J&K to train 400 youth in adventure tourism outside the state

Tahir Mushtaq 

JAMMU, Mar 30: Facing shortage of trained manpower to run the adventure sports facilities in Jammu and Kashmir, tourism department will send nearly 400 youth outside the state for training. These youth will be send in batches in different parts of the country.

Officials said that government has asked the all the 12-tourism development authorities created in different districts of the state to identify youth so that they could be imparted special expertise in their chosen field in different parts of the country, where adventure sports are a major tourist attraction.

The fields include water rafting, rock climbing, mountaineering and trekking which have become the focal point of the state government plan to attract visitors particularly foreigners. Sources said although the government has introduced various adventure sports in the state, lack of manpower is creating hindrance in fully utilizing the infrastructure.

“Well trained manpower is a necessity at the moment and selected youth will be given proper training in different fields so that they can serve “, said Tourism Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora. He said expansion of the tourism sector has become a priority for creating jobs for the unemployed youth in the state.

The tourism development centers were established by the Ghulam Nabi Azad government to create physical infrastructure in the new authorities to boost local employment and economy. These authorities include Patnitop, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri, Lakhanpur, Sarthal, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Kokernag, Sonamarg, Leh and Kargil. “Under the plan short term visits will be organized so that the youth could get exposure outside the state how other states are managing these facilities”, said a official.

The state is keenly eying the tourist sector to boost revenue and generate employment. In 2006, there were 76,15,217 domestic tourists visits, which increased to 79,15,21 in 2007. In 2008, the number of domestic tourists visiting the state was 76,38,977 due to the Amarnath land agitation which later increased to about 80,00,000 in 2009. As far as foreign tourists arrival is concerned. In 2006, the number of the tourists was 46,087 which increased to 52,754 in 2007 foreign tourists arrivals. In 2009 it reached the highest of 54,565.

There are many visitors who are eager to spend money on adventure sports ad we want to concentrate on them”, said Jora.

During the 10th plan period, the Ministry of Tourism sanctioned projects worth Rs 128.23 crore to Jammu and Kashmir. These included infrastructure development projects as well as grants for fairs and festivals. In the 11th plan, so far the ministry has sanctioned tourism infrastructure amounting to Rs 130 crore.

HC directs JMC to stop commercial activities in residential areas

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 24: The High Court (HC) has given direction to the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to seal all the commercial activities being run in the Gandhi Nagar area of Jammu.

According to the sources the case of closing all the business in the residential area of Gandhi Nagar is pending in the high court from the past long time.

Sources disclosed that there are about six hundred shops and commercial establishments who have converted residential plots into commercial institutions.

In year 2002, notices for disconnection of electricity issued by Power Development Department under the directions of court were stayed and the in-tirm  stay continues with respect to 53 shops only.

“The petition was listed last week and now it is again coming up for final hearing shortly” they added.

Establishments include all the Showrooms, Education Institutions, Tyre Shops, Garment Store in Apsra Lane and elsewhere.

Government Employees were allotted these plots only for residential purposes. However, entire Gandhi Nagar area and other nearby areas have become an open shop in violation to Municipal Laws.

The Municipal corporation has been a silent spectator to all this for reasons best known to authorities, of course not lawful reasons. It has been seen these showrooms are inaugurated by local legislators.

Now the question arises will JMC implements the order and take some strict action against them or not and if so, what will be the reaction of the people running these business.

Whereas the other localities of the city also experience a heavy rush of new restaurants and hotels without the permission of any authority but still the influential people get on with their work knowing that it is illegal.

Sources revealed that all the higher officials of JMC and town planner development are hands in glove with the culprits and are passing their plans without noticing the area whether it is commercial or residential. Sources also revealed that where the plans of the influential people are not passed they are allowing them making a hefty sum of money for their bank balances.

Sources also said that many illustration projects of the building plans show the project of 4 rooms but the ground reality seems to be different from that one. The people have made different from the proposed plan showing the authority a thumb down.

