Srinagar, Dec 14: The authorities at the helm of the affairs are not expected to delay the payment of family pension to the next kin and kith, the High Court observed on Monday even as it asked Secretary Ministry of Finance Department to examine the approach adopted in the matters pertaining to the family pension of the employees.

The direction was passed by a bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey while hearing a contempt petition in which the court on October 6 had directed the Accountant General to finalize the family pension case of the petitioner— Shama Agha— in terms of the judgment passed by it regarding implementation of judgment seeking release of family pension,

The Accountant General filed statement of facts in compliance to the court’s October 6 order, mentioning that Shama’s case for payment of family pension has been taken up with the Senior Accounts Officer (AIS), Central Pension Accounting Office New Delhi.

The statement of facts reveals that the matter has been forwarded for payment of family pension to the office of India Audit and Accounts Department, the court observed.

“Ordinarily, authorities at the helm of the affairs, are not expected to delay the payment of family pension to the next kin and kith, who has served the Government for considerable time,” the court said as per GNS, adding, “The Court feels it necessary that while seeking response from the Accountant General, qua payment of family pension to the petitioner, a copy of the Judgment out of which the instant contempt petition has arisen along with copies of orders passed in the contempt petition from 10.03.2020 till date be send to Secretary to Ministry of Finance Department, Government of India for examining the approach adopted in the matters pertaining to the family pension of the employees.”

Need to send the copy of judgment and orders has arisen to update the Secretary to Ministry of Finance Department for taking an overall view in these matters, the court said. It also granted ten days’ time to Accountant General to file compliance, ensuring payment of family pension to the petitioner, failing which he shall appear in person on the next date of hearing on December 31. (GNS)

Directs for energy audit of govt buildings, energy efficient green buildings

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 14: Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Pandurang K. Pole today inaugurated a Webinar on Energy Conservation Day.

The Webinar was organised by Institution of Engineers (India) J&K State Centre, Srinagar, in collaboration with Divisional Administration, Kashmir, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd and J&K State Emergency Operation Centre, Srinagar and the Valedictory function was chaired by Er. Bashir Ahmed Dar, Secretary Technical, Power Development Department.

The Div Com said that mankind is more dependable on resources and due to excessive utilisation of energy it has resulted in Global warming and average temperatures have increased globally resulting in changes to  climatic conditions. He said it is time that we shift to resources that are renewable and eco-friendly.

He requested the Institution of Engineers to get an Energy Audit of 25 Government buildings on a pilot basis, and furnish actionable recommendations which can be implemented. He also requested that a webinar be organised for creating awareness about green buildings and basic skills to preserve energy.

Pole said that while it is mandatory now to construct earthquake resistant structures, similarly it should be mandatory to make energy efficient buildings.

Chief Engineer KPDCL, Er Aijaz Ahmed Dar said that many reformative measures have been initiated to reduce the energy consumption but implored the public to cooperate with the department and use energy efficient devices only.

Er Shurjeel G. Lala, CEO IT, KPDCL gave a detailed briefing about the energy conservation measures taken by the department.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Srinagar, Dr. Syed Hanief Balkhi said that there is need to adopt green building technology, and adopt energy conservation concept and implored on the organiser to bring out a white paper on energy conservation with actionable points for implementation.

Earlier, Chairman Institution of Engineers, Er Aamir Ali welcomed the participants and said that the purpose of Energy Conservation Day was to highlight its importance in our day to day affairs and promote a process of energy conservation by generating healthy discussions and webinar and promote less usage of energy.

He suggested the need to adopt renewable energy resources, like solar-power or nano-hydro projects and bio-diesel etc to generate electricity.

Qazi Muhammed Imran Shah, a renowned religious practitioner spoke about the Use of Electricity and Shariah obligation and implored the public to desist from illegally hooking the power lines as it is a sin and against the basic tenements of religion. He urged the public to utilise electricity judiciously.

Speaking at the valediction, Er Bashir Ahmed Dar, Secretary Technical Power Development Department said that Energy Conservation Act of 2001 makes it mandatory for all structures to be energy efficient, as per the guidelines of BEE, Ministry of Power.

He said that there is a need for more Energy Auditors in the State so that the Building Codes can be applied. He urged the public not to use crude water and cooking electric devices as it causes a loss of almost 1000 MW.

