Agencies
New Delhi, Jan 11: The voluminous Budget documents will not be printed this year following the COVID-19 protocol and will instead be distributed electronically to the Members of Parliament (MPs).
This will be the first time since the presentation of independent India’s first budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing income and expenditure statement of the Union Government along with finance bill, detailing new tax and other measures for the new financial year, will not be physically printed.
Due to COVID-19, it has been decided not to print documents related to the Union Budget for the fiscal beginning April (FY 2021-22), sources said.
COVID-19: Govt not to print Budget documents this year
SC pulls up Centre over its way of handling farmers protest
New Delhi, Jan 11: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Centre over the handling of farmers’ agitation and asked the government, if it would suspend implementation of the three farm laws or the court should step in.
A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde and also comprising Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramaniam, while hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the three farm laws, expressed concern over the Centre’s handling the protests and proposed to form a committee.
The apex court indicated that it would stay the three farm laws, if the government was not willing to keep these in abeyance, till it reached consensus with the protesting farmers.
The proposal to stay the laws was opposed by Attorney General K K Venugopal, who appeared on behalf of the Centre.
‘The Court cannot stay a legislation unless the court finds that (1) law is passed without legislative competence (2) law violates fundamental rights (3) law violates other provisions of the Constitution”, the Attorney General submitted.
The CJI clarified that the Court was neither encouraging, not preventing the laws.
The bench expressed disapproval of the manner, in which the government brought the laws without proper consultation, saying that not a single petition in the court was in favour of the laws.
‘We don’t know whether you are part of the solution or part of the problem,’ the bench added.
‘We are extremely disappointed with the way Centre is dealing with this. What consultative process has been followed for farm bills that entire states are up in rebellion,’ the Chief Justice asked. The Bench asked the Centre, if the contentious legislation can be put on hold for some time.
Cracks in PAGD: Ansari’s letter reveals many secrets
Afaq Bhat
Srinagar, Jan 10: Differences between the leaders of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) coming out in open are likely to open the Pandora’s Box.
Peoples Conference General Secretary of Imran Raza Ansari has written a strong worded letter to his party chief Sajad Gani Lone about National Conference fielding proxy candidates in the recently held District Development Council elections.
The letter has “revealed many secrets.”
An observer while talking to Precious Kashmir said, “Since the day results of DDC elections have been declared, the PAGD leadership has not even met once to discuss the strategy to form the DDC boards. The most vocal PAGD leader Mehbooba Mufti has turned silent. NC leaders are trying to project the victory of the PAGD candidates as the win of their party rather than of the conglomerate thatwas formed to fight for a bigger cause.”
It’s in place to mention here that soon after the DDC election results were declared and PAGD bagged 110 seats, the leaders of the conglomerate minus Peoples Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti had addressed a news conference in Srinagar stating that the conglomerate is there to stay.
An analyst said, “It appears that the differences that have cropped up within the PAGD may not allow the conglomerate to function in a way it wanted to. If the leaders want the amalgam to remain united, then they will have to sort out their differences. If they fail to do so more cracks could develop in the amalgam in coming days.”
Referring to the letter written by Imran Ansari, the analyst said, “It’s clear that Ansari has asked his party chief Sajad Gani Lone to snap ties with the PAGD and National Conference.”
He said, “If we look into the structure of the PAGD, its survival depends upon National Conference, PDP and Peoples Conference. Other parties are too small. If one of these three parties decides to say goodbye to the amalgam, it could lead to the conglomerate falling apart.”
A politician said, “Since the day results of the DDC polls have been declared Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah have been maintaining distance from Mehbooba Mufti. They have not met her since then. Formation of PAGD was a very good initiative and if it remains intact there is every possibility about all these parties giving a tough competition to national parties in future.”
He said, “The PAGD leaders should sit back and introspect rather than launching frontal attacks at each other. If the differences keep on cropping up, then nothing can be said about the future of this amalgam.”
