Nitesh Sangral

Mobile Bike squads introduced by Police a failure in Jammu Lakhs of rupees goes to drain Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 29: The much hyped mobile police squad constituted by the Jammu Police has turned out to be farce, as none of them can be seen on the roads. The 12 member squad was constituted keeping in view to check the incidents of social crime like chain and purse snatching, thefts, burglaries besides other social evils. Sources said that in absence of funds and required interest by the senior police officials, most of the bikes are non-functional and are not being used. Surprisingly when contacted Senior Superintend of Police (SSP) Jammu, Parbhat Singh said that bikes are deployed at the different locations in the city. “I don’t have much information about this concept. I will have to check”, he Singh said. Official Source said that in a bid to tighten noose against miscreants and anti-social elements, Jammu Police has introduced a 12 member Motor Bike Squad to keep check on ...

Demanding black topping of road, Janipur residents block road for two hours Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug29: New Plot-Bantalab road today remained blocked for two hours after people held protest against the poor condition of major artery of the area. They blamed administration for poor condition of road which have been dug during last two months by ERA and NBCC to lay sewerage work. Large number of traders blocked road at Janipur against the delay in black topping of road. There was total chaos on the road for hours as police Naka at Roop nagar stopped the vehicles towards Janipur at 9 am and same was situation at Sarwal chowk. They took other alternative roads. Every day chaotic conditions prevail on New Plot-Janipur as hundreds of vehicles are caught in long traffic jam for hours during rush hours. It is one of the busiest artery in the city as it not only caters to the needs of local people, but the High Court also falls on the stretch, were thousands of people visit daily. Suni...

Govt. seeks help of NGOs to trace school dropouts Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 28: State Education Department will seek help of NGOs working in field of education to trace the school dropouts in Jammu region, so that they could be brought back to schools. Though in past few years, dropout rate in state has shown downward trend but there are still close to 3 lakh students out of schools or they have to stop studying because of economic condition. Most of them are pushed towards working in shops or homes as domestic helps. Though the state’s literate population has been pegged at more than 68 percent of the total 1.25 crore persons – with a decadal growth of 13 percent - it is far behind other northern states like Himachal Pradesh (83.78 percent), Punjab (76.68 percent) Haryana (76.64 percent), Delhi (86.34 percent) and newly created Uttarakhand (79.63 percent). “We have often seen that most of the dropout are forced to work in shops and business establishments and with the help of ...

Food grains rotting in godowns Govt. established mere committee to finds ways to save Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 27: With hundreds of tonnes of food grains rotting in the stores for want of care, Consumer Affair and Public Distribution (CAPD) has announced to establish a committee to find ways to save the remaining food grains. Though officials claim that it is just a eye wash but the incident has once again exposed the tall claims made by the State Government to provide better warehousing facilities for stocking food grains in the state. On last Tuesday, the Consumer Affair and Public Distribution (CAPD) godown at Nehru Market was flooded with water resulting in loss of 51 quintals of sugar and 70 quintals of rice. It is pertinent to mention here that last several years the condition of the warehouse was crispy. A proposal also made to build a new godown at warehouse. However, has not yet started work in this direction. Broken water warehouse hit the roof and walls through some...

Crime Branch to investigate the back ground of child beggars in city Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 25: Despite recent cases of children being used by the gangs for begging being exposed across the country, Jammu and Kashmir police has still failed to investigate about the background of the child beggars in the state. Sources said that there are hundreds of child beggars on the streets of the city, and despite claims of police and administration that they are keeping track on the people behind this trend who are pushing children to beg, no notable step has been taken. Though it was alien to the state but now begging has become a major headache for the administration in the state. Recently some complaints have been received by the Crime Branch which has started investigation in the matter, but it is to be seen what action will be taken by the police against the people involved in this activity. Official source said that the complaint came to the crime branch and whose complaint again...

Multi tier parking at Bus still a distant dream JDA fails to identify land despite directions by government Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 24: Despite directions of government, Jammu Development Authority (JDA) has failed to identify space near General Bus Stand for the construction of Multi-Parking building to provide parking space for the buses and other vehicles to curb daily congestion. Sources said that Authority has slowed down the process after the opposition from the shopkeepers who are against their eviction and also due to the lack of funds at the disposal of JDA for the construction of four such buildings in different parts of the city. City has become so congested particularly during the Darbar move that people had to search for, were to park there vehicles. At drivers have created their own unauthorized parking and leave their four or two wheelers there during the night hours. Recently with management of rising vehicles become a nightmare for the administration in the r...