He implored Engineers and Architects to design the roof of our houses in such a manner that solar panels can be installed for generating solar power, which can be very beneficial for the consumer, as the electric bill will drastically reduce and they will have their own captive power available to them.

The webinar was attended by Er Aijaz Ahmed Dar, Chief Engineer, KPDCL, Er Bashir Ahmed Dar, Secretary Technical PDD, Er. Shurjeel G. Lala, CEO IT KPDCL, Addl Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr. Syed Hanief Balkhi, Er. Aamir Ali Mir, Chairman IEI JKSC and Qazi Mohammad Imran Shah, a prominent Religious Preacher senior officers including Students and Staff from NIT Srinagar and SSM College of Engineering and Technology, Parihaspora, besides professionals from various walks of life, general public and media personnel.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 14: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Monday conducted raids in connection with embezzlement of food grain in Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) in north Kashmir district of Baramulla.
A spokesman of the ACB said this evening that a verification conducted by ACB revealed that Director FCS&CA Department Kashmir has allotted additional 500 AAY Ration Tickets (RTs) to district Baramulla with effect from October 2017 vide order No. 261-DFCS&CAK of 2017 dated 10.07.2017 under revised NFSA target.
The additional allotment of rice 5075 quintals (35 kgs / RT per month) continuously flowed from the Directorate of FCS&CA Kashmir to district Baramulla for 29 months from the month of October 2017 to February 2020.
However, the officials of FCS&CA department instead of identifying the additional 500 AAY beneficiaries, misappropriated quantity of additional allotment in league with their Tehsil Supply Officers (TSOs) and Storekeepers resulting in a loss of Rs 1,00,75,155 to the State Exchequer.
Consequently, case FIR No. 05/2020 has been registered in Police Station (P/S) ACB Baramulla u/s 5(1)(c), 5(1)(d) r/w 5(2) J&K P.C Act Svt. 2006 and section 120-B,409 RPC.
After the registration of FIR, searches were conducted at various locations after obtaining search warrant from Court. During searches incriminating documents related to the case were recovered.
Further investigation of the case is going on, he said.

Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Dec 14: In a move aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability, Jammu & Kashmir government has decided to go for physical verification of all 708 projects completed from the loan availed by Jammu & Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation Limited(JKIDFC).

Documents in possession of KNO lay bare that JKIDFC has decided to for physical verification of all 708 projects within one month.

“The JKIDFC team was directed to depute the officials for physical verification of the completed projects. It was also directed that at least two (02) officials of JKIDFC shall be deputed everyday for monitoring and verification of these projects and the verification of 708 physically completed projects shall be completed within a month,” reads the minutes of meeting of JKIDFC held under the chairmanship of Arun Kumar Mehta, Financial Commissioner, Finance on December 4.

According to the record note, Mehta, who is also chairman JKIDFC, took serious note of the slow pace of completion of projects by the departments and directed that short individual review meetings shall be held on consecutive days in a week with the departments.

“Further, the chairman directed to forward a D.O letter to all the concerned administrative secretaries regarding slow moving projects of the departments approved under JKIDFC along with the list. The administrative secretaries of each department shall be conveyed to take necessary actions for faster implementation of these projects and explain reasons for delay. Also the chair directed that in case of non-compliance of the nodal officers to initiate the projects within a stipulated time, the projects shall be dropped from the approved list of languishing projects funded under JKIDFC,” the record note of the meeting states.

After imposition of Governor’s Rule in Jammu & Kashmir, the State Administrative Council approved a proposal to raise a loan of Rs 8000 crores for completing all languishing projects in the state.

