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TUESDAY
October 15 | 2013 | 09 Zul Hijjah 1434 AH | PAGES 12 |
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BCCI should come under the RTI act
Tehsildar Srinagar (North) suspended Srinagar, October 14: The government has placed Tehsildar Srinagar (North) Bashir Ahmad Rather under suspension following a preliminary report filed by a high level committee indicting the revenue officer of stamp duty evasion worth Rs 25 Crores approximately. Talking to Kashmir News Service, Shailendra Kumar the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir said the revenue officer has been placed under suspension today after an preliminary enquiry found him responsible for stamp duty evasion causing a huge loss to the state exchequer. “The preliminary enquiry committee comprising deputy commissioner Srinagar and two additional deputy commissioners has found that this fraud was going on for the last 12 to 18 months and accused Tehsildar has attested 1300 mutations on oral gifts. These mutations involve 1800 Kanals of land and Rs 25 Crores approximately stamp duty has been evaded in these attestations,” Kumar informed KNS. The divisional Commissioner Kashmir added the mutations can be attested on oral gifts only in blood relations but the accused revenue officer had generalized the rule. See Tehsildar on Pg. 11
House damaged in fire Srinagar, October 14: Fire broke out in the residential house of Ghulam Rasool son of Mohammad Sultan resident of Shaheed Gunj, Srinagar, resulting in partial damage to the house. Fire was brought under control with the help of fire tenders and local police.
FORECAST FOR NEXT 24 HRS: FORECAST OF SRINAGAR:
Mainly Clear Sky. Maximum & Minimum temperatures will be around 22°C & 10°C respectively.
TEMPERATURE MAXIMUM 21.1 0C MINIMUM 10.8 0C SUNSET ON(TUESDAY) 05:59 pm 06:38 am SUNRISE ON (WED.)
tice
Largely Circulated, No. 1 Bilingual Daily of J&K
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BSF jawan injured as Pak violates ceasefire
‘Septicemia’ main cause of infant death Inquiry committee all praise for G.B. Panth faculty Pentavalent did not decrease the mortality rate
Jammu, October 14:
A BSF jawan was injured in firing by Pakistani troops on Monday afternoon across the international border in Samba district, about 50-km from Jammu city. As Pakistan yet again violated ceasefire, the Border Security Force (BSF) responded and firing is still on. “The jawan was hit in the abdomen in sniper fire at a forward post along the border at about 11am,” said PS Tomar, inspector general of BSF, Jammu frontier. According to reports, the jawan was guarding the post at Kothe, when he was hit by a
Srinagar, October 14:
sniper. This is the fourth incident of sniper fire on BSF personnel along the international border this year. One jawan had died in August and two others were injured.
Principal GMC Jammu DoB controversy
Claiming ‘Septicemia’ (Blood Infection) as the major cause of recent infant deaths in G.B.Panth Hospital, the five-member Union Health and Family Welfare team Monday said that these infants were suffering from various diseases like pneumonia and meningitis while some of them were suffering from liver disorders. Addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Chairman Adverse Events Following Immunizations Committee (AEFI), Professor N.K.Arora said that an inquiry committee was constituted to ascertain the causes of infant deaths in Kashmir af-
Around 9 pm on Saturday, Pakistan began firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector. The exchange of fire ceased at 4am on Sunday. No loss of life See BSF Jawan on Pg. 11
ter the State Government reported some adverse reports about the Pentavalent vaccine. "Children between the age of 45 days to four and a half month are vulnerable to diseases. The infants died in G.B.Panth Hospital were found in
thses age groups who were suffering from pneumonia, meningitis, septicemia and liver disorder and the most common cause of the death and diagnosis was septicemia but there were unusual causes like liver disorder,” Arora said.
Renzu, Goni among 15 people join congress
CIC seeks personal appearance of Ad Sec HME Will convene special meetings to welcome new entrants: Soz Srinagar, October 14: Taking strong notice of non compliance of Right To information Act (RTI) Act applicable to an application seeking matriculation and registrarship certificates of Dr Shahsi Gupta Principal Government Medical College Jammu, the State Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) has sought personal appearance of additional secretary helath and medical education on October 21. In its order received by KNS, the CIC has taken a strong exception of
the non compliance of RTI Act by health and medical education authorities who according to the Commission’s order have not provided matriculation and registrarship completion certificate of Dr Shashi Gupta Principal GMC Jammu as there is reportedly some discrepancy in the Date of Birth in his service records. The sources in CIC office told KNS, that the application seeking the certificates of Dr Gupta was filed by Dr Indu Koul in June this year See CIC on Pg. 11
Rigorous Life Imprisonment for three in Shopian Srinagar, October 14: The Principal Sessions court Shopian Monday sentenced three murder convicts to rigorous life imprisonment with fine of Rs. 50,000. The three convicts including a father son duo were convicted for murdering a person when he was offering Azaan in 2007. The Hon’ble court of Principal Sessions Shopian today sentenced three convicts Abdul Rashid Wani son of Ahsan Wani, Sajad Ahmad Wani
son of Abdul Rashid Wani both residents of Heerpora, Shopian and Rafiq Takad son of Juma Takad resident of Rajouri to rigorous life imprisonment with fine of Rs. 50,000 for murdering Yaseen Wani son of Habibullah Wani resident of Heerpora, Shopian in 2007. The trio was convicted on Tuesday and the argument for the verdict were held on Thursday. The prosecution succeeded in establishing the charge of 302/ See Shopian on Pg. 11
Srinagar, October 14:
Former director information Khawja Farooq Renzu Shah is among fifteen ‘prominent’ people from Jammu and Kashmir who joined Congress after their membership was accepted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday. Talking to Kashmir News Service, Prof Saif-u-Din Soz said a list of some prominent people was forwarded to the Congress High Command long ago but the UPA chairperson has approved the names today only. “This is an achievement for the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir that people including the prominent citizens are joining which reflects the popularity of the party.” Prof Soz told KNS that very soon, the party will convene separate meetings in Srinagar and Jammu to welcome
the new entrants. “I am of the firm belief the new entrants will further
Goni distances himself from Congress Srinagar, October 14: Immediately after the Congress High Command approved the membership of some prominent citizens from Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Aslam Goni, whose name surfaced in the list of new entrants, distanced himself from any association with the Congress party. Talking to KNS, Goni said: “This is baseless information. I have never ever met UPA chairperson Sonia See Goni on Pg. 11 strengthen the party in the state and very soon you will see hundreds of
youth joining the party,” Prof Soz informed KNS. Former director information, Khawja Farooq Renzu Shah, while talking to Kashmir News Service said: “It is a proud moment for me that honorable Sonia Gandhi has provided me a chance to work for strengthening of secular forces in Jammu and Kashmir. I am highly privileged that I in my humble capacity has been chosen to put my efforts to work for the betterment of the people.” The other ‘prominent’ people whose membership has been accepted by the Congress high command in Delhi are Mohammad Aslam Goni, Thakur Balbir Singh, Gurbachan Kour, Ghulam Hassan Gilani, Tassaduq Hussain, Shafiq Mir, Zahida Khan, Bashir Ahmad Shah, Ghulam Hassan Rather, Gulzar Ahmad, Tafazul Hussain, See Renzu on Pg. 11
Eid shopping going on in full swing Srinagar, October 14: Two days ahead of Eid-ulAdha the markets today witnessed a huge rush of customers who have thronged to shops for Eid shopping. Reports reaching KNS, said that roads were jam packed with the shoppers and vehicles were seen waiting queues to ply. Men, women and the young hunted for hosiery items, bakery, poultry and mutton while a child’s preferred to buy firecrackers and toys to add to the joy of Eid, to celebrate the holy Muslim festival Eid-
ul-Adha which will be celebrated on Wednesday.
SKUAST-J Council meets
Governor, CM for convergence of initiatives to enhance agri-productivity Srinagar, October 14: A 5-year area and sector specific Action Plan will be formulated for the rapid growth of Agriculture, Dairy, Poultry, Vegetable, Pasture and Fodder Development, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, Fisheries and the other allied sectors possessing very high potential for generating employment and wealth in the State. For this purpose, a Committee comprising the Minister for Forests, Minister for Agriculture, Minister of State for Animal and Sheep Husbandry,
Vice Chancellors of both the Farm Universities of the State and the
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Unsung hero makes a quiet exit
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Srinagar, October 14: One person died and five others were injured in two separate road accidents across the valley. A truck bearing registration number Jk01B/5477 turned turtle and fell into a deep gorge near Captain Mode, Zojilla in the jurisdiction of Police station Sonamarg, Ganderbal, resulting in on spot death of the driver Mohammad Yousf Mir son of Assadullah Mir resident of Bonibagh, Kangan. Ganderbal police retrieved the body of the driver and handed it over ot his legal heirs after completion of all formalities. Meanwhile, a Tipper bearing registration number Jk13B/2517 collided with a Tata Sumo bearing registration number Jk03A near Akoora crossing, in the jurisdiction of Police station Mattan, Anantnag. Two persons travelling in this Tata Sumo were injured in the mishap. Both the injured were shifted to Hospital for treatment. Mattan Police has registered a case in this regard. In another accident, a Tipper bearing registration number UP25AT/5954 and a Tavera vehicle bearing registration number Jk03C/8797 collided See Injured on Pg. 11
Weather will be mainly dry over the State.
Jus
Foods for strong bones
1 dies, 5 injured in road mishaps
WEATHER
VOL NO: 3 | ISSUE NO: 260 | RS: 2/- (AIR SURCHARGE FOR JAMMU /DELHI/LEH 50 PAISA)
Commissioner/Secretary, Agri See Governor on Pg. 11
After the pavement See Shopping on Pg. 11
He said their objective was that by the time they finish their job, they collect all the required information and therefore the whole of Saturday they spent the time discussing all the cases with the G.B.Panth faculty. “We went through all the records meticulously and discussed the patients in clinical sense, gone through their laboratory records to reach at the bottom of the problem.” Arora told reporters. He said that on Saturday, “we decided to make the field visit and the purpose of the visit was three fold. One was we wanted to assess the whole health system and the way See Infant Death on Pg. 11
3 Sarpanch arrested for ransacking offices Qazigund, October 14: At least three Sarpanches were booked by police for ransacking the offices of the Assistant Development Commissioner Islamabad and Block Development Officer Qazigund. Assistant Commissioner Development Islamabad, Abdul Hamid Wani told CNS that few Sarpanchas and Panchas are averse of development in Qazigund and reasons are better known to them. “These village representatives frequently raise hue See Arrested on Pg. 11
Sagar reviews Eid-ul-Azha arrangements Srinagar, October 14: The Minister for Rural Development and Panchyati Raj, Mr. Ali Mohammad Sagar on the eve of Eid-ulAzha has directed the divisional administration Kashmir to put in place a fool proof mechanism and synergize their efforts, so that people do not face any inconvenience during the ensuing Eid. The Minister was chairing a high level meeting convened to discuss the arrangements being put in place in view of the en-
suing festivities of Eid-ulAzha. The meeting was attended by Vice Chairman, Waqaf Board, Mr. M.Y. Qadri, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Mr. Shalinder Kumar, Inspector General of Police, A.G. Mir , Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Mr. F. A. Shah, Chief Engineers, PDD, R&B, Director CA&PD, DIG Traffic, RTO Srinagr, DGM, SRTC and senior officers of Animal, Sheep Husbandry and SMC. Mr. Sagar also asked the Vice Chairman Waqaf See Sagar on Pg. 11
3rd Regional Judicial conference commence from 18th Oct at SKICC Srinagar, October 14: 3rd Regional Judicial Conference (North Zone) on “Role of Courts in upholding Rule of Law” from 18th to 20th October, 2013 at SKICC, Srinagar is being organized by the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Jammu & Kashmir State Judicial Academy in collaboration with National Judicial Academy (India) Bhopal in which Judicial Officers of six northern States viz., Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, Allahabad, Him-
achal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana and Uttrakhand are participating. As per the statement issued today by Deputy Registrar, Mr Pankaj Kumar Gupta as many as 75 delegates from outside the State while 30 Judicial Officers of High Court of Jammu and Kashmir is participating in the conference. Apart from that, it is for the first time that about 20 Junior Advocates, 10 each from Jammu and Kashmir Bar are going to participate in the Conference.
