Srinagar: The 64-hour-long weekend lockdown in Jammu and Kashmir ended on Monday morning while the government ordered continuing weekly lockdown from every Friday afternoon to Monday morning in the Union Territory.

In an order issued by the State Executive Committee headed by Chief Secretary Dr Arin Kumar Mehta, the government has reiterated most of the measures announced by it following the start of the 3rd covid-19 wave.

“Night Curfew shall continue to remain in force in all Districts from 9 pm to 6 am with complete restriction on non-essential movement,” the order reads, adding, “There shall also be complete restriction on non-essential movement in the entire J&K from every Friday 2.00 PM to Monday 6.00 A.M.”

All the offices have been asked to regulate the attendance of its employees in such a manner so as to ensure that appropriate Social Distancing Norms are maintained.

“Pregnant Women Employees will be exempted from Physical attendance. They shall be allowed to work from home.”

Employees with disabilities, the order said, shall also be given option to work from home.

“A maximum number of people permitted to attend any indoor/ outdoor gathering shall be strictly restricted to 25.”

Banquet Halls in all the Districts of J&K have been permitted to allow gathering up to 25 vaccinated persons (with verifiable RT-PCR or RAT not older than 72 hours) or 25% of the authorised capacity (whichever is less), preferably in open spaces.

“Cinema halls, theatres, multiplexes, restaurants, clubs, gymnasiums and /         swimming pools are permitted to function at 25% of the authorized capacity with due precautions such as CAB and adherence to SOP.”

As regards the education institutions, all Colleges, Schools, Polytechnics, ITIs, Coaching Centres for Civil Services/Engineering/NEET etc. have been asked to adopt online medium of teaching. “There shall be no in-person teaching.”

Educational institutions, it said, shall be permitted to direct attendance of vaccinated staff for administrative purposes only. “The Head of the institution must ensure that guidelines related to social distancing and Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) are strictly followed.”

Enforcement of CAB is critical in determining the need for additional restrictions, the SEC said.

“The District Magistrates (Chairperson, DDMAs) of respective Districts of J&K shall adopt a Zero Tolerance policy towards non- compliance of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) and shall ensure due action against defaulters under relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act, Epidemic Act and the Indian Penal Code.”

The DMs have been asked to constitute inspection teams of district officers to check whether the instructions contained herein for enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) are being implemented by the concerned with due responsibility. “Further, the DMs shall constitute joint teams of Police and Executive Magistrates for intensifying enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour and ensure no violator is let off,” the order reads further, adding, “The joint teams shall submit daily report regarding activities carried out by them and their assessment of compliance level.”

The Home Secretary, Government of Jammu & Kashmir shall monitor the enforcement of Covid Appropriate Behaviour closely and shall submit a Report to the Chairperson of the State Executive Committee (Chief Secretary) on daily basis, it said.

“The Health and Medical Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir shall closely monitor all relevant statistics and Data in respect of Covid-19 for timely interventions wherever required.”

All the Government Department(s)/Office(s) shall minimise conducting in-person meetings/interactions etc.

“All Administrative Secretaries/ Head of the Departments)/ Institution^) shall ensure optimal use of virtual mode for conducting official meetings etc.”

New Delhi: India has registered 3,33,533 new Covid-19 cases, slightly lower than Saturday’s tally, the Union Health Ministry data said on Sunday.

As per the bulletin issued by the Ministry, the latest addition has pushed the cumulative case tally to 3,92,37,264. The active cases comprise 5.57 per cent of the total infections, while the national recovery rate has decreased to 93.18 per cent.

A total 525 deaths were reported, taking the total fatality count to 4,89,409. The Ministry said the total active cases in the country stood at 21,87,205. The recovery tally rose to 3,65,60,650 as 2,59,168 people got freed from the disease.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 17.78 per cent while the weekly positivity rate was at 16.87 per cent, as per the data.

According to the bulletin, 71. 55 crore tests for Covid-19 have been done so far. “India has administered 161.92 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine so far under the ongoing nationwide vaccination drive,” Ministry data said. More than 161.47 crores vaccine doses were provided to States/UTs so far. (UNI)

‘After freedom, many great personalities’ contributions were erased’

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that it is unfortunate that after Independence, along with the culture and tradition of the country, work was done to erase the contribution of many great personalities.

“The penance of lakhs of freedom fighters was sought to be diminished, but now these wrongs are being corrected.

“The freedom struggle involved the penance of lakhs of countrymen, but efforts were made to limit their history as well. But today, after decades of independence, the country is correcting those mistakes…,” he said, after unveiling a hologram statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the occasion of his 125th birth anniversary.

Prime Minister Modi, who also gave the Subhas Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskars, said that ‘Azadi Ke Amrit Mahotsav’ resolved that India will revive its identity and inspirations.

“Netaji used to say, ‘Never lose faith in the dream of an independent India, there is no power in the world that can shake India’. Today we have a target to build a New India before we complete 100 years of independence in 2047.”

