Hasnain Masoodi seeks end to power outage in south Kashmir

Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Member of Parliament from Anantnag Justice (Retd.) Hasnain Masoodi on Thursday expressed concern over the plight of people in south Kashmir on the account of erratic power supply, asking the administration to ensure uninterrupted supply to the consumers in view of the ongoing Holy month of Ramzan.

Masoodi said the electricity is playing hide and seek with the consumers in the rural areas of Kashmir, in particular, the south Kashmir districts. “The unscheduled power outages have put the consumers to inconvenience particularly on Sahri, and Iftari timings. The working of local healthcare centers and other vital installations like water stations is also hindered due to the pesky electricity supply.  The situation hasn’t improved since the onset of the holy month of Ramzan, rather it has aggravated,” he said asking the concerned department to ensure uninterrupted power supply to consumers particularly on Sahri, and Iftari timings.

“The electricity infrastructure in south Kashmir must be augmented to face the ever-increasing demand,” he said adding, “Regrettably power transformers, polls, and conduction wires at various places haven’t received an overhaul since long putting them at greater risk during inclement weather.  Much of the infrastructure that was affected due to the vagaries of weather during last winter season is yet to be restored. The inevitability of constant upkeep and augmentation of power infrastructure in south Kashmir and for that matter in the entire Kashmir division is extremely necessitated due to the distinctive climatic conditions of the region. The concerned power development department should attune its response to the issues of power distribution in Kashmir to the vagaries of mountainous and temperate weather conditions.”

He further said, “Authorities should ensure availability of all essentials including kerosene, Sugar, Wheat, Rice at all places across the length and breadth of south Kashmir in view of the holy month of Ramzan.”

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Coronavirus: Positive cases in India cross 35,000, death toll at 1,147

Srinagar

India crossed the grim milestone of 35,000 coronavirus cases as the states registered another record hike in patients. A staggering 1,993 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. The total number of coronavirus patients in India climbed to 35,043, according to the ministry of health and family welfare.

A doctor from a protective booth takes samples of a Kashmiri woman in a Redzone area of Srinagar, on Thursday 30 April 2020. The administration is conducting a health audit of the entire population of Srinagar. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur

The death toll from COVID-19 zoomed to 73 on Thursday, the highest reported so far in a single day. The deadly novel coronavirus claimed 1,147 lives in India.

Maharashtra accounted for nearly half of Thursday’s national COVID-19 count. As many as 583 people tested positive for the coronavirus in the state. With this, Maharashtra COVID-19 count increased to 10,498. On Thursday, the state recorded over 15 deaths, taking the total number of fatalities to 459. Maharashtra became the first state to witness 10,000 coronavirus cases.

With 313 fresh cases on Thursday, the coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 4,395. After Maharashtra, Gujarat was the worst affected state by COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

The total number of coronavirus cases in Delhi increased to 3,515 as 76 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours. The death toll in the national capital stood at 59.

Madhya Pradesh witnessed a drop in fresh COVID-19 cases. The state added 99 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours.

Tamil Nadu added 161 fresh cases on Thursday, taking the total coronavirus count in the state to 2,323.

Over 25% of coronavirus patients have been recovered from the disease so far. At least 8,888 people were cured, according to the ministry of health and family welfare. Currently, there are 25,007 active coronavirus patients in India.

A doctor displays a collected sample of a person in a Redzone area of Srinagar on Thursday 30 April 2020. The administration is conducting a health audit of the entire population of Srinagar to contain the spread of coronavirus infection. Kl Image by Bilal Bahadur

As the 40-day nationwide lockdown nears an end on May 4, India plans a staggered exit from the lockdown. At first, the restrictions will be relaxed in those areas which have not reported coronavirus cases in last 28 days.

The novel coronavirus infected more than 3.2 million people and killed at least 233,000 worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States so far reported more than 1 million COVID-19 cases, and at least 63,000 death. The World Health Organization warned that Europe remains “very much in the grip of this pandemic,” accounting for 46% of cases, and 63% of deaths globally.

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16-year-old boy dies in cross LoC shelling in Poonch

Srinagar

A 16-year-old boy was killed in cross LoC shelling at Mankote area of Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

SDPO Mendhar Neeraj Padyar told news agency GNS that the boy namely Gulfaraz (16) son of Mohd Rashid of Tain Mankote was hit by a shell fired by Pakistani troops in the area. “The Pakistani troopers violated the ceasefire in the area by attacking Indian posts and the civilian population in the area”.