This innovative step has been taken by Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Justice M.M. Kumar to give a sense of participation to the Bar and to intellectually expose them to the legal deliberations of highest order in which Judges from Supreme Court, Chief Justice’s and Judges of other States besides Academicians of National Level are participating as resource persons. The main goal of Regional Conference is to facilitate See Conference on Pg. 11
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BSF Jawan..........
was reported on the Indian side. Recently, the Indian Army had foiled an infiltration bid by around 30 Pakistani terrorists in Keran Sector of Kashmir. Four terrorists were killed in the 15-day operation. Meanwhile, BSF is likely to seek a flag meeting with Pakistani Rangers which opened fire in forward areas along the IndiaPakistan border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, injuring one jawan. Home Ministry officials said this was the third incident of sniper fire from Pakistan side this year along the International Border and cannot be taken lightly as there have been increased activities by militants from across the border. "BSF is likely to seek a flag meeting with Pakistani Rangers to lodge a strong protest," an official said.
Infant Death..........
immunization is given in the State. The second objective of the visit was to get the first hand information from the parents whose infants had died. We went to six house-holds in this process. The third one was that we also wanted to do epidemiological investigation, so we also had informal discussion with the community living in the surroundings of these unfortunate infants,” he said adding that they also had extensive informal interactions and in depth interviews with the State Immunization Officers, Programme Managers as well as State Health Directorate officials. “We synthesized the information and on Monday morning we had brief discussion with the G.B.Panth faculty headed by Medical Superintendent and we also gave our feed back to State Health Minister.” Prof N.K. Arora said that they investigated 12 cases which were reported AEFI out of which 8 were reported to be death cases while 4 were admitted with some symptoms and they were later on discharged in good health from the hospital. He said that out of these 8 deaths 7 were from G.B. Panth Hospital. He said, “the team went through the G.B Panth hospital records and the way patients were managed in the hospital were absolutely marvelous. They have managed all the sick children in an excellent manner. After discussing with doctors, we were able to get all the answers to most of our questions,” he said. “Based on our causality assessment under New WHO algorithm which takes into account the clinical features of children and health system issues we found that these children were having illnesses which commonly occur in their age group,” he said adding that ‘Septicemia’ (Blood Infection) was the major cause of the deaths of these unfortunate deaths. “Since all the patients were coming from the same hospital so we reviewed the admission and mortality rate of 2012 and 2013 and we find that there is no change in the trend of either in admission rates or in the causes of mortality in this age group. Prior to the introduction of Pentavalent or after its admission there is no significant or consistent change in the rates of death of infants,” he said. Arora said that they feel that Pentavalent vaccine is not associated with the deaths in these children. “It is equally important to emphasize that there was no programme error and is running very well and we did not find any case where any programme error has taken place,” he claimed. Arora said that from past many years State of Jammu and Kashmir has not reported any AEFI, so the system of AEFI in this State needs strengthening. “It is only during last one month that most of the cases were reported from one hospital and clearly there is enhanced surveillance activity which has been started by G.B.Panth hospital in the State,” he said. Dr Khera on this occasion said that since the introduction of the Pentavalent vaccine in Jammu and Kashmir 2.5 lakh doses have been administered to children. While replying to a question, Prof Arora said he has no mandate to suggest to the State Government to improve the condition of Children Hospital in Kashmir Valley. “We can’t comment on any such matter which is beyond our purview,” he said adding that the team could not made the report public as it is very confidential.
CIC.........
which was not provided to her despite repeated reminders and its is reported that the records are not available. Sources in the information commission office told KNS, that the CIC has taken a serious note of lackadaisical attitude of the health and medical education authorities who failed to provide the information sought by the applicant under RTI Act. “The additional secretary health and medical education has been asked to appear personally before the CIC along with records with regard to DOB, matriculation and registrarship completion certificates of Dr Gupta on October 21,” sources quoting the CIC told KNS.
Renzu.........
Murtaza Khan, Wali Mohammad and Najeeb Ali Shiekh. While Renzu worked on many top positions in the state administration, Goni was political adviser to former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah. Shafiq Mir from Jammu province was chairman Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference. Sources in the Congress told Kashmir News Service formed a disciplinary committee for Jammu and Kashmir and Gurmik Singh, Ghulam Nabi Monga, Narbo Gailong, Vinod Sharma and Anvar Bhat were selected as its members. An election committee for Jammu and Kashmir with state president Saif-u-din Soz, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Tara Chand, Sham
Lal Sharma, M Sharif Niyaz, B A Magray, Sham Paul, Khem Lata Wukhloo, Ravinder Sharma and M Aslam as its members has been formed by the Congress High Command in view of the forthcoming assembly and Parliamentary elections, sources told KNS. A coordination committee for the state has been formed comprising of Ambika Soni, Saif-u-Din Soz, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Abdul Manan, Tara Chand and Muzafar Parray etc.
Goni........
Gandhi. I was in National Conference right from the beginning and will continue to remain as a part of this party. I am still political secretary to Dr Farooq Abdullah sahib.” Goni told KNS that he has no knowledge how his name surfaced in the list of prominent citizens who have joined Congress. “I don’t know how my name crept in. I have no association with Congress nor have I met any of its leaders in this connection.”
Arrested.........
and cry over petty matters and even threatened officials of dire consequences. We lodged a formal complaint and accordingly Qazigund police arrested three Sarpanchas,” he said. The trio has been identified as Sarpanch Panzat, Bilal Ahmed Deva. Sarpanch Saransoo Javid Ahmed Shiekh and Sarpanch Yurikhushipora Muhammad Setha. “A case vide FIR number 238/2013 under section 353, 427 and 451 of RPC was registered against them,” a police official said.
Shopian.........
RPC read with 34 RPC against all the accused. The court heard the prosecution and the defense in the murder case FIR number 92/2007 under section 302, 34 RPC of police station Shopian.
Shopping...........
traders spread their stalls virtually all over Srinagar, roads in the city got Choked by afternoon. Traffic policemen had a tough time regulating the flow of vehicles. While queues of buyers were seen outside bakery and mutton shops, the most crowded places in the city were the makeshift animal markets, especially at the Eidgah ground in the Old City. The other main attractions were on bakery products. Cakes, pastries, cookies and biscuits sold like hot cakes. Some of the better known bakery shops in Srinagar had taken orders as long as a month back. “I had placed my order with the baker a month ago. Even after that, I had to queue up this morning to get my ordered goods,” said Aabid Ahmad, a resident of Habba kadal in Srinagar. According to the Muslim tradition, a spiritual Muslim can offer a goat or sheep as a sacrificial animal while one camel and a calf will suffice for the vow of seven Muslims. Allah ordered Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail. When the blindfolded father moved the blade on his son's throat to carry out the divine command, an animal from heaven replaced Ismail. It is to celebrate the absolute submission of Prophet Ibrahim to Allah's command and the saving of Ismail's life that Muslims offer animal sacrifices on Eid-ul-Azha.
Sagar........
Board to ensure all the facilities are put in place for the smooth offering of Nimaz at various places across the valley. He said that they should ensure that the timing of Nimaz and other related things are properly communicated. He directed the authorities of Srinagar Municipal Corporation to ensure sanitation and light arrangement facility in Srinagar city, especially around the mosques, shrines and other religious places. He instructed the Commissioner SMC to press additional men and machinery into service and ensure that proper disposal of garbage. Mr. Sagar on the spot gave instructions to Chief Engineer, PDD to streamline the power supply during the Eid days, so that the people do not face any in-convenience. The Minister also directed the concerned authorities of CA&PD keep available rice, sugar, Atta, at ration depots besides buffer stocking of LPG and k. oil may also be ensured. He also asked for putting in place a mechanism, so that the people get an adequate supply of sacrificial animals and that too at an adequate price. The Minister also directed the RTO, Kashmir and the officers of SRTC Department to ensure that the traffic is ensured in the division especially during the late and early hours. He also directed the traffic police to make the necessary arrangements for ensuring the smooth plying of vehicles during the festivals days. Mr. Sagar also asked the IGP Kashmir to ensure adequate security arrangements in and around the areas where large congregation of people offer their Eid Nimaz. He said a fool-proof mechanism should be put in place to avert any untoward incident.
Governor........
culture Production has been set up to prepare the Action Plan in collaboration with all the concerned line departments. Decision to this effect was taken at the 10th meeting of the University Council of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu, held at Raj
Short Term Notice Inviting Tender NIT No. PHQ/07 of 10/ 2013
For and on behalf of Governor of Jammu & Kashmir State sealed tenders affixed with Four Rupee revenue stamps are invited from Registered PWD contractors whose registration cards are valid in terms of standing rules for the works shown as under: Position of funds: Demanded
1.
2.
Name of Work For providing water supply connection of supply main to Nai Basti Akhran including augmentation to main village Akhran WSS Gundi Tankipora Connecting villages Nowpora, New colony Nowpora (Bangerpora) to new system of WSS Gundi Tankipora including restoration of 150 mm dia supply main at nallah crossing near Akhran WSS Gundi Tankipora
Conference...........
sharing of knowledge, views and experiences amongst judges from neighbouring States on selected challenges. Regional Conference further help to develop uniformity in understanding the legal principles throughout the country and help to promote uniform best practices throughout. Inaugural Session of the Conference shall start on 18th of October, 2013 at 8:30 A.M. at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Center, Srinagar. Mr Justice M.M. Kumar, Chief Justice, High Court of Jammu and Kashmir, Mir Saifullah, Minister for Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Chief Justice, Punjab & Haryana High Court and Dr. (Prof.) Balram K. Gupta, Director, National Judicial Academy India (Bhopal), shall be Guests of Honour. Dr. Justice B.S. Chauhan, Judge, Supreme Court of India, Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur, Judge and Supreme Court of India shall chair Sessions on 19th October, 2013. Valedictory function shall be held on 20th October, 2013. Dr.
Justice B.S. Chauhan, Judge, Supreme Court of India, Mr. Justice T.S. Thakur, Judge, Supreme Court of India, Hon’ble Mr. Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir, Judge, High Court of Jammu and Kashmir (Judge In charge, J&K State Judicial Academy) and Dr. (Prof) Balram K. Gupta, Director, National Judicial Academy, India (Bhopal) will address on the valedictory function.
Injured.........
at Tarigam, Kulgam. Two persons including the driver of the Tavera were injured in this accident. A case has been registered in this regard. In another accident, a Tata Sumo bearing registration number Jk09/7688 hit and injured 22 years old Bilal Ahmad Mir son of Habibullah resident of Hatmullah near Jamkash, Bumhama, in the jurisdiction of police station Kupwara. The injured was shifted to SKIMS, Soura for treatment. Kupwara Police has registered a case in this regard.
Tehsildar........