About his visit to Bose’s ancestral house in Kolkata, he said: “It is my good fortune that last year, on this very day, I had the opportunity to visit Netaji’s ancestral residence in Kolkata. The car in which he left Kolkata, the room in which he used to study, the stairs of his house, the walls of his house, seeing him, that experience is beyond words.

“I cannot forget the moment when I unfurled the flag at Red Fort on October 21, 2018, the day when the Azad Hind Government completed 75 years. It was my good fortune that our government got the opportunity to declassify the files related to Netaji.”

He said that the hologram will be replaced by a granite statue. “The statue will not only remind us of our duties towards the nation but also inspire the generations to come,” he said.

The Prime Minister also said: “We have made all-round efforts to make disaster management more effective. We have not only focused on relief, rescue, rehabilitation but on reforms as well. We strengthened the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). From space management to planning and management, we adopted best practices.

“We have seen a lot of joint military exercises in different countries… But for the first time, India has started the tradition of joint drill for disaster management.” (IANS)

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders on Sunday paid homage to Subhash Chandra Bose on his 125 birth anniversary.

In his message President said: ”India gratefully pays homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary. The daring steps that he took to fulfil his fierce commitment to the idea of a free India — Azad Hind — make him a national icon. His ideals and sacrifice will forever inspire every Indian.”

Prime Minister said every Indian is proud of his monumental contribution to our nation. “Wishing all the countrymen a very Happy Parakram Diwas. My respectful tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary. I bow to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his Jayanti,” he tweeted.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also paid the tributes and said his unparalleled sacrifice, tenacity and struggle for the motherland will always guide the country.

“I bow to the great leader of independence Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary. He shook the foundation of foreign rule by organizing the youth with his extraordinary patriotism, indomitable courage and stunning speech,” he said in a tweet.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also paid homage to Subhash Chandra Bose. “Greetings to you on ‘Parakram Diwas’. I bow to the epitome of courage and valour, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on this occasion. He went to great lengths while fighting for the freedom of his motherland. His contribution in India’s freedom struggle continues to inspire us,” he said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his message said: ”On the occasion of birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the nation remembers him and his warm words.”

Meanwhile, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee paid the homage to Subhas Chandra Bose and also appealed to the Centre to declare Subhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary a national holiday.

“We again appeal to the Central Government that Netaji’s birthday be declared a National Holiday to allow the entire Nation to pay homage to the National Leader and celebrate #DeshNayakDibas in most befitting manner,” she tweeted. (UNI)

‘Initiates several e-Governance reforms in recent months’

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir General Administration Department (JKGAD) in recent months has revolutionised the system of office culture in Jammu and Kashmir by introducing various e-Governance initiatives, bringing efficiency in disposal of work here.

With the adoption of e-Office, a Simplified, Responsive, Effective and Transparent paperless working culture in most of the Government offices of Jammu and Kashmir was established. The e-Office system is providing a convenient way for officials to access information related to every aspect of their working and knowledge sharing by presenting a single gateway to information and services.

The e-Office is helping government departments to improve the public service delivery by eliminating the delay of files in offices. The speed and efficiency of file disposal has not only increased by introduction of e-Office but timely and quicker decisions on various matters of public importance is also being achieved by it.

Moreover, to bring efficiency in the work of officers of J&K Administration, the GAD also introduced the Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window (SPARROW) system to write and track Annual Performance Reports (APRs) of these officers.

The main purpose of introducing this unique system is to facilitate timely filling of APRs electronically in a way that is not only user friendly but also allows to fill the details from anywhere anytime as per the convenience of officers. The system is also expected to reduce delays in submission of completely filled APRs.

Apart from this, the department also launched Electronic Vigilance Clearance System. The system furnishes vigilance clearances through electronic/online mode in favour of all the Government employees as and when they require during their service career. The employees are also informed about the status of their applications through email/SMS by this system.

In order to establish citizen friendly-people centric governance, the JKGAD also launched the ‘Satark Nagrik App’ through which any ordinary citizen can lodge complaint with the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) online. The mobile application has been developed with a purpose to facilitate seamless flow of information about corruption and enable citizens to submit their grievances with ease and mobility.

Keeping its commitment of institutionalising corruption free administration, the JKGAD launched online portal for e-filing of property returns (PRS-Portal). The new portal will facilitate access and monitoring of the property details of all the employees besides facilitate the employees in obtaining vigilance clearances. The portal will also assist the ACB in investigating the cases of disproportionate assets expeditiously against corrupt employees.

Apart from these unique e-governance reforms, the JKGAD also introduced several Administrative and Human Resource Management  reforms for improving the governance and administrative set up in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. More powers have been delegated to Divisional Commissioners/Deputy Commissioners/Sub-Divisional Magistrates for effective control over their subordinates.

To accelerate the path of development across J&K and to organise Public Outreach Programmes on regular basis, Administrative Secretaries have been allocated districts to monitor development schemes. The Administrative Secretaries also interact with public in these districts during these outreach programmes to get first hand appraisal of developmental works.