Gulfaraz, a class 12 student died on the spot, SDPO said. He said that a police party was immediately deputed to the area.

The incident occurred when the teenager was returning from nearby fields after grazing domestic animals. (GNS)

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Coronavirus: Spread rate slows greatly in J&K, says Rohit Kansal

Jammu

Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring and Information, Rohit Kansal, who is also the J&K Government Spokesperson, today said that the COVID 19 pandemic spread rate has significantly slowed down in Jammu and Kashmir, even as there is no room for complacency and the situation demands extra watchfulness.

Principal Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring and Information, Rohit Kansal Press Conference

“We continue to have a number of red zones and we need to be ever alert and watchful. Premature exuberance or celebration can cost us very dear”, Kansal told reporters here at a press conference.

He said the government will further strengthen the surveillance system and procedure. “We are conducting a 100% Health Audit for the entire J&K using Swasthya Nidhi App. and the process is likely to be completed within next few weeks.  We are strongly encouraging the use of Aarogya Setu App. and so far, more than 8 lakh users have installed the App in the UT”, he informed. However, he called for continuing self-restraint and observance of discipline.

“Our current position may appear comfortable but let me remind you that we are dealing with an unpredictable and dangerous enemy,” he said and observed that many neighbouring states have learnt the hard way when they have seen their cases show a sudden jump e.g. when many of their returning citizens tested positive. We too have a number of students and labourers stranded outside the UT who have started returning back home. Stating that there is no room for complacency  he added that adequate precautions are being taken while allowing them inside the UT.

Giving details about general control measures, he said as of this moment, the total number of cases in J&K is 614 of which the number of active cases is 390. 384 of these are in the Kashmir Division and 6 in the Jammu division.

“As you are already aware, there have been 216 recoveries which include young children and we also have had 8 unfortunate deaths. Further, he said out of 70,000 (Sixty thousand) persons enlisted for surveillance, over 50000 (Fifty thousand) have completed the mandatory 28 days period of surveillance.

On the overall COVID situation, the UT has a good report card so far, he said and added: “The daily positivity rate has shown a downward trend and the doubling rate of positive cases has decidedly slowed down.” He said a report of this morning has shown that the UT’s testing rates continue to be among the highest while our percentage rise continues to be low resulting in a high doubling rate which is over 12 days. “Our mortality is just above 1%, which is quite low given the number of cases. The most notable part is that over 92% of the cases can be traced. All these are positive factors” he added.

He expressed gratitude to people for the excellent cooperation in restricting the movement and helping maintain an effective lockdown. “This has helped us to slow the spread of the virus and put in place a strong containment strategy,” he said and added that it has also helped to gain valuable time for building the capacities such as 17 Standalone/ dedicated COVID Hospitals, over 20000 Isolation Beds and nearly 50000 non-hospital quarantine beds.

He said UT is following an aggressive testing strategy and continue to be among the top few regions in the country in this regard. “While our testing capacity has expanded from 1 lab to 4 labs, the testing rate is now about 1500 per million, one of the highest in the country,” he informed.  “We have also been continuously ramping up our facilities- we started with less than 100 tests daily; a few days ago we broke the 1000 tests per day barrier, he said and added “Yesterday we conducted 1800 tests and We will shortly break the 2000 tests/day barrier”.

The Press Conference was also attended by Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner Secretary Industries; Bhupinder Kumar, Mission Director NHM and Dr. Syed Sehrish Asgar, Director Information and Public Relations.

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A Strong Votaries of Indo-Pak Friendship, Chintoo, Who Romanced Kashmir, Is Dead

by Tasavur Mushtaq

SRINAGAR: Connected with Kashmir for decades, Bollywood’s evergreen heartthrob Rishi Kapoor is no more. He was rushed to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital on Wednesday after he complained of uneasiness. A day later, he breathed his last at the age of 67. This is the film industry’s second loss by the same disease in two days- Irrfan Khan was claimed by cancer a day ago.