“We have formed a committee comprising of settlement commissioner and the stamp commissioner who will probe the fraud in detail. We have given this committee one month to file its report,” Kumar added further. The divisional commissioner Kashmir said that FIR can also be registered only after the final enquiry report is submitted before the government. “Yes we will surely direct for registration of FIR only after the final enquiry report is submitted to us,” Kumar stressed.
National Bhand Theatre Wathora Chadoora Budgam
Band Pather Workshop for one month
A Bhand Pather workshop for reproduction of (Darz Pather) which is organised by National Bhand Theatre under the directionship of Shahe-Jahan Ahmad Bhagat assisted by Manzoor-ul-Haq National Awardees is running w.e.f 9-10-2013 and has inaugurated by Adl. Secretary J&K Cultural Academy in presence of Nominated Theatre Directors and Theatre Experts of Kashmir. The high qualified young boys and children are participated in this workshop and getting training smoothly. The old age Bhand experts just like Gh. Rasool Bhagat, Sonaullah Bhagat, Gh. Ahmad Bhagat and Nazir Ahmad Bhagat will give lecture with acting to the participants one by one daily during the full time. The workshop is financed by Ministry of Culture Govt. Of India for preservation and promotion of our rich art from Kashmir. The following artists are participating in this workshop: 1. Mudasir Ah. Bhagat 2. Bilal Ah. Bhagat 3. Rayees Rasheed 4. Tahir Ah. Najar 5. Javid Bashir 6. Younis Majeed 7. Arshid Majeed 8. Faheem Fayaz 9. Hilal Ah. Shah 10. Younis Malik 11. Abid Ahmad 12. Umer Mushtaq 13. Amir Bhagat 14. Junied 15. Imtiyaz
Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd
Office of the Executive Engineer Generation Division L.J.H.P Gantamulla Baramulla Tender Notice No. GD/LJHP/20 of 2013 Dated 07.10.2013
For & on Behalf of Managing Director Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Sealed tenders Affixed with revenue stamp worth Rs. 4/- are invited from Original Equipment Manufacturer/Authorized Dealers/Registered Electrical Contractors/ Mechanical Contractors/ Reputed Firms/Self Help Groups (With PAN No. and TIN No. allotted) having relevant experience of the job as per following details. S. Description of Work Cost of Estimated Last Date Tender Position of No Tender Cost (in for Receipt Receiving Funds Document Lacs) of Tenders Authority Supply of O&M spares for 3x35 MW Chief Engineer 1. LJHP. 500/4.60 21.10.2013 Generation Kmr., Demanded Bemina Srinagar Detailed tender documents containing specification, scope of work, job requirements and other Terms and conditions of the items can be obtained from office of the Executive Engineer Generation Division LJHP Gantamulla Baramulla against Payment of cost of tender Fee (Non-Refundable) against cash or in the shape of DD favouring Executive Engineer Generation Division LJHP Gantamulla Baramulla on any working day from 10.10.2013 to 19.10.2013. Tenders must be accompanied by CDR Equivalent to 2% of the estimated cost & pledged to tender receiving authority as shown against each work. Tenders complete in all respects should reach the office of the Tender receiving authority as shown against each item on or before due date up to 3.00 PM and will be opened on the same day or any subsequent date convenient to the tender opening authority in presence of the tenderers or their representatives who may desire to be present. The Competent authority of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd. reserves the right to accept or reject any/all tenders fully or partially without assigning any reason thereof. Sd/- Executive Engineer Generation Division LJHP DIPJK-NB: 1849 Gantamulla Baramulla
Government of Jammu & Kashmir
Office of the Chief Education Officer, Anantnag
Subject: 1. SWP NO: 2583/12 titled Mohd Syed Wani V/s State and others. 2.Mohd Isaq Wani V/s State and others.
ORDER
Office of the Executive Engineer, Public Health Engineering, Division Qazigund
S. No
Bhavan, here today under the chairmanship of Mr. N. N. Vohra, Governor, who is Chancellor of the University. Addressing the meeting, the Governor, and Mr. Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister, who is Pro-Chancellor of the University, emphasized the need for adequate utilization of infrastructure, manpower and all other logistics and resources available with the Farm Universities for maximizing their outputs. They stressed the need for taking all required measures on urgent basis for enhancing production of dairy, poultry, mutton and fish. They also called for more close coordination among both the Farm Universities of the State and extension agencies of the Government for enhancing agri-productivity on sustainable basis. Reviewing the intake capacity of the SKUAST-Jammu, the Governor said that every effort must be made to ensure that no seat in any discipline remains unfilled. Regarding the status of infrastructure development works of the University, the Governor asked the Vice Chancellor to take up the matter with the concerned executing agencies for ensuring timely completion of all these works. He also emphasized for expediting all the required measures to facilitate construction of building for Maize Research SubStation at Sansoo, in Udhampur district in a time bound manner. While reviewing the headway made towards establishing Krishi Vigyan Kendras in Samba, Udhampur and Ramban districts, the Governor asked the Vice Chancellor to pursue the matter with the concerned authorities for expediting possession of the land for the establishment of the KVKs, describing these as nerve centres for transfer of agricultural technologies to the farmers to progressively enhance agri-productivity and production in the State on a sustained basis. The Chief Minister stressed that the progressive farmers with notable success stories need to be involved in a big way in enlarging awareness among the farmers who have been benefited with the various technological and scientific interventions made by the Agricultural Universities and the extension agencies of the Government which have culminated into these success stories so that other farmers could also benefit from their experiences. Regarding the revision of Statutes of the State Agricultural Universities, the Chief Minister asked both the Vice Chancellors to jointly revisit the Statutes and list out the amendments, wherever, required to be made.
ZABARWAN TIMES
Estd. Cost (Rs. In Lacs)
Earnest Money (in Rs.)
Class of Contract
Time of Completion
Cost of Tender Documents
1.10
2200
DEE
20 Days
200
0.44
880
DEE
10 Days
200
Terms and conditions: 1. The tender should reach the office of the undersigned on or before 21-10-2013 up to 2.00 PM. 2. The tender documents for the work can be had from the office of the undersigned from………. upto 19-10-2013 upto 2.00PM against cash payment (nonrefundable as indicated above on the production of Registered card duly renewed/ TIN No./ PAN No/ clearance of Sales Tax from concerned authorities. 3. The tenderer should submit their tender by registered post and or courier service or by hand. 4. Tenders which are received after expiry of prescribed due date & time shall be rejected & treated as invalid even though the rates offered in such case may be lowest. 5. The tenders shall be opened on the same day/date or any other subsequent day/date convenient to the opening authority in presence of the tenderers who may wish to be present. However, in case the date of receipt of tenders is declared a holiday or due to any other eventuality the tenders shall be received and opened on next working day. 6. The tenderers shall have to produce registration cards, in the office at the time of issue of tender documents personally for verification of capacity /eligibility/ validity of registration. 7. The rates should be written clearly & legible both in words & figures without any over writing /corrections, overwriting if any done should be legible & should bear the initial of the tenderer. The tenders written ambiguously shall not be entertained. 8. Correction slip or verbal representation for raising or lowering the rates quoted by the tenderer shall not be entertained at all. 9. The tenderers should quote their rates, for civil works & Mechanical/Electrical Equipments separately in the fiscal bid. 10. The competent authority reserves the right to reject or accept any or all the tenders without assigning any reason thereof. 11. The tenders should be accompanied with an earnest money equivalent to 2% of quoted cost in the shape of CDR pledged to Executive Engineer PHE Division Qazigund. 12. Tenders without CDR shall not be entertained. Sd/- Executive Engineer DIPJK: 8698 P.H.E Division Qazigund
BNA
11 From Front Page........
Daily
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Whereas, the Zonal Education Officer, Shangus floated an advertisement for engagement of candidates as ReT against the two ReT Posts to be engaged in M/S Chanderwarden. The said advertisement came to be published in dailies under DIPK No: 7120 Dated:19-0811 wherein the unit of selection was taken as Revenue Village. Whereas, the case became sub judice before the Hon'ble Sub Judge Court, Anantnag under the title of Mohd Isaq Wani V/s State and others. The said plaintiff challenged the unit of selection and was praying that "Chanderwarden" is a separate habitation and the candidates hailing from the said habitation be taken into consideration while doing engagement. The Hon'ble Court passed an order in the said case on 30-12-11, the operative portion of the said order reads as under:"Non applicants in the circumstances are directed not to make the selection process unless eligible candidates are genuinely considered and having reappraisal". Whereas, in compliance to the aforesaid court orders, this office constituted a committee to look in to the matter and report, in order to proceed towards the selection process under norms. Whereas, the case remained under consideration and in the meanwhile the another candidate Mohammad Syed Wani approached the Hon'ble High Court through the SWP No:1391/12 and the Hon'ble Court passed the following order in the petition on 16-07-12; "Be that as it may, this petition is disposed of alongwith CMP's and it is provided that the impugned order does not affect any of the legal rights of the petitioner. However, the official respondents would be at liberty to proceed with the selection process and while doing so, the order dated: 30-12-11 passed by the Learned Sub Judge Anantnag shall be kept in mind until such time either the order is vacated, modified or clarified." Whereas, the case was under the active consideration and in the meantime the Principal HSS, Uttersoo (Enquiry officer) was directed to expedite the delivery of requisite information. Whereas, Mohammad Syed Wani again filed another petition before the Hon'ble Court under SWP No: 2583/12 and the Hon'ble court passed an order in the said petition on 12-12-12 where under the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag has been directed to conduct the enquiry into the matter. Whereas, accordingly, the Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag has got the matter enquired through a team of officers who have furnished their report Vide No: 28-31/STA/2013 dated: 10-04-13 which reveals that the "Chanderwaden" does not qualify as habitation, then the process already initiated shall be finalized with promptitude. The Deputy Commissioner, Anantnag vide No: DCA/Lit/013/66 Dated: 24-04-13 has desired to implement the order of the Hon'ble Court in letter and spirit in light of report of the Committee. Whereas, this office accordingly apprised the Hon'ble Court through the Standing Counsel vide No: CEO/A/Legal/12456/13 Dated: 1106-13 about the proceedings of the case. Whereas, the Zonal Education Officer, Shangus framed the panel of (15) candidates and submitted to this office with a certificate that the unit of selection has been taken on "Revenue Village”. The petitioners of both the petitions Mohd Syed Wani and Mohd Isaq Wani have also participated in the selection process among other candidates and are figuring in the said panel as per their merit and eligibility. Whereas, this office on the strength of panel framed by the Zonal Education Officer, issued tentative selection list in Favour of two meritorious candidates vide this office No: CEO/A/Per/20511-13/13 Dated: 12-08-13. Now, therefore, in compliance with the orders passed by the Hon'ble Sub Judge Anantnag on 30-12-11 in the case tilted Mohd Isaq Wani V/s State and others and the order passed by the Hon'ble High Court in SWP No: 2583/12 titled Mohd Syed Wani V/s state and others on 12-12-12, all the eligible candidates among petitioners who have applied for their consideration against the ReT posts in question have been considered under norms/guidelines of the scheme and, the tentative selection is issued in favour of two meritorious candidates. DIPJK: 8679 Sd/- Chief Education Officer Anantnag
Owner, Printer, Publisher & Editor-n-Chief: Suhail Malik, RNI No: JKBIL/2011/39764, Email: zabarwantimes@gmail.com Published from: Govt. Quarters (M-13) Magarmal Bagh Srinagar -190001, J&K, Printed at: Sangarmal Offset Press Humhama Sheikhpora Tele/Fax: 2478370 Cell No: 09999964750, 9796787844
NEWS
Daily ZABARWAN TIMES
TUESDAY OCTOBER | 15 | 2013
ZABARWAN TIMES has started a series highlighting the achievements of various Districts during the present financial year, i.e; 2013-14 in central and state sectors. This series will help to give wide publicity to the achievements and will provide general public a window to assess the claims and give honest feed-back. This effort will also help to encourage the dedicated manpower associated with the completion of different projects at district level. we solicit and expect full co-operation from the District Administration in this endour. Today we showcase the South Kashmir’s Anantnag District.
