Jammu, Dec 17: Taking a serious note of various departments for not providing detailed information about developmental projects, an order issued by the Jammu and Kashmir General Administration Department (GAD) on Thursday have directed all the administrative secretaries to ensure that the information is provided positively for each project being reviewed by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha time to time.
As per an official statement, it has been observed in the review meetings of the Lieutenant Governor that details regarding date of sanction of project, date of completion of land acquisition, handing over of land, sanctioned cost, current cost, original completion date, current completion date of different projects/works being under-taken by various Departments in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir are not provided by the concerned Departments, despite clear instructions for providing the same, which has been viewed seriously by the authorities.
“It is accordingly impressed upon all Administrative Secretaries to ensure that the information is provided positively for each project and scheme being reviewed by the Lieutenant Governor,” read an order.

Forest deptt sets up panel to seek technical, legal support

Nasir Azam

Srinagar, Dec 17: In a significant development, Jammu & Kashmir’s Forest department has set-up a high-level committee to provide it legal and technical support for implementation of the Forest Rights Act(FRA) in the Union Territory.

The eight-member panel headed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) and Chief Executive Officer, Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), Sarvesh Rai will comprise of Indian Forest Service officers and other officials of the department.

According to an order, a copy of which is in possession of news agency- Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the committee will act as think tank on various aspects of the implementation of Forest Rights Act for the Forest department.

The committee has been mandated to consult experts and go through central and state laws and court directions to provide inputs to the department on implementation of the law.

As already reported, the government has constituted UT- level monitoring committee, sub-divisional committees and district -level committees for implementation of Forest Rights Act in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The UT-level monitoring committee has been mandated to devise criteria and indicators for monitoring the process of recognition and vesting of forest rights.

The panel headed has also been empowered to monitor the process of recognition, verification and vesting of forest rights in Jammu & Kashmir. It will meet at least once in three months to monitor the process of recognition, verification and vesting of forest rights, consider and address the field level problems, and furnish a quarterly report to the central government on their assessment regarding the status of claims. (KNO)

Srinagar, Dec 17: Five hundred days have passed since the government imposed ban on high speed mobile data services in Jammu and Kashmir except twin districts including Ganderbal in Kashmir and Udhampur in Jammu division. However, the government has recently extended the ban till December 25 due to security reasons.
The 4G and 3G mobile internet services are suspended across J&K since August 5, 2019 when the central government abrogated the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union Territories.
The ban on high speed internet services has resulted in hardships among the students, traders, hoteliers and other section of the society. The ban has completed 500 days on Wednesday since August 5, 2019.
Talking to KNO, Kashmir Hotels and Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF) president, Wahid Malik said that every section of the society especially students have been suffering due to the ongoing ban on the high speed mobile data services.
He said although the broadband and other connections are available at the hotels, but the clients who visit here are facing hardships as they want to connect with their friends and families during outings. “We appeal the government to restore the high speed mobile data services in Jammu and Kashmir at earliest so that the people here as well as the visitors here could heave a sigh of relief,” he said.
Adil Ahmad, a student, who recently appeared in Class 12th examinations, told KNO that the students are being pushed to the wall due to the continuous restrictions on 3G and 4G mobile internet services.
He said most of the students belong to downtrodden section of the society and cannot afford broadband and other similar connections, thus simultaneously have ben facing tremendous hardships.
Ahmad also added that in the recently conducted examinations, the students like him faced lot of hardships to collect the study material on internet due to slow speed internet services. “We were being forced to pay at local internet café to download the study material most of the times during the examinations,” Ahmad said.
Amid difficulties being faced by the people, there is no statement by the government as on date about the restoration of the high speed mobile data services while it has extended the ban on 3G and 4G mobile data services across J&K barring two districts, till December 25.