Monsoon effect Solid waste threaten to block flow of water in Ranbir canal Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 23: Monsoon rains have not only exposed the working of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), but the tall claims of Irrigation and Flood Control department are also under scanner, due to the plight of the Ranbir canal. The canal, which passes through, many localities of the city become a big dumping ground and almost clogged by the polythene and other solid waste dumped by the people. Once considered as a life line of the Jammu region, canal, now stands testimony to the official apathy and rampant pollution. Mingled with sewage and muck, it usually flows in summers extending from Akhnoor to the tail end of Bhagwati Nagar, Talab Tillo, Gajansoo, Trikuta nagar, Satwari and other interior areas. However it is not only the department which is responsible for the plight of the water body, but people living around it are also responsible for present position. Though strict instructions h...

Red Cross at the government’s `rescue’ First Aid units to be set up at college level for accident victims Nitesh Sangral Jammu, August 22: With most of the proposals formulated by the state government for timely action in road mishap cases remaining confined to the official files, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of Indian Red Cross Society (ICRC) is offering its help to impart training to college students to create manpower capable of providing first aid to disaster victims. Officials said that these units can also help in dealing with the weather related calamities and volunteers for the blood donation can be found within the units itself. In last five years close to 5,000 persons have been killed in different road mishaps particularly on Batote-Kishtwar highway and inter-districts road within the mountainous region of Chenab Valley. These specific units work under supervision of society and are being equipped with first aid kits and necessary training to deal with the various trag...

Project incomplete even after four years Lack of planning derails Raghunath Bazaar modernization project Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 21: Lack of coordination and planning between government agencies and internal bickering within Raghunath Bazaar Business Association (RBBA) has almost derailed the Rs. 6 crore modernization plan of historic Raghunath Bazaar for last four years. According to the sources with different departments not adhering to the time frame in completing their respective allocated work, the modernization plan is running behind schedule, crashing the dream of citizens to see the area as major tourist attraction in the city. Under the project initiated in 2008, the 400 meters of bazaar, one of the oldest business area in the temple city established in 1856, was it is proposed to upgrade the market by modernization and up gradation of power distribution network, shifting of cables, paving of entire road passing through the bazaar heavy duty red tiles interlocking bl...

JMC fails to impalement provision of Foot Act in city Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 20: Near about three month ago the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Jammu has issued the order to all the food handlers from restaurants and road side eateries will have to pass a fitness test before seeking extension of the mandatory license. But the order has not fully implemented in Jammu. It is pertinent to mentioned here that this is an initiative by the department as per Government of India’s Food Act 2006. Numbers of applications were presently pending with the JMC due to lack of the required certificate. Officials’ source said that the number of restaurants as well as road side food seller taking the Health Fitness Certificate. Remaining food sellers are not getting Health Fitness Certificate, they also nexus with the JMC employees. “JMC official have not properly checking of these food handlers, there are many roadside food sellers, who are selling food without Health Fitness Certificate,...

Centre unhappy with NRHM implementation in J&K, may affect funding in future Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 19: With central government expressing its unhappiness over the functioning of field cells established at district level to monitor implementation of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in Jammu and Kashmir and failure to achieve set targets, state’s funds share in the scheme may be reduced in future. Sources said that Respective Deputy Commissioners and Chief Medical Officers (CMO)s across the state were entrusted with submitting monthly reviews and progress of the projects to ensure strict adherence to guidelines, but most of them have being violated repeatedly. In next few weeks, Union Health Ministry is expected to review the achievements of the scheme, which has completed its seven years across the country. Officials said that the assessment would include utilization of funds, progress on health front in rural areas, the targets given and achieved by the state and th...

Fully functional cyber crime stations: Still a distant dream in J&K Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 17: The cyber crime stations are still distance dream in the Jammu and Kashmir State. The department has no fully trained manpower, Software and hardware and there is few computer in three cyber crime stations. Police department established three cyber police stations in the State on last year. It is pertinent to mention here that on November 15, 2011, the then Director General of Police (DGP) Kuldeep Khoda had announced that three cyber police stations would be made functional in the State from December 15, 2011. Two of the cyber police stations were to be setup in Srinagar and another in Jammu. Official source said that in Jammu city, it was to come up at Gandhi Nagar and in Srinagar, cyber police stations were supposed to be established at Crime Branch Headquarters and SOG headquarters near Haft Chinar. He further said that, not a single cyber police station has made operational...

