Srinagar: A top Lashkar-e-Toiba commander was among two militants killed in a gunfight in Sopore in north Kashmir district of Baramulla on Tuesday.

The encounter had started after a team of police, CRPF and army’s 22 Rashtriya Rifles was fired upon by militants during a cordon-and-search operation launched in Nathipora area of Sopore.

“The joint cordon and search operation was launched on information provided by Kupwara police,” a spokesman said.

He said during the search operation, militants were given an opportunity to surrender. “However,  they fired indiscriminately on the troops. The fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter.”

“In the ensuing encounter, two militants of LeT were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter,” the spokesman said.

They have been identified as a local militant, Wasim Ahmed Lone of Hatlangoo Sopore and a foreign militant Hamas alias Asrar alias Saria, who was active since March 2018 in North Kashmir.

IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said Hamas was top commander of LeT and was active in general area of Zaingeeer, Warpora, Hatlangoo , Brath , Darpora, Bomai, Zaloora , Nathipora.

“He was active since 2018 and figured in the list of top 60 militants released by JKP recently. He was instrumental in motivating youth to join militant ranks,” he said.

The IGP said Hamas was also involved in multiple grenade lobbying incidents on security establishments and was also “involved in recent killing of two councillors namely Peer Riyaaz and Peer Shamusdin and a SPO namely Shafaat Ahmed on 29 March.”

“He was involved in FIR No 349/20 u/s 307 ipc 3/4 explosive Substances Act 16 UAPA ( Grenade Lobbying at PP Bus stand on 12.12.2020); FIR No 239/20  on 31.08.2020; 64/21 u/s 307,IPC 3 explosive substances Act 16 UAPA ( Grenade Lobbying at Bus stand on 13.03.2021); 4.227/20 u/s 4/7 explosive Substance Act , 16 UAP act on 21.08.2020; 336/20 u/s 307 ipc 3/4 explosive 16 UAP Act on 01.12.2020; FIR No 78/21 us 302,307ipc 7/27 Indian Arms Act 16, 18 UAPA ( attack on Muncipal on 29.03.2020 office leaving three dead.”

Regarding another slain militant Waseem Nazir Lone, the IGP said he was a “chronic stone pelter and was also working as OGW till the date he went missing and joined militant organisation LeT.”

Police said arms and ammunition including one AK-47 rifle, one Insas rifle and other “incriminating materials” were recovered from the site of the encounter.  (GNS)

Emphasizes on ensuring effective triaging of patients reaching hospitals

Jammu: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday asked the officers to increase Covid dedicated beds with oxygen cylinders support in peripheral hospitals.

Sinha chaired a high level meeting at Raj Bhavan, here today to discuss Covid control measures.

Today’s meeting was part of the regular monitoring and assessment of Covid situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

While taking a brief review of the evolving Covid situation in J&K, the Lt Governor took stock of the district wise logistics, trend of daily cases, Covid Testing capacities, recovery rate and active cases in the UT.

He also reviewed the status of Oxygen generation and supply against the required demand, bed occupancy in hospitals, status of vaccination drive under different age groups, containment activity in both the divisions along with District-wise Covid-19 cases.

The Lt Governor directed to increase Covid dedicated beds with oxygen cylinders support in peripheral hospitals.

He emphasized on ensuring effective triaging of the patients reaching hospitals, and further directed for strict implementation of hospital referral policy, besides proper patient management through dedicated call centres and helpline numbers.

Sinha also took stock of availability of ration, vegetables and supply of essential commodities to the public during Corona Curfew to which Divisional Commissioner Jammu apprised him that vegetable Mandis are opening in early hours of the day under proper corona containment measures.

Pertinently, Crisis Management Group was already constituted to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and take preventive, control and mitigating measures.

BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance Department; Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education; Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Government, Public Works (R&B) Department; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor; Ranjan Prakash Thakur, Principal Secretary to the Government, Industries & Commerce; Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Choudhary Mohammad Yasin, Mission Director, NHM; Rahul Pandey, Director Information and other senior officers were present during the meeting.

