Jammu, Dec 18: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has draw an elaborate plan for COVID-19 vaccination programme and 28 lakh high-risk people will be inoculated in the first three phases across the union territory, officials said on Friday.
“Approximately 1 lakh healthcare workers shall be covered in the first phase of COVID vaccination programme. In second phase, approximately 7 lakh frontline workers shall be covered,” Financial Commissioner of Health and Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo said.
The third phase will cover 20 lakh beneficiaries of high-risk population, he added.
Dulloo, who has been leading the health department’s response to COVID situation in Jammu and Kashmir, said the vaccine shall be administered through CoWin dashboard platform which will help monitor the entire vaccination process.
CoWin is a mobile app that will help monitor the entire vaccination process.
“Once introduced, the vaccination shall be done through pre-registration and no on-spot registration shall be allowed,” Dulloo said.
“Jammu and Kashmir has identified around 4,000 vaccination sites. There are more than 5,000 trained vaccinators and 19,000 potential vaccinators under the COVID vaccination programme,” he said.
“The cold chain and logistics assessment for the COVID-19 vaccine has been done, and the union territory has 987 ice-lined refrigerators (ILR),795 deep freezers, 11 solar refrigerators, five walk-in coolers and one walk-in freezers,” he said.
Dulloo said a capacity of administering 100 vaccines per site per day — cumulating to a capacity to deliver 4.5 lakh vaccines daily — has been fixed, he said. (Agencies)

New Delhi, Dec 18: Getting vaccinated for COVID-19 will be voluntary, the Union Health Ministry has said while underlining that the vaccine introduced in India will be as effective as any vaccine developed by other countries.
The ministry further stated that it was advisable to receive a complete schedule of the anti-coronavirus vaccine irrespective of past history of infection with COVID-19 as this will help in developing a strong immune response against the disease.

It also said that protective level of antibodies generally develop two weeks after receiving the second dose.
The ministry listed a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday night and responded to questions like if taking a vaccine was mandatory, how long does it take for the antibodies to develop and if it was necessary for a COVID-19 recovered person to take the vaccine.
“Vaccination for COVID-19 is voluntary. However, it is advisable to receive the complete schedule of the vaccine for protecting one-self against this disease and also to limit the spread of this disease to the close contacts including family members, friends, relatives and co-workers,” the ministry said in response to a question on if it is mandatory to take the shot.
The ministry said that vaccine trials are under different stages of finalisation. The government is geared to launch a vaccine for COVID-19 soon, it said.
Six vaccines – one developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR, second one developed by Zydus Cadila, third one by Gennova, Oxford vaccine, trial of which is conducted by Serum Institute of India, Sputnik V vaccine which is being manufactured by Dr Reddy’s Lab, Hyderabad, in collaboration with Russia’s Gamaleya National Centre and the sixth one manufactured by Biological E Ltd, Hyderabad, in collaboration with MIT, USA are undergoing clinical trials in India.
On whether a vaccine will be safe as it is being tested and introduced in a short span of time and what can be the possible side-effects, the ministry said vaccines will be introduced in the country only after the regulatory bodies clear it based on its safety and efficacy.
“COVID-19 vaccine will be introduced only when the safety is proven. As is true for other vaccines, the common side effects in some individuals could be mild fever, pain, etc. at the site of injection,” the ministry said in the FAQs.
It said states have been asked to start making arrangements to deal with any vaccine-related side-effects as one of the measures towards safe vaccine delivery.
Two doses of vaccine, 28 days apart, need to be taken by an individual to complete the vaccination schedule, it stated.
The ministry said anyone taking medicines for illnesses like cancer, diabetes, hypertension etc, can take the COVID-19 vaccine as persons with one or more of these comorbid conditions are considered high-risk category and they need to get vaccination.
In response to a question on whether the vaccine will be given to everyone simultaneously, the ministry said that based on the potential availability of vaccines, the government has selected priority groups to be vaccinated as they are at higher risk.
In the initial phase, COVID-19 vaccine will be provided to the priority group- health care and front-line workers. The 50 plus age group may also begin early based on vaccine availability.
The eligible beneficiaries will be informed through their registered mobile number regarding the health facility where the vaccination will be provided and the scheduled time. This will be done to avoid any inconvenience in registration and vaccination of beneficiaries, the ministry said in the FAQs.