World Tuberculosis Day

Efforts to make TB free state

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 23: The health department of the state government is doing efforts to make Jammu region free from Tuberculosis (TB) from the last few years.

Talking to TNI District Tuberculosis Officer (DTO), Dr Poonam Mahajan said the department has registered 3100 TB cases in 2010, whereas it was increased in 2011 upto 3624 and till March 2012 record is 416.

Dr Mahajan disclosed that does not mean that the patients of TB are increasing year after year but people effecting from this disease got aware for treatment.

She maintained that as per the tendency the ratio is 95 TB patients on every 1 lacs population. So there is good response from the remote area of the region.

Previously for treatment we were using basic Directly Observed Treatment Short (DOTS), but from January this year the department has introduced DOTS PLUS in which the patient is under treatment for two years. the effected persons take a of 90 injection besides 18 types of medicines regularly for the same duration.

She added that the department organized numerous camps to spread awareness particularly in slum areas in different part of Jammu district.

She explained that people belongs to slums are not so health conscious, moreover the environment is not eco-friendly. So people from these areas need to be aware more.

As per the report in Jammu region the TB cases as in last year recorded in district Doda there were about 1002 cases of TB, in Kathua the cases were 1006, in district Poonch 551 TB cases were record, in Rajouri 815 cases were recorded, whereas in district Udhampur there were 1287 cases of TB. The cases in Kashmir province in the year 2006 was 827, but exceeded to 1476 in year 2010.

The concern authorities has established Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) centre in different part of the state to treat the TB patients. Under this scheme the concern doctor take the saliva sample of the patients for test, and if the reports come positive then they refer the patients to the nearest DOT centre for further treatment.

JMC hires services of NGOs to maintain sanitation in the city

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 21: Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) hired Non Government Organisations (NGO) for sharing the work by deputing safai karamcharis for other works.

There are total seven NGOs working with JMC to share their workload and around 1300 safai karamcharis are working with JMC through NGOs.

Each NGO pays around Rs One Lakh Thirty Eight Thousand (1,38,000) tax annually to JMC where as nowhere NGOs are entitled to pay tax in rest of country.

According to the sources the work pressure on them is very high as compare to the daily wages being provided to them. There are total 68 wards under JMC for which around 2000 safai karamcharis are deployed; and in Srinagar Municipal Corporation has 68 wards and 3000 Safai karamcharis engaged for the work.

Sources further said that these workers doing dangerous work where in they are likely to caught infection easily but no regular medical checkup, no immunization, no medical aid is being provided to them exposing them to threat of catching infections and other diseases.

“We are the identity of JMC as corporation’s main work is to keep the city clean which is impossible without us but distressing plea is that we are in worst condition, getting meager wages and ironically the poor are paying tax to JMC” said a safai karamchari preferring anonymity.

It is only in Jammu Municipal Corporation the NGOs are liable to pay tax whereas the Srinagar Municipal Corporation have all their own employees and not hired any NGOs.

Jammu generates nearly 350 tonnes of garbage daily and it is expected that the there will be tremendous increase in the solid waste generation in next decade keeping in view the population increase.

Despite giving them additional budget allocation, the people living in newly created wards under Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) are still devoid of basic amenities.

Although for last four years 48-new wards have received nearly Rs 30 lakh each but they have proved insufficient as most of the colonies were unplanned, eating up most of the funds simple projects.

Before the formation of JMC in 2005, there were 23 wards but as the city had expanded the government decided to create 48 new wards covering the newly established colonies which came up during the past two decades. Now there are 71 municipal wards under JMC.

Sex ratio still alarming in J&K, despite measures to check it

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 20: Despite measures taken by the government to stabilize sex ratio in Jammu and Kashmir, but it is still an area of concern for the administration.

As per census data of 2011, the ratio of female has decreased number of times in past few years. The report of downfall in the birth rate of female in all 22 districts of the state.

According to the census reports of 2001 on a average of 1000 male child birth is decreased several times in the report of 2011.

