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Snow-hit Kashmir remains cut off for 3rd day
DGMO-level talks rekindle hope for resumption of PoK-JK traders’ meets
Frequent power cuts torment patients at Valley’s hospital
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Govt refuses to share probe details under RTI
Irked over official inaction, RTI activists to move SIC
Train services partially resume in Valley
SMC’s snow-clearance drive draws mixed response
Higher education set to get boost in state with new scheme
Enforcement Directorate attaches Rs
55 lakh terror funds of fugitive
Division, district heads told not to leave headquarters without permission
Eco-friendly rickshaws to ply in city of temples soon
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee polls deferred
Children’s book in Dogri ‘Jangle Di Sair' released
Lokayukta Bill: Anna committee thanks Guv
BJP to go the AAP way to collect donations
Honour for local author
Fire victims get relief material
Guv for regular blood donation camps
11 years on, DD studio in Rajouri non-functional
Admn trying to change hospital’s name: Rights activist
wagoora
tehsil shifting row
Northern Command chief briefs CM on border security
Income Tax Commissioner calls on Guv
Rajouri university releases 2014 calendar
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Snow-hit Kashmir remains cut off for 3rd day
Jammu, January 2 The traffic department, however, cleared all stranded vehicles, including goods carriers and passenger buses at the Patnitop-Banihal stretch of the highway, and the authorities claimed that the Jammu-Srinagar highway would be thrown open for one-way traffic movement tomorrow. “The traffic movement on the national highways connecting erstwhile Doda district with Poonch and Rajouri would also be restored fully by tomorrow,” the authorities said. Over 200 Kashmir-bound passengers were stranded in Jammu. Meanwhile, snow-bound areas of twin mountainous districts of Doda and Kishtwar continued to face a complete blackout for the third consecutive day, as the administration failed to restore the power supply in interior parts, compounding the woes of people in the bone-chilling cold. Nearly 40 per cent of the interior areas of Kishtwar districts were cut off from other parts of the state following closure of roads due to the accumulation of snow. In remote Dachhan, Marwah and Wadwan areas of the district, hundreds of the people, including patients suffering from various ailments, were stranded and demanded that the administration should press into service helicopters to airlift them at the earliest. “Following improvement in weather conditions, we have fully restored the power supply in Doda town. In interior areas, we are working on restoring electricity and nearly 30 to 40 per cent of the areas have been supplied power till this afternoon,” Mubarak Singh, District Development Commissioner (DDC), Doda, told The Tribune. The DDC said various departments had been asked to expedite the process of restoring essential services while the road connectivity to town and other areas, except interiors, had also been restored. “We have started a massive restoration work and we are hopeful that snow-clearing work would be completed soon,” Singh said. Mohammad Hussain Malik, DDC, Ramban, said they had managed to restore power supply and road connectivity - barring few interior roads managed by the Public Works Department (PWD) - in the district. “The road connectivity to interior areas, which are still cut off from the district headquarters, would be restored by tomorrow. Besides, all the stranded vehicles from Patnitop to Banihal on the highway have been cleared,” he said. Many areas across Kashmir also remained without power for the third day after heavy snowfall in the Valley on Tuesday. Though the Power Development Department (PDD) claimed that electricity had been restored to most parts of the Valley, reports from across Kashmir stated otherwise. In Srinagar, the posh Rajbagh and Jawahar Nagar locality have been without electricity. In many other localities of the city where the power supply has been restored, there were reports of frequent power disruptions. In central Kashmir’s Budgam district, protests were held at various places against the PDD for its failure to restore electricity. Resident of Gopalpora, Kralpora and Watoora blocked the Chadroo- Srinagar highway at many places protesting against the authorities. In many parts of south Kashmir, which witnessed the heaviest snowfall, the power supply is yet to be restored. Residents of Karewa Manloo, Balpora and other villages in Shopian district said electricity was snapped soon after the snowfall started and had not been restored as yet. Executive engineer, Shopian, Mohommad Khalil Ahangar, however, said electricity was restored