‘After Zojila, seven more tunnels to come up in J&K in next two years’

Gul Owais
Srinagar, Oct 15: Highlighting achievements of the administration in Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that his priority is to ensure corruption free governance.
Addressing a presser at Raj Bhawan here LG Sinha said that he has been pushing for on the spot grievance redressals, instant delivery of services and also on the ground speedy execution of people-centric projects.
“My focus is to ensure that all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir will see good governance and development without any discrimination,” he said, adding that his motive is to ensure corruption free governance to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The LG while sharing the achievements said that he would ensure more use of technology for quick, hassle-free services like online building permissions, clearance of contractors’ bills, and other payments.
“In the last two months, several major steps have been taken up by J&K administration to empower villages and urban areas of the Union Territory, and to make the government more responsive and accessible to the people,” he added.
About the 14.15 kilometres long Zojila tunnel, the work on which was started today, the LG said that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated the tunnel virtually and the Rs 7000 crore will be spent on its construction, which is
Rs 4000 crore less than the amount which was fixed for it earlier.
“Let me announce here that seven more tunnels will be constructed in J&K UT in the next two years. Tendering process of many has been already done and other legalities are being completed,” he said. “To name a few are— Qazigund-Banhinal tunnel, Chenani to Sudhmahadev tunnel and Chatru to Anantnag tunnel,” he said.
LG Sinha also announced Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs) for farmers and said that 500 tractors will be given to the farmers on subsidized rates.
He added after Back to village programme, the government is now organizing another programme titled ‘My Town My Pride’, which will commence from October 19. “We have three main objectives – public outreach in towns, strengthening grass-root democracy, and service delivery at doorsteps. I have been pushing for on spot grievance redressal, instant delivery of services to the masses, and on the ground speedy execution of people-centric projects.”
In the recently concluded Back to Village-III programme, LG Sinha informed that 4440 sports kits were distributed among the youth in all the panchayat while 3959 dustbins were installed to promote cleanliness and 2430 families provided a house under Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana’, he said.
He also stated that 4,25,258 Domicile Certificates, 45,327 Category Certificates, and 51,097 birth/ death/ disability certificates were issued in addition to a greater number of social welfare pensions sanctioned during the programme.
Sinha also announced that 44 long-languishing projects have been completed in the month of September alone, while another 1798 projects are being expedited for completion.
He added that announcement of economic package for the revival of the business sector in J&K is also one among the achievements.

New Delhi, Oct 15: Reiterating its clear and consistent position on the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, India on Thursday said that China has no locus standi.
“Our position on this has always been clear and consistent. The union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have been, are, and would remain an integral part of India. China has no locus standi to comment on India’s internal matters. We hope that countries will not comment on India’s internal matters, as much as they expect the same of others,’ Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during the weekly virtual media briefing.
The spokesperson said that New Delhi’s position on Arunachal Pradesh has also been made clear several times. “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India. This fact has also been clearly conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions, including at the highest level,’ he said.
The spokesperson was asked for his reaction on Beijing’s remark after the opening of 44 bridges in border areas.

Causalities mount to 1361; total cases at 86057
Nadeem Nadu
Srinagar, Oct 15: Jammu and Kashmir reported seven more COVID-19 deaths in last 24 hours, while 648 more people tested positive for the virus, officials said on Thursday.
They said that fatality count in the Union Territory due to COVID-19 has mounted to 1361, while 86057 people have tested positive since the outbreak of pandemic.
Among the victims who died today, five belonged to Kashmir and two to Jammu division.
Giving details, they said, the victims include an 85-year-old man from Sopore, a 70-year-old man from Rajouri Kadal Srinagar, a 73-year-old man from Lal Bazar, a 70-year-old man from Shahbad Tral Pulwama and a 74-year-old from Deedarpora Kupwara who died at SMHS hospital, a day after he was admitted with bilateral community acquired pneumonia. The two other deaths were reported from the J&K’s winter capital—a 62-year-old woman from Bakshi Nagar and a 75-year-old woman from Badyal Brahmana.
With these deaths, the fatality count has reached 916 in Valley and 445 in Jammu.
Srinagar district with 327 deaths tops the list followed by Jammu (232), Baramulla (132), Budgam (90), Pulwama (76), Kupwara (72), Anantnag (70), Kulgam (43), Bandipora(42), Rajouri (45), Doda (40), Shopian (33), Ganderbal (30), Kathua (29), Udhampur (25), Samba (24), Poonch (22), Ramban (11), Kishtwar(11) and Reasi (6).