In district Rajouri the rate of female child birth decreased from 905 to 837, similarly in district Poonch it comes from 959 to 895, the number reduced from 977 to 922 in Kishtwar, wherein Ramban in fall down from 968 to 921.

Similarly when we look up in the figure of female child in district Reasi in comedown from 952 to 932, in Doda it is from 959 to 932, Udhampur shows 912 to 887, district Jammu figures out from 819 female birth which reduced in 2011 report as 795, in district Kathua 847 to 836.

The data further says that in districts Samba, Pulwama, Budgam, Kupwara, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, Bandipora, Leh, Kargil the fall down in the birth rate of the female child were 798 to 787, 1046 to 836, 1004 to 832, 1021 to 854, 1014 to 863, 977 to 832, 1011 to 883, 1003 to 882, 961 to 866, 967 to 893, 928 to 869, 955 to 944, 980 to 978 respectively in the duration of ten years.

Replying to the answer of Congress MLC Ravinder Kumar Sharma, Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma said that the main reason for decline in sex ration can be preference of son as girl child is treated as liability, dowry system besides many other related issues.

The minister informed the house that the easy availability of technology is making it easier to translate son preference into the elimination of females.

Data further says that government has already taken strict action against violators of Prenatal Sex Selection/ Determination (PNDT). He said 103 ultrasound clinics have been sealed across the state in violating the norms of PNDT Act.

Sharma said that government is contemplating to install a latest device in private as well as government ultrasound clinics to keep check on limbs determination tests.

He said State has already enacted Preconception and Prenatal Sex Selection Determination (PNDT) Act 2002 being strictly implemented in the State by the regulatory bodies.

 “The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, is also frequently monitoring the implementation of PC&PNDT Act in the state” Sharma added.

MLCs demand fixing of meters in auto-rickshaws in city

Tahir Mushtaq


JAMMU, Mar 19: Members in Legislative Council today urged the government to enforce the directive of the administration to install e-meters in auto-rickshaws in the city. They expressed concern over the fact that rickshaw drivers are openly violating the norms by not fixing meters and charging as per their wishes.

Replying to the question of National Conference MLC S Dharam Singh, Minister of State for Transport Shabir Ahmed Khan detailed the house that the department has constituted inspection team for inspecting the auto-rickshaws meters whether these are working properly or not.

The minister added that in this regards during the year 2010-11 the department has make challan of 425 auto-rickshaws and generated an amount of 1 lacs through it whereas in the yeare 2011-12 the challan cases were 166 by changes rupees 87 thousand as penalty.

The minister added that the passenger fair of taxes is regulated as contract carried by the Transport Commissioner by notifying per Km’s rates.
He further informed that there is no proposal or introduction of metering in the taxi’s.
But still most of the drivers charge as per their whims and the passengers has no option but to pay.
In the house Chairman Legislative Council Amrit Malhotra has directed the Transport department to take necessary steps for effective implementation of metering system on Auto Rickshaws across the state so that the commuters could not face any inconvenience.
In many instances many commuters alleged that whenever one asks for turning meter on, drivers mostly have simple reply meter is not working and there is different system in Jammu.

However auto-rickshaw operators hold the Transport Department responsible for non-installation and non-functioning of electronic meters in their three-wheelers. "The meter costs more than Rs 3000 and its totally out of our reach.

As per the rates fixed by the government, for first one kilometer the fare is charged at Rs.14and Rs 11 for subsequent kilometers, which the auto unions demand should be revived keeping in view the increase in the fuel charges. On the other side the auto-rickshaws drivers rued that managing an electronic meter, which costs more than Rs 3000, would not be easy for an ordinary auto-rickshaw owner, given the fact the less earnings and hiked petrol prices. In that situation the burden in on the common man’s pocket.

Corruption mess

SVO investigating corruption cases against 151 officers in J&K

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 16: One the side where the government making every possible efforts to make the state there are still corrupt inside the administration with which the state is under the trap of corruption.