in most parts of the district. In Pulwama, many areas continue to be without electricity. According to reports, the PDD has been unable to do the necessary repairs to restore the power supply in various areas of Anantnag. “We were getting not more than 2 hours of power supply on a daily basis and it has gone worse now with the snowfall,” said a resident of Bijbehara town in Anantnag district. The grim power scenario is also leaving people in many parts of the Valley without water as its supply is dependent on power. In north Kashmir, many villages in Kupwara and Baramulla districts continue to remain in darkness. A senior official of the PDD, however, said: “We have restored over 80 per cent of the electricity supply. The power was snapped because trees had fallen on electric conductors,” he said. Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo took stock of the measures taken to restore the vehicular movement on the Jammu-Srinagar highway and other highways and roads blocked following the recent heavy snowfall at a high-level meeting here today. Kichloo said helicopter service would be started for Dachhan, Marwah and Wadwan areas of the Kishtwar valley to airlift the stranded passengers and patients from cut-off areas. Later, on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Kichloo and Minister for Roads and Buildings Aabdul Majid Wani accompanied by the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, and the Inspector General of Police, Jammu, flew to Banihal, Kishtwar and Doda to ascertain the measures taken by the district administrations for restoring public services in snow-affected areas. Omar reviews restoration work Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday reviewed the restoration operation of affected services in south Kashmir, which witnessed heavy snowfall on Tuesday. In a video conference with the District Development Commissioners and senior officers of Pulwama, Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian districts on Thursday morning, the Chief Minister enquired about the restoration of power and water supply, road clearance, distribution and availability of essential commodities, functioning of hospitals, and other related matters.“The Chief Minister was told that the maximum restoration work had already been achieved and the rest was being attended to on a war-footing,” an official spokesman said. Govt has crumbled under snow: PDP The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday accused the state government of “crumbling under few inches of snow”.“People are facing problems due to the snowfall and government has failed to mitigate their problems even three days after the snowfall,” former finance minister and senior PDP leader Tariq Hamid Karra said while addressing a press conference in Srinagar. “The electricity has not been restored. Lanes and bylanes are waterlogged and the government is visible nowhere,” Karra said. The PDP leader also lashed out at the CM for claiming that 80 per cent of the snow had been cleared from the roads. “The situation on the ground is entirely different from what is being claimed,” he said. |
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DGMO-level talks rekindle hope for resumption of PoK-JK traders’ meets
Jammu, January 2 “Ever since Pakistan’s Border Action Team (BAT) killed five Indian soldiers in the Chakan-da-Bagh area on the LoC, there has been no meeting between traders from the two sides (PoK and J&K). Moreover, there has been a lot of firing on the borders. But now, peace has returned and we hope to restart the process of holding meetings at the Zero Line,” Mohammed Bashir Lone, the custodian of the Chakan-da-Bagh Trade Facilitation Centre in Poonch district told The Tribune. He said he had a meeting in this regard with the state’s traders today and on Sunday. “I will meet Poonch Deputy Commissioner Sajjad Ahmed Khan, the nodal officer of the LoC trade, tomorrow to discuss the issue,” he said. The DC would take up the matter with the Army because the latter has to provide security and give permission for holding meetings at the Zero Line where traders from PoK and J&K can discuss trade related issues, Bashir said. He expressed hope that within next two to three days, the Poonch district administration would take a decision. “Once we iron out bottlenecks, the matter will be taken up with the Director General for the trans-LoC trade and travel in PoK,” he said. Bashir said, "Not even a single meeting between traders from the two sides has taken place on the Zero Line for the past about seven months." Jammu and Kashmir Chamber of LoC Trade president Pawan Anand said, “These meetings are indispensable for us because we have to discuss trade with our counterparts and so do they. These (meetings) are the basic essence of the trade.”