The politician said, “The PAGD leaders should stop talking about what happened in the DDC polls as it’s a past now. They need to focus on present and what future holds for them rather than beating around the bush.”
Lt Governor declares heavy snowfall as state specific natural calamity under SDRF
Asks officials to be more sensitive, responsive to public issues
Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Jan 10: Extending the much needed relief to the people of snow bound areas, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha declared ‘Heavy Snowfall’ as state specific Natural Calamity under SDRF norms.
The Lieutenant Governor was chairing a meeting to take stock of the winter management, particularly, snow clearance efforts of Administration, with all DCs and SSPs of Kashmir Division, through virtual mode, at the Raj Bhavan here today.
Pertinently, ‘Heavy Snowfall’ was not figuring in the list of ‘Natural Calamities’ under SDRF norms, due to which disbursement of relief and ex-gratia for the damages due to heavy snowfall was not possible for the Districts’ Disaster Management Authorities.
Due to declaration of ‘Heavy Snowfall’ as a ‘Natural Calamity’; processing of ex-gratia relief under SDRF will become faster, thereby giving a huge relief to the affected public of snow bound areas.
The Lt Governor sought a detailed report on issues and problems faced by the public due to heavy snowfall and future course of action of the Administration at all levels to overcome the challenges thereof.
On being apprised about the shortage of small rescue vehicles for the movement of people requiring medical assistance, particularly, in remote areas and areas having narrow lanes, the Lt Governor directed that 4×4 rescue vehicles / ambulances be provided to snow affected Districts with immediate effect for helping the people in distress.
The Lt Governor asked the officers to be more sensitive and responsive to the issues of the public and take requisite measures to minimize the difficulties of common people.
“Be visible and take early measures. Need more feet on the ground. Quickly reach out to the people to address their needs and requirements”, the Lt Governor asked the Officers.
The Lt Governor lauded the efforts of employees working 24×7 on ground in challenging climatic conditions. He directed for rationalizing deployment of machinery and equipment for snow clearance from the roads, besides making necessary emergency facilities available to render critical help in contingent situations.
Taking cognizance of media reports, social media posts and grievances received from the public, the Lt Governor asked the Administration to identify gaps and take immediate corrective measures to fill the same to redress the concerning issues of the people.
The Lt Governor also directed the officers to continuously monitor the situation and work in synergy with various departments to avoid any inconvenience to the people.
During the meeting, the Lt Governor took a detailed district wise review of the overall status of power scenario, snow clearance, road connectivity, water supply, essential supplies, disaster management, food supplies, availability of Power buffer stock and other issues.
He emphasized on provision of all basic services to the people, in particular, power, water, road connectivity, food, LPG and other essential commodities without any interruption. He further directed the officers to keep a check on the increase in prices of essential commodities, if any, and take corrective measures.
The Lt Governor also assessed the implementation of the directions passed in previous winter preparedness meetings.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lt Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department and Information Department; Shailendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, Public Works (R&B) Department; Pandurang K. Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; M Raju, Secretary, Jal Shakti Department; Deputy Commissioners and SSPs of Kashmir Division attended the meeting, in person and through video conferencing.
Highway closed after damage to bridge at Ramban
MS Nazki
Srinagar, Jan 10: The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the world, was halted on Sunday evening as the retaining wall of a bridge collapsed at Seiri area near Kella Morh in Ramban district, officials said.
They said that there is no passageway for the traffic to move, leaving vehicles stranded near the spot, close to the Jawahar tunnel.
T . Namgyal, ADGP Traffic J&K said the retaining wall collapsed as a result of which there is no space for the traffic to move.
A traffic department official said no vehicular movement shall be allowed on Jammu-Srinagar from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa due to sudden damage of bridge at Kela Morh, Ramban .
There is no optional carriageway available,” he said.
Earlier, in the day, one way traffic was allowed on 270-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway despite snowfall.
However, the historic 86-km-long Mughal road, which was seen as an alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway in summer, remained closed for the past over three weeks due to heavy to very heavy snowfall. There is no chance to reopen the road before the next summer.