On why healthcare providers and frontline workers are being chosen for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the ministry said the government has prioritised the most at risk/high risk groups which will get the vaccine first.
Healthcare providers have led the battle against COVID-19 from the front. The government wants them to be able to continue your work, without the fear of risk associated with the virus.
“Therefore, healthcare and frontline workers are among the first group of people to be vaccinated,”‘ it said.
The ministry said registration of a beneficiary is mandatory for vaccination for COVID-19. Only after registration the information on the session site to visit and time will be shared.
Following online registration, beneficiary will receive SMS on their registered mobile number on the due date, place and time of vaccination.
ID with Photo such as driving license, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) job card, PAN Card, passbooks issued by Bank/Post Office, passport Pension Document , service identity card issued to employees by Central/ State Govt./ Public Limited Companies and voter ID may be produced at the time of registration.
On getting due dose of vaccine, the beneficiary will receive SMS on their registered mobile number. After all doses of vaccine are administered, a QR code based certificate will also be sent to the registered mobile number of the beneficiary, the ministry said.
On preventive measures and precautions, the ministry said, “We request you to rest at the vaccination centre for at least half an hour after taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
“Inform the nearest health authorities/ANM/ASHA in case you feel any discomfort or uneasiness subsequently. Remember to continue following key COVID Appropriate Behaviours like wearing of mask, maintaining hand sanitization and physical distance,” it added.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 18: The cold wave continued unabated in Kashmir Valley as Srinagar endured another cold night of the winter with temperatures plummeting to minus 6.0 Degrees Celsius, weatherman said on Friday.

The mercury also recorded a plunge overnight in other parts of the Valley even as Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort, recorded a low of minus 10.6 degrees Celsius, slightly up from the previous two nights.

A meteorological department official told GNS that today’s minimum temperature in Srinagar was almost five degrees below the normal for this time of the year. The day temperature also remained below normal across Kashmir as Srinagar witnessed 8.6 degrees Celsius, minus 0.4 degree below normal for this time of the year.

However, he said, Gulmarg remained the coldest place in Kashmir Valley even as Pahalgam, the famous tourist destination of the Valley, recorded minus 9.2 degree Celsius against 8.9 on previous night, Qazigund minus 5.4°C, Kupwara minus 6.3°C and Kokernag minus 5.4°C.

Due to the harsh weather conditions, people are facing a lot of problems. The water from taps has frozen in many places, causing a lot of inconvenience to the people who mostly start their activity late in the morning. Some portions of the Dal Lake were also frozen due to the cold wave. The scheduled and unscheduled power cuts have made things worse for the inhabitants too.

The weatherman has forecast mainly dry weather over Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh for next few days. ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day period of harshest winter in Kashmir, begins on December 21. While it will end on January 31, the cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).

Srinagar, Dec 18: The militant who was critically injured in a gunfight with security forces in GundBaba area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district succumbed at SMHS hospital.
He has been identified as Zaheer Abbas Lone of Pulwama of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit.
“On a specific input, Police and security forces during the intervening night of 16 and 17 December established a checkpoint at Sangam Naina road near Gund Baba Khaleel area of district Anantnag,” a police spokesperson had said.
“During checking, two suspected persons riding a motorcycle were signalled to stop. However, the pillion rider fired upon the joint party in order to escape from the spot,” the spokesperson had said in a statement. “The fire was retaliated, leading to a brief encounter, in which an active (militant) got injured while the motorcyclist managed to escape from the spot.”
After receiving gunshot injuries, the militant was arrested by the joint party and shifted to hospital for treatment, the spokesperson said. He was ventilator and died today, the officials told GNS.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 18: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday ordered its employee not to proceed on study leave without its prior permission from competent authorities.
As per Rule 61(3)(i) of J&K Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1979, study leave shall not be granted unless it is certified by the authority competent to grant leave that the proposed course of study or training shall be of definite advantage from the point of view of public interest.
The government on 6 February 2017 issued a Circular (No. 08-GAD of 2017) impressing upon all the Administrative Secretaries that the study leave cases may be forwarded to Finance Department and General Administration Department in advance and within the stipulated time frame to ensure that the officers and officials shall proceed for study outside J&K only after fulfilling all the laid down requisite formalities.
Further, the government issued a fresh Circular (No. 35-GAD of 2018) on 13 August 2018, again impressing upon all Administrative Secretaries to forward study leave cases to the General Administration Department for concurrence with complete details, so that the Government employees shall not proceed on study leave without the prior approval of Competent Authority.
“However, it has been observed that the officers/officials of various Departments proceed on study leave for pursuing higher studies in institutes within the Country and even abroad, pending formal sanction/approval of the Competent Authority, as a consequence of which these cases are placed for approval before authorities on post facto basis,” reads an order, a copy of which lies with GNS. “The Lieutenant Governor has desired that in future no Government employee shall proceed on leave without prior permission of the Competent Authority,” it said, adding, “Accordingly, It Is Impressed upon all Administrative Secretaries to ensure that the study leave cases are forwarded to General Administration Department In advance, so that the same are decided within the stipulated time frame and no officer/official shall be allowed to proceed on study leave without prior approval of the Competent Authority.”

