the country,” Azad said.

The state will receive a total of 11 mobile medical units in the first phase.

Azad said the Central Government had included Jammu and Kashmir in the special category state under the NRHM. Under the special category, the funding pattern had been eased to 90:10 from the previous 75:25, he said.

He said new components were being added to the Janani Suraksha Yojna to give more facilities to pregnant women and newborn babies. He said pre and post-natal care and treatment of women at government hospitals would be provided free of cost. “(Under the new components, the newborn babies would be treated up to their first birthday free of cost,” the Union Health Minister said.

He said the new features of the scheme would be launched from the state.

Outlining the broad features of the NRHM, the Union Minister said the BPL patients could be funded 100 per cent treatment cost after they produce relevant papers. He, however, said not many cases from the state were received and asked the Chief Medical Officers to deploy staff to prepare documents of such patients so that their cases could be submitted to the Centre for funding.

Minister of State for Health Shabir Ahmad Khan said the mobile medical units were meant for the people of rural and far-flung areas where the people have to cover long distances to reach to the nearest health centre.

“There are many belts in the state where it takes a lot of time for the people to reach to the nearest health centre to avail medical facilities, especially in times of emergency. These mobile units equipped with lot of modern medical facilities will prove helpful in such areas,” Khan said.

Srinagar, June 17
The State Football Championship-2013 began on Sunday at two venues simultaneously at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium and Polo Ground.

This championship is being held after a gap of five years. It is sponsored by the State Sports Council and J&K Bank Ltd. All the 22 districts and top clubs and teams of Supper Division (total 38) are taking part.

Five matches were played on Sunday. The summaries of the matches are: The first match was played between AG office and DFA, Doda. It was the AG office who dominated on the field. AG office defeated DFA, Doda 10:0.

The second match was played between Saffalo ‘A’ and DFA, Ladakh XI. Saffalo defeated Ladkh XI 7:0. The match was a one-sided affair with Niyaz and Mohd Rafiq scoring two goals each while Zubair, Naveed, Javeed scored one each.

The third match was played between DFA, Ganderbal XI and DFA, Kistwar XI. In the first half of the game, no team could score a goal. In the second half Zahid from Ganderbal netted a ball in the 42nd minute. Ganderball won 1:0.

The fourth match was played between DFA, Kulgam and DFA, Udhampur. DFA Udhampur defeated Kulgam 2:1.

The fifth match was played between DFA, Kathua XI and DFA Badgam XI. Rizwan scored the first goal for Kathua in the 6th minute. They held this lead till 42nd minute.

The equalizer came through Aamir of Budgam. The result finalized on tie breaker. DFA, Budgam netted 5 goals against 3.

Ticker (Kupwara), June 17
His joy knew no boundaries when Anil Kumar Raina embraced his school friend Abdul Rashid Bhat after nearly 10 years at Mela Kheer Bhawani at this village in Kupwara district.

Bhat felt equally overjoyed with the re-union after a long time. Among others, his friend Anil Kumar Raina left the Valley and Mela Kheer Bhawani re-united the neighbors and friends in 2003.

“I am extremely happy to see my friend after nearly a decade. I could not attend the Mela for the past years. We lived like brothers amid peace until the insurgency forced minority community members to leave the Valley in 1990 for safety. Muslims want minority community members to return to their homeland and live with them but the state authorities are not doing enough to rehabilitate them,” said Kumar.

Bhat echoed his friend’s sentiments while urging the state government to facilitate the return of Pandits.

Since morning, hundreds of Muslims were seen waiting to welcome the Pandits outside the Kheer Bhawani temple here. “My friend Rajesh is coming to see me. I am eagerly waiting for him to arrive. We will meet each other after a long time as he did not attend the Mela during past few years,” said Aijaz Ahmad, a local resident.

Srinagar, June 17
While havans and prayers marked Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrations at south Kashmir shrines of Ragneya Devi, the authorities are planning to bring Tripur Sundri temple at Devsar on the tourism map so that devotees visit the shrine in larger numbers just like Tulmulla.

Alongside the main Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrations at Tulmulla in Ganderbal district, devotees also thronged the Ragneya Devi shrines of south Kashmir at Manzgam and Devsar (Tripur Sundri) in south Kashmir's Kulgam district. The shrines are believed to be the first two “asthapans” of Ragneya Devi.

The All Parties Migrants Coordination Committee (APMCC) chairman Vinod Pandit said nightlong havans were performed at the shrines, followed by “puran ahuti” this morning. Pandit said around 8,000 and 15,000 devotees, including Muslims, thronged Manzgam and Devsar shrines, respectively, throughout the course of the day.

Mela Kheer Bhawani celebrations, according to Pandit, at the south Kashmir shrines had resumed in 1997 after the same had stopped earlier following the eruption of militancy.

Apart from the devotees, Tourism Minister GA Mir visited Devsar where he said the government was making efforts to bring Tripur Sundri temple on the tourism map.

He said they were hopeful that the Centre would soon release funds in this regard for the development of infrastructure in and around the shrine.

Mata Tripur Sundri Committee president Tej Kishen said more devotees had visited the shrine as compared to last year and that they were hopeful of receiving more pilgrims from next year.