The government has already announced the closure of Srinagar-Leh highway, the only road linking Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh with Kashmir valley, for winter months due to accumulation of eight to ten feet of snow since January 1, 2021. (GNS)
Air traffic resumes at Srinagar airport
Srinagar, Jan 10: The air traffic was on Sunday resumed after remaining suspended on Saturday at Srinagar International Airport though flights were running late due to poor visibility.
“After disruption of flights due to poor visibility in the morning at Srinagar airport, the operations have resumed though flights are running late,” an official said.
He said the flight operations were resumed at around 1030 hrs on Sunday after improvement in runway visibility at the only airport in the valley. “All the agencies are already on job in harmony to clear the pass for stranded and needy passengers,” he said.
He said all the passengers are requested to leave their respective places, keeping extra time than normal to approach airport as they may face traffic jam on way due to heavy passenger movement.
As many as 21 out of 27 flights were on Saturday cancelled due to poor visibility and fresh snowfall. This was the second time air traffic at Srinagar airport was disrupted in January this year. On Thursday, air traffic resumed after remaining suspended for four days due to snow and poor visibility.
Day chill intensifies; night temp settled above normal
Srinagar, Jan 10: After witnessing fresh snowfall on Saturday, the chilly weather conditions intensified on Sunday in the summer capital, Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir due to overcast conditions though the night temperature improved and settled above normal.
A Met department spokesperson said weather will remain dry during the next about five days.
“The dry weather will result in considerable dip in the night temperature though the maximum temperature is expected to improve due to sunshine,” he said.
He said a fresh Western Disturbance (WD), which will originate in Arabian Sea and would approach the region though Afghanistan and Pakistan, would hit the region on January 15. “It would be a weak current and would result in light snowfall at some places in the valley”.
After witnessing an improvement of about 2 degree in the night temperature, people woke up to a chilly Sunday morning in Srinagar due to overcast conditions, coupled with ice cold winds.
The weather remained chilly throughout the days in the city, where water bodies including world famous Dal Lake was partly frozen. Against minus 4 degree recorded on Saturday, the night temperature in Srinagar was minus 2.6 degree, which is about a degree above normal. Mechanics and drivers would be seen early in the morning burning wood on roadsides to keep themselves warm in Srinagar, where interior roads and by-lanes remained under show which has now frozen due to sub-zero temperature.
Vehicles remained parked in the interior parts of the city because the roads remained under snow. People were finding it difficult to move on the slippery roads, particularly in the morning. All mainstream political parties, including Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) have criticized the administration for failing to clear the snow on the roads.
World famous health resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir, was the only place in the valley where the mercury dipped through it settled a degree above normal. Against minus 5.1 degree recorded on Saturday, the night temperature at the resort was minus 5.9 degree.
The mercury at Qazigund, gateway to the valley, Kupwara in north Kashmir and tourist resort of kukernag improved and settled at minus 0.4 degree, minus 1.5 degree and minus 1.3 degree, respectively.
Covid-19 Pandemic: JK records 113 new cases, one death
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, Jan 10: Jammu and Kashmir reported 113 fresh covid-19 cases, four of them travelers, taking the total tally of infections to 122538. Also one death was recorded due to the Covid-19.
The death was reported from Kupwara, where a 70-year-old man died from the Covid. It took the fatality count in J&K to 1910.
Officials said among the new cases, 56 were from Jammu region and 57 from Kashmir Division.
They said Srinagar reported 18 cases, Baramulla 6, Budgam 15, Kupwara 3, Pulwama 4, Anantnag 5, Bandipora 0, Ganderbal 2, Kulgam 0, Shopian 4, Jammu 48, Udhampur 0, Rajouri 1, Doda 3, Kathua 1, Kishtwar 0, Samba 3, Poonch 0, Ramban 0 and Reasi 0.
Besides, 195 more Covid-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from various hospitals— 54 from Jammu Division and 141 from Kashmir Valley.