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 18: Two state-of-the-art Smart Libraries are being established in Srinagar city as a part of the joint collaboration between Srinagar Smart City Ltd (SSCL) and Department of Libraries & Research (DL&R), J&K.
This was announced by District Development Commissioner, Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary during his visit to the SPS Library Srinagar this morning.
Dr Shahid, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Srinagar Smart City project, said that one library each would be established in potential and uncovered South and North city areas of Srinagar to cater to the large population of readers including students, senior citizens, women and children.
He said as a part of the collaboration between SSCL and DL&R, suitable space and funding for the infrastructure would be provided by SSCL while the books and the staff would be arranged for these libraries by DL&R. He said these libraries would be different from the traditional public libraries by offering both formal and informal spaces for the readers with a variety of facilities including dedicated areas for students, senior citizens, women and children. These libraries, he said will be also provided with WiFi, printing, scanning and photocopy facilities and cafeteria so that interested people can spend time in a leisurely ambience.

“These libraries will also offer study material, both hard copy and in e-format to the students for competitive examinations like NEET/JEE/CAT/IAS/KAS etc,” he said and added that the citizens can also meet as a group free of charge in the open library space which would be having a comfortable seating arrangement.
Dr Shahid said the Smart Libraries concept is a part of the project on how to reposition the public libraries in an environment of new social and technological challenges. “This novel project is aimed at rediscovering how the public and academic libraries move forward and adapt to new technologies, new communities, new user needs and information behaviours,” he said.

He said valuable suggestions were also welcome from the citizens on how to make these proposed libraries more attractive and productive. The suggestions, he said can be mailed to the District Administration Srinagar at email [email protected] or the Libraries Department ([email protected]).

Senior officials of the Libraries Department Kashmir accompanied the DDC during his visit to the SPS Library and briefed him about various ongoing activities including automation and digitization of rare books and manuscripts.

The Department of Libraries & Research has, on the initiative of the Director Libraries & Research, Mr Mohammad Rafi embarked on massive infrastructure upgradation of libraries including automation and digitization.

The Department has formulated a DPR for Rs 3 crore for construction of Model Library at Baramulla under National Mission on Libraries (NML) while a similar project is under formulation for SRS Library Jammu. The Department is also establishing IT Hubs in SPS Library Srinagar and SRS Library Jammu to facilitate the students.

The Department also plans to introduce the concept of Mobile Libraries in J&K to take the literary mission to the Panchayat-level.

The Department has earmarked around Rs 1.50 crore during the current fiscal for construction of new library building at Aishmuqam and upgradation of public libraries at Kulgam, Budgam, Kreeri and Chrar-e-Sharief out of which Rs 70 lakh have been released to the R&B Department for immediate execution of works.

There are at present 71 Libraries functional in Kashmir Division including 3 Central Libraries, 10 District Libraries, 23 Tehsil Libraries, 8 Block Libraries, 20 Border Block Libraries and 7 Shrine Libraries. (GNS)

Owais Gul
Srinagar, Dec 18: A 15-year-old girl from Baghat area of Srinagar has made entire Kashmir proud by winning Rs 25 lakhs in the famous ‘Koun Banega Crorepati’ (KBC) show, being hosted by the bollywood star, Amitabh Bachan.
Priya Kour, who is Class 10th student at Simin Rose Garden Montessori School, Baghat had never dreamt of appearing in the KBC to take part in the quiz.
However, an online application, Vedantu, opened the way for Kour to appear in the show.
She told KNO that in October this year, she took part in the quiz following which GK rounds and other quiz took place, adding that in the end of November month, she got a call from Mumbai where she appeared in the show from December 05-December 07.
“I am more than happy now as I have done something that has made my parents proud,” she said with a joyous smile, adding that she wants to become an IAS officer, saying that she wants to serve people in the society and do something for the education system.
She said that she has been receiving congratulatory messages from every single student of his class as well as the teachers and the head of the school where she is studying. “It is really a proud movement when your teachers are calling you and congratulating you for doing something beyond the imaginations,” she said.
Kour, when asked about the amount she won in the show, was in a hurry to reply that 10 per cent of the amount will be donated to a trust namely ‘Pingalwara Charitable trust’. She said as she is 15 at present, thus she has to wait for turning 18 following which the amount will be provided to her. “I have to wait for three years from now onwards to receive the amount. We are going to donate 10 per cent of the amount to Pingalwara Charitable trust, which probably has a branch in J&K as well while my father will decide what to do with rest 90 per cent of the amount.”
“Everybody has financial instability at their homes, I always wanted to help my parents and thus God has helped me to assist my family,” she said.
Kour has a younger sister, who is studying in Class 8th at present while her father is a transporter and her mother a former teacher and now a homemaker. She said none of the questions were asked from what she had prepared for the quiz, but she had learnt the answers of the questions from the different sources especially her school, which has helped her to answer a good chunk of questions in the quiz.
Ravinder Singh, her father while talking to KNO said that it is not for the first time that she has made the parents proud, but earlier she has emerged victorious in one of shows namely ‘Koun Banega Gursikh Pyara’ two years back in which 80,000 students from across India participated from their community. “She bagged first position in the event then and was awarded Alto K10 at that time. She is very efficient and the family is very proud of her,” Singh said.