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Frequent power cuts torment patients at Valley’s hospital
Srinagar, January 2 Attendants alleged that due to halted oxygen supply and freezing cold, the condition of patients has deteriorated and two persons have been killed. The attendants alleged that due to power breakdown, the life supporting system in the hospital was affected. “The electricity supply remained suspended for most of the hours in the hospital. As a result, two patients have lost their lives. The authorities did not even provide them ambulances. It’s a shame on part of the government,” said an attendant wishing anonymity. Due to electricity breakdown, patients had to spend their nights in biting chill. “The power supply was completely suspended on Tuesday and Wednesday. We had to spend the entire day in biting cold as the authorities had no generators available. We could not even use the washrooms in darkness,” said Khatoon Begum, a patient from
Baramulla. The attendants alleged that after repeated complaints, authorities did not pay any heed. “We were told to buy candles and stay or else go back home,” said Sheikh
Azhar, an attendant. The central heating system was lying defunct in the hospital due to non-availability of electricity. The attendants even protested on Wednesday against the authorities for poor facilities. “We protested yesterday night when we saw patients dying in front of our eyes. Though electricity was restored for sometime, there were still interruptions,” said Manzoor Ahmed from
Handwara. The Government Chest and Disease Hospital in Srinagar’s Dalgate area is the only hospital in the Valley that caters to patients with various chest disorders, including tuberculosis. During winters, the hospital receives a large number of chronic obstructive lung disease patients requiring oxygen as a life-saving treatment. The officials at the hospital, while admitting the power breakdown, denied any deaths due to the administration failure. “There was electricity breakdown during day, but not at night. Deaths were due to natural cause. It had nothing to do with electricity or oxygen failure,” said Dr Riyaz Ahmed
Rangrez, Medical Superintendent, Government Chest Disease hospital. The Doctors Association Kashmir
(DAK) also admitted that the deaths at the hospital were due to poor management. “It is pitiable that the hospital has no generators available and during power cuts, patients are left to mercy of the Almighty. This is a criminal negligence on part of the authorities,” said Dr
Nissar-Ul-Hassan, president, DAK. The Medical Education Department, Kashmir, refuted the claims of the attendants about deaths due to failure in the oxygen supply. "Two patients died naturally and not due to power failure," said a spokesperson of the Medical Education Department. Patients at receiving end
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Govt refuses to share probe details under RTI
Srinagar, January 2 This has been disclosed by the Srinagar-based human rights group J&K Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS) in its annual human rights report for 2013 released here. The group says that from 2003 to 2013, successive governments have appointed 170 probes in the state over various human rights abuses, but justice has remained “elusive”. “In 2013, the government ordered seven probes on various human rights abuses. So far, no probe has yielded any result, which is not unprecedented as even in the past, probes have been announced by the government to pacify public anger,” stated the report by the group. The report says the government has also refused to share information under the RTI on the probes ordered between 1990 and 2012. The “government has decided to keep this information as classified” and not “reveal” it to the general public. “In November 2013, the state Home Department in response to the RTI application passed an order that disclosure of such information would threaten the security, sovereignty and integrity of the country and can also threaten the law and order situation,” reads the JKCCS human rights report. The group had sought information under the RTI Act regarding all inquiries ordered by the J&K Government, including inquiries under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1962, and magisterial inquiries between 1990 and 2012. Criticising the government for refusing to share information, the JKCCS has claimed that the decision “establishes that the government is not interested in punishing the guilty and protecting the human rights” of the people. Casualties: Gap in official, JKCCS count
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Irked over official inaction, RTI activists to move SIC
Rajouri, January 2 Sheiraz Ahmed, Shahnawaz Hussain, Kapil Kumar and members of an NGO have decided to approach the State Information Commission (SIC) so that they take a legal action against those officials who have been denying information under the RTI Act. The activists have demanded information about the funds being provided to the Pahari hostel, Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution (CA&PD), PWD R&B and other departments. The information was demanded about two years ago, but to no avail. The activists said Rajouri was the only district where no RTI application was entertained or replied. Sheiraz Ahmed, an RTI activist, alleged that ex-Pahari hostel warden Baboo Khan, who retired on October 31, was involved in misappropriation of funds as proved by the one-man committee (Farooq Shah, Assistant Commissioner, Defence) after allegations were levelled against him. The then DDC had also initiated an inquiry against him in 2011. “Despite repeated approach with the Chief Minister Grievance Cell (CMGC) and about 26 remainders to the DDC, no inquiry report was provided to us,” said Shieraz. Advocate Rajinder Mehta and Amir Mir, spokesperson and secretary, Social Justice, NGO, said the government’s slogan of corruption-free society turned out to be a hollow promise and nothing concrete had been done against corrupt officials. —
OC |
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Train services partially resume in Valley
Srinagar, January 2 The service resumed partially from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Anantnag in south Kashmir. Railway officials said they were working hard to ensure that the train service was connected up to Banihal as soon as possible. “All the trains plied normally between Baramulla and Anantnag today. We are trying our best to clear the railway track from Qazigund to Sadoora in south Kashmir which had witnessed heavy snow,” said a railway official in Kashmir. “We are hopeful that the railway operation upto Banihal would be restored in a day or two,” he added. The rail service in Kashmir was suspended on Tuesday after most parts of the Valley received over one foot of snowfall throwing normal life out of gear.
