Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Aug 5: There will be no At Home function at Raj Bhavan this Independence Day (ID) on August 15 in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

A Raj Bhavan spokesman said on Wednesday afternoon that in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ‘At Home’ function for this year’s ID to be hosted by the Raj Bhavan, Srinagar, as per past practice, stands cancelled.

The decision was taken after assessing the current circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and keeping in view the compliance of all healthcare protocols and SOP’s notified by the Central and the UT Government.

• SIDCO, SICOP to stop work for others
• PWD,PHE, RDD and PDD to be the main construction deptts

Precious Kashmir News
Srinagar, Aug 5: In a decision with significant structural change in Engineering Wings of various departments and their working, the Administrative Council which met here today under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, sanctioned the merger/subsuming of in-house engineering wings in various departments/organizations like Tourism, School, Higher and Technical Education, Agriculture Production, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry & Fisheries, Floriculture, Hospitality & Protocol, Estates, DMRRR, Forest, Transport and SKIMS in PW(R&B) Department with effect from 1.12.2020.

The Administrative Council in its decision directed that the user departments whose engineering wings are being subsumed shall, however, retain the power of prioritization and identification of works and their administrative approvals.

Primarily, this decision will bring better quality, faster execution and lower costs in construction projects. The decision is aimed at addressing issues being faced by various existing in-house engineering wings which broadly include shifting of focus of departments from their core objective to construction activities, mushrooming of engineering wings, inconsistency in the estimation processes due to unrevised SoPs, absence of uniform standards & procedures and poor implementation.

The Administrative Council further directed constitution of a Committee of concerned Administrative Secretaries along with domain experts to work out modalities for merger/ repatriation/deputation of staff from the subsumed wings to PWD, Jal Shakti or PDD as the case may be. The Committee is required to submit its recommendation by 15.09.2020.

The Administrative Council also decided to constitute a Committee under the chairmanship of Administrative Secretary, Public Works to suggest restructuring of PWD (R&B) with additional units/wings/ verticals to cater to the needs of regional units and specialized wings. The Committee shall also examine the possibility of delineating the boundaries of the engineering divisions which will be co-terminus with the boundaries of districts.

Taking note of inconsistency in the existing norms/procedures/SOPs governing the aspect of accord of administrative approvals, estimation, tendering, work allotment and procurement of material, the Administrative Council has asked for constitution of a Committee under the chairmanship of Administrative Secretary, Planning, to suggest reforms in the existing norms/procedures/SOPs and submit a draft SOP by 30.09.2020.

Further, the Administrative Council also decided that the mandate of specialized wings of SIDCO and SICOP shall be clearly delineated and these wings shall restrict their activities to their mandate.

Taking cognizance of HRM issues of engineering wings having been adversely impacted by issues of ad-hoc promotions, non-finalization of seniorities and outdated recruitment rules affecting career progression, the Administrative Council decided to constitute a Committee to revisit all HRM related issues concerning engineering departments. The Committee shall submit its report along with its recommendations by 15.10.2020.

Kendriya Vidyalaya to come up at Kreeri

Precious Kashmir News

Srinagar, August 05: The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, accorded sanction to the creation of three posts of Secretary to the Government in the Super Time Scale of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service.

The creation of these posts will be helpful in assigning charges of some departments to the officers belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service which will help in effective public delivery of services and further strengthen the resolve of Government in providing effective and efficient administration.

Kendriya Vidyalaya to come up at Kreeri

The Administrative Council (AC) also approved allotment and transfer of land measuring 50 kanals to the School Education Department at village Hail Jageer, Tehsil Kreeri in District Baramulla for construction of Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV).
Once operational, the school will cater to the educational needs of the children of far flung areas of district Baramulla and adjacent areas by providing quality education as envisaged under the constitutional right of education.

Ishtiyaq Ahmad

Srinagar, Aug 5:  The government has so far not ordered any probe into alleged illegal appointments in various state owned corporations.

Sources told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service that though the LG GC Murmu led administration had taken strong note of the allegations that over the years scores of employees were appointed illegally in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir owned corporations, but has so far not succeeded to dig out the truth in this regard.

It has been alleged that maximum beneficiaries were political workers who were adjusted in different corporations without considering fallout on the financial health of the corporations.

Sources said that the government over the years has failed to probe these appointments and book the culprits.

“There are allegations that many backdoor appointees in some corporations were first appointed as consolidated and later placed in the grade pay within the shortest possible time by setting all rules and regulations aside,” sources maintained.