Jahangeer Ganaie
Shopian, Dec 17: A PhD Scholar from South Kashmir has decided to take Kashmir apples to every corner of the world by setting up a supply chain of selling apple produce online.
Dr. Adnan Ali, a resident of Pinjoora village of Shopian district after completing his MBA in marketing from IUST is delivering Kashmiri apples at the doorstep of customers through online orders.
Currently, pursuing a PhD from Lovely professional university, Ali said the idea of starting an online business emerged when he was pursuing engineering in Pune.
“I wasn’t happy with the system, the rates of our products were decided by the trader, not grower,” he said. “Though I am in the initial stage of my business, I am getting a lot of appreciation, and I am also receiving orders in bulk.”
Ali said despite Covid-19 lockdown, he has sold thousands of apples packs both online and offline with a turnover of around Rs 6 lakh.
“Instead of full boxes of 15 kg. I sell packs of one to six apples to customers,” he said.
“So far the feedback is very positive. I also use biodegradable packs coming from Gujarat, which has been a plus point,” Ali said.
Ali said that he is currently selling around 15 varieties of apples and on average he is receiving around 50 orders in a day through Dukaan.com, Popshop and WhatsApp.
“I personally thank Director Horticulture, Ajaz Ahmad Bhat (KAS) for his unconditional support and guidance. He gave me an opportunity to participate in all fruit exhibitions that were conducted lately,” he said.
Ali recently received an award for an innovative idea from LG Manoj Sinha and his product was officially launched by the Principal Secretary, Horticulture Department, Navin Kumar Choudhary.
“I am working on few more projects so that our apples can reach in every corner of the world. Apples which we usually left to rot or give it to local vendors due to scab and some other issues can be converted into Jam, dry apple, jelly, pulp and apple powder so that even little piece of apple won’t get wasted,” he said— (KNO)

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 17: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is conducting the third round of national serosurvey for COVID-19 titled ‘National sero-surveillance to monitor the trend of SARS-CoV-2 infection transmission in India.
The second round was held in July-August this year where the prevalence of IgG antibody titres were found 27.3 per cent among the general population in the Pulwama district.
In the third round, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Obsever (KNO), the data will again be collected through app-based and blood samples will be taken to assess immunoglobulin-Gamma (Ig-G) against SARS-CoV-2 which will determine infection in recent past and the body’s immune response to the SARS CoV-2 infection.
Each selected site collects data and blood samples of 400 participants of children over 10 years and adult population and also shall include 100 health care workers in the district Pulwama.
ICMR is conducting the study through its regional centres, however the Director-General ICMR & Secretary, Department of Health Research, MOHFW, Government of India Dr Balram Bhargava again asked Government Medical College, Srinagar to conduct the study in Pulwama district on its behalf for which it has communicated to Chief Secretary J&K, Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education Department, J&K and Mission Director JK NHM.
A team from Government Medical College Srinagar comprising faculty, resident doctors and medical interns from the Department of Community Medicine (SPM) are deputed by Dr Samia Rashid, principal/ dean, GMC Srinagar for conducting the survey in ICMR assigned ten clusters and selected sub-district hospitals in district Pulwama with full support and cooperation from Deputy Commissioner Pulwama Dr Raghav Langer, Chief Medical Officer, Pulwama Dr Hassina Mir and health teams including Epidemiologist Dr Arshad, BMOs, doctors, laboratory technicians and other paramedical staff at the district level while ICMR Headquarter New Delhi.
“It’s premier centres including National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai is providing support in training, guidance, testing, data management, analytics and logistics support, said Dr. S. Muhammad Salim Khan, HOD Community Medicine, GMC Srinagar and nodal person for ICMR national ser-survey for COVID-19 of district Pulwama.
The blood samples will be sent to ICMR lab at Chennai.
In the first two rounds of ICMR sero survey, the sero-prevalence in district Pulwama was found to be 2 per cent and 27.3 per cent respectively while the recent study by GMC Srinagar in district Pulwama in October showed prevalence risen to 43.1 per cent among general population, highest among 10 districts in Kashmir division.
This time the sero-prevalence of SARS CoV-2 Infection is expected to be more than previous outcomes—(KNO)

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 17: Power Department Corporation Limited (JPDCL)-Jammu and Srinagar has started installation of SIM based smart e-meters as part of a major reform process to bring transparency in billing and reduce revenue losses in UT.
According to officials about 300 e-meters are being installed in two capital cities-Jammu and Srinagar on trial basis and after monitoring their functioning and operational challenges, about 57,000 smart meters will be installed in both the capital cities.
The first phase target is to install 1.15 lakh meters under a project sanctioned under centrally sponsored ambitious J&K specific Prime Minister Development Programme (PMDP).
“Smart meters will bring transparency in metering, billing and collection which will eventually reduce power losses and ensure quality and reliable power supply to consumers”, said Gurmeet Singh, Chief Engineer, Power Distribution Corporation Limited (PDCL-Jammu).
Similarly, trials are being conducted in old city areas of Kashmir by PDCL-Kashmir.
When the project is completed consumers could recharge the smart meters in the same manner as mobile phones are recharged, thus eliminating the requirement of manual meter-reading and paper bill distribution.
“Meters will be read remotely in the Data Centre at Srinagar and Data Recovery Centre at Jammu through communication channels. Engineers will know the status of power supply at consumer end and take prompt action in case there is power interruption due to system faults or some other reason”, said a senior official in the power department.
After a decade of reform process which started in 2005 under various governments in the erstwhile state, the power sector had remained a ‘Achilles heel’.(KNS)

