Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 27: In its circular instructions issued by the Finance Department, Government enjoins upon the Controlling officers/DDOs that all the government transactions shall be made through electronic mode mandatorily without involving any cash transactions except for very small denominations.
Even it has been impressed upon the autonomous bodies/PSUs operating through bank accounts to adhere to digital/DBT payment mode exclusively. This has been ordered to ensure transparency and accountability in transaction of Government business and for streamlining payment systems across the UT, reads the circular.
Moreover in another circular issued by the department it has been said that delay in making due payments to projects is happening only for non-availability of references related to Administrative Approvals (AA) and Technical Sanctions (TS).
It has therefore been enjoined upon all the departments that in future, all tenders should incorporate the reference numbers of Administrative Approvals and Technical Sanctions so that unnecessary delays in payments could be avoided, reads the circular.
The above measures has been taken in addition to a number of already taken IT enabled initiatives such as JKPaySys, BEAMS, PFMS and DBT that has helped in streamlining the government payment systems to a lot of extent.

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, Dec 27:  The online Mains examination for the post of J&K Bank Probationary Officers was conducted today at various centres spread across J&K and rest of India.

Around 3500 candidates who had cleared the preliminary examination conducted last month appeared in the examination vying for 350 posts advertised by the Bank.

The examination process was conducted by IBPS, Mumbai.

The Bank ensured that the examination was conducted smoothly with adequate arrangements particularly in view of the mid-winter cold conditions prevailing in J&K.

The examination for the Banking Associates is scheduled to be conducted in the month of January, 2021 as notified already by the Bank. The call letters for the same have already been made available on Banks website under careers link.

Arshad Dijoo

Srinagar, Dec 27: Media Education Research Centre Kashmir University held a joint condolence meet to remember its pass out Tabbasum Ishtiyaq, who passed away on December 22 after prolonged illness.

The meeting, which was presided over by Dr Aaliya Ahmed, was attended by all the staffers of MERC.
Glowing tributes were paid to Tabbasum and she was remembered as “one of the best students” of the department.
“Tabbasum was one of our brilliant students at MERC and we all remember her as very sharp, intelligent and a performing student,” said Dr Nasir Mirza senior faculty at MERC.
He said they share the grief of the aggrieved family and pray for the departed soul.
He said Tabbasum will be remembered for her good manners and for being a good human being.
Tabbasum was a mass communication pass out from 2001 batch, who later took job with the J&K bank.
She is survived by her husband and two daughters.

London, Dec 27: The coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca should be effective against the highly transmissible new strain of the virus, a UK media report said on Sunday.
The Oxford vaccine, which also has a tie-up with the Serum Institute of India, is expected to win approval in the UK before Thursday, speeding up the provision of the jab to the most vulnerable groups.
The first priority is to vaccinate the 12 to 15 million people who would need hospitalisation if they caught COVID. Approval for the AstraZeneca vaccine would mean we are well on course to do that by the spring, a senior government official was quoted by The Sunday Times as saying.
The source warned that the new strain of COVID-19 had overtaken the old and was running rampant in the UK.
The latest figures are not good, but the guidance is the MHRA [the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency] will give the Oxford vaccine the go-ahead by midweek, the source said.
AstraZeneca’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, said that new data will show the vaccine is as effective as the Pfizer and Moderna jabs that have already been approved, protecting 95 per cent of patients, and is 100 per cent effective in preventing severe illness requiring hospital treatment.
He said that it “should be” effective against the new highly transmissible variant of the deadly virus, which put England under complete lockdown again after its rapid spread was detected.
In the first trials of the Oxford vaccine, it was found to be 62 per cent effective overall, though one group accidentally given a half-dose first was 90 per cent protected.
We think we have figured out the winning formula and how to get efficacy that, after two doses, is up there with everybody else, Soriot told the newspaper.
“I can’t tell you more because we will publish at some point,” he said.
The UK government has always regarded the Oxford vaccine as the one that would transform the battle against COVID-19, since it can be stored in a fridge and costs as little as 2 pounds a shot. The Pfizer drug has to be kept at temperatures of minus 70 degrees Celsius and costs 15 pounds a dose.
The news of a new vaccine deployment by early in the New Year comes as most of the UK remains under tough lockdown conditions with a continued spike in the number of infections.
But news that the Oxford vaccine may be available soon will come as a boost, with the UK government having ordered 100 million doses of the vaccine, with around 40 million expected to be available by the end of March.
Mass vaccination centres including stadiums and conference venues are being prepared for launch in early January once the regulator approves the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The only way to receive the jab in the UK is through the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) established networks, even as there have been reports that private clinics are receiving daily requests from patients attempting to jump the queue.

