More chaos on roads, over 36, 238 vehicles registered in J&K last year

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 26: In what could add more headache for the traffic police and other regulating agencies in the state, Transport Department has registered 36,238 fresh vehicles in 2010. 

This apart, the department has also issued nearly 45,318 driving licenses which include 2,452 commercial and 42,866 non commercial across the state.

Adding another huge fleet to the already over burdened roads, the official records suggest that out of the total vehicles registered last year 23,935 were for Jammu division and 12,203 for Kashmir valley.

Going by the official records, about 7, 19,221 vehicles have been registered in the state during last 10 years till ending December. Of these 1, 26,180 are commercial and 5, 93,041 are non-commercial.

Sources said that though the government has realized revenue of Rs 63.36 crore through Transport Department during the current financial year in the shape of taxes and fee from transporters, but the affect on the roads with addition of these vehicles will be devastating in coming months.

“Addition of these vehicles is like another frightening experience for us, though we cannot stop people buying cars, but there are no new roads to accommodate these in the state”, said a top official from the Transport Department.

“The way private cars are added to Jammu, people should prepare themselves for long traffic jams in coming years”, said a traffic inspector deployed in the city.

To deal with the rush and enforce transparency, the government was forced to computerize eight offices of RTOs and ARTOs at Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri, Udhampur, Srinagar, Baramulla, Leh and Budgam, the districts which are witnessing a steep increase of vehicle registrations.

When contacted Minister of State for CAPD and Transport, Shabir Ahmed Khan said, “Respective RTOs and ARTOs have been asked to gear up at ground level and streamline transport services”.

He further said that owing to the rise in the number of vehicles on the city roads and pressure on the infrastructure, recently for the first time a scientific study is being conducted in Jammu and Kashmir to effectively manage nearly 80, 00,00 local vehicles, besides thousands of floating vehicles which enter the state daily carrying pilgrims of Vaishno Devi shrine, tourists and other pilgrims.

J&K gets Rs 22 crore under Species Recovery Project to save Hangul in its last habitat

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 25: Central Government has approved an Rs 22 crore project under the Species Recovery Project to allow J&K to start a new breading programme to increase the population Hangul (Kashmir Stag), found in Dachigam National Park of Kashmir, the last refuge of the animal in South Asia.

Sources said that Union Ministry of Environment has released Rs 99 lakh for the recovery programme in the first phase for giving new lease of life to the species, on verge of extinction due to habitat destruction in past six decades.

It is pertinent to mention since 1980s, Hangul population has showed marked decrease and eruption of insurgency in 1990 further hit the efforts of the government to save this animal, part of the ancient folklore of Kashmir.

Minister of State for Forests, Shabir Ahmed Khan said that project intends to reduce the habitat degradation and new programme to use genetic engineering to breed the animal is being studied.

“Help of some international agencies working for the animal breeding and rescue is being taken to increase their number through use of scientific methods”, said Khan.

According to the data in 1982, there were 391 Hanguls, which fell to 200 in 1994.

During past two decades, no major effort was made to save them keeping in view the conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, but since 2003, as the situation improved, a major national effort has been launched to save the endangered species. Last census was conducted in 2003, when the number was about 190.

It is important to note here that after 2004, Wild Life Protection department in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have been regularly monitoring the Hangul population in Dachigam National Park, the last habitat of the great animal in the South Asia.

He said the number has shown some improvement as it was recorded around 153 during 2006 and 127 during 2008. Now, the figure has been put at around 175, showing some positive trend.

Govt. teachers doing two jobs in J&K

Taking tuition classes in private coaching centres, as the Govt. 

schools suffer

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 24: Despite strict ban, private tuition centers are being run by the teachers, lecturers and professors of government schools and colleges located within Jammu city.

These centers are doing their best to attract students with impunity for their benefits flouting all the established norms.

It is pertinent to mention here that couple of months ago, after the frequent complaints from the various quarters about the alleged highhandedness of mushrooming private coaching centers in every nook and corner of the state, state government had directed private coaching centers to get registered with the government before starting a batch in the new session.

They were also directed to provide other details like number of students enrolled in the institutes, qualification of their staff, details of fee structure and above all, told to keep 10 percent reservation for poor and needy students.

However, even after passage of considerable time, these tuition centers are yet to comply with the government order and they have started new batches of various classes.

There are more than a hundred private coaching institutes operating in Jammu city and its adjoining areas that provide coaching to all classes from Primary to University level, and even for competitive examinations.

Also on the directions of the High Court, the school education department had directed schools to ensure that no government teacher would take private tuitions either in their homes or in private tuition centers during working hours.