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SMC’s snow-clearance drive draws mixed response
Srinagar, January 2 SMC Commissioner GN Qasba’s post that the corporation had ‘done its best to clear snow in Srinagar’ drew a slew of reactions, some in praise of the work done and others against it. A local, apparently not satisfied with the SMC snow clearance works, termed the Facebook post ‘joke of the year’ while another remarked: “Good job. I m grateful that road leading to hospital in our area was cleared on priority and a lady ward official personally supervised the clearance. We should appreciate the good work and highlight deficiencies, if any for improvement and not just for criticism.” Local residents alleged that the SMC was being selective in clearing snow off the roads as priority was given to those lanes which fulfilled the basic eligibility criteria of having influential habitation. While people living in the downtown areas too had complained of bylanes being inundated with snow, Qasba said snow falling from the roofs, which is a routine after heavy snowfall, was hampering works. “The SMC is servicing over 5,544 lanes and bylanes, some community initiative is welcome! Now snow is coming down from tin roofs, that compounds the problem,” he said.
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6 shops, 4 houses gutted in Doda
Doda, January 2 Property worth lakhs was destroyed in the mysterious fire which broke out about 9 pm. The Fire and Emergency Department pressed into service a single fire engine to put out the
fire. However, the Army helped control the blaze after hectic efforts for
six hours. Additional District Development Commissioner, Doda, GN Balwan also rushed to the
spot and took stock of the situation. “The loss to property is over Rs 90 lakh as six shops and four houses gutted completely,” said tehsildar of Thathri Gulam
Nabi. The situation aggravated after five domestic gas cylinders exploded. The flames spread and engulfed the adjoining shops as well, said a local resident, Bashir Ahmed. It is the second fire incident in the tehsil within
a month. Residents applauded the Army for rescuing people. GL Pandita, Assistant Director, Fire Services,
Doda, said, “We swung into action and with the help of the Army and the police controlled the fire. However, the reason behind the incident is still not known.” |
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Higher education set to get boost in state with new scheme
Jammu, January 2 It would also suggest appropriate improvements for realisation of the objectives of social justice and academic excellence or regulations for existing universities or other institutions of higher education. Under Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), the state government had constituted the J&K State Higher Education Council (SHEC) headed by the Chief Minister as the chairman and Minister for Higher Education as the vice chairman on December 27. The Council comprises 21 members, including Chief Secretary and administrative secretaries of Finance, Planning and Development Department. Sources said SHEC has also been given the responsibility to evolve new concepts and programmes in higher education besides providing common facilities without affecting the autonomy of other institutions. SHEC will work as an independent and autonomous body that would deal with the matters pertaining to the state and Central governments. It would establish principles for funding institutions besides maintaining a databank on higher education and conduct research and evaluation studies. Further, it will provide academic inputs to the government and to the universities, research institutions and other centres of higher education in the state for formulation and implementation of the policies and to evolve a perspective plan for its development. The council will also give suggestions to bring improvements in curriculum and syllabi in accordance with the changing societal and academic requirements. It will also advise the government on the start of new courses, colleges and other higher education institutions in state. Sources claimed that SHEC would ensure scholarships and financial assistance to the needy students and also coordinate in implementation of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and other eligible backward classes’ welfare programmes of the Central and the state government and state-level funding agencies. The plan that recommended strategic untilisation of central funds to ensure comprehensive planning at the state level, recommended a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) called RUSA. The National Development Council approved the scheme as part of the 12th Plan and subsequently it was included in the list of 66 schemes approved by Union Cabinet on June 20, 2013 as part of restructured CSS for implementation in the 12th Plan. How will council help
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Enforcement Directorate attaches Rs 55 lakh terror funds of fugitive
New Delhi, January 2 Mir, who was arrested on February 3, 2006, from Delhi, procured a bail in 2008 on health grounds from the Delhi High Court and later escaped from Nepal using a “fake” passport. Besides Rs 55 lakh in cash, arms and ammunition were also seized from Mir at the time of his arrest. He has jumped bail and is on the run for the past six years. Mir, who was said to be closely associated with Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, was subjected to extensive interrogation by Central security agencies during which he is claimed to have spoken about his links with the separatists' groups and banned terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen. Mirwaiz told over the phone from Srinagar that he knew Mir and his family but had nothing to do with the case for which he was arrested. The ED attachment order issued recently said the cash which is at present with the Special Cell, was "proceeds of crime of terrorist funding and money laundering and hence stands attached." This is the first major action against terror funding in the country under the stringent provisions of money laundering laws where the onus of proving “not guilty” is on the accused. The attachment of cash or properties under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) is aimed at depriving the accused of the benefits of the assets which are earned unlawfully. — PTI On the run for six years Nasir Safi Mir, who was arrested on February 3, 2006, from Delhi, procured a bail in 2008 on health grounds from the Delhi High Court and later escaped from Nepal using a “fake” passport. Besides ~55 lakh in cash, arms and ammunition were also seized from Mir at the time of his arrest. He has jumped bail and is on the run for the past six years. |