The official said out of 122538 positive cases, 2011 are active positive, 118617 have recovered and 1910 have died—711 in Jammu and 1199 in Kashmir.
The number of active cases dropped to 2,011 in the union territory with 1,18,617 patients having recovered so far, the officials said.
India’s daily deaths below 300 for past 16 days
New Delhi, Jan 10: For the 16th successive day, coronavirus deaths in India were below 300 while the country registered 18,645 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 1,04,50,284, the Union Health Ministry said on Sunday.
However, 201 more lives were claimed by the contagion since Saturday, pushing the nation’s pandemic death toll to 1,50,999.
The focused efforts of Centre and State/UT governments on effective clinical management of the hospitalised cases have ensured sustained decline in India’s Fatality Rate which is 1.44 per cent on Sunday.
With effective containment strategy, aggressive testing and standardised clinical management protocols based on holistic Standard of Care Protocol across government and private hospitals, the number of new deaths have dipped.
Less than 300 new deaths are being recorded in the country since the last 16 days.
As part of the COVID management and response policy, there has been a sharp focus of the Central Government on not only containing the COVID, but to reduce deaths and to save lives by providing quality clinical care to the critical and severe patients of COVID.
Collaborative efforts of the Union and State/UT governments have resulted in strengthening of the health facilities across the country.
India’s present active caseload of 2,23,335 consists of just 2.14 per cent of India’s total positive cases.
A recovery of 19,299 cases in the last 24 hours has ensured a decline of 855 cases from the total active caseload.
The total recovered cases are at 1,00,75,950 on Sunday. The recovery rate has improved to 96.42 per cent.
A total of 90 samples have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome.
DLTF constitutes teams, notifies measures for Bird Flu control
• Poultry production at all poultry farms of Srinagar stopped
• Ensure proper verification, timely compensation in case culling necessitated: DC Sgr
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Jan 10: The district administration Srinagar convened the meeting of District Task Force on measures to be put in place for containment of Bird Flu and initiated steps for coordination of stakeholders for concerted efforts.
Deputy Commissioner, Shahid Choudhary chaired the DTF meeting wherein a detailed presentation was given by Jt Director (Member-Secretary) Dr Ashraf about the key components of plan for Bird Flu containment and measures notified by the Government. Addl Deputy Commissioner, Syed Hanief Balkhi, Jt Director Planning, Mohammad Yaseen Lone, Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Executive Magistrates, Municipal Health Officer and Wildlife deptt officers were present in the meeting.
DC Srinagar briefed the officers that as per advisory issued by the Ministry of Health the district level committee notified by the government has to play a central and coordinating role to deal with outbreak of Avian Influenza and ensure enforcement of restrictions including movement control, ban on sale of poultry related products, closure of shops, payment of compensation (verification and payment) , clean-up and maintenance supply lines for equipment etc.
He asked the animal husbandry department, revenue officers and municipal health officers to keep a close watch on the supply chain, management and production units as per guidelines and ensure proper assessment of compensation in case culling of birds is necessitated. Precautionary measures to be taken in the supply chain including producers to hotels and restaurants were also discussed for familiarization of stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the District Task Force was apprised about stoppage of poultry production at all the poultry farms of the district as a precautionary measure.
Designated Revenue Officers were thoroughly familiarized with the Action Plan to enable them to assume responsibility in case of an outbreak. As per notification issued by the Government of India the designated Revenue Officers have been entrusted to coordinate with line departments and deployment during control and containment measures. They were asked to liaise with the Animal Husbandry Department, disease investigation units and municipal health unit for concerted efforts as per ministry guidelines.
It was informed that movement and transport of birds to the district has been stopped and there are 28 poultry production units or farms in district Srinagar having an available bird population of 80,000 where teams were deputed for monitoring and observation as well as implementation of guidelines and SOPs publicized by the Government.
District Srinagar has been divided into 7 zones for effective and coordinated response mechanism for any likelihood of bird flu. The wildlife department has been asked to keep a close watch on migratory birds around habitations.
