Srinagar: Hundreds of Kashmiris who have been stuck in Jammu due to closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway on Sunday alleged over-charging by cab drivers. They appealed administration to bring cab drivers into justice and ensure SRTC bus service especially for students for their return to Kashmir.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), several stranded passengers in Jammu have alleged cab drivers of looting Kashmir based passengers who have come from several parts of country and abroad to reach safer places amid Corona Virus threat that consumed thousands of lives across the globe.Adil Bashir, a student studying in Banglore told KNS that he reached two days ago to Jammu but due to closure of 270-km long Srinagar-Jammu highway, he along with other buddies could not move ahead due to loot of drivers.
He said ironically the cab drivers who are ferrying passengers over the highway are resortig to extra charges and thus looting needy people in broad day light.
Extra charging by cab drivers left stranded passengers into distress
DIPR to handhold small newspapers who adhere to norms: JD DIPR
Srinagar : Joint Director Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) Haris Ahmed Handoo today said his priority would be streamlining the distribution of advertisements to newspapers and ensuring newspapers are run professionally.He told in a candid chat after he assumed charge of one of the important posts in government.“First of all my priorities would be streamlining the distribution of advertisements. I will ensure fairness and transparency in it. Circulation, quality and subscription of wire services, readership, original editorial and quality analysis of content will be the criteria for the distribution of advertisements. I mean to say Newspapers should be run professionally and then they should have readership also, “he said. “We will also do handholding of small newspapers as per the advertisement policy of 2016 with a rider that we will check whether they are doing constructive journalism or they have just turned them income generating units from government advertisements. On these parameters we will streamline the distribution of advertisements,” he added.On being asked what would be the mechanism of DIPR to check circulation of newspapers, he said, “This is an issue. Officials of Information Department will check the exact circulation of newspapers. Second one is self-declaration whether it is through RNI or chartered accountant or Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), printing press certificates. We will try to get the exact circulation of newspapers. In case any newspaper files fake self-declaration, or Chartered Accountant seconds bogus claims of newspaper, there should be some punitive measures for that, “he said.
“If any newspaper doesn’t adhere to empanelment norms, then de-empanelment of newspaper will be done. If a newspaper is published professionally and has wider circulation, it benefits government also to promote its activities and programmes,” he added.
Regarding the allegations of some Small newspaper owners that DIPR is not dealing fairly with them, “We have to do handholding of small newspapers also according to Advertisement policy 2016. We will do it. But they should be run professionally. (KNS)
Power crisis irks Anantnag villages
Anantnag: Residents of Kamad, Lalan, Chrcripora villages of Anantnag district are up in arms against Power Department for unscheduled power cuts.
The residents have accused the Power Department of failing regular power supply to them.
“We don’t receive electricity as per the power schedule. Frequent power cuts have become a daily routine now,” said a resident of Kamad. “Our exams are going on and due to shortage of power supply, we have to face a lot of hardships. We have been repeatedly asking authorities to redress our problems; but to no avail,” the students from these villages saidThey accused the Power Department of failing to provide them electricity as per the schedule. (KNS)
Dialgam village of Anantnag faces water scarcity, Govt unmoved
Anantnag: For the last three years, residents of Brinty village in Dialgam area of Anantnag district are facing a water crisis.
A group of residents from Brinty village in Dialgam area of Anantnag district Sunday accused the authorities of neglecting them.
“Our village has been facing an acute shortage of water for three years. We apprised the officials about the same, but no action is being taken on the ground,” He said even after holding protests many times, the authorities failed to provide them drinking water.
The residents said if their demand is not met they will be forced to hit the streets over the “callous attitude” of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.
“The process of laying new water pipes was initiated three years ago but for the reasons known to authorities, the work was stalled in the middle and there was no headway,” they said.
“The only alternative for us is to walk up to an adjacent village from where we fetch the potable water from tube wells. We are forced to consume untreated water from ponds and rivulets which has led to several diseases to the locals in the past. The most affected areas are Vanpora, Badhdraman, Check e Brinty, Badhangan and other areas housing hundreds of households,” says a local Shameema.
“Even when our village is located barely five kilometers away from the famous water spring of Achabal, which supplies water to about 60 villages, the authorities are unable to connect our villages with the water supply pipe network,” she added.
AEE PHE Division Anantnag Rayaz Ahmad said that the process of laying of new water pipes is currently on.
“We have been getting complaints of non-availability of water from this area since long after which we started a new water supply scheme for the said area. We are currently laying new pipes in the area and the work is going on. We are expecting to finish the pending work very soon,” Rayaz said.(KINS)
Jammu DM orders closure of eateries, bars, suspends rallies, protests, religious activities till Mar 31
Jammu: Under National Disaster Management Act 2005, District Magistrate Jammu, Sushma Chauhan, who is also Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority, on Sunday ordered closure of all eateries, bars and suspended rallies, protests and religious activities.
