Tawi Lake to be completed by July 2013

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Dec 18: There is some good news for the people of Jammu, 95 per cent work on the artificial lake in river tawi has been completed and officials said that lake is likely to be completed by July 2013.

This was disclosed by the Executive Engineer, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Attaf-ullah Naz while talking to TNI adding that some remaining work has to be completed and hopefully the construction work of lake would be completed by next year.

Naz further said that there would be total of 31 gates which are to be installed including 11 in upper portion and 20 in lower portion adding that in case of flood, the gates of the lake would be opened.

The first deadline for the completion of the artificial lake project expired on October 2012, which was extended to March 30, 2013, but it has been further extended to July 2013 as the department failed completes the remaining work on time.

According to official the total of 69.70 crore rupees was approved by the state government on the said project by nearly 50 percent of the total fund has been sanctioned so far.

It is pertinent to mention here that the design of the artificial lake's project over Tawi River was approved by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi. A team of experts from Pakistan inspected the project of artificial lake.

To make the Jammu city more attractive for the visitors, while using the barrage water to augment the irrigation facilities in the paddy grown areas of the district.

The reservoir would enable to lift 700 cusecs of water from Tawi to recharge the Ranbir Canal to irrigate 8000 kanals of agriculture land at the tail end villages, still dependent on the rainfalls.

The lake project which was approved by the then Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Jagmohan in 1986, witnessed much delay and it was about three years back that the government initiated the process for its construction. The design approval also took months before it was approved by the Central Water Commission.

Controversial past of GMC Principal, Dr Aniece Choudhary

His negligence in death of child

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Dec 15: Despite allegedly being involved in several cases of Dr Aniece Choudhary still enjoys the position of Principal Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu besides doing his private practice openly.

According to sources there are many complaints against the principal incharge Dr Aniece who allegedly frequently misusing his official position for personal benefits besides openly running his private clinic even after the high court order on doctor private practices.

Sources disclosed that the then HoD Dr Jyoti Prakash Gupta has filed a complained under letter no INT/94/117 dated 06-06-1994, Dr Kulbushan Lal that time was Principal GMC submitted complain under GMC/PA/94-95/219-20 dated 14-02-1995, the then Dr Jagan Singh also submitted the report against Dr Choudhary under letter no. BINT/174/97 dated 07-08-97 and Dr P K Hak filed complaint on 12-03-97 besides the principal GMC, Jammu of that time Dr H L Goswami filed complain GMC/ISTT/GD/PAF/1857 dated 03-03-2005 against Dr Aniece Choudhary, but the administration didn’t take any action against him.

A social activists K K Rao said that instead of holding a responsible position in GMCH Dr Aniece Choudhary is doing private practice and earning money by all means whether right or wrong.

“Adding to this due to the negligence approach of Dr Choudhary a girl child died recently whereas he has been found indulged in un-lawful activities before also but still he had been recommended for this prestigious post by the government” Rao said.

He added that the wrong political system is at the root of all these affairs that has brought such unscrupulous person in front in spite of the fact that he had become notorious for his misdeeds.

Rao further said that there are so many efficient, honest and dedicated doctors who could have been given chance to serve the people rightly and properly and to save the medical college from running in to shambles where there is mis-management everywhere and the common man is a great sufferer.

Despite repeating attempts Minister for Medical Education R S Chib could not be contacted for his version.

SAC toothless against corruption

Corrupt Ministers, bureaucrats continue to loot state

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Dec 05: The Ministers and bureaucrats against whom cases of corruption have been filed are still roaming free in Jammu and Kashmir as they have brought stay against the process initiated against them by anti-corruption body, State Accountability Commission (SAC).

This has totally exposed the claims of the government that state has a vibrant anti-corruption body to take action against high and mighty, involved in galloping crores of rupees.

There is question raised by everybody about has SAC is failed to rein in on corruption in the state?

Showing his helplessness, Chairman SAC, Yash Pal Nargotra told TNI that as in some cases high court has stayed the proceedings, SAC cannot take any action till the stay is revoked. “We cannot do anything till stay order is there”, he said.

Sources said that 15 cases of corruption or misuse of official position has been registered in the State Accountability Commission (SAC) is still pending from the past long time.

According to officials the cases included state politicians in which four sitting ministers in the Omar Abdullah led government besides the name of some former minister of the state are also include in this.

Officials further said that the minister whose case are pending before the ani-corruption commission are Minister for Finance & Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control, Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Minister for  Public Enterprises, Peerzada Mohd. Sayeed and Minister of State Cooperatives, Printing & Stationery and Elections, Manohar Lal Sharma.

Besides this some former state ministers legislators who are also facing charges of corruption included Abdul Gaffar Sofi from Peoples Democratic Party, Hakim Mohammad Yasin from Peoples Democratic Forum and Mangat Ram Sharma, Suman Lata Bhagat, Gulchain Singh Charak and Khem Lata Wakhloo from Congress.

The SAC still failed to take any strict action against the said ministers due to the reason 

best known to them.

The state was ranked as the number 2 corrupt state in India during the Congress-PDP coalition government.

“Making a mockery of tall claims by state government to bring transparency in the functioning of the administration while on one side government claims that every possible efforts is being made to eradicate corrupt elements but inside the administration there are many corrupt ministers and officials working in the state government department” said a source.

Absent from duty

Govt. plans to terminate 46 more doctors in Jammu

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Dec 4: In yet another move against the doctors who are absent from their duty for last many years, Heath Department has sent a new list of 46 doctors for the termination of their services from the department in Jammu province.

Sources said that these doctors have shifted to other states or out of country and are working in private hospitals without informing the department.

It is pertinent to mention here that in last three years about 150 specialist doctors serving in the state hospitals have left their jobs or have been terminated by the government after they joined private health sector within and outside the country.

The massive brain drain was prompted by the greener pastures with high end lifestyle available for the medical professionals outside the state and country.

A highly placed source said that most of the doctors have been terminated   after they remained absent from their services for several years without giving any reason to the department.

Director Health Services, Jammu Dr Madhu Khullar while talking to TNI said that department also sent the list of vacant seats to Public Service Commission (PSC) for recruitment in different hospitals across the Jammu region.

“The department has periodically notified the list of unauthorized absent doctors posted in different health institutions across Jammu province and new list has been submitted to the government” Dr Khullar said.

However a doctor on the condition of anonymity said that the main reason of shifting the doctors to other state or even aboard is lack of infrastructure and salary.

“A new doctor who joins Health Services department gets around Rs. 22,000 per month but same doctors gets more than Rs. 50,000 in a private hospital in other states and this is one temptation for the medical fraternity”, he said.

He added that if a highly qualified doctor posted in state health department he didn’t get require infrastructure in the hospitals as per his qualification, so spoiling his future he opted to go outside in private institutions.

Generally the more salary, allowances, perks, facilities of given by private hospitals, professional atmosphere, research work encourages doctors of J&K to other states and countries.