New Delhi, Aug 9:  In a major push to boost ‘Atamnirbhar Bharat’, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday introduced import embargo on 101 items beyond given timeline to boost indigenisation of defence production.

”The Ministry of Defence is now ready for a big push to Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. MoD will introduce import embargo on 101 items beyond given timeline to boost indigenisation of defence production,” Singh said in a series of tweets.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi  has given a clarion call for a self-reliant India based on the five pillars — Economy, Infrastructure, System, Demography and Demand and announced a special economic package for Self-Reliant India named  ‘Atamnirbhar Bharat’.

Taking cue from that evocation, he said, the Ministry of Defence has prepared a list of 101 items for which there would be an embargo on the import beyond the timeline indicated against them, he said, adding that this is a big step towards self-reliance in defence.

The Defence Minister said the decision will offer a great opportunity to the Indian defence industry to manufacture the items in the negative list by using their own design and development capabilities or adopting the technologies designed and developed by DRDO to meet the requirements of the Armed Forces.

”The embargo on imports is planned to be progressively implemented between 2020 to 2024. Our aim is to apprise the Indian defence industry about the anticipated requirements of the Armed Forces so that they are better prepared to realise the goal of indigenisation,” he maintained.

The Defence Minister said the list is prepared by MoD after several rounds of consultations with all stakeholders, including  the Armed Forces, public and private industry to assess current and future  capabilities of  the  Indian industry for manufacturing various ammunition and equipment within India.

He said almost 260 schemes of such items were contracted by the Tri-Services at an approximate cost of Rs 3.5 lakh crore between April 2015 and August 2020.

It is estimated that contracts worth almost Rs 4 lakh crore will be placed upon the domestic industry within the next 6 to 7 years.

”Of these, items worth almost Rs 1,30,000 crore each are anticipated for the Army and the Air Force while items worth almost Rs 1,40,000 crore are anticipated by the Navy over the same period”.

The list also includes, wheeled Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) with indicative import embargo date of December 2021, of which the Army is expected to contract almost 200 at an approximate cost of over Rs 5,000 crore.

All necessary steps would be taken to ensure  that  timelines  for production of equipment as per the Negative Import List are met, which will include a co-ordinated mechanism for hand holding of the industry by the Defence Services, the minister pointed out.

Singh said more such equipment for import embargo would be identified progressively by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in consultation with all stakeholders.

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Aug 9: Life remained affected on Sunday due to lock down imposed by the authorities in view of continued spike in COVID-19 cases in the Kashmir valley, where barricading on some more roads was lifted today.
Administration in several districts have ordered fresh lock down and other measures on August Ist to prevent further spread of coronavirus.
Shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off the roads in summer capital, Srinagar. However, private vehicles besides three wheelers were seen plying in the city routes. Defying lock down some passenger vehicles were also plying on some routes, mainly in the uptown and highway bypass.
All major business hubs, including Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city continued to wore a deserted look with only security forces and some pedestrian seen moving. Goni Khan and Mahraj Bazar markets roads, which were closed with barbed wire, have been partly open today.
Private vehicles were also seen plying on Amira Kadal bridge, the main link between HSHS and Lal Chowk. The road remained closed with barbed wire for the past about a week.
There was also no change in the situation in Maisuma, the stronghold of JKLF and adjoining areas. However, private vehicles , particularly two wheelers were seen plying on Budshah Bridge on Moulana Azad road though security forces and police personnel remained deployed.
There was no major change in the situation in the down town and Shehar-e-Khas (SeK), where shops and business establishments remained closed and passenger traffic remained off the roads. Though security forces have lifted majority nakas and other barricades, in several areas, including Nallahmar road, only one side of the road was open and private transport was allowed to ply.
The main gates of the historic Jamia masjid, stronghold of moderate Hurriyat Conference (HC) remained locked.
In the outskirts of the city some small shops were open and private traffic plying.
Life remained affected other main towns and tehsil headquarters in the Kashmir valley, where lock down was imposed from August Ist to contain further spike in COVID 19 positive cases.

We have ordered departmental inquiry: Doctor

Peerzada Waseem

Baramulla, Aug 9: Family members of a baby who died in mother’s womb  alleged negligence on part of the hospital authorities at Kunzar hospital in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Sunday.

One of the family members, Mohammad Arif alleged that the doctors on duty  refused to do USG of the baby’s mother.

“The baby died in the mother’s womb. We knocked at the door of doctors but they refused to go for USG. This is sheer negligence of the doctor,” the family members alleged.

They said that the baby’s mother was shifted to hospital on August 05 as it was her expected delivery date but the doctors at the hospital refused to do USG of the patient.

They said that doctors and nurses were waiting for ‘normal delivery’, but it didn’t happen.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ruqiya posted at the primary health centre, Kunzar told KNO that the baby was alive upto children’s hospital and died there.

She said that the patient’s USG was done in the month of June so there was no need for a new USG per doctors consultation.

“It is not negligence, these things are always unpredictable. We have already ordered a departmental enquiry and we are waiting for the report,” she said. (KNO)

Jammu, Aug 9: A young man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly strangling his wife to death in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

The 24-year-old victim, Sapna Devi, was found hanging from a tree in an agriculture field at Thub Thanol on June 9.

During investigation, the police team examined the spot and collected all circumstantial evidences which suggested murder and zeroed in on Devi’s husband Sudesh Kumar who broke down during interrogation and confessed to have murdered his wife, a police official said.

“Based on the post-mortem report, doctor’s opinion and other eye and circumstantial witnesses, police completed the inquest proceedings and registered a murder case against the accused,” the official said adding that a probe is underway and further details are awaited.