C M Y K
W
ith a rich political and literary history, Anantnag known for its fresh and life nurturing springs like Kokernag, Sherbagh, Martand and source of river Jehlum Verinag, the south Kashmir District has abundance of natural beauty as its famous tourist resorts Pahalgam, Achabal, Kokernag, Verinag, Deksum and now the magical meadows situated all along Sinthan road attract thousands of tourists and lovers of nature every year. The district famously known as rice bowl of the Kashmir produces major portion of rice, fresh and dry fruits including a variety of walnuts and almonds. Anantnag has progressed rapidly during past few decades and is developing leaps and bounds in every field of life.
District Development Board Anantnag approves Annual Plan of Rs. 110.80 crore for the District
PMGSY KHIRAM TO SANGNARD PHASE-VII , COST = 172.66 Lacs, Year of Completion - 2011
District Anantnag land of Springs/Health Resorts /Shrines bestowed with Rich Irrigation Potential and known as food bowl of Kashmir as well as Gateway of Kashmir i) Geographical Area = 2917 Sq. Kms. ii) Total reporting Area = iv) Population of District Anantnag as per Census 2011 = 10.70 lacs v) ST Population = 1.08 lacs vi) Average House Hold size = 7.5 vii) Literacy rate
72100 Hacters. Out of which Male = 64.33%
=
iii) No. of Panchayat Halqas = 5.53 lacs Female =
297 5.17 lacs
Major Health Resorts: Pahalgam , Achabal, Kokernag , Daksum, Verinag. Major Springs: Sherbagh Nagbal, Malaknag, Verinag (Source of river Jehlum), Kokernag, Achabal, Mattan etc. Major Shrines: Baba Hard-i –Reshi , Baba Zain-u- Din Wali, Baba Bamu-Din, Syed Jamal-u Din Bukhari (R.A), Ziyarati Sharif Kaba Marg etc.
Major Achievements: Item a) Fresh Fruit Production
Reference Year/ Period A. Production ( Estimates) 2013-14
Magnitude 1.56 Lac tonnes
b) Dry Fruit Production
2013-14
0.49 Lac tonnes
c) Mutton Production
2013-14
12.68 lakh Kgs
d) Wool Prouction
2013-14
3.58 lac Kgs
e) Rice Production f) Vegetable production g) Honey Production
2013-14 2013-14 2013-14
1.519 lac tones 51220 tonnes 751.40 Qtls.
B. Major Projects going on for completion during the current Financial Year a.Water Supply Scheme Augmentation of Ananatnag WSS under “ Urban Infrastructure Dev. For Small & Medium Towns-UIDSSMT”.
Cost Rs.45.96 lacs Expenditure : Rs. 26.37 lacs. The Scheme is likely to be commissioned by ending 03/2014.
C. Other Flagship/ CSS Programes 1. PMGSY : 166 Roads Schemes with Road length of 486.02 KM’s , 02 Bridges with Span of 30 Mts already completed
Expenditure incurred Rs. 139.03 Crore.
2. Education: i) Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan ( SSA) ii) Rashtriya Madyamikh Shiksha Abhiyan ( RMSA) iii) Mid Day Meals Scheme ( MDM) 3. Health : i) Construction of 300 bedded Hospital at MMAB Memorial Hospital Anantnag (state Sector) ii) Trauma Hospital Bijbihara (State Sector) iii) Treatment of Patients
2013-14
4. Employment: Sheri- Kashmir Employment Welfare Package ( SKEWP) 2013-14
488 Primary Schools opened, 522 Schools upgraded to the level of Middle Schools. Besides, 537 PS Buildings, 99 MS Buildings, 915 Additional Class Rooms and 358 separate Girls Toilets completed. 43 Middle Schools upgraded to the level of High Schools , 34 Existing High Schools/ Hr. Secondary Schools Strengthened, 16 Drinking Water/ Toilet units completed. 635 Kitchen Sheds at a cost of Rs. 6.73 Crore completed since inception. 91195 Students (Class i-viii including KG) covered during current year. Cost Rs.59.50 Crore. Exp. 22.31 Crore. The work on Main Structure “Wing C” and Common Entrance Block nearing completion. The work on the project is going on at a Cost of Rs.13.04 Crore. 7.09 lac Patients treated in OPD and 56107 in IPD; 1789 Major and 3576 Minor Surgeries performed under NRHM. 5872 Institutional Deliveries recorded. Against 5791 candidates enrolled,Voluntary Service Allowance to 5413 candidates has been paid amounting to Rs. 1.69 Crore.
D. Other Major Projects under Progress in the District: 1. Govt. Degree College Kokernag Cost =Rs.12.87 Crore. 2. Pushwara Bridge Under NABARD Cost Rs. 5.55 Crore 3. Construction of R/Wall at Ziyarat Sharief Aishmuqam Cost. Rs. 3.76 Crore
Expenditure Rs.3.33 Crore Expenditure Rs. 3.05 Crore Expenditure Rs. 1.50 Crore
C M Y K
Editorial/Opinion The Daily
Zabarwan Times Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Dwindling forest cover
T
he global warming and terrific changes in the weather around the world are indicative of the fact that we have excessively and brutally damaged our forest cover and it is because of that the whole world is suffering and has to suffer in future. There is no doubt that our next generations have to pay the price of our deeds as we have been very cruel to the nature. Excessive or no rains, scorching heat, melting glaciers, deepening water level, Tsunamis, earthquakes and typhoons are some of the calamities which are taking a heavy toll. In Africa the depleting forest cover has resulted in expansion of deserts and fertile has been turn into unfertile one. It is evident the famine which kills thousands of people in Africa is the result of the devastation of forests and subsequent fury of the angry nature. In J&K we are facing a very serious problem as our forest cover is decreasing day by day and deforestation has shown its teeth to the valleyites in the shape of scorching heat the less rains. Even today the forest cover has become a target of the greed of timber smugglers and some vested interests who are cutting green trees in every nook and corner of the state. It is really shocking that no sufficient and effective measures are being taken to prevent this crime against nature and humanity. If the things continue like this, the day is not far when the state become barren and there will be no snow and no rains at all. The state will become a cold desert and the population will have to pay through their nose. It is not only this aspect, but even the water resources are drying up and the glaciers are melting with every passing day. The flora and fauna is also suffering like humans and the sea life has already suffered a lot. It is high time that we wake up and not only protect our forests but also plant ample trees where ever we find a place suitable for them. The Govt. should come on the smugglers with heavy hand and should made stringent laws to protect our forest wealth.
Daily
ZABARWAN TIMES 9
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Restoring Health of Kashmir Lakes -A crying need
“The place (Kashmir) is more beautiful than the heaven and is the benefactor of supreme bliss and happiness. It seems to me that I am taking a bath in the lake of nectar here,” wrote Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. Sir Walter Lawrence on visiting Kashmir was compelled to write; “The valley is an emerald set in pearls; a land of lakes, clear streams, green turf, magnificent trees and mighty mountains where the air is cool, and the water sweet …”. Kashmir is endowed with some large pristine lakes and wetlands besides the river Jehlum and its tributaries that make the valley a lively hydraulic society. They include Asia’s largest freshwater lake – the Wullar and India’s most beautiful lake - the Dal. The livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in tourism trade, fisheries, agriculture etc. depends on these water bodies. They are also major source of water for drinking and other purposes. They also support a rich biodiversity. But, unfortunately these water bodies are shrinking fast due to ecological degradation caused by human interference. The ecological degradation of the water bodies has in recent years reached to crisis magnitude and caused loss of sustainability. Human settlements in and around the lakes and associated commercial activities along their shores have reached to alarming proportions. The farming activities in the catchment areas have considerably increased causing heavy nutrient pollution load and silting into the lake waters. Wullar Lake
Located 60 kilometers from Srinagar at the basin of the Jhelum River, Wullar lake plays a very important role in maintaining the Valley’s hydrographic system. Being a huge absorption basin for floodwaters, it regulates the water regime of the region. The lake meets about 60 percent of the valley’s fish demand. It is also a major source of water borne products like water chestnut and lotus-stem locally known as ‘Nadru’, one of the major local vegetables. Wullar sustains a number of endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna and along with its satellite wetlands it is a favourite winter abode of a number of migratory birds including the common pochard, pintail, common teal, shoveller, mallard and many other species. Wullar has also been a favorite haunt for visitors especially foreign tourists. But all these activities have been adversely affected as the lake has been reduced to less than 70 sq. kms. A century ago, Wullar extended up to almost 190 sq kms and would spread to over 270 sq kms during floods. Human encroachments into the lake, particularly into the associated wet lands, are the chief reason for the lake’s shrinking. According to
R
official estimates over sixty-nine thousand kanals of the lake area have been converted into land and occupied illegally by locals. Environmentalists hold partly government sponsored programmes for agricultural development responsible for shrinking of the lake’s area and changing its ecological character. They allege that parts of wetlands were drained and embankments built to protect settlements as well as crops. A survey conducted in 2006 under court orders revealed that 60,000 kanals area in the lake have been encroached mainly by raising plantations under social forestry programmes of the Forest Department. Experts say that due to it Wullar has lost its capacity to regulate water flows leading to increased floods
shrunk to 25 sq kms two decades ago and is today confined to mere 11 sq kms. It has also become shallower at least by four meters due to silting and accumulation of remains from sewage flowing into it. Like Wullar, it too has suffered due to euthrophication process with weeds chocking the lake and adversely affecting its flora and fauna. Here too annual fish yields have significantly reduced. The lake’s unparalleled spectacular beauty is the main tourist attraction in the valley. Living in the Victorian-era houseboats and enjoying ‘Shikara’ ( small boat) rides in the lake is a life-time experience. Moghul emperors were so overwhelmed by the lake’s beauty that they set up huge gardens on its banks that continue to be favourite of tourists and locals even
Water bodies are shrinking fast due to ecological degradation caused by human interference. The ecological degradation of the water bodies has in recent years reached to crisis magnitude and caused loss of sustainability. and droughts in the Valley. In addition, the sewage from Srinagar and other towns upstream passing into the River Jehlum that flows through Wullar has degraded the lake’s water quality. It has led to increased euthrophication resulting in growth of aquatic weeds that damage local flora and fauna and clogging of its fresh water arteries. This has caused sharp decline in the yield of fish and water borne products in the lake. Records for last 50 years reveal that the fish catch has declined from 10,544 metric tons to 1,476 metric tons per annum. This has endangered the livelihood of more than 8,000 fishermen who depend on Wullar Lake. For its unique hydrological and socioeconomic values, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests included Wullar Lake in its Wetlands Programme as a Wetland of National Importance in 1986. Subsequently, the lake was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990. Dal Lake The jewel in Kashmir’s splendid beauty, Dal Lake too has suffered from devastating impact of human greed and negligence. Located in Srinagar, Dal lake has considerably shrank and its crystal clear serene waters are polluted. The lake is
now ranked among 100 most polluted water bodies globally. From 75 sq kms nine centuries ago the lake had reportedly
today. Around 1,200 houseboats, which were first introduced in 1888, are moored year-round in and around the lake. Enjoying huge popularity since their inception, the houseboats in recent years have been in focus for wrong reasons. Local officials say that the houseboats contribute thousands of liters of untreated human waste into lake waters. This has been contested by the houseboat owners association which claims that waste from houseboats account for just 3% of Dal’s pollution. They hold the untreated city sewage flowing into Dal and blocking of the lake’s water circulation canals responsible for degradation of its water quality. While the blame game goes on, Dal suffers. The state government stopped making of new houseboats in 1991 and subsequently ordered a ban on them. But houseboats continue to moore in its waters without any structural changes ordered by the High Court. Manasbal Valley’s deepest lake, Manasbal, located about 30 kms from Srinagar city, is spring-fed like the Dal and other lakes of Kashmir Valley. It harbours rich quantity of water chestnuts, lotus stem and fish specie including Schizothorax, Common Carp and Mirror Carp. It too has suffered from pollution, siltation and encroachments with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warning in 1997 that the lake would be lost to posterity in absence of immediate conservation measures. The government response came in 2006 with the setting up of the Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA). But by that time the lake had shrunk to less than 7 sq kms as more than 4 sq kms had turned into marsh. With community participation, WMDA turned the corner and partly restored the Lake’s health. The
quarrying and lime extraction in the vicinity of Mansbal had completely chocked around 1200 springs, which are its main water source, making the lake to stink. The quarries were closed and lime extraction stopped, which proved an
important conservation measure in r e s t o r a t i o n o f l a k e ’s s p r i n g s . Encroachments in the lake’s peripheral areas were, despite stiff resistance, removed and a pedestrian walkway constructed to demarcate the lake’s periphery. With sustained dredging and de-weeding by the WMDA, the lake’s area increased by one-and-a-half sq kms. WMDA’s success in restoring Manasbal led the environmentalists to say that it should serve as a role model for conservation of Valley’s other water bodies. Conservation The Government has been making efforts to save the water bodies which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed as ‘icons of our heritage, for which the entire people of the state feel concerned.’ A number of reports and action plans have appeared in recent years to come to terms with the problem of these lakes. These include IIT Roorkee report and comprehensive report of House Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for conservation of the Dal (2002), the Study of Wullar Lake, Soil Conservation Scheme for Catchment Area of Wullar Lake, Wullar Wetland Conservation Project (1993), WWF - India funded the Wullar Lake study (1994) and the Ecological Restoration Plan for Erin Watershed of Wullar Catchment (1988) besides studies by Kashmir University and S.P. College, Srinagar on different aspects of various lakes and their satellite wetlands. Several authorities namely the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), the Wu l l a r M a n a s b a l D e v e l o p m e n t Authority etc. have been set up to clean and conserve the lakes. Crore of rupees have so far been spent by LAWDA on different schemes to conserve Dal Lake. These include setting up of sewage treatment plants, solid waste management, hydraulic works, catchment management works, awareness programme and acquisition of land and structures. There has to be a holistic approach in protecting and rehabilitating the water bodies to almost their pristine glory in which peoples’ active participation is a crucial factor. For this mass awareness has got to be generated so that the common man becomes the custodian of the eco safety of the water bodies. That would be the best insurance against the ‘slow death’ of Kashmir lakes.