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Division, district heads told not to leave headquarters without permission
Jammu, January 2 The diktat from the government has come in the form of a circular, dated January 1, for all the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and the District Superintendents of Police. Even the Divisional Commissioners and Inspector Generals of Police of both regions have been asked to not leave the headquarters without the permission of the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister’s office has to be apprised accordingly. The circular has come through Secretary, General Administration Department, MA Bukhari. “We have been issuing such orders on a regular basis. In August last year too, a similar circular was issued,” Bukhari said. He said there was no restriction on Divisional Commissioners, IGPs, DCs and SSPs to move within their zone. — TNS |
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Eco-friendly rickshaws to ply in city of temples soon
Jammu, January 2 Eco-rickshaws, a battery-operated rickshaw, after getting tremendous response in Delhi and some parts of Punjab will ply in Jammu soon. Flyfot Industries, a newly registered company, has bought 10 electric battery-operated eco-rickshaws in Jammu and applied to the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for the permission to ply it in Jammu as public transport. Arun Mahajan, managing director, Flyfot industries, informed The Tribune, “We have applied for the permission to the JMC. I hope we will get it by tomorrow and will officially inaugurate it on January 10.” Mahajan hopes that these China-made eco-rickshaws will make it easy to move in the narrow lanes due to its simple and efficient design. These no-sound rickshaws emit zero per cent pollution and are economical to ply. A ride in the rickshaw will cost between Rs 10 and Rs 40 depending upon the length of the route. Costing about Rs 1.25 lakh each, these six-seater colourful rickshaws draw power from four batteries. The vehicle is capable of running 75-100 km once it is fully charged. It takes six to eight hours to fully charge and consumes around four power units. Flyfot Industries has also decided to give these rickshaws on rent to the unemployed people of the city to generate employment. “We will also rent out these rickshaws at Rs 300-400 per day to the people who want to earn, but due to lack of employment in the state are sitting idle at home,” said Mahajan. These rickshaws may cut the cost of transportation, as compared to the auto-rickshaws, but it may not gain popularity in the old city, due to the hilly terrain. The company has decided to start it in the plains of the city. “As these rickshaws do not come under the Motor Vehicles Act, no registration or licence will be required. It only requires permission from the Jammu Municipal Corporation,” said Mahajan. However, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) is not aware of this kind of eco-rickshaws. Kiran Watan, Municipal Commissioner, JMC, said, “We have not received any request for permission for plying of eco-rickshaws, and as it is a new thing, we have to write to the state government before giving permission to this eco-rickshaw.” New revolution
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15-day trade fair inaugurated
Jammu, January 2 This was stated by the minister while addressing a gathering of the unemployed youth after inaugurating a 15-day-long trade fair (exhibition-cum-sale) at Gandhi Nagar here today. Bhalla also visited the stalls put up by the traders from and outside the state. Appreciating the efforts of the traders, he added that such trade fairs proved beneficial for the people. He called for a change in the mindset of the unemployed youth to become job providers instead of job seekers. He said directions have been issued to the officers to create awareness about different state and centrally sponsored schemes. He motivated officers present in the trade fair to ensure that benefits of various development and welfare schemes reach the real beneficiaries timely. He said such exhibitions should be organised every year to provide a platform to the entrepreneurs to sell their products and share their expertise as well with first-hand entrepreneurs. |
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Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee polls deferred
Jammu, January 2 The decision followed deliberations during a high-level meeting, chaired by Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah here. Detailed deliberations were held on several issues related to the conduct of the elections to the Gurdwara Parbandhak Committees under the J&K Gurdwaras and Religious Endowments Act, 1973, following which it was decided that the elections would be postponed and the new dates would be announced later. The minister said as per the court directions regarding delimitation of the constituencies, fresh exercise for the same would be conducted by the Financial Commissioner, Revenue.