Srinagar: Denying rumours that there is a ban on supply of oxygen to private hospital and individuals, an official spokesperson on Tuesday said Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir administration has decided that refilled cylinders will be provided to needy patients after furnishing requisite prescription from a doctor to the control rooms.

The requisite prescription from a doctor can be furnished to the control rooms set up at Director Industries Jammu and Divisional Commissioner COVID control room Kashmir.

He said there are rumours that there is a ban on supply of Oxygen to private hospitals & individuals in medical need, in J&K. This is incorrect, spokesperson said.

The Government has also recently received inputs about black marketing and hoarding of Oxygen, he added.

He said it is clarified that there is “no ban whatsoever” for any individual who requires medical oxygen during home isolation based on a medical assessment.

There is also a need to ensure that at a time when there is rising demand for Oxygen at hospitals, there is no misuse or hoarding of Oxygen, he clarified.

Spokesperson said to ensure and facilitate that Oxygen is available to patients genuinely needing it, the government has decided that refilled cylinders will be provided to them after furnishing requisite prescription from a doctor to the control rooms.

Govt declares 3-day state mourning

New Delhi: Former Governor of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan Malhotra popularly known as Jagmohan passed away on Monday here after brief illness. He was 94.

In a late night tweet, his family members said, “With profound grief, we inform about the sad demise of Jagmohan. Former Union Minister, Former Governor Jammu and Kashmir. In grief : Wife: Uma Jagmohan, children: Dipika and Rajiv Kapoor, Nutan and Justice Manmohan.”

He had served two terms as governor in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir – from 1984 to 89, and then from January to May 1990.

When the BJP’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee became Prime Minister in 1998, Jagmohan alao served in his cabinet in a variety of portfolios, including communications, urban development and tourism. During the 1990s, Jagmohan had served as nominated MP in the Rajya Sabha in 1990-96 and won a hat-trick of Lok Sabha elections from New Delhi (1996, 1998 and 1999).

He was also the Lt Governor of Delhi and Goa. He was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1971, Padma Bhushan in 1977 and Padma Vibhushan in 2016.

Meanwhile, J&K Government today declared three day mourning on the demise of former Governor Jagmohan.

As per the order, as a mark of respect to Jagmohan, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, who passed away on 03.05.2021, the Government has decided that three days State mourning shall be observed from 04.05.2021 (Tuesday) to 06.05.2021 (Thursday).

The National Flag shall fly at half-mast during the State mourning on all buildings and places where it is flown regularly; and there shall be no official entertainment and function during the State mourning.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha condoled the demise of Jagmohan.

Sinha said, “My deepest condolences to his family, friends and admirers. May Almighty grant eternal peace to the departed soul”.

“Saddened to hear about the demise of Shri Jagmohan Ji, Former Governor of J&K. He was a great visionary, dynamic and effective administrator. Jagmohan Ji will be remembered for his great contributions, reforms in J&K and untiring efforts to serve the society”, Sinha tweeted. (Additional inputs from IANS)

By: Hitesh Tikoo

New Delhi: A well-known Kashmiri Pandit chef and an aspiring Kashmiri Muslim journalist are saving thousands of lives by arranging plasma for Covid affected patients across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

Days after the country was hit by a severe second wave of the coronavirus, a social service initiative, “Plasma NCR”, was started to help people get plasma for their near and dear ones.

The initiative is spearheaded by Sanjay Raina, a Kashmiri Pandit Chef from Srinagar who is based in Delhi, and Adnan Shah, a Kashmiri Muslim who hails from Kupwara and studies journalism in Delhi.

Managing the whole show on Twitter (@PlasmaNCR), the duo told IANS that one of the reasons to start the initiative was that “when the second wave hit the country and people came out to seek help, it was more about Oxygen, beds and ventilators, and less about Plasma. Although people needed plasma but it wasn’t quite visible on social media, so we started this helpline to facilitate Plasma requests”.