Urbanization and Health
apid urbanization and the increase in the population of cities are recognized as being among the major challenges of health development. Between 1990 and 2025, the total urban population in developing countries is projected to increase threefold to almost 61% of the population. It is associated with many health challenges related with water, environment, violence and injury, noncommunicable diseases and their risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity and the risk associated with disease outbreaks. Time and again, the bright lights of the city prove an irresistible attraction for families living in the surrounding countryside. They converge in evergrowing numbers on the already overcrowded cities, only to face shortcoming in housing, water supply, sewage disposal, local transport and job opportunities. The urban poor suffer from a wide range of diseases and other health problems, including chronic diseases and for some, communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. The increasing concentration of people in urban centers has strained the capacity of most governments to provide
basic services. Illegal slums and settlements are common. In such areas, people are usually deprived of access to the basic facilities of drinking water and waste disposal. Resources are not adequate for removal or disposal of waste. Residents have little access to facilities which make for
schistomiasis, dirrhoeal and parasitic diseases that are carried by water or poor sanitation, overcrowding and poor diet. They are also exposed to health risks of modern cities – traffic, pollution etc., and suffer the consequences of social and psychological instability as the traditional
The urban poor suffer from a wide range of diseases and other health problems,
including chronic diseases and for some,
communicable diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
a reasonable quality of life and human development. Thus they often suffer from greater exposure to dust, unpleasant smells, chemicals and noise pollution, and the nature of dwelling makes them less able to withstand such hazards. There is direct link between people dwelling in such conditions and cholera, viral hepatitis, typhoid fever,
support structures of rural areas steadily disappear. Most people in such cities struggle to survive by participating in the informal economic sector where exposure to occupational hazard is of very little concern. Long – term exposure to high levels of air pollution in build up areas can cause respiratory disease, persistent decline in
lung function, carcinogenic effects, effects on the nervous and immune systems, and development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The growing realization that most of the improvements in health which has occurred in the recent past has come about because of action outside the medical sector – economic development, better nutrition and education, better housing, and a cleaner environment - has fostered renewed interest in Preventive Medicine. To make cities healthy, we must, all those who deal with aspects of the urban system that directly or indirectly affect health, involve themselves in urban health planning. Urban planning can promote healthy behaviour and safety through investment in active transport, designing areas to promote physical activity and passing regulatory control on tobacco and food safety. Improving urban living conditions in the areas of housing, water and sanitation will go a long way to mitigate health risks. Such actions do not require additional funding, but commitment to redirect resources to priority interventions, thereby achieving greater efficiency.
Disclaimer : The contents and comments appearing in any article published in this paper are purely the personal opinion of the writer.
HEALTH AND FITNESS ZABARWAN TIMES
New way to treat prostate cancer in men A new treatment for prostate cancer can free the disease for nine in ten men without debilitating side effects, say scientists. The result offers new hope for tens of thousands of men with prostate cancer. It is hoped the new treatment, which involves heating only the tumours with a highly focused ultrasound, will mean men can be treated without an overnight stay in hospital and avoiding the distressing side effects associated with current therapies. In a study, the scientists found that focal HIFU, high-intensity focused ultrasound, provides the ‘perfect’ outcome of no major side effects and free of cancer 12 months after treatment, in nine out of ten case,” the Telegraph reported. Traditional surgery or radiotherapy can only provide the perfect outcome in half of cases currently.
Experts have said the results are ‘very encouraging’ and were a ‘paradigm’ shift in treatment of the disease. It is hoped that large-scale trials can now begin so the treatment could be offered routinely on the NHS within five years. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will say in new guidance next week that the treatment is safe and effective and larger scale trials should go ahead. Focal HIFU involves careful selection of tumours, as small as a grain of rice, within the prostate gland and targeting them with highly focused ultrasound to heat them and destroy them. The advantage over previous HIFU and other treatments is that damage to surrounding tissue is minimised, meaning there are far fewer
side effects. In the study, 41 men were treated with focal HIFU. After 12 months, none were incontinent and one in ten suffered impotence. The majority, 95 per cent, were free of cancer after 12 months “This changes the paradigm. By focusing just on the areas of cancer we reduce the collateral damage to surrounding tissue,” said Dr Hashim Ahmed, who led the study at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University College London. “Our results are very encouraging. We’re optimistic that men diagnosed with prostate cancer may soon be able to undergo a day case surgical procedure, which can be safely repeated once or twice, to treat their condition with very few side-effects. That could mean a significant improvement in their quality of life. “This study provides the proofof-concept we need to develop a much larger trial to look at whether focal therapy is as effective as the current standard treatment in protecting the health of the men treated for prostate cancer in the medium and long term,” he stated.
Foods for strong bones No matter how old or young you may be, taking care of your bones is a must. While most of us take them for granted, thinking they’re the strongest and hardest body part, over time bones can deteriorate in quality. Osteoporosis, which is marked by a condition where bones become soft and crack easily, is no longer just a disease of the older generation. More and more youngsters are falling prey to this due to poor eating habits.
Milk There is reason why
your mother told you to drink your glass of milk daily. Milk is a vital source
Don’t underestimate your favourite nuts. Those like pumpkin seeds are rich in magnesium, which help with calcium metabolism. Other nuts like almonds and pistachios could also be consumed.
of calcium as well as vitamin D. Research suggests that other dairy products like cheese and ice-cream are also good alternatives but while they contain calcium, most do not have vitamin D. You can always opt for a nonfat variety so that you get all the health benefits.
Nuts and seeds
Walnuts
Walnuts are full of omega-3 fatty acid, which has numerous benefits. They also contain alphalinoleic acid, which strengthens the bones.
Carrots
These vegetables boast of alpha-carotene, betacarotene, and betacryptoxanthin. Eat them raw in the form of salad.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, incurable disease of the central nervous system that affects about 2.5 million people worldwide. Some patients use, or have tried, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation to control the disease because the essential fatty acids could theoretically have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects in mul-
tiple sclerosis, the authors wrote in their study background. Oivind Torkildsen, M.D., Ph.D., of Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, and colleagues included 92 patients with mul-
tiple sclerosis in their doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial to examine whether omega-3 fatty acid supplementation as a monotherapy (single therapy) or in combination with subcutaneous (under the skin) interferon beta-1a could reduce disease
activity. Half of the patients (46) were given omega-3 fatty acids - 1350 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 850 mg of docosahexaenoic acid daily - and the other half (46) were administered placebo. After six months, all patients received interferon beta-1a three times a week for another 18 months. Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure disease activity by the number of new T1-weighted gadolinium-enhancing lesions in the brain. “The results from this study did not show any beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on disease activity in multiple sclerosis as a monotherapy or in combination with interferon beta.
Feeling exhausted? It could be serious Blame the hustle bustle of daily life for your extreme levels of fatigue and exhaustion, but at times the reasons behind your feeling tired all the time go beyond a hectic schedule.
Looking at the sedentary lifestyle of an average Indian office worker, at times it becomes difficult to pinpoint a single reason as to why fatigue is such a big part of daily life. If you feel exhausted every day, why not try some lifestyle changes or new habits for a week or two to see if your energy levels change? Adjust your social calendar, stop working overtime, eat nutritious foods, sleep at regular intervals and try and trim down on alcohol and caffeine intake. However, if you still feel no change, then here are 5 most common
The Gallbladder is a vital part of one’s body. This pearshaped organ is situated right under the liver and stores bile - the digestive enzyme produced by the liver. The main function of gallbladder in the body is to digest the fats. However, problems with the gallbladder and biliary system are very common and might consist of swelling of the bile ducts and gallbladder, stones forming in the gallbladder, lack of free flow of the bile and muscular spasms of the bladder. Dr Kapil Kochhar Senior Consultant Minimally Invasive & Bariatric Surgery at Artemis Health Institute -
takes us through gallbladder problems and helps us understand them in detail. Gall bladder stone is also known as cholelithiasis. The stone can slip into the bile duct leading to jaundice, pancreatitis and renal failure. Secondly, cancer of the gallbladder is a major complication. Because the gallbladder is closely attached to the liver, it spreads very easily to the liver and in 90% of the cases the diagnosis is so late that the hope for cure is lost. Symptoms of a gallbladder attack are: Regular upset stomach after eating heavy/fatty meals.