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Children’s book in Dogri ‘Jangle Di Sair' released
Jammu, January 2 A large number of Dogri writers, poets and scholars, including Professor Lalit Magotra, president, Dogri Sanstha, Professor Veena Gupta, general secretary, Dogri Sanstha, and Professor Shashi Pathania, were present on the occasion. The minister appreciated the efforts of the author for writing the book in Dogri for the youth. He said the work of the writer would help Dogri-speaking people of Jammu to know more about the language. He also advocated for introduction of Dogri subjects in the schools from the elementary level as the language has been included in the eighth schedule. He said the language should get its prominence at all levels. He also suggested earmarking more slots for Dogri programmes in the local channels and Doordarshan. Prof Magotra said the book would prove useful for children as the writer had tried to spread the messages about old traditions of Dogras.
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Lokayukta Bill: Anna committee thanks Guv
Jammu, January 2 In a meeting of the workers of the movement, under the chairmanship of Om Parkash Sharma, a resolution was passed unanimously to pay thanks to the Governor for forwarding and asking the government to consider representations of Sharma, requesting the Governor for passing Lokayukta Bill in the J&K Assembly to curb corruption.
— TNS
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BJP to go the AAP way to collect donations
Jammu, January 2 The decision in this regard was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Ram
Lal, national general secretary (organisation), to review preparations for the Lok Sabha elections. Going by the impact of the Aam Aadmi Party, which opted for a door-to-door campaign, the BJP has decided to collect small donations instead of big donations from business houses all over the country. Although no target has been fixed by the party, it has been directed by the high command to reach as many households during the campaign. Meanwhile, state BJP president Jugal Kishore Sharma, while interacting the Scheduled Castes
(SCs) in Chilla village in the Nagrota Assembly constituency, said the state’s National Conference-Congress coalition government had been discriminating against the SCs in matters related to their welfare and development of their areas. Sharma was responding to their complaint about a link road in their village on which work was started a few years ago but had yet not been completed by the Rural Development Department. The state BJP president said it was unfortunate that even after 65 years of Independence, the SCs were living in miserable conditions. Though a number of welfare schemes have been launched from time to time for the uplift of the
SCs, the benefits of the schemes do not reach the deserving as a result of which their condition is still the same. |
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Honour for local author
Srinagar, January 2 A young Kashmiri author--Shahnaz Bashir’s novel ‘The Half Mother’ has been included in the special issue of Forbes magazine as one of the 16 books to watch out pre-order this year. “A debutante author goes beyond the headlines for the other side of the Kashmir story,” says the Forbes books’ Heads-up for 2014. —
OC
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Fire victims get relief material
Srinagar, January 2 “The Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), J&K State Branch, despite bad weather distributed relief material to the families whose houses were gutted at Hazratbal,” a statement said here. The relief material distributed included 119 blankets, 66 kitchen sets, 56 ladies and gents’ suits, torch with cells and mats, it said, adding that the District Red Cross Committee, Srinagar, also provided a cash assistance of Rs 2, 85,000 to the families. Meanwhile, on the instructions of Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a delegation of the Moderate Hurriyat visited fire victims at Dhobi Ghat, Hazratbal, to take stock of the situation and express their solidarity with the affected families, a statement said here. Mirwaiz also appealed to the people to help the affected families. As many as 14 houses and five sheds were damaged in a fire that had spread across the Dhobi Ghat locality in Hazratbal area on Monday morning. Earlier on Wednesday, JKLF head Yasin Malik had also distributed relief material among the victims. |
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Guv for regular blood donation camps
Jammu, January 2 He also advised the IRCS to hold blood donation camps on a regular basis in all the 22 districts of the state so that timely provision of blood could save precious human lives. The Governor was interacting with Roma Wani, honorary general secretary, IRCS (state branch), RC Puri, secretary, Regional Red Cross Society, (Jammu branch), and Yogeshwar Gupta, treasurer, IRCS, who called on him at Raj Bhawan here today. Wani briefed the Governor about the initiatives being taken by the society to mobilise funds for augmenting its activities and to be prepared for supporting the district administration in the state during any emergency or disaster. Vohra asked Wani to urgently examine and finalise arrangements for blood banks being set up in Srinagar and Jammu, to begin with, as the facility was lacking in the state. The Governor asked her to examine the economics of mobile dispensaries providing services to poor people in remote areas. He said a large number of Jan Aushadhi stores should be set up in hospitals in the state and the existing ones should be strengthened. Reviewing the progress of construction of the state headquarters of the Red Cross Society at Srinagar, the Governor asked Wani to review the design and cost estimates of the proposed complex. He asked her to take action to call for offers from major business houses, banks etc to participate in the financing of the complex. The Governor also asked the delegation to popularise the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana which is intended to benefit the poor. |