As per order under Section 34 of the National Disaster Management Act, 2005, the District Magistrate issued directions and guidelines for the purpose of assisting protecting or providing relief to the community in response to any threatening disaster situation.
Ms Chauhan said that she has directed to be complied by the concerned, towards mitigating the transmission of COVID-19, in Jammu District and ordered that no Langers, Bhandaras, Dhabas, Bars, Restaurants, Food Courts, Food Stalls, Road Side Eateries etc, shall operate in District Jammu, till March 31.
No Masage Centres, Spa, Sauna and others, shall operate till March 31 while social, religious or ritualistic events at any public, community or religious place, involving a gathering of more than four people have also been suspended till March 31.
The District Magistrate has also ordered that no conferences, events, rallies, ”dharnas”, Protests etc, shall be
organised within the territorial limits of District Jammu while the Transport Commissioner, J&K, shall ensure that public and private transport operating in the District shall be sanitised with the prescribed disintectants and at such regular intervals as prescribed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Jammu, also have been directed to ensure
that public places particularly the Bus/Taxi/Auto Stands, Sabzi Mandis, Railway Stations, Market Areas etc, in the District shall be sanitized with the prescribed disinfectant and at such regular intervals and organise necessary briefings and sensitisation of her staff.
However, Director, Jammu Airport and Commandant CISF, Jammu Airport, shall provide all necessary co-ordination and support to the screening desk and administrative team that have been deployed at Jammu Airport for the purpose of screening of passengers de-boarding at the Airport, she said and asked the Director to ensure cleaning of entire Airport Premises with the prescribed disinfectant and at such regular intervals as prescribed by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, for which he shall organise necessary briefings and sensitisation of entire staff.
She further said that needless to say, the earlier orders issued in connection with closure of Shopping Malls, Schools, Colleges, Universities, Cinema, Gyms, Recreational Clubs etc, shall continue to be in force till March 31 and the SSP, Jammu, shall ensure that four or more people are not allowed to be gathered, in a closed group, at any place within the jurisdiction of District Jammu except at Railway Stations, Airport, Bus Stand where passengers are boarding and de-boarding for their respective designations.
“Section 51 of the Disaster Management Act also provides for penalties in case a person obstructs any officer or employee in discharge of his functions or refuses to comply with any direction and any violation, will lead to prosecution under section 51 of the DM Act, 2005,” said the Chairperson, District Disaster Management Authority.UNI
Training for Registrars, Sub-Registrars and allied staff
GANDERBAL: A two days training programme was organized by Jammu and Kashmir Judicial Academy, High Court of Jammu and Kashmir in collaboration with District Administration, Ganderbal, for the Registrars, Sub- Registrars and allied staff of the district, here today.
The training programme is aimed to sensitize newly appointed Registrars and Sub- Registrars in the district about the procedures and the provisions under the Registration Act 1908.
Consequent upon the repeal of the Jammu and Kashmir Registration Act 1977 and coming into force of the Registration Act 1908 (central), pursuant to the operation of the Jammu and Kashmir Re-organization Act 2019, the Government appointed different Revenue Officers of the ranks of the Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Sub Divisional Magistrates as Registrars and Sub- Registrars for attending to the registration work under the Act.
The State Judicial Academy felt it imperative to impart orientation training to newly appointed registering authorities for sensitizing them about the procedures and provisions under the Act for the smooth functioning.
The introductory address on behalf of the Director Judicial Academy was delivered by the Principal District And Sessions Judge, Ganderbal, Mohammad Yousof Wani while the inaugural address was delivered by Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal. Senior District and Sessions Judge gave extensive lecture to the participant officers.
COVID-19: Shrine Board to NRIs, foreign visitors not to visit Vaishno Devi
Jammu, Mar 15 In view of the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board on Sunday asked the NRIs and foreign visitors not to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine for 28 days, after landing in India.
”The Shrine Board has scaled up efforts to arrest the impact of Coronavirus in the Shrine Area,” Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Ramesh Kumar said here.
The domestic visitors, having symptoms like cough, heavy fever and breathing problems, were also advised to either reschedule or postpone their visit to the Holy Shrine, added the CEO.
He said advisories are also being issued on the Multipurpose Audio System throughout the track from Katra to Bhawan, for creating awareness about the deadly virus. Additionally, mandatory and complete thermal scanning of all pilgrims at Tarakote, Banganga and Helipad has been ensured. The cleaning of all establishments of the Board with disinfectants, at least four times a day, is being done, he added.