Meanwhile, thirty-two travelers were among 648 new COVID-19 cases that were reported in Jammu and Kashmir in past 24 hours, taking the total count to 86057.
Official sources told GNS that 268 of them were from Jammu Division and 380 from Kashmir.
Giving district wise details, Srinagar reported 182 cases, Budgam 39, Baramulla 32, Pulwama 35, Kupwara 19, Anantnag 17, Bandipora 22, Ganderbal 29, Kulgam 4, Shopian 1, Jammu 120, Rajouri 17,
Udhampur 10, Doda 21, Kathua 15, Poonch 23, Samba 11, Kishtwar 41, Ramban 6 and Reasi 4.
A number of the cases were confirmed at CD hospital and include female (45) (Na) from Sgr, female (32) from Noorpora, male (10) from Udaipora, male (48) (Na) from Budgam, male (08) (Na) from Pc, Dept Sgr, male (65) (Na) from Baghat Sgr, male (70) (Na) from Pampore, female (39) (Na) from Ganderbal, male (55) (Na) from Rajbagh, female (26) (Na) from Nowshera, female (28) (Na) from Sgr, female (38) (Na) from Old Barzullah, male (45) (Na) from Bandipora, female (42) from Zamba Kadal Sgr, male (33) (Na) from Umarabad Sgr, female (55) (Na) from Kothibagh Sgr, male (38) (Na) from Natipora Sgr, female (35) (Na) from Hmt Sgr, female (48) (Na) from Nawabazar Sgr, male (07) (Na) from Nawabaxar Sgr, male (40) (Na) from Nawabazar Sgr, male (42) (Na) from Bemina Sgr, female (05) (Na) from Bemina Sgr, male (28) (Na) from Narbal Baramulla, female (Na) from Chanpora, male (70) (Na) from Balgarden, female (42) (Na) from Buchpora, male (22) (Na) from Buchpora, male (52) (Na) from Buchpora, male (64) (Na) from Nawakadal, male (32) (Na) from Baghat, male (80) (Na) from Chanpora, female (26) (Na) from Pampore, female (29) (Na) from Ellahibagh, female (18) (Na) from Rainawari, female (50) (Na) from Bemina Sgr, female (30) (Na) from Eidgah, male (43) (Na) from Chanpora, male (42) (Na) from Chanpora, male (42) (Na) from Batamaloo, male (70) (Na) from Pattan, male (36) (Na) from Bagi Mehtab, male (78) (Na) from Tangmarg, female (55) (Na) from Zainkadal, male (60) (Na) from Qasbyar, male (45) from Abhama, male (40) from Rajpora, female (80) Pingleena, female (17 Student) from Devar, male (22) (Na) from Buchpora Sgr, female (09) (Na) from Buchpora Sgr, female (Na) from Baramulla, male (70) (Na) from Uri Baramulla, male (35) (Na) from Devar Tral
Moreover, they said, 1323 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged from various hospitals—334 from Jammu Division and 989 from Kashmir Valley. (GNS)

Death toll at 111266

New Delhi, Oct 15: The number of positive cases due to Novel Coronavirus crossed the mark of 73 lakh on Thursday, as the country registered fresh 67,708 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the overall tally to 73,07,098, while the death toll reached 1,11,266 after 680 more people succumbed to the deadly virus in the past 24 hours.

According to the Union Health Ministry, 81,514 COVID patients were cured/discharged during the same time-frame, taking the total number of recoveries to 63,83,441 and recovery rate to 87.36 per cent.
The country is currently home to 8,12,390 active cases of the contagion.

New Delhi, Oct 15: Calling for continued vigilance and a high state of preparedness against the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday directed health authorities to scale up COVID-19 testing and sero-surveys and said the facility to get tested regularly and speedily at a low cost must be available to all at the earliest.

Chairing a review meeting of the research and vaccine deployment ecosystem against the COVID-19 pandemic, the prime minister also underscored the need for continuous and rigorous scientific testing and validation of traditional medicine treatments.

He appreciated the efforts of Ministry of AYUSH for conducting evidence-based research and providing reliable solutions in this difficult time, an official statement said.

Washington, Oct 15: Despite the global push for a COVID-19 vaccine, with dozens in clinical trials and hopes for initial inoculations this year, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that speedy, mass shots were unlikely.
“Most people agree, it’s starting with health care workers, and front-line workers, but even there, you need to define which of them are at highest risk, and then the elderly, and so on,” Swaminathan said.
“A healthy young person might have to wait until 2022.”
Two candidates, from Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca’s U.S. trial, are paused on safety concerns. Manufacturing billions of doses of an eventual successful vaccine will be a big challenge and authorities have to grapple with the hard decisions about who gets inoculated first.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also warned against any complacency in the coronavirus death rate, saying with the increasing number of cases, mortality would also rise.
While deaths globally have fallen to around 5,000 per day from April’s peak exceeding 7,500, Swaminathan said caseloads were rising in intensive care units.
“Mortality increases always lag behind increasing cases by a couple of weeks,” Swaminathan said during a WHO social media event. “We shouldn’t be complacent that death rates are coming down.”
The head of the World Health Organization earlier warned against the idea that herd immunity might be a realistic strategy to stop the pandemic, dismissing such proposals as “simply unethical.”
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said health officials typically aim to achieve herd immunity by vaccination. Tedros noted that to obtain herd immunity from a highly infectious disease such as measles, for example, about 95% of the population must be immunized.
Tedros said that too little was known about immunity to COVID-19 to know if herd immunity is even achievable.
WHO estimates less than 10% of the population has any immunity to the coronavirus, meaning the vast majority of the world remains susceptible.