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11 years on, DD studio in Rajouri non-functional
Rajouri, January 2 The centre was aimed at countering Pakistan media’s false propaganda. Despite several attempts by Doordarshan officials at Jammu, the programme generating facility centre (PGFC) couldn’t be made fully functional. They alleged that officials at the helm of the affairs at Directorate General Doordarshan at Mandi House, New Delhi, had failed to provide the required financial aid and staff to make it
fully operational. The studio of the PGCF at Rajouri is equipped with high-definition digital cameras and other gadgets. The centre after its construction remained closed till March 25, 2011, as the authorities failed to provide staff and also due to non-release of funds by the Union Finance Ministry. In March 2013, some Doordarshan officials from Jammu and Chandigarh centres came to Rajouri to shift the cameras and other equipment to other studios. When the news spread, social activists, politicians and intellectuals came on to the streets and stopped the DD officials and engineers from shifting the equipment installed at the PGFC. They also told the then District Development Commissioner (DDC), GA Khawaja, not to allow any such move. The DDC directed the station engineer not to shift any equipment without his permission. After mounting pressure from every section of society, the centre was officially inaugurated by Forest Minister Mian Altaf and MP, Jammu-Poonch constituency, Madan Lal Sharma in April 2013. Sharma had said the matter was raised in Parliament and action initiated by the officials concerned to make the centre fully operational. Days after its official inauguration, the PGFC again become non-functional as the authorities at Delhi didn’t provide funds and the required staff. Shabir Mujahid, Director, DD, Jammu, took personnel interest in the PGFC which remained locked till 2011. Every two months, on Mujahid’s directions, a team of engineers and technicians led by Sohan Lal Koul, programme director, would visit the PGFC and record 20 to 30 programmes to promote local dialects. “The matter was several times taken up with the higher authorities at New Delhi. But we have not received any communication from them so far,” said Mujahid when he visited Rajouri recently. On the other hand, Sohan Lal said: “The centre can’t be made operational unless the department provides sufficient staff and funds for the smooth functioning of the studio.” Whenever these officials visit the PGFC at Rajouri (usually after two months), they have to first clean the bird droppings from chairs, cameras, focus lights and recording stage as there is no employee to do the cleaning work, said an official. “The matter has been taken up with the concerned authorities and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tiwari. We hope the PGFC would be made operational soon,” said MP Madan Lal Sharma. |
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Admn trying to change hospital’s name: Rights activist
Poonch, January 2 Kamaljeet, at a press conference, said Maharaja Sukhdev Singh had contributed a lot in the development of Poonch but the local administration, instead of repairing old nameplates and hoardings of the hospital, was trying to change its name. He said keeping in view the
difficulties faced by residents of Poonch, its ruler provided a hospital despite financial constraints. He said prior to Independence, when Poonch was an independent state, the hospital used to cater to the needs of thousands of patients when there were negligible means of health facilities elsewhere. He said people from far-flung tehsils such as Bagh, Sadhnooti, Palandri, Mendhar and Haveli were benefited by the hospital. About 66 kanals of land was attached with the hospital, but due to "inefficiency" of the successive local administrations, some part of the land has been encroached, Kamaljeet said. He said the hospital was known as Maharaja Sukhdev Singh Hospital till it was partially damaged in the 2005 earthquake. The district administration should have either repaired the old name plates or preserved them and installed new ones on the same
lines, he said. He demanded immediate installation of hoardings based on the original name. Kamaljeet has also approached the Rajput
Sabha, Jammu, to take up the matter with the state government. |
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wagoora
tehsil shifting row
Srinagar, January 2 Thousands of people in Wagoora area were protesting for the past five days against the misuse of court order by the local administration, which had posted the tehsildar at Kreeri village. Residents sought headquarters of the tehsil office at Wagoora village instead of Kreeri. In its orders, the single Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magray said, “The court has only directed the state government to make Kreeri tehsil functional for the convenience of the people. The location of the tehsil headquarters is to be decided by the government.” The state government in 2007 had constituted a cabinet sub-committee, which had approved Wagoora village as the headquarters for the tehsil office. Earlier this month, the court had directed the state government to make Kreeri tehsil functional. However, the agitating people alleged that the local administration misused and mis-interpreted the court order and allowed the tehsildar to function from Kreeri village. As many as 13 persons were injured in clashes with the police last week after the ‘misuse’ of the court order.
