Thursday, 11 April 2013

Brother duo manages attachment in ZEO Office since many years


ZEO Manjakote bluntly abusing position, disobeys order of higher ups

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Apr 11: The officials at the helm of affairs in School Education Department are openly flouting the norms of the department with full impunity as there had been no action initiated against the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Manjakote who has kept blue eyed people attached in his office despite clear cut order of their detachment from higher ups.

The said ZEO was not only disobeying the order of higher authorities but had also misused his position by as his daughter, a ReT Teacher, not attending her duty regularly.

According to sources, ZEO Manjakote Shah Nawaz Khan is not having confirmed appointment but is just handling the position in the capacity of Incharge ZEO for the last three and half year. In his office, there is a person namely Mohd Saber who is attached there since 24 years. And, even Mohd Saber’s brother Mohd Arif is also attached in the same office for the last 13 years. This is despite the fact that there had been number of representations against the brother duo in the office of Director School Education but, no action was initiated against them for years altogether for the reason best known to the Education higher ups.

However, recently, on January 7, the then Director School Education issued an order for detachment of Mohd Saber from the office of ZEO Manjakote and asked him to join at Higher Secondary School Gambhir Mughlan.  But, the ZEO Manjakote didn’t take action even on the order of his Director. So far, more three months have been passed since the order was issued but nothing has been done in follow up to the order by the Director office.

Source alleged that ZEO Manjakote abused his position as his daughter namely Samina Nawaz remained present as ReT teacher while being a regular student of B.Ed at the same time. There are also number of cases filed against the ZEO, sources added.

Sources alleged that the giving the advantages to the undeserving candidates ZEO appoint in lieu of money resulting in lowering down the education system and standard in the zone which is the violation of fundamental right of public.

When contacted, Chief Education Officer, Rajouri Saif Din said many times he directed the ZEO to detach the brother duo, but doing nothing so far.

He however assured to personally look into the matter and do as ordered by the Director School Education as early as possible.

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

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.

Saturday, 15 December 2012

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.

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

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.

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

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.

Friday, 30 November 2012

AIDS threat




CCC centers project a failure in J&K

Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 30: As the Jammu and Kashmir is celebrating World AIDS Day, the much hyped centrally sponsored project to establish Community Care Centres (CCC) have died a slow death in absence of long term policy and apathetic attitude of the planners.

The project launched by National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) was to establish small care centers to provide help to the people affected with HIV.

The NACO established on such centre in the winter capital of the state with the collaboration of a private trust but after about one year of the functioning the CCC closed due to the reason best known to the concern authorities.

According to the sources, this Government of India sponsored schemes was meant to avail the benefit to people suffering from AIDS, included counselling for ARV drug adherence, nutrition and prevention, treatment of opportunistic infection, referral and outreach services for follow up and social support services.

 Officials said that currently, there are 96 such centres working in the country and the GOI has targeted to set up 350 CCC.

“It become just a show and was closed down. The project is failure in the state. They would have played a crucial role in enabling PLHA to access ART, as well as provide monitoring, follow- up counselling support to pre ART and ART patients, positive prevention, drug adherence, nutritional counselling”, said a official. 

In the context Director AIDS Control Society, Dr Rakesh Khajuria said that it is disheartening that the only Rehabilitation Centre in Jammu which was established to deal with the affected patients in Jammu in collaboration Bee Enn Charitable Trust has closed down.

“Reason is best known to the NACO. I have nothing to say about its closure. However we are pursuing the case so that new centers are established”, Dr. Khajuria said. 

Preferring anonymity a official said that as compared to the last year data there is a rapid increase in the HIV positive patients this year adding that the reason is some misused to funds provided by centre government due to which that centre is closed.

“The people sitting at the helm of affairs utilized the funds for their own benefit and didn’t bother about the functioning of the schemes which benefited the needy people” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that in Jammu and Kashmir there were about 271 deaths of AIDS patients besides 3,500 HIV patients which include 253 new cases detected from April to October this year.

The data further said that 1,410 cases of HIV positive detected in 2007 while  1,594 in 2008, 1,811 in 2009, 2,300 in 2010, 3,213 in 2011 whereas the figure increased upto 3,492 till October 31 this year.

Thursday, 29 November 2012

Rainfall made city wet, snow lashes mountains


Tahir Mushtaq

JAMMU, Nov 29: Season first rain finally arrived in the winter capital of the state yesterday night breaks the dry cold of winter.

According to the Chief Scientist, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences (SKUAST) Dr M K Khushu said that Jammu received a total of 3.2 mm rainfall yeaterday night whereas in Poonch there was 16 mm, in Udhampur 1 mm and Ramban 6 mm while from Kathua and Samba we received no rainfall.

Khushu further said that there might be possibilities of rainfall on today night and on Sunday.

Officials said that with the rainfall farmers also get some relief farmers, though the rainfall was not sufficient for the cultivation but it could help in certain extent.

They said that for the past few days, the weather remained extremely cold, which was causing a number of seasonal diseases. Majority of the people, especially working men and women, could be found complaining of headaches and exhaustion.

Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Shri Maharaja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital, Dr Sanjeev Digra said that the after the first rainfall there is some relief to the people specially children but as the winter season is on it comes with various cold related diseases.

Dr Digra further said that we have received many cases of dry cough, colds and chest-related disorders for the past one-and-a-half month adding that number of patients suffering from such ailments had shot up and most of them included children”.

He maintained that immune system can be kept healthy by eating good, healthy food. A balanced meal can help a person keep fit. Taking plenty of rest and exposing the body to adequate sunlight can also improve immunity.

“Plenty of nutrition can help take care of both your health and your skin. Vitamins like vitamin C help boost immunity. Vitamin C can also help prevent common cold and seasonal flu” he added.