File image of Rishi Kapoor

Battling with cancer since 2018, Rishi Kapoor fought a long battle against the malady. He underwent treatment in New York for almost a year. He returned to India last year but had no public appearance. “Back home! 11 months, 11 days! Thank you all,” tweeted Rishi Kapoor after his homecoming.

A part of the glamour world for last nearly five decades, Rishi had a sparkling debut in 1973’s Bobby. The musical love story of two city-bred teenagers changed Kapoor’s life. Bobby was one of the most commercially successful films of the 1970s and was extremely popular in the erstwhile Soviet Union. Girls wrote letters in blood to Kapoor; mobbed him and sported Bobby T-shirts.

“Before Bobby, Indian cinema was about men and women, but after Bobby, it became about boys and girls,” Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan once said in an interview

Mufti Sayeed with Bollywood filmmakers and actors. In this 2015 photograph, Rishi Kapoor is talking to the Chef Minster as Anupam Kher is looking on.

Before his role in Bobby, Kapoor began his career with roles in his father Raj Kapoor’s films. As a four-year-old, he appeared briefly in a romantic rain-drenched song sequence in his father’s film Shree 420 song Pyar Hua Ikraar Hua. He played a young version of his father in 1970 film Mera Naam Joker, winning the National Award for Best Child Artist for his performance.

Rishi Kapoor is survived by his wife Neetu Kapoor, son Ranbir and daughter Riddhima. Last seen in the 2019 films The Body and Jhootha Kahin Ka, Kapoor was meant to star in a Bollywood adaptation of The Intern with Deepika Padukone. However, death denied that opportunity to him.

Kashmir Connection

Rishi Kapoor’s Kashmir connection dates back to the 1970s when he had shot to fame as a young lover in super-hit Bobby. Working in more than 100 films, Kapoor shot 14 films between 1972 and 1988 in Kashmir. Those were the years when Kashmir was a prime destination for Bollywood filmmakers.

When Kapoor visited Kashmir in October 2011 after a gap of 23 years on a personal visit, he found valley as romantic as it was decades ago.

“Very few places in the world provide so much variety as Kashmir. You have so much variety here. It is a virgin beauty. This place is all about romance,” Rishi told reporters.

Rishi Kapoor outside the Bobby Hut in Gulmarg. For decades now people have wanted to see the hut he & Dimple made famous with that memorable song “Hum tum……..” https://t.co/25GcZyU0Ue

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 30, 2020

Delving into his experience when he would frequently visit the valley to shoot for his films, Rishi added, “When we were shooting for Bobby in Pahalgam, it started snowing. So, we included that snow sequence also. This place has so much to offer”.

Rishi had said, “Kapoor family in Bollywood has a deep association with Kashmir and were connected with the soil here.”

During his visit, Kapoor interacted with his old friends in the hospitality sector and drove around Srinagar as well.

Interestingly, the Jammu and Kashmir government re-invested in a particular hut in Pahalgam where sequences of Bobby were shot, in addition to Gulmarg. It was later marketed by the tourism department as Booby Hut.

Trolled for Kashmir

In November 2017, Kapoor was trolled on social media in mainland India for his desire to see Pakistan before death and supporting National Conference President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah’s statement that ‘Jammu and Kashmir are ours and PoK is theirs’.

Farooq Abdullah had said, that the talk of an Independent Kashmir was wrong as it is surrounded by three nuclear powers — China, Pakistan, and India.

A scene from Bobby film in which Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia were in the lead roles. The film was shot in Kashmir.

Taking this forward and voicing his support for Abdullah, Kapoor tweeted that he is in complete agreement with Abdullah. “J&K is ours, and PoK is theirs,” the actor wrote, adding that it is the only way “we can solve our problem”. He also wrote that he wants to see Pakistan before he dies and wants his children “to see their roots” too. “Farooq Abdullah Ji, Salaam! Totally agree with you, sir. J&K is ours, and PoK is theirs. This is the only way we can solve our problem. Accept it, I am 65 years old and I want to see Pakistan before I die. I want my children to see their roots. Bas karva Dijiye. Jai Mata Di !” he wrote.

The Kapoor family hailed from Peshawar in modern-day Pakistan and migrated to India after partition in 1947.

Fashion Icon

The poster boy of teen romances, in Kashmir it is said Rishi introduced the designed knitwear. With his boyish image and the colourful designs, he made the sweaters part of ceremonies. “Those days the designed knitwear was most sought after gift shared between couples,” said Sara. His movie, she said was a must to see immediately after the marriage.