At many instances it is shows that there are different officers posted on higher position in administration indulged in some corruption by one mean or the others.

As per the official records there are 151 corruption cases presently under investigation with State Vigilance Organisation (SVO) against retired as well as serving officials. And the Accountability Commission does not possess the jurisdiction to receive complaints against the officials in view of the amendment made to the J&K Accountability Act, 2002 vide amendment Act-II of 2011.

The number of officials involved in the corruption charges includes from Anganwari workers  up to Divisional Commissioner, in which more of them are directors, Chief Engineers, Managing Directors, Divisional Managers and a long list of senior Rural development, revenue , Industries, Education, Horticulture, health and police department officers.

The charges against the officials involvements of misuse of official position to red handed arrests while accepting bribe, illegal appointments, purchase of things on high rates, besides various cases.

There are about half a dozen Directors against whom cases are pending, the latest in the series is than director CA&PD Jammu Hemant Kumar and Joint Director CA&PD Kashmir, Muhammad Ashraf Wani, who was caught red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 10, 000  on the complaint of an aggrieved person.

A case registered in July 2010 against than Director CA&PD Kashmir Abdul Majid Mir and Joint Director CA&PD Kashmir Abdul Hamid in alleged misappropriation of food grains is also pending with VO.

The records also show pending cases against as many as four chief engineers, two Superintendent engineers, besides five Managing Directors, three Divisional Managers and four general Mangers  of various corporations.

State Vigilance Organisation has also registered a case against Mubarak Singh, the than Municipal Commissioner, Jammu and others for illegally granting a building permission.

Now GPS to check rising fuel bills of JMC vehicles

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 03: With fuel bills showing rapid increase and becoming a burden on the scarce resources of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), it is planning to track its vehicles by using Global Positioning System (GPS).

Officials said that these Vehicle Tracking Management System (VTMS) will be installed on more than 170 vehicles at the disposal of the corporation for lifting nearly 300 tonnes of garbage daily and other uses.

Officials said that they have fitted some of the vehicles with these VTMS and if their performance is good, entire fleet will be fitted with these instruments.

The installation of the system has become imperative as with the rise in the number of vehicles involved in keeping the city clean, there have been continuous complaints that drivers are submitting erroneous bills. The project will cost about Rs 12 lakh and is being implemented in phased manner.

 “It will improve the functioning of the field staff and deter people from misusing the vehicles and theft of fuel. It is an innovative step to monitor and manage the municipal solid waste utility vehicles by keeping a track of their routes”, he said.  There have been complaints that garbage dumps were not being lifted in time and they were at times submitting excess of bills on fuel use.

Jammu generates nearly 300 tonnes of garbage daily and it is expected that the there will be tremendous increase in the solid waste generation in next decade.

“To tide away the shortage of manpower, we will have to depend on the new technology to keep pace with the expanding city. In next few years, Jammu may surpass major metropolitan city in generation of garbage”, said a municipal official.

Most of the vehicles have been specially allotted to the areas particularly the outskirts of the city, where new colonies have sprang up in past two decades.

“Jammu is expanding at very fast pace and we also have to equip corporation with new technology to deal with the new challenges”, said a official.

When the corporation was formed in 2005, the emphasis was laid on modernization of equipment to make it a modern organisation to deal with the rapidly increasing  population in the city, but the funds crunch had marred the plans of the corporation.

Water mapping survey disappoints state planners

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 2: The much awaited water mapping survey conducted to find  new sources of ground water in Jammu and Kashmir by Indian Space  Research Organisation (ISRO) has found that most of the water reserves are unsuitable for human consumption.

Sources said that the remote sensing technology survey carried out by the government with the help of ISRO has found high level of iron and fluoride contents  in the underground sources of water found in the state.

The report says that many of the newly found underground water channels have been found at inaccessible locations, which need sophisticated technology to extract, beyond the range of equipments what the engineers are using in the country at the moment. The report was recently submitted to the government by the space scientists.