Ever since it came into being, Plasma NCR has clocked more than 1,500 cases, receiving at least 150 requests for plasma in a single day. Raina said: “We have closed nearly 1,600 cases so far, however, 500-600 of our donors didn’t have enough antibodies to actually donate the plasma. Otherwise, we could have closed nearly 2,100 cases.”

Talking to IANS, Adnan said: “My parents were expecting me to be home on Eid and had booked my air tickets, but when they came to know about what we were doing, they told me not to come, and serve and help as many people as I can.”

Both Sanjay and Adnan are managing nearly 150 donors a day and not a single request goes unattended. The duo provide plasma directly to the families of Covid-affected patients and not to hospital officials.

In a message to the people of the country, the duo said: “This is the time to come forward and help as many people as you can. If you can, tell us and donate plasma, we will arrange the transport for you, which we are currently doing for so many of our generous and kind donors.”

Srinagar: In view of the surge in Covid cases, Jammu and Kashmir government Tuesday extended the services of all those doctors who were to retire by or before November to December 2021.

An order issued by Atal Dulloo, financial commissioner health and medical education said on Tuesday, “In view of the surge in COVID-19 cases, it is hereby ordered that the services of the faculty members/consultants/doctors working at SKIMS Soura, Srinagar/Bemina, government medical colleges and health department who are going to retire from May 2021 to November 2021 are extended upto 31st December 2021”.

The order said the term of the doctors presently undergoing various tenure postings like registrarship, demonstratorship, fellowship, senior/junior residency etc in SKIMS Soura, Srinagar/Bemina and government medical colleges is also extended upto December 31.

By: Zehra Shafi

Srinagar: The DRDO’s 500-bedded Covid-19 hospital will come up in central Kashmir’s Budgam district in over a month and will have 125 beds as intensive care units, besides 50 double room accommodation facility for doctors and paramedics staff to meet the emerging coronavirus situation in the Union Territory.

Spread over 72 kanals of land, the work on DRDO’s 500- bedded Covid hospital has been started in Reshipora village of Budgam district and the project is to be completed within 35 days time, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole said.

Pole, who visited the project site today to take stock of ongoing construction work, said the hospital shall have facility of 125 beds as intensive care units and rest of the beds shall have oxygen supply facility.

He said the construction shall also include 50 double room accommodation facility for doctors and paramedics staff.

“Being constructed on 72 kanals of land, the earthwork on the approach road has been completed while as tree felling is also going on in full swing,” the official spokesperson said.

The Divisional Commissioner directed the officers to ensure supply of electricity and water facility on war footing, besides developments of approach and interior roads with metal work and construction of four culverts within a week’s time. He further added that Pole also emphasised on carrying out the ground levelling work and extracting of tree routes before Monday.

“He exhorted upon speedy mettle work and back topping of service, approach and interior roads is also carried out by the concerned department. Health authorities were directed to ensure timely deployment of doctors as well as paramedical staff for smooth functioning of the hospital to ensure better Healthcare facilities to the covid patients,” the official spokesperson said.

Pole was apprised that the hospital shall be constructed with pre-engineered thermal insulated material having life of more than 25 years. DRDO team informed that the material and piling work shall be started by Monday and the project, having the facility of sufficient oxygen store shall be completed in time.

Speaking to media, Pole announced that the coming up facility shall be turned into a full-fledged hospital after the coronavirus pandemic ends.

He said there was sufficient supply of oxygen available at all hospitals as audit is being conducted to check out if the oxygen supply is going smoothly and if there is no leakage or misuse of the same.

Pole was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Shahbaz Mirza, CE PWD, CE PHE, divisional heads or various departments, a team of DRDO headed by Additional CE, (Scientist- E) Ravindra Kumar. ADC Budgam, Tehsildar Budgam, DD Health Services Kashmir and other officials.