Anti-Smoking campaign Special squads fails to curb smoking in public places in the state Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 16: Though authorities have claimed to have constituted special squads to take action against the people smoking in public places, but it has failed to become a deterrent and non-smokers continue face threat to their health. A long time after the ban on public smoking came into force, people in State continue to suffer in silence while smokers continue to puff away their cheap cigarettes, breaking the law with impunity. In offices, both government and private, smokers have encountered little resistance from authorities and norms are being floated much to the dismay of non-smokers, who are aware of the health risks, not to speak of the inconvenience caused. It is pertinent to mentioned here that the Drug and Food Control Organisation (D&FO) has constituted special squads to identify violators and impose fine on them. After special squads the people are flouting ...

Cashless ATMs, poor security leave citizens high and dry daily in city Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 14: Poor security at Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) is leaving citizens high and dry daily in the city. For last few weeks, people in Jammu are facing problem in withdrawing cash from the ATMs installed by various banks for the connivance of people in the city. Further on security point of view, customers complain that there is no restriction on the entry of people in the ATMs kiosks, despite the fact that not more than one person should be inside the machine, when withdrawing money. At times, machines remain out of cash or non functional due to technical faults, which create lot of hardship for the customers. This despite the fact that in time of need ATMs play an important role in lives of people. ATM users of almost all the banks complain that they have to face problem at the money vending machines and at times are not able to withdraw cash from the machines, leaving them high ...

Fed up with hoarding, profiteering, Govt. constitutes committee to finds ways to curb it Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 13: With increased complaints of manufacturers and traders inflating Maximum Retail Price (MRP) of packaged commodities in absence of any central and state law to regulate them, state government has constituted a Working Group (WG) to formulate rules to curb hoarding and profiteering in J&K. Officials said that State Consumer Protection Council headed by Minister for CAPD Qamar Ali Akhoon has constituted a WG headed by MLC, Ravinder Sharma to examine the issues of fixation of MRP of consumer goods and drugs sold in the state. At present, it is the manufacturers who determine and mark MRP which include Cost of Production, Distribution and Margin of Profit at different levels up to the retail point in the state. How this is fixed nobody knows. A senior officer from Legal Meteorology said that in the rest of the India the focus in the market places may have gradua...

Stray animal on Highway: Threat to drivers, JMC sleeping Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 12: The influx of stray animal on highway has become a major threat for the drivers as they are facing risk of accidents, due to unexpected appearance of these animals before their vehicles. Pertinently, it is a major problem being faced by the commuters these days at every nook and corner of the city. The solution to the problem is to take strict action against the owners of pets, which are found astray. Animal shelters should be built for such animals and a massive awareness drive on this subject should be launched. There are only two functional cattle ponds in the city, the proposal to set up a modern facility in Dili area on the outskirts of Jammu was shelved after the locals objected to the JMC’s move and non-availability of sufficient land at the site. Source said that the two cattle ponds at Rehari and Gandhi Nagar have capacity of 15 and 20 cattle respectively and they are filled to capac...

Independence day security at risk Half of the CCTVs non-functional in city Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 11: Just two days left for Independence Day but the almost half of Closed Circuit Cameras (CCTVs) are 'non-functional' in the City. Though the security scenario is being reviewed on routine basis ahead of Independence Day celebrations but the surveillance devices at various sensitive locations are 'defunct' and demanding immediate repair. It is pertinent to mentioned here that in the name of security the state government and the state agencies frequently approach the centre for huge funds. The centre has always been liberal as it does not want to compromise on security of the state. It is the basic duty of the state to see that whatever security related equipment or gadgets have been installed remain functional round the clock. Officials source said that the security grid on the Jammu Railway station and the city of temples seem to have thrown to winds measures t...

80 % Auqaf land encroached in R.S Pura Nitesh Sangral JAMMU, Aug 10: 80 percent of Auqaf land has alleged encroachment by local land mafia in the RS Pura. Property in R S Pura is illegally occupied, including even mosques and graveyards. The rampant encroachment seems to be enjoying political patronage. In the State at different locations the huge numbers of government as well as Auqaf land occupied by the locals but the concerned authority always maintain that the concerned departments are taking necessary action against them. The committee members claimed that Wakf properties situated in prime urban area are being targeted and encroached by the land mafia. R S Pura was a Muslim majority district in united India, but in the communal riots following the partition has changed the demography of the region. Source said that, according to Auqaf Islamia, 80 percent of its property in R S Pura is illegally occupied. It alleges in many cases even the mosques and graveyards are occupie...