The congregation points like Queue Complexes, Waiting Halls, Accommodations and Atka Area, are regularly being sanitised with disinfectants. Mr Kumar further said that dedicated Yatri Help Desks have been set up at Railway Station Katra, Helipad, Enquiry and Reservation at Niharika Complex, wherein Self-Declaration Forms have been mandated for the pilgrims visiting from the affected countries. ”A large number of advisory hoardings have been installed at all prominent places for general awareness of the pilgrims visiting the Shrine,” he said and added that as a preparatory and preventive step, all the doctors. (UNI)
Bad condition of road puts off visitors to ‘Pandavas Temples’ in Krimchi
Krimchi : Picturesque complex of seven ancient temples, locally known as ‘Pandavas Temples’, located some 10-kilometres from Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Udhampur district is a mesmerising destination to visit especially for the nature lovers but unfortunately, the poor road connectivity is the major hiccup and keeping tourists at bay from the site.
The road connectivity work is in progress on Pancheri Road that leads to village Krimchi and further the link roads to the temples but the slow pace of work upsets the visitors reaching to this place, which seems to be ‘out of the world’.
Although the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department has tall claims of promoting tourism sector, but the picture on ground has a different fate to describe.
Locals expressed resentment over the slow progress of road connectivity work claiming that in such a situation, nobody prefers to visit these temples and it remain a “neglected destination” despite having its historic values from ancient period.
“Earlier there was no ‘pakka’ road to reach to Krimchi temples but nearly an year back, road connectivity work started,” Angrez Chand, a local villager told the correspondent.
He said that the work of macadamisation of road is very slow and the tourists visit to this place once, never plans his second trip, adding, “temples are located on the height and around 1.5 kilometre away from the main road leading to village Pancheri, a hilltop and an unexplored tourist destination.”
“The link road to the temples from the main road is not macadamised and visitors face difficulties reaching to temples site,” Ghulam Mohammad, a member of a nomadic community said.
He added, “these are historic temples. States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, preserve their heritage but we are not even able to give better road connectivity to the visitors to make their travel safe and smooth.”
Gharo Devi, a local resident, at the temples site said, “when it rains, the road becomes excessively slippery and dangerous.”
“The site doesn’t have even basic facilities to the tourists,” she added.
As per locals, there are so many unexplored destinations in Udhampur district but are either not developed or facing negligence.
“Jammu and Kashmir has rich tourism potential and it should be tapped more to attract tourists from across the country, which will not only bring these destinations on tourism map but also generate economy and employment to youth,” another local suggested.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Dr Piyush Singla when contacted here told UNI, “Promotion of Krimchi temples is among one of our top priorities. There was some old dispute over road connectivity, which has been sorted out and in another 3-4 months, work will be completed.”
“There are two routes leading to the temples and one is being undertaken by the Public Works Department at an estimated cost of Rs 39 lakhs, which is the main link whereas the another one is being constructed under PMGSY,” said the Deputy Commissioner.
The service route will also be completed on time once the school and anganwadi centre are shifted elsewhere to widen the road, said the district head.
He also mentioned that Krimchi temples site is being looked after Archeological Survey of India and an entry ticket is charged from the visitors but on his request, school-going children were exempted and their fee was waved off.
“The road connectivity work on both sides is in progress and in coming months, macadamised road with black-topping will be ready,” he said.
As per official records, the temples are believed to be over a thousand years old.
According to the Archaeological Survey of India, these temples were constructed during 8th or 9th century AD.
Locals say mythologies behind the temples go back to the protagonists of the Mahabharata War or a late Pandava dynasty that ruled in Jammu and Kashmir.
The complex consists of four large and three small temples. (UNI)
Coronavirus threat: University shuts hostels, sports activities and postpones PG-exams
Srinagar: In wake of Coronavirus threat, University of Kashmir has closed all the hostels till further orders. The Varsity has also postponed PG-examinations including internals till 31 March.
On Saturday different department of Kashmir University issued formal orders, copies of which lie with KNT, in wake of Coronavirus threat.
An order issued by the Varsity reads: “Consequent upon the decision taken in the Deans Committee meeting and its approval by the authorities in view of the pandamicity of Coronavirus and the advisory issued by the Government, to avoid congregation, all the boys and girls Hostels of Main Campus and Zakura Campus shall remain closed with effect from Monday that is from March 16 till further orders.”
Another circular issued by Deputy Registrar Academic Affairs reads that in of the COVID-19 scare and the advisory issued by the government, all the PG Examinations including internals have been postponed till March 31, 2020. The order further reads that in the interest of students the concerned teachers are advised to upload the study material of their respective subjects on the University Website.