In order to fill up the vacant posts in departments, the JKGAD has initiated the process of fast track recruitment after identification of around twenty five thousand vacant posts across various departments. Around 54 Recruitment Rules of various departments/services have been finalized, besides 98 different rules have been amended/issued afresh to remove the ambiguity/anomaly due to reorganization.

To motivate the officers and officials at various levels, Departmental Promotion Committees were held in respect of various services manned by the GAD, resulting in promotion of around 500 Gazetted and 120 Non-Gazetted Staff members besides promotion of around 1000 officers of JKAS at different levels has also been done in recent months. A decade long seniority dispute amongst JKAS officers has also been settled with the issuance of revised seniority list in April, 2021 followed by substantive promotion of officers.

Keeping the officers and officials updated with latest introduction of technologies in office work and in order to hone their skills, around 2500 officials were imparted training at various Institutions, including J&K IMPARD. Also, online training was imparted to around 300 CPIO’s through J&K IMPARD regarding RTI, Act 2005.

Notably, in a first of its kind initiative, this year around 60 senior officers of JKAS were deputed to National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), GoI for capacity building training programme.

To monitor the progress of disposal of public grievances/complaints received by Lieutenant Governor’s office, the JKGAD has established Lieutenants Governor’s References Monitoring Cell. So far, 13587 grievances/references have been disposed off by the cell out of 15886 received.

With the advent of new technologies and introduction of more robust office tools for better disposal of work, the JKGAD by virtue of its duties being the nerve center of the administration is evolving on regular basis to elevate the efficiency of governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Srinagar: A six-room hut of Hotel Highland park in famous ski-resort of Gulmarg was gutted in a devastating fire incident causing loss to property worth lakhs on Sunday.

A fire and emergency official said, fire broke out in the six room deluxe hut during midnight and engulfed the entire structure causing extensive damage to it.

A report from the Gulmarg said, the tourists who were staying in the hut were rescued and shifted to safer places. However, police and fire and emergency officials could not confirm it.

Fire tenders were pressed into service which doused the fire before it could engulf other structures. The cause of fire is yet to be ascertained, the fire and emergency officials said and added no one was injured in the incident. (UNI)

DDCs, BDCs, MCs to hoist tri-color at district, sub-district, block headquarters

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday said that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha will preside over the main function on January 26 in Jammu while his Advisor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar will take a salute at Srinagar.

Moreover, District Development Council (DDC) chairpersons will preside over the main functions in their respective districts, according to a circular issued by the government.

Block Development Council chairpersons and Presidents of Municipal bodies shall preside over and take salute in separate January 26 functions to be held at the concerned Sub-Divisional and Municipal headquarters, the circular reads.

The Lieutenant Governor will preside over the main Republic Day function to be held at MA Stadium Jammu here while the LG’s Advisor R R Bhatnagar will preside over the function at Srinagar.

Also, incase of non-availability of any BDC & Municipal Chairperson, the Concerned SDMs, Tehsildars, and other senior officers have been authorized & designated to preside over the functions and take salutes respectively. (GNS)

MeT predicts improvement in weather conditions from today

Srinagar: Many areas of Kashmir Valley and Jammu region received fresh snowfall even as the weatherman forecast overall improvement from Monday till January 29, officials said.

A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar received 6.1mm rainfall in last 24 hours till 0830 hours today while the summer capital of the J&K recorded a low of 0.4°C against last night’s 2.3°C, he said.

Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had 13.2cms of snowfall and recorded a low of 0.0°C against 0.2°C on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had 14.5 cms of snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 1.9°C on the previous night, the official said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, had 7.0cms of snowfall and recorded a low of minus 1.2°C against minus 2.4°C on the last night, he said.

Gulmarg had about 5.8cms of fresh snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 6.0°C against minus 6.5°C on previous night, he said. The temperature was 2.2°C above normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir received 2.1mm of rainfall during the time while as it recorded a low of 1.2°C against 1.4°C as on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu, received 13.7mm of rain and recorded a low of 8.7°C against previous night’s 10.1°C which is 1.7°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal had 2 cms of snowfall during the time and recorded a low of 0.0°C, Katra had 50.6mm of rainfall and recorded minimum of 7.2°C while Bhaderwah had 8.8cms of snowfall and recorded a low of 0.6°C, the official said. Batote had 2.8cms of snowfall during the time, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 9.0°C against last night’s minus 11.4°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 8.2°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 10.8°C against last night’s minus 11.9°C, official said.

The weatherman has forecast improvement in the weather from January 24 till January 29.

“ Currently, weather is overcast at most places of J&K with report of widespread light to moderate rain/snow in both Jammu and Kashmir regions,” the official said, adding, “Intermittent, light to moderate rain/snow is likely to continue till this evening.”

He said gradual decrease in precipitation was expected from Sunday evening and overall improvement from January 24 onwards till 29th.  “However, FOG may develop in plains of Jammu during 26-28th,” he said, adding, “There’s NO forecast of any Major Precipitation till ending January.” (GNS)