Tasaduq Hussain

Srinagar, Dec 18: As many as 250 MBBS students on Friday morning staged a protest in the premises of SKIMS Medical College Srinagar against the administration for not taking concrete steps to commence the clinical classes and forcing students to face hardships.

The students from 10:00 am assembled within the premises of SKIMS Srinagar to register their protest and press for their demands.

The protesting MBBS students told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that for the past over six months not a single clinical class was held nor the administration has vacated the designated covid staff from hostels.

They said that the protest was organized against the administration, who for the past six months has kept them away from the classrooms deliberately.

The Covid staff has been accommodated at the hostels for which students have already paid, they said, adding that no clinical posting has been done so far since the entire hospital has been designated as Covid hospital even after the classwork resumed a month back, thus leaving them to lurch at large.

“Even now, the Covid staff has occupied the hostel rooms despite the students having already paid the hefty amount as hostel fee.

“After repeated requests to shift them, nothing was done by the administration leaving the students to suffer and face immense problems”, they said.

The MBBS students said that due to the neglecting attitude of the administration especially the Principal SKIMS Medical College, eight students have so far tested positive for Covid-19 after they came in contact with the Covid staff within the hostel which is highly worrying and disturbing for the students.

“We are not being allowed to enter the hospital or college entirely for the clinical purpose, which has taken a hit at our academics while the classes are only held at wards,” they said.

They said that the recent annual examination was held in the hotels (Private accommodation). ” We were forced to live outside and appear in the examination.”

Besides this, they said the deliberate academic loss has cost them additional six months if compared with the medical colleges pan-India (National Medical Colleges) only because the hospital has been entirely designated as a Covid facility.

“The six months delay is a deliberate attempt since all the students were made to move back home and the hospital even now is serving as an exclusive Covid facility”, the protesting MBBS students said.

Nearly 500 MBBS students are suffering due to the negligent attitude and non seriousness of the administration towards the enrolled students despite knowing the challenges faced, the protesting students said—(KNO)

Union Additional Secretary reviews implementation
Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 18: Additional Secretary, Department of Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, H. S. Meena, today chaired a meeting to discuss and review progress on Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP).

The meeting was also attended by Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Chief Executive Officer, Jammu and Kashmir Land Record Management Agency (JaKLaRMA) Shaleen Kabra.

During the meeting, H. S Meena stressed upon the officers that all mechanism of digitalization of land records shall be followed by as per norms of Government of India. He also told that the main aim of DILRMP is to usher in a system of updated land records, automated .and automatic mutation, integration between textual and spatial records, inter-connectivity between revenue and registration, to replace the present deeds registration and presumptive title system with that of conclusive titling with title guarantee.

Threadbare discussion was held on constitution of PMU (Programme Management Unit), overview of DILRMP, implementation of Plan of NLRMP during 2014 in three phases (Scanning of Revenue Documents/Maps), establishment of Ground Control Points and Development of Web-based Enterprises Geo-Information System.

Giving details of the project Phase-I, the FC informed that completion of scanning of 692.20 lakh revenue documents (98.18%), completion of scanning of 52341 Revenue Maps (98.18%), completion of digitization of 2000 Revenue Maps of Jammu and Srinagar districts (99%) and establishment of 3895 Ground Control Points for survey/re-survey. Besides, State Data Center of Revenue Department is being setup by the IT Department for hosting CIS and shall be completed within the stipulated time, he apprised the meeting further.

Pertinently, updation of Jamabandies is urgently required for survey/re-survey to be taken up in the UT. The process of allotment of contract for digitization of Jamabandies of all districts of the UT with usage of CORS network based technology is at the final stage.

Divisional Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, Sanjeev Verman and Pandurang K Pole, Deputy Commissioner, Jammu, Sushma Chauhan, Regional Director Survey and land records Jammu, Mushtaq Ahmed Chowdhary, Commissioner Survey and Land Records, Shahnawaz Bukhari, Additional Commissioner Central Jammu, Rishpal Singh and other concerned senior officers also attended the meeting.