“Though in the past many house committees were constituted in Jammu and Kashmir to look into the illegal and backdoor appointments made in the state government departments, public undertakings and corporations, but these committees never succeeded to probe the matter,” sources maintained.

Sources alleged that some corporations had appointed illegally over hundred blue eyed persons. There was no accountability as to how these appointments were made and thereafter given two to three grade promotions.

It is also a known fact that some of the corporations are heavily dependent on the government for paying salaries to the staff and carrying out their day to day activities.

Commissioner Secretary Industries and commerce could not be contacted for the comments, however one of the officials of industries department said that ACB was probing the alleged illegal appointments in some of the corporations.” The ACB had sought the details of employees of some corporations. I think they are investigating the matter,” the official said, whishing anonymity.

It is to mention here that the government, in order to check the menace of illegal, backdoor appointment and re-employment had issued an order, wherein all government departments, PSUs and other organization were debarred from making temporary arrangements and the blanket ban was imposed on making illegal appointments and re-employment.

Precious Kashmir News
Baramulla, Aug 5: Sub-Judge Baramulla Pravin Pandoh today rejected a bail plea of man namely Hilal Ahmad Hajam a resident of Mangam Wagoora accused of treating people with fake MBBS and MD degrees thereby involved in practice of quacking.

The Sub-Judge, who is also the Judicial Magistrate 1st Class Baramulla, observed that the discretion of bail cannot be exercised in favour of the accused especially when the investigation is in its initial stage.

It is pertinent to mention here that an information was received by Police Station Kreeri that the accused alleges himself to be a doctor and gives treatment to the people besides the report filed by Police Station Kreeri revealed that the accused is neither a doctor nor possesses any degree but has created false documents to prove himself a doctor.

On the basis of the information an FIR No.77/2020 under section 419, 420, 468 was filed and the accused was arrested on July 24, 2020.

Srinagar, Aug 5: Suspected militants hurled two grenades in a span of few hours at security forces in Bonbazar area of South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday. However, there was no casualty in the attacks, officials said.

A senior police officer told GNS that militants lobbed grenade from a distance when security forces were searching in the area. However there was no loss of life or injury in the incident.

Earlier in the day, militants hurled grenade and followed it by firing at the Bonbazaar in which there was no loss of life or injury either. Till this report was being filed searches were underway.

Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar, Aug 4: Kashmir reported eight more deaths due to COVID-19 since overnight, taking the fatality count due to the virus to 417 in J&K, officials said on Tuesday.

They said that two among the deaths—a 65-year-old woman from Magam Budgam and a 75-year-old man from Srinagar’s Khaniyar area— were reported at CD hospital, one of the exclusive facilities for the management of the covid-19 patients in Kashmir Valley.

Also, two residents, a 65-year-old and a 55-year-old from Attina and Dregam Kremshore areas of Budgam died at SKIMS Soura and SMHS hospital respectively, they said.

Regarding the sexagenarian woman from Budgam, they said, she was shifted from SMHS hospital to CD hospital on August 3 with underlying ailments like hypertension diabetes and “severe pneumonia with respiratory failure”.

“She was shifted to ICU and put to ventilator. However at 4 a.m. today, the woman suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died,” a senior doctor at the CD hospital told GNS.

Regarding other death, the doctor said that besides being hypertensive, the man was suffering from chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) severe pneumonia.

The man developed sudden cardiac arrest at 1:45 a.m. and was declared dead subsequently, the doctor added.

Meanwhile, regarding the elderly from Attina Budgam, officials said that he was having underlying ailments and died at the tertiary care hospital early today.

As regards the man from Dregam, a doctor at SMHS said he was admitted with bilateral pneumonia on July 29 and died today.

Sources said that besides elderly from Budgam, a 59-year-old man from Basañtbagh area of Srinagar died at SKIMS. “Both of them had underlying ailments,” sources said. One death was reported from Bandipora district, officials said.

With these deaths, the fatality count due to the virus has risen to 417 in J&K—387 in Kashmir and 30 in Jammu.

Srinagar district with 138 deaths tops the list followed by Baramulla (73), Budgam (31), Kulgam (29), Anantnag (26), Shopian (23), Pulwama (24), Kupwara (21), Jammu (21), Bandipora (15), Ganderbal (7), two each in Rajouri and Doda and one each in Ramban, Samba, Poonch, Udhampur, and Kathua.