Reportedly as the cremation rituals of the actor are completed, condolences continue to pour in.

In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was anguished by Rishi Kapoor’s demise. ” Multifaceted, endearing, and lively…this was Rishi Kapoor Ji. He was a powerhouse of talent. I will always recall our interactions, even on social media. He was passionate about films and India’s progress. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti,” PM Modi said in his tweet.

Haider’s Ruhdaar Dies, A Week After Kashmir Named Its Ventilator After The Character

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi remembered him as a wonderful actor, “This is a terrible week for Indian cinema, with the passing of another legend, actor Rishi Kapoor. A wonderful actor, with a huge fan following across generations, he will be greatly missed. My condolences to his family, friends, and fans all over the world, at this time of grief,” he said.

Omar Abdullah in Kashmir also regrets the loss. “From Bobby to Karz to Zamane Ko Dikhana Hai, your movies & some of the dialogues have been such an integral part of my childhood. You made a little hut in Gulmarg an iconic place with one sing. Farewell @chintskap & thankful for the memories,” he wrote on Twitter.

He also retweeted an image that showed Rishi Kapoor standing outside the iconic hut in Gulmarg where the famous song ‘Hum tum ek kamre mein…’ was picturised on Rishi and Dimple Kapadia.

Lamenting the loss, sister of Omar, Safia Abdullah Khan said, “What a cruel month April is turning out to be. Rishi Kapoor’s films were a huge part of our childhood. RIP Chintu.”

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DC tours Srinagar city, inspects COVID-19 health audit and provision of essentials

Srinagar

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary Thursday held an extensive tour of urban and rural areas across the district to inspect response mechanism put in place in view of the prevailing situation due to COVID-19 outbreak.

DC tours Srinagar city, inspects COVID-19 health audit and provision of essentials

He inspected provision of essential services and supplies and the ongoing door-to-door COVID-19 health audit being held across the district.

The DC started his tour with an extensive visit of Downtown areas of the city inspecting response mechanism put in place in red zone areas there. He took a firsthand appraisal of containment efforts and surveillance activities as well as provision of essential supplies and services in these areas.

The visit was one of the many DC has made in the last two weeks to red zone areas to inspect the response mechanism. It is notable that over half of the total number of COVID-19 red zones are in the Downtown area of the Srinagar city.

Some of the areas he visited and where he conducted an inspection during his tour there were Khanyar, Rainawari, Hazratbal and Lal Bazar among others.

During the tour, Dr Shahid also held an extensive inspection of the health audit going on across the district to determine the spread of COVID-19 in the district and decide the course of action required to be taken to deal with it.

The inspection of the health audit was held in various rural areas some of which were Harwan, Dhara, Theed and Faqir Gujri among others. The DC’s inspection of the health audit in rural areas today follows a similar inspection in various urban areas in the last two days.

Dr Shahid while visiting various households interacted with the people. In all areas, he visited he noted the grievances of the local representatives he interacted with on the occasion and assured them of their immediate redressal.

The residents appreciated the proactive role of the district administration in general and the DC in particular in their efforts to contain the spread of the COVID-19 disease and putting in place a mechanism for the availability of essential supplies and services in the district.

Meanwhile 32 thousand households and pollution of around 1.65 lac citizens have been covered under the ongoing COVID-19 health audit in just four days since April 27 when it was started in the district.

It is notable that 700 teams comprising officials from concerned departments have been pressed into service for holding this important survey which is aimed at determining the spread of the COVID-19 disease in the district and the course of the action that should be taken to deal with it.

The data generated as part of this survey is being collected using the Swasthya Nidhi mobile application which was recently launched by the government.

It is notable that the district administration has put in place an elaborate and comprehensive response mechanism in the district in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in efforts to contain its spread and minimise the inconvenience to people due to the prevailing situation with lockdown enforced across the district as in other parts of J&K and the country.

The response mechanism includes elaborate plans for containment of the spread of the COVID-19 disease as well as a guaranteed provision of essential services and supplies to all households, particularly in red zone areas.