Yes that’s right! Here’s a list of healthy and nutritious foods that you simply cannot ignore. These foods are tasty, aid fitness, and should be consumed on a regular basis to ensure you eat a well-balanced, all-round healthy diet. The vegetarians among you will need to find alternatives and substitutes for a few, but don’t worry - there are plenty of plant based healthy foods in this list of 10 foods you can’t ignore. Lots of fish rich in Omega 3 - A fatty fish rich in Omega 3 is really important to get your ratio balance to 1:1 (Omega 3 : Omega 6). The top 5 fish for this purpose are - Mackeral, Trout, Herring, Tuna, and Salmon. Vegetarians should take Omega 3 supplements, if a fish oil supplement is a no no. Here is the low-down on the supplements. Broccoli - The benefits of broccoli are many. This is one vegetable that is a tasty addition to your salad if cooked well and can be a fun addition to your daily dinner. And absorbent broccoli does a great job of soaking up fats and helping flush excess out of your system. Eggs - This is one addition to the diet that even vegetarians should partake in. With healthy fats and proteins, eggs are great for a filling breakfast and if you eat these you won’t need to eat again in a hurry. Eggs can be enjoyed in a spicy masala curry as well as a great dish for dinner, for
The children were between 24 and 60 months old, born in California and resided with at least one biological parent who spoke either English or Spanish. There were 517 children who had autism; 172 with other developmental disorders; and 315 were developing normally. The participants were enrolled between January 2003 and June 2010. The researchers obtained demographic and medical information for the mothers and their children using the CHARGE Study Environmental Exposure Questionnaire, a telephone survey, the study participants’ birth files and medical records. The primary metabolic conditions of interest were type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes. Women were considered diabetic if the condition was noted in their medical records or if during the telephone surveys they answered yes to the questions Among children whose mothers were diabetic during their pregnancies, the study found that the percentage of children with autism born to women with type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes -- 9.3 per cent -- or developmental disability -- 11.6 per cent -was higher than the 6.4 per cent of children born to women without these metabolic conditions.
Maternal obesity, diabetes lead to autism in kids (Thinkstock photos/Getty Images) Diabetic and obese mothers are likely to give birth to a child with autism or another developmental disability, says researchers. with any of the metabolic conditions displayed mild deficits in problem solving, language comprehension and production, motor skills and socialization. “Over a third of U.S. women in their childbearing years are obese and nearly onetenth have gestational or type 2 diabetes during pregnancy. Our finding that these maternal conditions may be linked with neurodevelopmental problems in children raises concerns and therefore may have serious public-health implications,” said Paula Krakowiak, a biostatician affiliated with the MIND Institute. The study included 1,004 mother/child pairs from diverse backgrounds enrolled in the Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment Study (CHARGE), most of them living in Northern California, with a small subset living in Los Angeles.
Diabetes
Diabetes is one of the most common health conditions prevalent in India. People who suffer from diabetes are unable to use glucose in their body leading it to build up in the blood. It’s symptoms include extreme fatigue much beyond regular exhaustion, acute levels of thirst, weight loss, constant hunger, vaginal yeast infections, frequent urination and blurred vision. There are two basic tests for diabetes - the plasma glucose test, and the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The plasma glucose test evaluates an individual’s blood glucose levels on an empty stomach, while the OGTT requires blood samples before and after drinking glucose syrup.
Thyroid
When one suffers from thyroid problems, even daily activities that involve minimal physical involvement seem daunting. Both hyperthyroidism (the over-production of the thyroid hormones), and hypothyroidism (the under-production of thyroid hormones), greatly affect energy levels.
Hyperthyroidism symptoms include extreme weakness, muscle fatigue, difficulty in strenuous physical movement, drop in weight, increased heart rate, extreme thirst and reduced menstrual flows. Hypothyroidism symptoms include extreme fatigue, difficulty in concentration, water retention and subsequent weight gain, heavier menstrual flow, inflammation of the muscles and constipation. These thyroid conditions are easily detected with a blood test.
Anemia
Anemia causes extreme fatigue mainly due to low red blood cell counts amongst other hemoglobin related abnormalities. One may feel extremely weak and short on breath. This condition is more prevalent in women than in men, especially women who undergo heavy periods or who don’t consume recommended levels of iron. Experts suggest that pregnant women need extra amounts of iron in their daily food intake.Extreme fatigue, poor quality sleep, low concentration, rapid chest pains and headaches are some of the prominent symptoms of anemia. Go for a detailed examination if you think you suffer from anemia.
If someone experiences/ feels acidity or heaviness in the upper part of the abdomen or centre of chest regularly. Acute pain in chest. Vomiting. The pain fever and vomiting along with occasional
mild jaundice is what is commonly called a gallbladder attack. However, symptoms of cancer of the gallbladder are few and range from dull ache to jaundice which is usually severe. It might be associated with weight loss and even
itching all over the body due to jaundice. The commonest cause of aggravation of gallbladder disease, or a gallbladder attack, is eating fatty meals. It happens mostly after eating out, and eating deep fried or cheese-heavy foods. A simple ultrasound is the most effective tool for diagnosis of gallbladder stone. For difficult diagnosis and especially cancer, a gallbladder CT scan and even MRI may be needed. The only and most effective treatment for extreme cases of gallbladder stone disease is removal of gallbladder by surgery.
10 Foods you can’t live without
Maternal obesity, diabetes lead to autism in kids
A major study conducted by researchers affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute found that mothers who were obese were 1-2/3 times more likely to have a child with autism as normalweight mothers without diabetes or hypertension, and were more than twice as likely to have a child with another developmental disorder. Mothers with diabetes were found to have nearly 2-1/3 times the chance of having a child with developmental delays as healthy mothers. However, the proportion of mothers with diabetes who had a child with autism was higher than in healthy mothers but did not reach statistical significance. The study also found that the autistic children of diabetic mothers were more disabled -- had greater deficits in language comprehension and production and adaptive communication -- than were the chidren with autism born to healthy mothers. However, the children without autism born to diabetic mothers also exhibited impairments in socialization in addition to language comprehension and production, when compared with the non-autistic children of healthy women. Children without autism of mothers
problems that might be the reasons behind your fatigue:
Expert advice: Understanding gallbladder attack
Omega-3 fatty acids do not help sclerosis patients Omega-3 fatty acid supplements may not help patients with relapsingremitting multiple sclerosis, according to a new study.
Tuesday 15 October 2013
those who cant stand to eat them along. Here are some recipes for unique ways to cook eggs. Spinach - Another must have vegetable made popular by Popeye, this fictional character got it right! Spinach offers calcium and magnesium in plenty, pairs well with meat of any kind, can be sauteed, steamed, thrown into soups, or eaten raw, and provides roughage. As flexible as they come, this green vegetable has so much nutrition that it’s hard to ignore. Berries - So rich in antioxidants and so low in sugar, most berries are right up there with foods we should try to get out hands on as often as possible. These are the most nutritionally dense fruits you can eat. Read more about the best fruits here. Nuts - Macadamia, almonds, pistas, most nuts are great because they are a great filler between meals, they actually keep you full, and they are rich in proteins and good fats. Keep some nuts handy on you and they will prevent you from reaching for that bag of chips. Read more about the best snacks to keep you full. Tomatoes - Is it a fruit? Is it a vegetable? The fact is that tomatoes are loaded with nutrients that’ll complete any breakfast, lunch or dinner - making each meal healthier and more filling. Tomatoes have lycopene and red orbs which are
well known for their cancer-defending properties. They are full of Vitamin A and Vitamin K, which help in keeping your blood pressure levels under control. A good steak or bacon now and then - Every once in a while it’s good to have a good chunk of red meat. This is because red meat contains animal fats and proteins and on the whole makes for an extremely wholesome and satiating meal. And unless you are properly satiated with your food, you are not eating well. A nice rack of lamb will do very well too. Dark chocolate - For that sweet tooth it is important to keep some dark chocolate handy. This will help you overcome the urge for reaching for some unhealthy, sweet dessert that it’s best you say away from whether you are skinny, fat, or somewhere in between. Dark chocolate that contains at least 60% cocoa is good for heart and liver health. Red wine - You will be doing your body a lot of good if you switch from your favourite drink to red wine because of its antioxidant properties. Good health doesn’t have to be about neglecting all indulgences, and if you think of red wine as an indulgence, it’s time you didn’t. In fact, red wine is a clever alcohol choice.
Human brain to be built using supercomputer Scientists are trying to build human brain using the world’s most powerful computer. It is intended to combine all the information so far uncovered about its mysterious workings -and replicate them on a screen, right down to the level of individual cells and molecules. If it works it could be revolutionary for understanding devastating neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and even shedding light into how we think, and make decisions. Professor Henry Markram, based in Switzerland, is leading the project and will be working with scientists from across Europe including the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute at Cambridge. They hope to complete it within 12 years. “The complexity of the brain, with its billions of interconnected neurons, makes it hard for neuroscientists to truly understand how it works. Simulating it will make it
much easier -- allowing them to manipulate and measure any aspect of the brain,” he said. Housed at a facility in Dusseldorf in Germany, the ‘brain’ will feature thousands of three-dimensional images built around a semi-
circular ‘cockpit’ so scientists can virtually ‘fly’ around different areas and watch how they communicate with each other. It aims to integrate all the neuroscience research being carried out all over the world -- an estimated
60,000 scientific papers every year -- into one platform.The project has received some funding from the EU and has been shortlisted for a 1 billion euro EU grant, which will be decided next month.When complete it could be used to test new drugs, which could dramatically shorten the time required for licencing them than human trials, and pave the way for more intelligent robots and computers.There are inevitably concerns about the consequences of this ‘manipulation’ and creating computers, which can think for themselves. In Germany the media have dubbed the researchers ‘Team Frankenstein’.But Prof Markram said: “This will, when successful, help two billion people annually who suffer from some type of brain impairment.”This is one of the three grand challenges for humanity. We need to understand earth, space and the brain. We need to understand what makes us human,” he added. Our brains have 100 billion neurons.
ZABARWAN TIMES
TUESDAY OCTOBER | 15 | 2013
Cyclone Phailin results in floods in Odisha, 2 districts badly hit Agencies Death toll mounts to 25; government describes situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as “critical” The death toll in calamity-ravaged Odisha on Monday mounted to 25 with four more persons perishing in several areas of the State in the aftermath of cyclone Phailin that triggered heavy rains and floods in some districts. The government described the situation in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts as “critical”. Relief and rescue operations have been launched in the affected areas. “The situation due to floods caused by cyclone induced rainfall is critical in Mayurbhanj and Balasore districts where major rivers like Budhabalanga and Subarnarekha are in spate following sudden inflow of water,” Special Relief Commissioner P.K. Mohapatra said. Though water level in rivers in Bhadrak also rose menacingly following heavy rains, the situation in the district is now under control, he said. Describing the situation grim especially in Balasore, the official said water level in Budhabalanga has risen to 9.24 meters against the red mark of 8.13 at Gobindpur near NH5. Similarly, Subarnarekha was now
flowing at 11.7 meters against the danger level of 10.36 meter at Rajghat near Jaleswar, he said, adding 39 panchayats in four blocks of Balasore were under the grip of flood. Steps have been taken for airdropping of food packets in flood-hit areas of Balasore where NDRF had been deployed, while water level in rivers in Mayurbhanj has started receding, Mr. P.K. Mohapatra said. It is apprehended that river Bud-
habalanga might further rise in Balasore in view of heavy rains in the catchment areas, officials said. Similarly, the Jalaka was flowing at 6.73 meters against its danger level of 5.50 at Basta. Small rivers like Sona, Gangahar, Kansa and Bausa were also in spate in Balasore district, they said. The flood water of Buddhabalang had entered many low-lying areas of Balasore Sadar and Remuna blocks near Bhubaneswar while several
places under Baliapal and Bhograi were affected by the water from river Subarnarekha. Flood waters from the Jalaka had entered many villages under Basta block. Roads between Basta and Baliapal and Balasore and Jaleswar were submerged with flood water with over 3 feet water flowing on the roads and the places remained cut off. Personnel from the National Disaster Response Force and Orissa Disaster Response Action Force had arrived in the areas for carrying out rescue operation, they said. Flood fury also loomed large over Ganjam, worst hit due to the cyclone ‘Phailin’ left the district with a trail of devastation. Rivers Rushikulya and Badanadi had crossed danger level at Aska, 40 km from Bhubaneswar, on Monday morning though there is no report of any loss but even as engineers of the state water resources department are keeping a watch on the situation. “The water level of both the rivers is likely to recede by this evening,” said R.N. Swain, chief engineercum-basin manager of Rushikulya, Bansadhara and Nagabali rivers. Now the Badanadi was flowing at 36.15 meters at Aska against its danger level 35.42 meters while Rushikulaya’s level at Aska stood at 34.75 meters against it danger level 33.85 meters.