Srinagar, June 17
District Development Commissioner (DDC), Anantnag, Farooq Ahmad Lone, accompanied by civil and police officers today visited the base camp at Nunwan to review the arrangements for the smooth conduct of the ensuing Amarnath yatra beginning on June 28.

An official spokesman here said discussions were held pertaining to establishment of medical camps, sanitation, and availability of essentials, traffic management plan, drinking water facilities, telecommunication and repairs of roads en route to the Holy Cave. Regarding the telecommunication facilities, special public call offices would be established at Mir Bazar, Nunwan, Pahalgam, Chandanwari, Sheeshnag and Panjtarani halting stations besides mobile connectivity would be made available throughout the route leading to the Holy Cave.

The District Development Commissioner directed the officers concerned to ensure proper sanitation and cleanliness in the towns at camping sites besides en route to the Holy Cave. He asked the officers concerned to upload information regarding different utilities on the website of the district administration.

Lone also asked the officers of the JKTDC to ensure adequate accommodation for the employees deployed for the Yatra-2013 well before the commencement of the Yatra. He also visited Mattan and inspected the arrangements made at the temple complex for the devotees. He directed the officers to ensure that devotees did not not face any sort of inconvenience. He interacted with devotees and inquired about the facilities made available for them in and around the shrine.

Srinagar, June 17
The Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Altamas Kabir, today inaugurated a legal-aid clinic at the law department of Kashmir University. He is here for a seminar on career options in law.

After inaugurating the clinic, Justice Kabir also listened to a patient suffering from cancer with poor background residing in Nishat. The patient had approached the Chief Justice for financial help.

During the inauguration of the clinic, the CJI was accompanied by Supreme Court judge Justice TS Thakur, J&K High Court Chief Justice MM Kumar and other high court judges.

As the proceedings began after the inauguration, the case of the cancer patient was argued by law students of the university.

A relief of Rs 20,000 was given to the patient besides free education promised to her kids from Kashmir University. The case was also referred to the cancer society of Kashmir with the directions that all possible assistance be provided to the patient for her treatment.

Srinagar, June 17
Minister of State (MoS) for Health Shabir Ahmad Khan had said the Jammu and Kashmir government is keen to encourage treatment of patients using the Indian System of Medicines (ISM) in the state.

Khan said 438 AYUSH medical officers have been engaged at Public Health Centres while 160 posts of Ayurvedic and Unani medical officers have been created by corresponding reduction of equal number of posts of Assistant Surgeons.

The MoS, who was chairing a monthly review meeting of health services in Kashmir region, said 396 AYUSH pharmacists have also been engaged under National Rural Health Mission at Primary Health Centres across the state.

The minister said upgrade of ISM infrastructure in the state also received focused attention and five major ISM hospitals and 30 dispensaries at an estimated cost of Rs 101 crore are being constructed.

Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education Shaleen Kabra, Director ISM Abdul Kabir Dar, Mission Director NRHM Yashpal Sharma, Director Health Services Kashmir Saleem-Ur-Rahman, Project Director State Aids Control Society Madhu Khullar, Controller Drug and Food Organisation Satish Gupta and other officers were present at the meeting. The minister received detailed appraisal of different health care activities from Director ISM and instructed the functionaries to make people aware of this choice of treatment. Khan said the government had set up ISM health centres at all state and district-level hospitals, where free of cost medicines and other facilities had been made available to patients.

Srinagar, June 17
Tata Motors has signed an MoU with the National Skill Development Corporation (NCDS) under the Udaan scheme.

Making the announcement here today, Sanjeev Garg, global head of the customer care of Tata Motors, said, “The aim to collaborate with the NSDC under the Udaan scheme is to create employment opportunities for the educated youth of the state by providing them with skillful practical knowledge of vehicle operations and service.”

He said Tata Motors had become the first automobile company to sign an MoU with the NSDC under the Udaan scheme through ‘Tata Motors Certified Works Manager’ programme.

“The MoU was signed to explore training and employment opportunities for graduates, postgraduates, three-year engineering diploma holders and professional degree holders of the state through a collaborative action-oriented agenda,” said Garg.

He said by recruiting fresh graduates from engineering colleges of the state, Tata Motors Certified Works Manager programme will provide skilled youth with employment opportunities across the Tata Authorised Service Stations (TASS).

Speaking on the occasion, CEO and MD of the NSDC Dilip Chenoy said, “We are delighted to work with Tata Motors in ensuring that the NSDC’s aim of contributing significantly (about 30 per cent) to the overall target of enhance skills of 500 million people in the country by 2022. 

Srinagar, June 17
The reconstruction work of Dastgeer Sahab shrine, which was gutted last year, has been expedited on the instructions of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar.

The minister directed officials to ensure that the new mosque which is a part of the shrine should be thrown open for the public in the month of Ramadhan.

The minister was addressing the officials during a meeting convened here today to review the status of the reconstruction work being undertaken on the shrine of Dastgeer Sahib.

Sagar said the government had already committed to the people to ensure speedy completion of the shrine which is being revered by every section of the society.

He said, “The people have strong emotional and religious connections with it and our endeavour should be to complete it within the shortest possible time.”

The minister also directed the officers to work in complete synergy to ensure that the lacunae if any were removed so that the pace of work was speeded up. He said care should also be taken to avoid any deviation from the plan already approved in consultation with different architectural experts so that it was constructed on the earlier plan and design.