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Div Com visits Red Zone areas and wellness centres of Anantnag

Srinagar

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K. Pole on Thursday visited red zone areas and wellness centres of Anantnag to take stock of the facilities put in place. District Magistrate,  Anantnag,  Bashir Ahmad Dar, SSP Anantnag, ADDC, ADC, ACR, CMO, Dy. Director, Directorate of Health Services Kashmir and Dr Waseem Qurashi, Nodal Officer, Hospital isolation, Kashmir Division accompanied the Divisional Commissioner.

Div Com visits Red Zone areas and wellness centres of Anantnag

The Div. Com. Visited Wellness Centres at Trauma Hospital Bijbehara and  High Ground Anantnag, where he was briefed about the facilities put in place. He also visited Red Zone area Kadipora and directed the district administration to ensure availability of all the essential services to the inhabitants of the area at their doorsteps, adding that complete lockdown must be imposed and no inward or outward movement of the public should be allowed to avert any further COVID – 19 infections in the district.

The Div Com. also took a detailed review of the arrangements put in place by the District Administration to stem any further spread of COVID – 19 infections at a meeting of concerned officer, at DC Office Anantnag. The DM Anantnag through a PowerPoint presentation briefed the Div Comm. about the arrangements put in place in view of the COVID – 19 in the district.

The Div. Com directed the district administration that in addition to COVID – 19 positive patients, ensure healthcare facilities and treatment to the patients with severe ailments also so that they do not suffer.

He asked for taking over a private Nursing Home along with manpower and logistics, for extending exclusive treatment for pregnant women reporting from red and buffer zones, besides for devising a birth plan for the pregnant women so that they could be screened for COVID – 19 well in time. He added that pregnant women from red zone areas must be treated separately and asked for using services of ASHAs for proper identification of pregnant women.

It was also decided that a District Committee of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries departments be the frame for taking up the measures for the sowing of seeds and transplantation of seedlings, for the areas declared as red zones. ‘The Committee shall devise a mechanism for ensuring transplantation of paddy seedlings so that fast approaching agriculture season is taken care of’, the Div Com. added

Taking cognizance of the death of a pregnant woman with twin babies at MCH Anantnag, few days ago, the Div Comm. warned of stern action for such negligence in future. He directed CMO, Anantnag and GMC, Principal to ensure a robust healthcare system in the district and ensure that no complaints are received in future. He directed for ensuring attendance of all doctors and paramedical staff in the health institutions of the district round the clock.

The Div Com. also directed the district administration to ensure separate control rooms for red zones for grievance redressal besides, not to quarantine the members of a single-family, in a single floor, of a building to stop any further infection. He also asked for using the services of NGOs, Red Cross, NSS and other volunteers to create awareness regarding the deadly disease.

Later, while briefing the media, the Div Comm. said that overall situation is under control in the valley and people should not heed rumors and fake news instead should play their role in making the lockdown successful.  He added that all the basic facilities and essentials are being provided to the public at the doorsteps amid lockdown, adding that testing capacity is more than 1000 per day and is being increased to more than 1500 per day in coming days.

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Govt initiates process for JK students’ return back from outside UT

Srinagar

According to Press Release issued here today by Higher Education Department, all students pursuing studies outside the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, who are desirous of returning to their home places (Jammu & Kashmir), have been asked to fill up the information on the link available on the official website of J&K Higher Education Department (jkhighereducation.nic.in).

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Restrictions To Be Enforced Strictly In Red, Orange Zones: Cabinet Secretary

Srinagar

Government of India has asked all the States and Union Territories to delineate the districts as per the laid down criteria and implement the restrictions accordingly in the areas for effective containment of the virus.

Cabinet Secretary chairing a meeting with Chief Secretaries

This was stated by the Cabinet Secretary, Rajiv Gaubawho was holding a video conference interaction with the Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs.

Home Secretary, Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan and other senior officers of concerned Ministries attended the meeting.

Chief Secretary, BVR Subrahmanyam, Financial Commissioner, Health, Atal Dulloo and MD NHM, Bhupinder Singh participated in the interaction with the Cabinet Secretary.

While having detailed deliberations on preparations to be made for post-May 3 scenarios in the country, the Cabinet Secretary asked the States/UTs to follow the categorization of the Districts into Red, Orange and Green Zones based on total active cases, doubling rate, the extent of testing and surveillance feedback. States/UTs could add Red/Orange category districts based on their assessment, the Cabinet Secretary said.