No untouchability in politics, says Pawar Agencies NCP chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, speaking at a programme organised by BJP
insiders feel Pawar’s second attendance this year at Gadkari’s programme, that too despite BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Devendra Fadnavis recent ridicule of Ajit
leader Nitin Gadkari’s Purti Group here on Saturday, said “there should be no untouchability in social and
ty’s tussle with the Congress in the state. Though NCP officially played it down as a “non-political” programme,
Pawar as Maharashtra’s Lalu Prasad who would be sent to jail, is a political message to the Congress.
Agencies Former Union minister and one of the Congress leaders who opposed the imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi, Mohan Dharia died on Monday morning following a prolonged illness. He was 88. Dharia, who was active in politics since the Independence struggle, went on to become a Union minister
in Gandhi’s government. He distanced himself from politics about two decades ago and devoted himself to Vanrai, an NGO, which he formed for water conservation. Along with Chandra
Shekhar, Ram Dhan and Krishna Kant, Dharia was one of the four ‘Young Turks’ who opposed the imposition of Emergency in 1975. All these leaders had socialist background before they joined the Congress. Dharia was imprisoned during the Emergency and was later re-elected from Pune as a Janta Party candidate. He was also a minister in the Morarji Desai government. Dharia was appointed deputy chairperson of the Planning Commission when Chandra Shekhar was Prime Minister. However, Dharia is famous in Maharashtra for Vanrai, the NGO which has been instrumental in water conservation projects in around 200 villages. His programme was such a success that Maharashtra government started constructing `vanrai’ bunds in the state. He was also awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 2005.
Agencies LUCKNOW: The Samajwadi Party government on Sunday suspended IAS officer Sarvesh Chandra Mishra for issuing a “misleading” letter to summon top police officials for a meeting “to discuss the reconstruction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya”. Mishra was the home secretary when he issued this letter on October 9. After TOI reported about this controversial communique on Saturday, Mishra was transferred and put on the waitlist while section officer Prem Kumar Pandey was suspended immediately. Now, a day letter, Mishra has been suspended, too, and attached to the Revenue Board. A terse note issued to the media about Mishra’s suspension on Sunday says that Mishra was guilty of signing the letter having a wrong and controversial issue in the subject line which had nothing to do with the meeting for which it was sent to police and home department officials. “The letter created a lot of confusion and sent a wrong message to the people,” the government’s release says. The subject line of the letter informing about a meeting to be headed by principal secretary (home) RM Srivastava on October 14 at 6pm stated that a meeting had been called to discuss the bill in Parliament for the construction of a Ram Temple at Ayodhya on the lines of the reconstruction of Somnath temple. The TOI report about this letter on October 12 created a flutter in the state government the principal secretary (home) hurriedly called a press conference where he apologised and said it was a gaffe. The principal secretary had admitted that prima facie secretary (home) Misra was at fault since he must have seen the draft and signed it before it was dispatched to officials.
PM under pressure to give Lanka visit a miss Agencies The pressure from major political parties in Tamil Nadu is likely to cast a shadow on the decision to be taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on participating in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka next month. Not just chief minister Jayalalithaa or DMK chief M Karunanidhi, even local Congress leaders - including some Union ministers from Tamil Nadu - have urged the PM to exercise his options carefully lest India’s participation snowballs into a major political row in the state ahead of the 2014 polls. With the Congress keen on cobbling a winning alliance, the issue of attacks on Indian fishermen and resettlement of Sri Lankan Tamils are seen as “sensitive” subjects that can be played up by rivals to corner the UPA government, according to local party leaders. Union ministers GK Vasan and V Narayanasamy, are known have to appealed to the PM to avoid participating in the CHOGM from November 15 to 17. They do not think that the successful completion of provincial elections in the north, which
Tourism industry springs back to life in Puri after Phailin onslaught
political spheres of life”. It assumes significance in view of Pawar’s recent faceoff with ally Congress on the issue of the ordinance on convicted MPs and his par-
Ex-Congress leader Mohan Dharia, who opposed 1975 Emergency, dead
IAS officer suspended for issuing UP temple letter
Agencies PURI: Contrary to expectations, the tourism industry at Puri sprang back to life on Monday, only two days after cyclone Phailin swept through the beach town. Industry sources said the occupancy status in hotels spiralled to an unexpected 80 percent from just 5 percent recorded on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “We have started receiving inquiries from tourists, who are eager to visit Puri. Bookings are being made in full swing,” said Yugabrata Kar, secretary of Odisha tour operators’ association. “We have completed the restoration in our hotel after cyclone cause minor damage. Guests would start coming either from Monday evening or Tuesday morning. Bookings are full for the next fifteen days,” said Mayfair Hotel’s manager (Puri) Sanjeeb Pattnaik. Hotel Association of Puri’s (HAP) secretary Rajkishore Patra said near-
ly one lakh tourists arrived in Puri between Sunday evening and Monday afternoon. “Inflow of tourists gained momentum after the How-
rah and Delhi bound trains started running from Sunday evening,” Patra said.
7
Many tourists, who were evacuated from Puri to nearby hotels in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and other non-coastal districts in the event of the cyclone and high tide warnings, are back in Puri. Though power supply was not restored till Monday afternoon, the hotels are using generators to generate backup power sources. The beach was abuzz with activity as tourists in large numbers thronged the shore on Monday after the turbulent sea turned tranquil. Earlier the tourism industry suffered body blow following largescale cancellations of bookings from Thursday. Tourism director Manoranjan Pattnaik on Saturday said the tourism and hospitality sector in the state incurred loss in crores. “Luckily, the tourism sector started limping back to normalcy in quick time. This is a good sign,” Pattnaik said.
saw the victory of the Tamil National Alliance, has softened the stand of the TN parties. Therefore, they do not want the UPA government to annoy any of its potential allies. Last week, when external affairs minister Salman Khurshid visited Colombo, he refrained from giving any commitment on the question of the PM’s participation. Khurshid, however, said he would attend the CHOGM Foreign Ministers’ meet, held ahead of the summit. The preparations for CHOGM, which is a matter of prestige for Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapakse, has seen active campaign by bodies, including the Amnesty International calling for not holding the summit until an investigation is carried out into alleged human rights abuses in the 2009 civil war.Even as Britain is facing pressure to lead a boycott, and with Canada indicating that it will not attend unless specific criteria are met, India’s Sri Lanka experts have warned that New Delhi would have to weigh pros and cons of the PM’s non-participation.The dangers of pushing Sri Lanka into a corner, especially in a situation where China is establishing a big presence in the island, cannot be ignored.
Andhra bifurcation: Seemandhra lawyers to protest in Delhi RAJAHMUNDRY: Scores of lawyers from 13 districts of Seemandhra region will hold a protest in New Delhi on October 18 to mount pressure on the Centre to concede to their demand for a united Andhra Pradesh. According to Seemandhra Lawyers Joint Action (JAC) convener Muppalla Subba Rao, over 1,000 lawyers will protest at Jantar Mantar in the national capital. Also, the JAC has decided to abstain from court till October 26, he said.“There is no question of calling off the strike until a statement is made in favour of united Andhra,” Rao said.More than 35,000 lawyers from 13 Seemandhra districts are participating in various protests organized by non-political JACs against the Cabinet decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh, he said.“We are demanding that MPs resign from their posts, so as to create a political crisis to bring pressure on the Union government.
Novel touch to Vizag’s Durga puja celebrations Agencies With the manifestation of goddess Durga in several incarnations the celebrations are also taking novel forms. The temporal power seems to have met the divine incarnation of the goddess in a spatial set up that resembles the Collectorate. At Appu Ghar, the auto drivers union has set up a pandal that is a replica of the Collector’s Office. The flexible banner with some touch up resembles the colonial construction with balustrade. colourful cultural programme was presented by women and children consisting of group dance and dandia on Sunday evening at Sri Durga Puja being organised by Utkal Sanskrutika Samaj near All India Radio at Daspalla Hills. It was followed by ‘Annaprasad’. Traditional “pushpanjali” and “sandhya aarti” are being offered to the goddess everyday. The immersion will take place on Monday evening. Secretary Bijoy Mahapatra and member R. K. Mishra oversaw the arrangements. With the trend of creating cinema settings for celebrations catching up, a pandal of that style was set up near the Circuit House. Traffic islands were also colourfully decorated with series lighting. With diverse views on the celebration of Vijayadasami, some organisations conducting Sarannavaratri celebrations have concluded them on Sunday. A few are however continuing till Monday. More than 1,000 devotees worshipped goddess Durga as ‘Mahishasuramardini’ at the Sri Sathya Sai mandir at MVP Colony.
In the evening, special bhajans were ren-
Special “rupa, deepa, and nakshatra ha-
convener, Sri Sathya Sai City Seva Samithi,
dered by samithi singers and devotees, and ‘Shodashopachara puja’ was performed.
rathi” was offered. B. Ramgopal, president, Bothra Shipping Company, P.R.S.N. Naidu,
and actor Purnima were among the large number of devotees who participated.
6
ZABARWAN TIMES
TUESDAY OCTOBER | 15 | 2013
Dhoni blames poor shot selection, poor bowling for loss Agencies PUNE: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni attributed his sides 72run loss to Australia in the first ODI on Sunday to the lacklustre performance by his pacers and poor shot selection by his batsmen. “The way we started, we weren’t able to build partnerships. We should have got closer. I am disappointed with the shot selection of our batsmen today. Once you are set it’s important to carry on,” Dhoni said after the match. “We were in a decent position to chase down and at one point the game was 50/50. It was important the batsman carried on till the Powerplay. We could have done that but we played shots that were not really intended. That harmed us,” he said. “It’s important that when we chase we have to make solid partnerships, especially between the 25th and 35th over and you can’t lose any wickets at that period,” he added. He said considering the wicket here, lack of genuine fast bowlers had hurt his side.