Officials said that the survey has thrown open the fact that the people  will continue to face drinking water shortage for decades to come, with  more reliance on the surface water resources, already facing huge  pressure in the backdrop of rising pollution and over exploitation.  It is pertinent to mention here that facing the threat of water

scarcity due to global warming and other reasons, for the first time in six decades, the state government had decided to map its resources with the help of remote sensing satellite technology.

The situation is more alarming in Kashmir valley as despite having  abundance of glacier fed streams, which also recharge the under ground  channels, high level of iron has been found at most of the places.  Similarly in Jammu region the survey has either shown very poor quality  of hydro reserves or its total absence, which in turn has thrown a  tough challenge for the planners, as how to cope up with the increasing  demand of potable water in the coming decades.

Jammu & Kashmir is endowed with thousands of glacier fed rivers and streams, but in recent years due to the affect of global warming and ruthless exploitation of the water bodies, most of these are receding. State has so far used only 16 per cent of the available ground water and the Government wanted to conduct a comprehensive study  of its resources, but the survey had thrown new challenges for it.

Official sources said that in places like Lolab and Kupwara, hit by the  acute water scarcity, high mineral content has been found in newly found underground sources, which has cast its shadow over the plan to exploit these on massive scale.  Likewise in Jammu region, the ground water in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kandi belt and southern districts is trapped at the places where it is very difficult to extract it at the moment.

“We are ourselves quite surprised by the findings as we were looking  forward to exploit the ground water to meet our future requirements. It  has been found that most of it is not suitable for humans or is trapped  in inaccessible areas”, said Minister for PHE Taj-Mohi-Ud-Din.  Minister claimed that the engineers are studying the findings minutely so to frame Water Security Plan for each district to meet the  challenges of future requirements- the move which has now become  inevitable.

Kundal demands PSA against people who denied drinking water to SC community

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Mar 1: At a time when India is celebrating its democracy and the values of giving equal rights to the members of Scheduled Castes (SC)s, Rajputs in a Kathua village are denying drinking water to the community members living in the village.

This issue was today raised by MLC B K Kundal to call attention of the government towards an incident which happened in village Rasuh Hatli on January, 2012.

Kundal demanded that case under Public Safety Act (PSA) should be lodged against the people involved.

On January, 20, a written report was produced by the members of the schedule caste community of village Rasoo, tehsil and district Kathua through Sarpanch Panchyat Halqa Hatli to the effect that on the same day when the members of schedule caste community of their village has proceeded to fetch water from the another well, they were restrained by Major Singh, s/o Chatter Singh, Vijay Singh s/o Sai Singh, Devi Rani w/o Major Singh, Mangy s/o Madan Singh, Puro w/o Mehar Singh and Nisha d/o Chatter Singh, all residents of Rasoo tehsil Kathua which let to scuffle and exchange of unparliamentarily languages.

A case FIR No. 68/2012 u/s 341/506 RPC, 3/7 Protection of Civil Rights Act was registered at Police Station Lakhanpur on 20-01-2012. SHO concerned alongwith Police party rushed to the spot and controlled the situation.

All the accused persons were arrested and stand bailed out. The investigation of the case is in progress. Presently both the communities are drawing water from the same well.

Kundal said that such events are blot on the face of democracy and should be condemned by all the people. He demanded strict action against the people who are denying the poor members of the SC community the right to use the water of the well.

Sources said there were three separate wells in Rasooh village where the community had divided their wells on caste basis. This practice is going on for the last many decades. For the last several weeks, the well water of SC community has been found unfit and it also required immediate cleanliness and repair. Some Dalit families approached other two wells to fetch drinking water, but they were denied access to the wells by the members of the upper castes.

There had been several heated exchanges and even clashes in the village over water issue in last two weeks.

The matter came to the notice of Administration and Tehsildar Settlement went to the village and tried to pacify the people and asked them to allow SC community members to fetch water from the water source as it was crime in the eyes of law to deny water and promote castism. There after he left the village.