Cabinet Secretary asked for implementing the restrictions in these identified areas as per their status and follow the guidelines strictly being issued by Government of India from time to time. While moving forward, we have to treat the Districts/Areas differently as per the local situation and need to do micro-planning while dealing with the containment zones.

Cabinet Secretary reiterated that there should be no laxity while implementing the restrictions, especially in the containment zones. The Districts which have luckily not reported any positive case so far need to remain extra alert and more cautious, because our relaxed approach can put us in a difficult situation. He said that as there are active cases in both Red and Orange Zones, restrictions are to be strict and surveillance along with monitoring should be ensured effectively.

Regarding the movement of students and migrant labour stranded in different states, the Cabinet Secretary asked the States/UTs to develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such people. He asked the Chief Secretaries to coordinate with their counterparts in other States so that an action plan is worked out for the movement of people. Besides, he asked all to nominate Nodal Officers for the purpose.

While discussing the movement of people with the Chief Secretaries, it was decided that proper health screening of students/migrant labour will be done at both ends before sending and at the time of reaching their native States. It was asked to plan the whole exercise in a systematic manner so as to avoid any threat of transmission of the virus from one place to another.

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1000 Bedded Quarantine Facility, 100 Bedded COVID-19 Hospital Established In Ganderbal

Srinagar

To curb the transmission of Corona Virus (COVID-19) infection in the district and at the same time help people during the lockdown period, District administration Ganderbal took a number of measures to ensure people remain healthy and also get all the facilities preferably at their doorstep.

A doctor from a protective booth takes samples of a man in a Redzone area of Srinagar, on Thursday 30 April 2020. The administration is conducting a health audit of the entire population to contain the spread of coronavirus infection.KL Image by Bilal Bahadur

To facilitate people during the lockdown period, the district administration started home delivery of essential items  and a 24×7 control room was established to provide prompt assistance to people in case of any problem faced by them.

The administration also distributed free ration under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY) wherein 42828 families comprising of 192389 souls under PHH and AAY categories were provided free ration. 9619.8 quintals of rice was distributed for the month of April while strictly following all the Standard Operating Procedures and maintaining proper social distance. Furthermore, two-month advance ration for the months of April and May was also distributed among the beneficiaries.

To reach out to the needy, the District administration, Ganderbal distributed free ration among the needy, destitute, distressed, and non-local labourers stuck in the district to ensure that they do not face any shortage of food material during the ongoing lockdown.

More than 3500 ration kits were distributed among such people under the supervision of nominated Nodal officer.

In compliance with a government order for the universal usage of masks, District Industrial Unit, KVIB, various local entrepreneurs and self-help groups (SHGs) of NRLM were roped in for the production/stitching of the masks besides distribution mechanism was also formulated to cover the entire population of the district. Till date, the Administration has distributed more than 2 lakh masks which include 1.7 lakh free masks in rural and urban areas among AAY and PHH beneficiaries at their doorsteps.

To contain the spread of COVID-19, all the designated red zones of the district were sanitized besides intensified sanitation cum fumigation drives are being conducted across the district regularly.

In order to carry the health audit/screening and door to door survey through Mobile app Swasthya Nidhi, the District Administration has constituted 242 Booth Level Awareness Groups (BAGs) besides supervisors and Medical Supervisory Teams (MSTs). To ensure health audit is going smoothly in the district, DC personally visited various areas and urged people to cooperate with the audit teams.

To generate awareness among people regarding do’s and don’ts during COVID-19 pandemic, announcements were made through public address system fitted on vehicles.

To ensure social distancing and for the convenience of people, the District administration launched E-pass service for obtaining movement passes in an emergency situation.

A slew of measures were taken to redress the grievances of the people arising during the lockdown. A web-based grievance link was also established where people registered their grievances which were addressed within the shortest possible time.

For the treatment of COVID-19 patients, the district Hospital has been designated as 100 bedded COVID Hospital. For accommodation of persons to be quarantined, adequate arrangements were made at identified quarantine centres. The district administration Ganderbal has earmarked 1000 quarantine beds at earmarked centres like Youth Hostel Sonamarg, Government Degree College Kangan, JNV Hatbura and J&K Sainik School Manasbal.