“We don’t have genuine fast bowlers, we have more swing bowlers, so we couldn’t generate the bounce that the Australian bowlers did. The bowlers had to hit the deck
innings), we gave too much runs away.” A delighted Australian captain George Bailey credited the win to team effort.
from the start. If you can dig it in, you get extra bounce,” he reasoned. Defending his spinners, Dhoni said, “The spinners did well though when we finished off (the Australian
“It was a fantastic all-round performance. We spoke about that before the game. We had to do that right through the series, and get contributions regularly, if we want-
BCCI should come under the RTI act,says Ranatunga Agencies New Delhi: Former Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga said that BCCI should come under the Right To Information (RTI) act as
they are not answerable to anyone,not even to their union sports ministry. The 49-yearold, who played 93 Tests and 269 ODIs, was addressing the media after a seminar at the
FICCi here Sunday. When asked whether the rise of Twenty20 will lead to India playing lesser number of Test matches in the near future, Ranatunga said, “I think that BCCI should come under the Right To Information (RTI) act as they are not answerable to anyone,not even to their union sports ministry. That’s why they do whatever they want. In Sri Lanka, at least we have the right to criticise Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) in parliament and get itcorrected.” The former captain under whose leadership Sri Lanka won the world Cup, feels there was a time when the budding cricketers of Sri Lanka looked upto India for learning the nuances of the game but this can no longer happen due to the advent of Twenty20. “It’s unfortunate that most youngsters only want to play the shorter version for financial gains. Let’s be very clear that India won’t have any more Sachin Tendulkar or a Sunil Gavaskar. You won’t find the elegance of Tiger Pataudi,” said Ranatunga.
ed to beat India in this series,” said Bailey who was also adjudged the man-of-the-match for his 82-ball 85 in his side’s innings. Bailey praised his bowling for tying down the Indian batsmen. “There were a couple of times India got on top, but to our bowlers credit, our bowlers found a way to fight back. Johnson has been really impressive over the last couple of months, and was impressive in England too. He definitely gave us a great start,” he said. He also heaped praised on his batsmen for piling up a mammoth score of 304 for eight. “Yeah, putting on 300 was really good and we had contributions right down the order. The 100run stand set a great platform, and Maxwell provided great impetus in the middle, with Faulkner and the bowlers hitting well at the end,” he said. “It was important to have even contributions through the order. We were looking at 300 from the start so it was important we started well. But it is going to be a bit of a war of attrition this series, so now on to the next one,” he added.
Saina Nehwal looking for first title in 2013 at Denmark Open Agencies Denmark: Rejuvenated after a one and a half month break following the IBL, defending champion Saina Nehwal will now eye her maiden title of the season when she competes at the USD 400,000 Denmark Super Series Premier which begins with the qualifiers here on Tuesday. “I am the defending champion in Denmark. It will be tough but I am ready for the challenge of defending the title,” Saina told PTI. “I have been in good form in the IBL. I will give my 100 per cent and I hope to do well in Denmark,” added the fourth seeded Indian, who will open her campaign against Bulgaria’s Stefani Stoeva, ranked 58 in World, on Wednesday. The World number four Indian was in supreme form in the inaugural IBL as she finished the tournament unbeaten, having won all seven of her matches. She skipped a few tour-
naments after that to shake off the tiredness and has now regained her strength to compete with the best. “After the IBL I was tired but I had a good break and I trained hard for the last one and half months and I am fit now,” Saina said. The 23-yearold has not been in the best of form this season and also had some injury concerns and it reflected in her performance as she could only manage quarterfinals and semifinals. So, if she can defend the crown here, it would be her first title of the year. It won’t be an easy ride as Saina is likely to face World No. 6 Ji Hyun Sung of South Korea in the quarters and if she keeps her 4-0 record intact then she is expected to be up against top seed Chinese Li Xuerui, who will start her
campaign against India’s Arundhati Pantawane. Another Indian in women’s singles, World Championships bronze medallist P V Sindhu will face a diffi-
cult opponent in World No. 17 Eriko Hirose of Japan in the first round.
Aussies to keep injuries secret for Ashes: Report Agencies SYDNEY: Australia will protect information about player injuries so as not to cede any competitive advantage to England in the coming Ashes series, a report said on Monday. Officials will not divulge the nature of any injuries suffered unless the player is ruled out of a Test match, according to Cricket Australia’s general manager of team performance Pat Howard. With the first Test getting underway at Brisbane’s Gabba on November 21, Michael Clarke’s side already has players unavailable through injury -- fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Jackson Bird, while the skipper has chronic back trouble. But after losing the July-August Ashes series 3-0 in England, Australian officials are changing their approach, starting with the state of the team’s injuries. “If a player suffers an injury that rules him
out of the match, we’ll tell you,” Howard told the Sydney Morning Herald. “But if it doesn’t rule him out... we’ve got a chance to get a player up in a day or 36 hours
to play. If he can play the Test match, and keep playing but he’s got a minor calf injury, really
should we be telling you that? “Every sportsman has got a little niggle. In a Test match, a player can play in 24 hours’ time. We can turn injuries around in 24 to 48 hours... it’s not like some of the other sports.” The fact that players’ fitness problems can be turned around so quickly in a five-day match with the help of the team’s medical staff has convinced Australian management that the less they say the better, the newspaper said. Howard’s stance was endorsed by Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland when it was announced at a briefing with senior CA officials in Sydney, it said. “I don’t think we should be giving up competitive advantage in the middle of the game,” Sutherland said. After series losses in India and England -- Australia have won only one of their 10 Tests this year and that was in January against Sri Lanka in Sydney -- it appears any edge they can manage over the old enemy is being seized. “We do think if we play our best we will win,” Howard said.
Red Bull say Mark Webber would have been free to have run at Sebastian Vettel in Japan Agencies Christian Horner has said Red Bull were initially unsure which of their drivers’ strategies would ultimately win out in the Japanese GP and insists Mark Webber would have been free to challenge Sebastian Vettel for victory in to the closing laps. The World Champions’ decision to run split pit strategies with their two drivers in Sunday’s race proved a talking point after Vettel, who had run third to Webber and long-time race leader Romain Grosjean through the first two stints, overhauled both thanks to a long-running twostop plan and claimed his fifth successive victory. Webber, meanwhile, was switched onto a three-stop strategy mid-way through the race - a decision the Australian later revealed had “surprised” him and which he had questioned over team radio when the details were relayed to him. Horner told Sky Sports F1 immediately after overseeing his team’s second one-two finish of the season that they had made Webber make an
additional pitstop owing to excessive tyre wear on the Australian’s car by the end of the opening stint, later adding the tyres had been at “100%
Del Potro warns he’s hitting the heights Agencies Juan Martin del Potro said he was playing even better than when he won the 2009 US Open after pushing Novak Djokovic to the limit in a gripping Shanghai Masters final. The towering Argentine won this month’s Japan Open and beat world number one Rafael Nadal in the Shanghai semi-finals, before coming up just short in a third-set tiebreaker with Djokovic. But the six-foot-six inch (1.98 metre) del Potro has shown he is primed for another assault on the majors with three titles this year
and two appearances in Masters finals. “I think I’m playing even better than many years ago,” the 25-year-old world number five told reporters in Shanghai. “I couldn’t win a Grand Slam like I did in 2009 but I have reached finals in the Masters. I have already won three tournaments. I beat the top guys, which is fantastic for me,” he added. “I think I’m playing even better than 2009 or 2008 or last year. That’s important. That’s a good thing for the future. I still have the same goal, which is getting closer to the top guys. If I keep working like this, I hope I
can be there one day.” Before Tokyo, del Potro won in Rotterdam and Washington this year and lost the Indian Wells Masters final to Nadal. He beat world David Ferrer in the Wimbledon quarter-finals before losing to Djokovic in the semis.In Shanghai, the stunning 6-2, 6-4 victory over Nadal -- handing the Spaniard only his fifth defeat this year -- qualified del Potro for the World Tour Finals in London. He said he was still not quite in the same league as the quartet known as tennis’s ‘Big Four’: Nadal, Djokovic, Andy Murray and Swiss great Roger Federer.
wear”. Speaking to reporters on Sunday night at Suzuka, Horner insisted that while either strategy
could have proved the more advantageous one, it was Vettel’s immediate pass on Grosjean for the lead after his final stop that ultimately made the difference. “There are always decisive moments in any race and any championship and I think the decisive moment today was really in the first stint,” the Red Bull Team Principal said in reference to Webber’s higher tyre wear. “Then of course Sebastian was able to make that move on Grosjean very quickly. “He knew that Mark had gone a difficult route - it wasn’t clear at the point that we went [way] that which was going to be the quicker way to the end of the race. Potentially the three-stop looked it but effectively we hedged our bets, split the cars which was then tactically [it was a question of] what do you do as Lotus? Which one do you cover? It was the best option for us as a team.” While Vettel caught and passed Grosjean within three laps of his final pitstop, Webber took far longer to pass when he caught up with the Lotus, despite the advantage of fresher me-
dium tyres, with the 37-year-old only completing the move with two laps to go. By then Vettel was too far out of reach for any late charge. But had he not been, or there been more of the race still to run, Horner says both drivers were aware they would have been free to fight it out despite the German being on the brink of his fourth world title. “We’d discussed it before the race that the drivers were free to race each other today,” the Englishman added. “At one point in the race it looked like Grosjean, if he held Sebastian up, they would both come up and Mark would be at the better tyre at that point and have the better chance of winning. “But Sebastian making the move early and quickly and getting past Grosjean and building a bit of a lead was critical for his race.” Horner added: “When Mark pitted with ten or 11 laps to go and went on to the soft tyre he obviously closed on Grosjean pretty quickly but then came across a bit of traffic and unfortunately he didn’t go past Grosjean too quickly. That killed off any chance he had of winning the race.”
Rahul Dravid: An unsung hero makes a quiet exit Agencies Rahul Dravid has largely been in the shadow of Sachin Tendulkar, despite his humungous achievements right throughout his career. And that is how it was till the very end. When the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) 2013 final ended the other day, Tendulkar got a hero’s farewell, while Dravid — bidding a final adieu to the game — made a quiet and unceremonious exit. Dravid would have taken it in his stride, like he has all along in his career. Dravid does not have the magnetism of Tendulkar, the cockiness of Virender Sehwag, the aesthetics of VVS Laxman, the swagger of Sourav Ganguly or the bludgeoning power of MS Dhoni. What he has is quiet confidence — in large measures — which helps him get the job done. Whatever the situation, Dravid would always be the first one to put his hand up. There cannot be a better example of a team man who has taken up multiple responsibilities with such selflessness and effectiveness. He has done vir-
tually everything a person can possibly do on a cricket field. He has bowled, kept wickets, opened the innings, functioned as finisher, has been a phenomenal slip catcher. You name it,
he has done it, and what’s more. If it’s done by Dravid, it would be perfect. Take any great match from the last decade that India won: Hyderabad and Taunton 1999, Kolkata 2001, Adelaide 2003, Rawalpindi 2004, Dravid always had a hand in
while others walked away with the glory. Unlike other seniors in the team, Dravid readily agreed to bat at any position, be it Tests or One-Day Internationals (ODIs). It speaks volumes about his versatility and the ability to put the team interests before self. He was the go-to man in every sense of the word. Captains knew that if no one else was willing to take up a challenge, there was always Dravid to turn to. Here is a man who has been the epitome of sustained excellence in an international career spanning 16 spectacular years, over 500 matches for the country and scoring 24,000 runs and 48 hundreds. He has also been exemplary in his conduct on and off the field — arguably India’s greatest-ever cricketing ambassador. The gems that he mouths are sheer delight to the ears: be it the Bradman Oration or insightful interviews in the media. It’s a pity while one great cricketing son is heaped in hosannas, another cricketing son — not far behind in terms of cricketing excellence and achievement — is largely ignored as both say sayonara to the game.