In yet another order issued by Coordinator DPE&S, all sports activities have been postponed till further orders in wake of Coronavirus threat. One more order reads that the Health Club of the Directorate in Varsity will also remain closed till further orders as a precautionary measure. (KNT)
Unite behind the call to bring back detainees lodged outside J&K: Farooq to political parties
Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president and MP Farooq Abdullah on Sunday appealed to all political leaders to unite behind the call to the union government to bring back all detainees lodged outside J&K.
‘Before we allow politics to divide us, I appeal to all political leaders here to unite behind the call to the union government to bring back all detainees from J&K in prisons outside pending their release. While we would like to see them all released as soon as possible, pending that they should be shifted to J&K,’ Dr Abdullah said in a statement issued here on Sunday.
This is the first statement issued by Dr Abdullah after being released on Friday.
Dr Abdullah said this is a humanitarian demand and he hope others will join him in placing this demand in front of the Union government.
‘I have consciously avoided making any political statements since I was released from detention on the 13th of March. While I believe a free & frank exchange of political views is essential so that we can take stock of the momentous changes that J&K has seen after August 5, 2019 we are still some way away from an environment where such political discourse will be possible,’ he said.
This, he said is especially so considering the number of people detained in August last year who remain in jails outside J&K. ‘I am acutely aware that compared to hundreds of Kashmiri families I have been far more fortunate. I was detained at home & my family had access to me. Yesterday, when I went to meet my son Omar, also detained under the Public Safety Act, I had to travel a kilometre from my home to be able to see him. For families of most of the detainees, meeting their loved ones is not nearly as easy,’ he said.
‘Their loved ones have been detained in jails spread across a number of states. They get two visits a month for which they have to spend large sums of money they can ill afford traveling to and staying in the vicinity of these prisons,’ he added.
‘The already onerous financial burden is made worse by the health risk they now face because of COVID-19. At a time when people are being advised not to travel, these families are being forced to put their lives at risk in order to meet their loved ones for a few short but very precious hours,’ he added.
Dr Abdullah, who is a former chief minister of J&K, met his son and former chief minister Omar Abdullah in a sub-jail in the summer capital, Srinagar, on Saturday following his release on Friday from detention after seven months under Public Safety Act (PSA).
Dr Abdullah drove from his residence to nearby Hari Nivas in Srinagar, where Omar Abdullah remained under custody under PSA since August 5, when the Centre abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated J&K into two Union Territories.
Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday revoked detention of Dr Abdullah after over seven months. The revocation of detention of the former chief minister comes just two days after Public Safety Act (PSA), which was slapped on him in September last year, was extended for another three months on March 11.
‘In exercise of powers conferred under Section 19(1) of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978, the government hereby revokes the detention order bearing No DMS/PSA/120/2019 issued by District Magistrate, Srinagar,” a statement issued by the newly created UT administration of J&K said.
Dr Abdullah and two other former chief ministers — Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti — besides dozens of other former ministers and legislators were detained on August 5.
However, the NC president was booked under Public Safety Act (PSA) on September 15, 2019 when MDMK chief Vaikoo approached the Supreme Court (SC), seeking directions to the government to allow Dr Abdullah to attend a peaceful and democratic annual conference in Chennai. The Gupkar residence of Dr Abdullah was turned into a jail for him and a large number of security force personnel remained deployed there.
CPI (M) terms show-cause notices to SRO-202 employees as discriminatory
Srinagar: Terming the decision of authorities to serve show-cause notices to seven officials, who are working on a probation period in different departments under SRO-202, as unfortunate, CPI (M) on Saturday urged the government to get the rules appropriately amended so that these employees do not face such discrimination in the future.
A CPI(M) spokesperson said in the order issued by the government, the officials have been told that they can be discharged from service at any time before the expiry of the prescribed period of probation without having recourse to regular inquiry. It is not only discriminatory but denies the legal and constitutional rights to them, the spokesperson said.
‘Already the Law Commission headed by Justice (retired) M K Hanjura has recommended reduction in probation period from five to two years under SRO-202. But still the government is punishing the employees recruited under discriminatory SRO-202,’ he said.
He said the government must not only revoke the show-cause notices of these seven officials, but immediate amendment the SRO-202 for the benefit of thousands of government job aspirants and those who have been already recruited in the last five years in Jammu and Kashmir.
‘The SRO 202, issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) on June 30, 2015, prescribes that a person shall be on probation of five years and during this period the appointee shall be entitled to only the basic pay and not any of the allowances. It is discriminatory and denies due increment to employees who are appointed into the government service,’ he said.
He said the move since its implementation has been facing opposition from both government employees as well as the educated youth in J&K.
‘Already those who have been recruited after multi-tier selection process by agencies like J&K Services Selection Board, have been denied service benefits. This will have a detrimental effect on the service of the appointees and will lead to pay anomaly in future,’ he added.