Further strict restrictions were imposed across the district to combat the spread of COVID-19 infection. To ensure strict implementation of lockdown, police has booked 58 Person besides 37 FIRs were launched till now.

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Home isolation for Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms a way ahead: DAK

Srinagar

Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Thursday welcomed the ICMR guidelines wherein they have changed the admission policy for Covid-19 cases and have allowed home isolation for mild and pre-symptomatic cases.

President DAK, Dr Suhail Naik said as per the global evidence 80 percent of COVID cases are mild and can be easily observed and managed at home.

“We have also observed that in Jammu and Kashmir where Covid-19 positive cases have reached to  591, around 90 per cent among them are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms,” he said.

Dr Naik said that in J&K, the majority of people have their own homes and that is a great advantage to tackle the crisis imposed following the pandemic.

General Secretary DAK Dr Owais H Dar while appreciating guidelines said that such measures are very important to prevent overburdening or crumbling of health infrastructure while dealing with such dreaded pandemic.

“Such measures will allow us to sustain and deliver non Covid services like maternity and child care, immunization, emergency operations, cardiac and neurological emergencies smoothly,” Dar said.

He said while following these guidelines responsibility is on community and they should follow all the protocols in letter and spirit.

The doctor’s body said that family and patient should regularly inform about health status to the district surveillance officer for further follow-up.

DAK requested administration that while adopting these guidelines it is very imperative to educate people about home care and other measures taken by the rest of family members.

“Further a strong team of field staff should be created at all block levels under the leadership of medical officers to look after these home isolated patients,” it said

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Coronavirus: 20 more positive patients recovered, discharged

Srinagar

On completion of successful treatment, twenty more COVID-19 patients admitted after testing positive more than two weeks back at various referral centres were discharged at JLNM hospital Srinagar on Thursday.

Coronavirus: 20 more positive patients recovered, discharged

Dr Bilquis Shah from the JLNM told Kashmir Life that 20 patients were discharged from the hospital after their recovery from COVID-19 infection.

She added that one patient was discharged from the hospital after 25 days as he was symptomatic and tested repeatedly positive four times before testing negative.

“Rest of the patients were asymptomatic and were discharged after 20 days from JLNM Hospital Rainawari Srinagar,” she said.

“Now total positive patients admitted at JLNM Hospital at present are 34,” Dr Bilquis Shah said.

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Kashmiri girls stuck in Delhi sent back to Kashmir

Srinagar

Seven Kashmiri girls stranded in Delhi”s Hauz Khas area have been evacuated and sent to Kashmir with the help of civil society members.

Kashmiri girls stuck in Delhi sent back to Kashmir

The girls had made a video that they were distressed and have no money and girls complained that their landlord had already taken rent from them and that they can”t bear living away from their homes.

The girls were distressed as they were under constant pressure from the landlord to vacate the house.

These girls were pursuing education in different fields and buses were arranged for them to go home.

Shakilur Rahman a social activist said that “after seeing the video our team contacted the girls and got in touch with authorities in Kashmir and got permission from them.”

Rahman said that Assam MP Badruddin Ajmal and ex-J&K minister Altaf Bukhari helped them to get the necessary clearance. (IANS)

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Coronavirus: 20 More Test Positive,Tally Reaches 614

Srinagar

Twenty more people have tested positive of the novel coronavirus in Kashmir, taking the number of Covid-19 patients in J&K  to 614.

A doctor from a protective booth takes samples of a man in a Redzone area of Srinagar, on Thursday 30 April 2020. The administration is conducting a health audit of the entire population of Srinagar to contain the spread of coronavirus infection. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur

An official said that among twenty cases were confirmed at the Government Medical College led laboratory in Chest Disease hospital Dalgate.

He said 542 samples had been tested at the CD hospital laboratory in 24 hours out of which 20 samples have tested positive when this report was filed.

Among new positive cases, he said 12 are from Anantnag district, four from Kulgam, two from Pulwama, and two from Bemina area of Srinagar.

 

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Coronavirus: 13 More Test Positive In Kashmir

Srinagar

Thirteen more people have tested positive of the novel coronavirus in Kashmir, taking the number of Covid-19 patients in J&K  to 594.

An official told Kashmir Life that ten persons have been tested positive for COVID19 at SKIMS.