Abid Bashir
Srinagar, Dec 14: Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief Dilbag Singh Monday said that the killing of a Personal Security Officer (PSO) of a PDP leader at Natipora, Srinagar, is an attempt to disrupt the ongoing election process and the prevailing peaceful environment across Kashmir.
He said that police have clues about the number of militants involved in the attack and area where they came from and that “attackers will soon be brought to book.” Talking to reporters on the sidelines of wreath laying ceremony of Manzoor Ahmed at District Police Lines (DPL) Srinagar, the DGP said that one must understand that J&K is going through an important exercise at present—the exercise at the grassroots level and there is a huge participation of people, which is commendable. PSO Manzoor was guarding PDP senior leader Haji Pervez Ahmed at Natipora, Srinagar, and sustained bullet wounds after militants fired at him at Pervez’s residence early this morning. He was shifted to Bone and Joints Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
“There have been elaborate security arrangements but we can’t put the movement of people to a complete halt while ensuring the grassroot level exercise. In between, there is a hidden movement of an odd number of anti-national elements as well,” he said.
The DGP said that in Poonch, a group of Lashkar-e-Toiba militants had infiltrated and were trying to reach Shopian but couldn’t due to snow accumulation in the area. “Their motive too was to disrupt the ongoing election process. We offered them surrender multiple times with an aim that we could show the world that how our neighbor is fomenting trouble in Kashmir. But the militants refused to surrender and were killed in the encounter,” he said, adding that “we have enough evidence and incriminating material recovered from the slain militants by which we can prove what their motive was.”

About PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s tweet wherein she has alleged that J&K administration has left the opposition leaders in a vulnerable position by downgrading their security, the DGP termed the allegations as baseless. “The PDP leader (Haji Pervez Ahmed) at whose residence PSP Manzoor was killed, was asked by the police to shift the location on the pretext that his residence was in a congested area and prone to militant attacks. He never paid heed to our suggestions,” the DGP said. “He regularly violated security advisories. We reviewed his security and found there was a need of one PSO for him, but two were provided to him.”
To a query what was the motive of militants behind today’s attack, the J&K police chief said that the motive was to disrupt the ongoing election process and the peaceful environment prevailing in the Valley that was “managed by people and the security agencies including police after a lot of efforts.”

He said attacks like the one happened today can happen despite the security cover to the politicians. “BJP slain youth leader Waseem Bari had 10 PSOs but still got killed. “In today’s attack, we have a fair amount of clues about the number of militants who carried out the attack and the area from where they came from. I am sure police will track them down soon and bring them to justice,” the DGP said.

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, Dec 14: The Higher Education Department of Jammu and Kashmir government and the ICT Academy Monday signed an MoU on JEET scheme here today to provide training to 5000 students in the mutually agreed training modules in a phased manner.
Talat Parvez Rohella, Commissioner Secretary, Higher Education Department, J&K government was present on the occasion.
This initiative of implementation and adoption of ICT at all levels in J&K Higher Education would certainly contribute and enhance productivity, efficiency and growth of students. The training programme would be in line with parameters approved by AICTE for implementation and funding JEET scheme. The programme will contribute towards adding aspirational quotient of the skill training as laid down in the National Skill Policy 2015.
Pertinently, the ICT academy presents various skill development courses under J&K Employability Enhancement Training (JEET) scheme for the students of J&K studying in pre final/final course in AICTE approved institutions to enhance their skill and employability. Under this project, about 5000 students from 53 colleges of the Union Territory of J&K and Ladakh will be benefitted from the 13 different technical programs offered by AICTE.
Also, the JEET scheme aims at enhancing the competency of students from engineering and technical colleges by imparting skill training through ICT academy as nodal agency in selected sectors resulting in increased employability of the students in these sectors. The skill training shall also help to gain knowledge on particular technology and acquire skills for a targeted job role.
On the occasion, a presentation focusing on the benefits, beneficiaries, the process and the reach of ICT academy was made by B. Ragavasrinivasan, General Manager along with Lovetesh Kumar, Project Manager, ICT Academy.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Dec 14: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday constituted an eight-member committee for identification, protection and restoration of water bodies in the union territory.
The committee will be headed by the administrative secretary, Forest Ecology and Environment Department and submit periodical reports to the central pollution control board (CPCB)/secretary Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, a government order said.
The order, issued by Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said the terms of reference include identification and protection of all water bodies and assigning of unique identification numbers to each water body.
The committee will also work to remove encroachments in and around the water bodies, to prevent dumping of waste in the water bodies, maintain water quality as per the recognised standards and restore water bodies by taking other appropriate steps, the order said
The other terms of reference include involving the panchayats and the community, utilising the financial resources available from different sources and evolve further monitoring mechanisms as well as grievance redressal mechanism, the order read.