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Northern Command chief briefs CM on border security
Srinagar, January 2 The
GOC-in-C also briefed Omar on recent talks between the Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan and anti-militancy operations in the state. Lt General Chachra arrived on a three-day visit to the Valley today to review the security situation. Northern Command spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said the Chief Minister complimented the Army Commander for the restrain shown by the troops during anti-militancy operations. “The Northern Command chief assured the Chief Minister that the Army would ensure zero tolerance towards human rights violations and cases of misdemeanour would be dealt with severely like in the recent Machil case,” the spokesperson said. The Army recently ordered the court martial of its two officers and four soldiers for their alleged involvement in the
2010 Machil fake encounter case. “The GOC-in-C of the Northern Command also assured the Chief Minister that there would be no inconvenience to the Awaam during counter-terrorist operations,” he said. Lt General Chachra also visited Army formations in Kupwara district. He visited forward posts and interacted with officers and troops. Official spokesperson of the
Srinagar-based 15 Corps (Chinar Corps) said the Northern Command chief visited the forward areas in the Valley to review the winter preparedness and winter strategy for counter-infiltration and counter-terrorism operations.
“Lt General Chachra along with Lt Gen Gurmit Singh, Chinar Corps Commander, visited Hajipir Brigade where he was briefed on the counter-infiltration grid. The operational preparedness of the formation for the coming months was also discussed. Thereafter, the Northern Command chief carried out the aerial reconnaissance of forward areas to see the snow levels and how the troops deployed in the snow-bound areas were operating. “He commended the troops for recent operational successes resulting in the recovery of a huge cache of arms and ammunition in the Farkiyan Gali area along the Line of Control and expressed his satisfaction over the preparedness and synergy between the security forces for ensuring sustained peace in the Valley,” the spokesperson said. |
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Income Tax Commissioner calls on Guv
Jammu, January 2 Thatai briefed the Governor about the scale of taxes assessed and collected in the state, the progress so far achieved in the ongoing project to computerise the functioning of the Income Tax Department in the state and its use establishing an online data-bank of all income tax assesses in the state and using it to monitor tax evasion by rapidly generating information about defaulters and high-value transactions. He also briefed the Governor about the functioning of the “Aaykar Seva
Kendras” in J&K and their utility in redressing the grievances of tax payers. |
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Rajouri university releases 2014 calendar
Rajouri, January 2 The VC emphasised on the need to have strategic planning that led to sustained growth. He said the university had already released the admission prospectus for 2014 and six new academic programmes had been introduced from the 2014 academic session. These courses include MSc botany, MSc zoology, MA English, MA economics, MSc computer sciences and Masters of Education. He added that the university also offered BTech programmes in computer science and engineering, electrical and renewable energy, electronics and communication, information technology, civil and masters degree programmes, namely MSc biotechnology, MBA, MCA, MSc (IT), MSc applied mathematics, MSc mathematics and MA Arabic. |
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Jammu, January 2
The snow clearance works in the city following the recent heavy snowfall has sparked off a heated debate on the social networking website,
Facebook. After the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) was censured for failing to clear snow in the interiors of the city, the corporation too presented arguments in its defence while calling people to chip in with some community initiatives.
A new revolution in the field of public transport is all set to hit the roads of the city of temples.
Eco-rickshaws, a battery-operated rickshaw, after getting tremendous response in Delhi and some parts of Punjab will ply in Jammu soon.
The programme generating facility centre of the Prasar Bharti (Doordarshan) constructed at a cost of more than Rs 80 crore at Rajouri in 2001 has yet not been made functional.
The centre was aimed at countering Pakistan media’s false propaganda.
Human rights activist and social worker Kamaljeet Singh has accused the district administration and public representatives of hatching a "conspiracy" to change the name of Maharaja Sukhdev Singh District Hospital,
Poonch.