It was also directed that even if any of the teachers wanted to take private tuitions before and after the school hours; they had to seek no objection certificate (NOC)” from the department. It is also seen that like other of the state government, this order is also gathering dust in the official files and nothing concrete has been done in this regard to check the erring teachers.

In the beginning, the teams of the education department did conduct raids in different parts of the Jammu region to put a check on the mushrooming tuition centers and erring government teachers. But at present, there are no reports of the inspections and raids of the teams of the department.

Director School Education (DSE) Jammu Gulzar Qureshi said that they are strictly monitoring the situation, but there are some loopholes which needs to be addressed.

Meanwhile Women Empowerment Forum (WEF) has asked the state government
to devise a policy to keep check over the functioning of private coaching institution in the state to save students from exploitation.

WEF president, Dr. Anuradha Goswami alleged that private coaching institutions had been charging exorbitant fees from the students for preparing them for Medical, Engineering and other competitive examinations.

J&K importing six lakh MTs of milk every year to meet local demands

Tahir Mushtaq


JAMMU, Aug 23: Unable to cope up with increasing demand of milk locally, Jammu annually imports nearly six lakh Metric tonnes from other parts of the country. This despite that fact the crores have been spent on cattle breeding programme in the state in past few years. 

While officials blame the floating population which include security forces engaged in anti-insurgency operations for the deficit, but sources said that unscientific methods and lack of help from the Animal Husbandry department is mostly responsible for the milk deficit faced by the state particularly Jammu region. 

“At this moment farmers here face the problem of green fodder, except some parts of Jammu region and valley, milk producers in most of the areas don’t find green fodder which is also responsible for less production”, said a official. 

Number of milch cattle in Jammu division is close to 25 lakh and annual production is nearly 15 lakh Metric Tonnes annually. 

A senior officer of the Animal Husbandry department said, “Our production is enough to meet the needs of the people but the floating population like pilgrims and security forces are also dependent on our production which is main reason for import”. 

He said that department has taken up many projects like introduction of cross breeding methods and in coming years production is likely to increase and new projects are being taken for the same. 

Despite having temperate climate, J&K has vital potential of both processing and consumption in milk production but this State lacks marketing strategy. 

As this sector is un-organised, the middle-men were ruling the roost in many areas. 

According to the officials, another problem which the milk producers in the state face is that most of the producers are working unorganized and don’t use scientific methods for production. 

On papers there are number of cooperative societies but most of them don’t function, those engaged in milk production are unorganized”, said a official. At present milk consumption in this State is 330 grams per person per day. 

Not only consumption of milk is more in this State but quality of cattle is much better as compared to other parts of the country and we are introducing more scientific ways to increase production.

Stress, work pressure forcing women for suicide

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 22: In recent past the suicide attempts by the fair sex have increased in the state, with most of the experts claiming that the modern stress and at times harassment creates conditions for the same.

The suicide by a trainee police official Parneet Kour is one such example and many believe that in recent times, the women folk are living under constant stress.

As per the cases for recent past three females of different age group and coming from different family backgrounds, committed suicide in the same way by hanging herself with the ceiling.

A 19 years old woman Sunita Devi belonged to labourer class ended her life by hanging herself with the ceiling; still the police investigating the case and nobody know the reason behind this.

Other case with a 16 year old girl Amanpreet Kour resident of Mast Garh in Jain Bazar committed suicide by hanging herself with a ceiling fan in her room.

The eleventh class student locked herself in the room after returning from school and commit suicide.

Now, the case of a trainee woman police official revealed the same thing as the method of committing suicide was similar the 26- year old Probationary Sub-Inspector of Police, Parneet Kour, a resident of Lower Gadi Garh, who was under training in the Academy, found hanging on a ceiling fan in her room in women hostel of the Academy.

The police investigations are going and no one knows the reasons behind the three suicide cases.

When contacted Head of Department, Psychology Department Dr. Arti Bakhshi said that in most of the cases it is seems that instability and stress in mind become the main reason behind committing suicide.

She further said that beside this there are some other factors especially in females like feeling insecure, change in lifestyle; family and professional pressure also force someone for committing suicide.

She disclosed that it is a snail’s pace process to make your mind to committing suicide as this decision cannot be taken by the suicide committer immediately.

MC lacks adequate garbage-lifting machinery

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 20: The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) lacks adequate garbage-lifting vehicles and a proper dumping ground.

There are only 70 garbage-lifting vehicles and some garbage-handling equipment available with the corporation.

According to sources, the immediate requirement of vehicle machinery includes 10 tippers, one front-end loader, two dumper placer vehicles, one loader excavator, five Tata ACE and 100 dumper placer bins. Besides, there is also a requirement for one recovery vehicle, one cattle lifting vehicle, one electric platform with sky lifting system and two cab/crew vehicles.