New Delhi, Dec 17: Every rural household in Ganderbal and Srinagar districts of Jammu and Kashmir has been given tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Thursday.
The union territory is planning 100 per cent coverage by 2022 to achieve the target of providing tap water connection to its every rural household. The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide tap water connections to all rural households of the country by 2024.
“In the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, every household in Ganderbal and Srinagar districts has got tap water connections and every family is getting potable piped water in their homes,” the Jal Shakti Ministry said in a statement.
Out of 18.17 lakh rural households in Jammu and Kashmir, 8.66 lakh (48 per cent) are provided with tap water connections. J&K plans to provide tap connections in 2.32 lakh households during 2020-21.
So far, one state (Goa), 18 districts, including Srinagar and Ganderbal in Jammu & Kashmir and Lahaul, Spiti in Himachal Pradesh, and more than 423 blocks, 33,000-gram panchayats and 60,000 villages have achieved 100 per cent household coverage.
In less than a year, about 2.80 crore households in the country have been provided with tap water connections, the ministry said.
As of now, 6.03 crore households (32 per cent) of the country are getting tap water supply into their homes. Every year, more than three crore households are to be given tap water connections, the ministry added.

Precious Kashmir News
Anantnag, Dec 17: BJP on Thursday organized a tiranga rally at Bijbehara which was addressed by senior party leaders Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, Vibodh Gupta and Sofi Yousuf.
Speaking on the occasion BJP National Spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said the success of tiranga rally was a loud message to Muftis from their hometown that not only is tiranga unfurled in Kashmir but is now celebrated in Kashmir by the local population.
“Local population has no problem with BJP or the national flag, but both BJP and tiranga in Kashmir have always been pinching to the politicians who are behaving like agents of others,” he said.
Shahnawaz said the new Kashmir signifies peace and prosperity and peace have understood that BJP’s vikas agenda was going to transform the life of a common man in J&K who has been deprived of the basic developmental facilities.
He said Gupkar leaders need to come out of their frenzy of past and accept the present political change in J&K as the reality. “The sooner the leaders of NC, PDP, Congress and others of their branch accept the reality of the constitutional change in J&K, the better of them as the people have decided to go with the change”. (KNS)

Machil, Keran remain cut off

Srinagar, Dec 17: The border town of Gurez was reconnected with rest of Kashmir valley after remaining cut off for nine days due to closure of the road following accumulation of several feet of snow.
However, traffic to dozens of far-flung and remote villages — including Keran and Machil — remained suspended on Thursday due to slippery road conditions and accumulation of snow even as operation was going on a war-footing to reconnect these areas with the valley.
Meanwhile, one-way traffic was plying on Kupwara-Karnah road, which was reopened on Monday after three days following clearing of snow and improvement in weather conditions.
“One-way traffic from Gurez to Bandipora was allowed to ply on Thursday after remaining suspended for nine days. Traffic to areas adjoining to Gurez was also restored,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR) from Bandipora told UNI.
He the border town was reconnected to the district headquarters in Bandipora after clearing several feet of snow on Gurez-Bandipora road, particularly Razdan Top.
“Traffic to border town of Keran and adjoining areas remained suspended for the sixth successive day on Thursday due to accumulation of snow,” an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, said.
He said the border town of Machil also remained cut off from rest of the world for the tenth day on Thursday due to accumulation of snow.
Z gali and Phirkiyan pass on Friday and Saturday received about a foot to 2 feet of fresh snowfall, which has now frozen due to sub-zero night temperature. “Snow clearance operation was going on war-footing in these areas following improvement in the weather,” he said, adding traffic will be resumed only after getting a green signal from officials deployed on the ground.