Govt, trade committees ready to submit report
Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 27: The tussle between Government and Mutton dealers is nearing to end as the committees formed to visit livestock Mandis outside the state for exact pricing has ready to submit report to the Government.
The provincial administration fixed the retail price of meat in the valley at Rs 480 per kg in early November this year, which was flatly rejected by mutton dealers, commission agents and butchers, but the government took action against butchers selling meat at extra prices.
After the butchers’ resentment, partial strike and artificial shortage of meat, the Kashmir Economic Alliance offered to mediate in the matter.
They suggested that they visit outside states to review the prices of sheep, goats, livestock and meat there.
Officials partially agreed with the proposal and formed a two-member government committee comprising the Department of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Assistant Director Dr.Baba and member from sheep and husbandry department.
Meanwhile, Kashmir Economic Alliance also formed a 15-member committee comprising journalists, traders, industrialists and stakeholders who visited outside UT markets since last Sunday.
Sources said Kashmir Economic Alliance visited Delhi, Amritsar, Ambala, Sekar Rajasthan and other markets to review the prices of sheep and goats, while the government committee also visited Sekar Rajasthan and Delhi.
The visit of Kashmir Economic Alliance and Government Committee has been completed and both the committees will soon submit their review report to the provincial administration and the concerned department.
Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) says it has compiled data in all markets, and the 15-member committee will meet soon in Srinagar, during which the report will be compiled.
KEA co-chairman Farooq Ahmed Dar said that during the one-week they visited all the markets outside the states where the meat is supplied to the valley, and during this time the also monitored illegally collected money in many places besides interstate taxes.
“The committee will also submit its report to the Administration in this regard keeping in view all the details and documents,” Dar said
He said that in this report not only the prices of meat should be fixed, but will also propose to the Consumer Affairs Department and the Jammu and Kashmir authorities to organize this trade, solve the problems, faced by the butchers, mutton dealers and commission agents.
Dar further added that his report would be based on fair and independent review and opinion as KEA as civil society not represents the people involved in the trade and government but the people and consumers.( KNS).

New Delhi, Dec 27: The Central government has once again extended the validity of all vehicle-related documents in order to avoid crowding and the possible spread of COVID-19. All those driving licences, registration certificates, and permits which were set to expire may now be used till March 31, 2021, according to a directory issued by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to various State and Union Territory administrations.
“Taking into consideration the need to prevent the spread of Covid-19, it is further advised that the validity of all of the above referred documents may be treated to be valid till 31st March 2021. This covers all documents whose validity has expired since 1st Feb, 2020 or would expire by 31st March 2021,” the directory says.
“This will help out citizens in availing transport related services, while maintaining social distancing,” it says.
The ministry had earlier issued advisories dated March 30, June 09, and August 24 of this year, in which it extended the validity of documents related to the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, and the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989. They all said fitness, permit (all types), licence, registration or any other concerned document may be treated to be valid till December 31, 2020.
Referring to its latest directive, the Union Transport Ministry said all States and Union Territories are requested to implement it in letter and spirit so that citizens, transporters, and various other organisations operating in this pandemic may not get harassed or face difficulties.

Jammu, Dec 27:  The housing and urban development department has removed decades-old “encroachment” on prime land worth Rs 100 crore in Jammu during a special drive, senior officials said on Sunday.

A strong contingent of police and civilian officials reached Gole Market in the posh Gandhi Nagar locality and retrieved the prime land from encroachment, they said.

All entry points to Gole Market were sealed and no vehicle was allowed there during the drive, they said.