“We are facing shortage of machinery for lifting and dumping of garbage. We have been sending applications to the commissioner of the corporation from time to time but he has not bothered about it,” a JMC official on condition of anonymity said, adding that “we have to collect about 300 metric tones of garbage every day. For that we have only 70 garbage-lifting vehicles.”

Expressing disappointment over the lack of proper dumping place, he said along with these vehicles, there was also immediate requirement for a proper dumping place. The authorities concerned should look into the matter.

“In the absence of a proper dumping place, we dump the garbage into the Tawi bed,” he said, adding that “The JMC is also facing an acute shortage of manpower. Along with 70 operational staff, we have only 85 labourers. They are day labourers who are being paid Rs 70 per day for their work.”

Appealing to the masses, he said: “Those who have municipal garbage bins in their areas should utilize them instead of dumping garbage into open plots. People should not through domestic waste into the nallahs as it obstructs free flow of water.”

Sarfu’s alleged suicide: Is police involved, this question haunts

Tahir Mushtaq (TNI)

JAMMU, Aug 19: The alleged custodial death of notorious trans-border smuggler Sarfu Ram has raised suspicion over the involvement of some police officers in the whole episode.

The family members of the deceased have already made statement that police was trying to cover up their misdeed by terming the custodial killing as suicide.

According to reliable sources, Sarfu had disclosed during his interrogation at Joint Interrogation Centre (JIC) the names of his associates. Those associates had helped Sarfu Ram in trans-border smuggling during the last one and half decade.

The names disclosed by him also included the name of some police officials, sources revealed. It is being believed that Sarfu might have been eliminated at the instance of those police officials and now his death is being termed as suicide.

Sources further said that the district administration has already taken suo motto cognizance of this matter that’s why Magisterial probe has been ordered.

It is important to mention here that the police officials said that Sarfu was found hanging at JIC Miran Sahib, where he was being interrogated in connection with the narcotics-hawala case since past few days.

Officials said that Sarfu Ram appeared to have taken advantage of absence of security staff at the JIC in the wee hours. There were only six detenues in the JIC including Sarfu and Shinda and four others, all of whom were sleeping in a lobby of the JIC.

CID officials claimed that Sarfu was feeling upset with the detention of his family members and committed suicide. His body was found hanging only when some of the staff returned to the JIC and saw Sarfu missing.

A Medical Board conducted post-mortem on the body to ascertain exact reasons behind the death of the trans-border smuggler. The body was handed over to his family members in the evening and was taken to Camp Khour.

Inspector General (IG), Dilbagh Singh could not be contacted for his version even after repeating attempts.

No change in office timing

RTO still functioning in time wrap despite huge rush of people every day

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Aug 18: Though much has changed in the government departments and they are moving towards efficiency, but Regional Transport Office (RTO) seems to be still living in time wrap.

Despite tremendous increase in the number of vehicle owners, who are applying the RTO for making licenses or other works have just two hours to complete their work.

The working hours of the office cash counter in summer is from timing 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM whereas in winters it is from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

“This is quite irritating as in recent past hundreds of people visit the office. They still follow the old timing, when very less people used to visit the office”, said Ajit paul, a local resident.

According to sources, there is huge rush of people in the office, coming from far flung areas of district Jammu, but due to limited time to deposit the required fee and other documents they have to face hardship.

Beside this there is no proper sitting arrangement and other required facilities which also creates problems for the people coming different part of Jammu.

Pertinently, there is no proper arrangement for vehicle parking in the newly constructed building of RTO office.

Vinay Kumar a resident of Bishnah said that due he has visited to RTO office from the last two weeks, but still unable to complete the formalities for his driving license, due to less working hours of cash counter.

Despite shifting of RTO from Warehouse, Vikram Chowk to well furnish building at Transport Nagar, Narwal, the office is still lacking basic facilities.

According to sources, the office of the RTO, inaugurated in February 2011, is without sitting arrangements for visitor, no drinking water facilities and no washrooms.

He maintained that although, shifting of RTO office to Transport Nagar is appreciable, but still lack of basic facilities in newly constructed building is appalling.

Large number of people visits RTO office to get their work done, but have to face great inconvenience due to lack of basic facilities, therefore RTO Department needs to overcome all the problems of general people so that they can enjoy all facilities, he rued.

Regional Transport Officer, Jammu Varinder Salathia could not be contacted even after repeating attempts.

Whereas, Transport Commissioner, Dr S M Fazallulah when approached disconnected the call of the reporter.