“We have removed encroachments on 7 kanals of prime land valuing over Rs 100 crore. These were under encroachments for several decades,” principal secretary of the housing and urban development department Dheeraj Gupta, who supervised the anti-encroachment drive since late Saturday night, said.

Gupta said the land belonged to the Jammu and Kashmir housing board. “We took measure to protect our land. There is no issue of it at all,” he said.

“We have zero tolerance towards encroachments and the government is committed to removal of each and every encroacher from government lands,” he said.

People who occupied the prime land, however, said they were allotted the plots decades ago, a claim denied by the housing board.

The occupants of the land also claimed that a court had put a stay on any action by the government. Denying the claim, a housing board official said, “This is not the plot of land which is under stay. It is an encroachment.” (Agencies)

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 27: Apni Party President Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to show the political will and take necessary follow-through action by restoring statehood before holding Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing a felicitation cum interactive session with DDC members, independent affiliates and the unsuccessful contestants of the Party’s Kashmir province at party office in Lal Chowk Srinagar, Bukhari congratulated the people of J&K for their overwhelming participation in the polls exemplifying the level of their commitment to a vibrant democracy.
He said the recently concluded elections should be a reason for the Government of India to ponder over and explore viable possibilities for J&K’s progressive, respectful and accommodative association while restoring Statehood and preserving the peoples’ domicile rights on their land and jobs.
The Apni Party President said that people in all the regions and sub-regions of J&K are unhappy with the Union Territory status and feel completely disgruntled and disempowered within the existing administrative structure. “The massive participation of the people in the DDC elections is reflective of their innate desire for a real democratic structure available to the residents of other States in the country wherein the people are the masters of their own decisions,” he added.
Bukhari said that the government of India should respect the peoples’ forceful demonstration of their resilience and commitment to a democratic system and reciprocate with the restoration of Statehood to J&K as soon as possible.
“The Governor rule or any bureaucratic regime for that matter can never be a substitute, even to a worst popular government in place. People in J&K are suffering because there are no public representatives available to them who could make the officers accountable for their duties and responsibilities,” he said.
Bukhari said a vibrant democratic and political system is imperative for a stable Jammu and Kashmir adding that in absence of an elected democratic set-up there can never be desired peace, prosperity and development in the region.

Precious Kashmir News

Jammu, Dec 27:  Joint teams of Army and Police on Sunday arrested two militants of Ghaznavi Force in an operation in Mendhar area of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Defence spokesman said in an intelligence based well coordinated joint operation of Army and J&K Police, two militants with explosive material were apprehended from a vehicle near Galutha Harni,  Mendhar, District Poonch.

“The apprehended militants are likely from terror outfit ‘Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force’. With the arrest of these militants, the forces have unearthed a nexus involving local militants  which were involved in ferrying war like stores and narcotics,” they said.

He said search operation is still on to recover more arms or explosive material from their hideouts.

The spokesman said these militants were likely to carry out a blast in Rajouri district and probably attempting to disrupt the communal harmony prevailing in the region.

Two foreign militants of JK Ghaznavi Force were also killed in an encounter with troops on December 13, 2020 at Dogrian (Poonch) on Old Mughal Road.

Indore, Dec 27: There will four eclipses in 2021, including one total solar eclipse and one total lunar eclipse, but only two will be visible from India, Ujjain-based Jiwaji Observatory’s Superintendent Dr Rajendraprakash Gupt said on Sunday.

He said that the first of these events will be on May 26, and will be seen in parts of West Bengal, coastal Odisha and in the north-eastern states, except Sikkim, as the moon is visible earlier in these places than other parts of the country.

“The earth will cover the moon by 101.6 per cent during this astronomical event,” he said.

A total lunar eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon.

Gupt said the annular solar eclipse on June 10 will not be visible in India, and in this event, the moon will come between the sun and earth, leading to the sun getting covered 94.3 per cent and being seen as a ‘ring of fire’.

He said the partial lunar eclipse, on November 19, can be seen from Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Assam for a very short period.

“At the peak of this event, 97.9 per cent of the moon will be seen covered by the earth’s shadow. The total solar eclipse on December 4, the last of 2021, will, however, not be visible from India,” he added.

This year, there were two solar and four lunar eclipses.