He added that 347 samples have tested positive and 8378 samples have tested negative at SKIMS till date.

As of now, J&K has reported 594 cases, out of which 536 were in Kashmir and 58 in Jammu. Eight have died, while 176 recovered.

 

 

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NIA arrests one more in DSP Davinder Singh case

Srinagar

In a major development in the tainted Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) Davinder Singh case, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday said that it has arrested an alleged militant Tariq Ahmed Mir for providing logistic support to militants in Jammu and Kashmir.

An NIA official related to the probe told IANS, “We have arrested Mir for his alleged role in providing logistic support to militants in Kashmir for long.”

The official further said that Mir has provided support to the militants in Kashmir on a number of occasions and was active with militants for long.

An NIA source related to the probe also said that Mir was in touch with Singh, who is being probed by the anti-militancy probe agency.

“We have verified that he was in touch with Singh for some time. We will probe their relations and also probe if any other police officers were in touch with Mir,” the source added.

The source further said that in the coming days few more arrests will be made.

The Double Cross?

On January 11, police arrested Singh on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway when he was transporting Naveed, Rafi and Irfan to Jammu.

After initial investigations by the J&K Police, the case was handed to the NIA.

Police sources said that the two militants and the lawyer had planned travel to Pakistan after reaching Jammu.

Singh was later shifted from Srinagar to Jammu on a transit remand where an NIA team questioned him. After his arrest by the J&K police, multiple raids were conducted at his residence in Srinagar.

Singh was posted with the anti-hijacking wing of J&K Police in Srinagar and was part of the security staff that had received a group of foreign diplomats who visited Kashmir.(IANS)

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Coronavirus: US Announces A Medical Breakthrough, Not A Vaccine

SRINAGAR: With a vaccine far away, the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has finally made public the drug that is potent against the Coronavirus. The Institute head Dr Anthony Fauci made the statement in the White House.

Srinagar Municipal Corporation tankers spraying disinfectants in various areas of Srinagar on April 29, 2020. Pertinently, dozens of areas of the city have been declared red zones by the district administration. KL Image: Bilal Bahadur

“Remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant positive effect in diminishing the time to recover,” Voice of America quoted Fauci saying. “A drug can block this virus.”

The announcement was made on basis of an international randomized placebo control trial that Fauci’s institute started on February 21 involving hundreds of hospitalized Coronavirus patients. Recovery time was 11 days for those given the drug compared with 15 days for patients given a placebo.

“Whenever you have clear-cut evidence that a drug works, you have an ethical obligation to immediately let the people who are in the placebo group know so that they can have access, and all of the other trials that are taking place now have a new standard of care,” Fauci said.

While not a “knockout,” Fauci was quoted saying by The Washington Post that shows an important and promising avenue for further study. “What it has proven is that a drug can block this virus.”

“The NIAID study is the most rigorous test to date of the potential treatment because it is a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the gold standard for seeing whether a drug is safe and effective,” the newspaper added. “The drug must be given intravenously over five to 10 days, and the NIAID trial results apply only to hospitalized patients. Remdesivir is not intended for use in the majority of patients, estimated to be 80 per cent or more, who are infected with the novel Coronavirus but do not require hospitalization.”

Remdesivir, it said, can have serious side effects, according to previous trial results, including loss of kidney function and declining blood pressure. “Those symptoms are caused by severe cases of covid-19, as well, making it difficult to determine which problems were caused by the drug and which by the illness,” it reported.

Manufactured by Gilead Sciences, Remdesivir is given intravenously and designed to interfere with an enzyme that reproduces viral genetic material, the VoA reported. The company’s Chief Executive Officer Daniel O’Day was quoted by the newsgatherer Bloomberg saying that more than 50,000 courses of the company’s experimental Covid-19 therapy, packed in vials and ready to ship as soon as the drug is authorized for emergency use by U.S. regulators

“In animal tests against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), diseases caused by similar coronaviruses, it has helped prevent infection and reduced severity of symptoms. But it is not yet approved anywhere in the world for any use,” it added. However, the US Food and Drug Administration has not yet granted emergency-use authorization for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

The pandemic has so far killed 228270 people across the world as more than a million people infected by the virus have recovered. Right now the world has around two million active cases in hospitals or at home. The US alone has lost 61669 people so far.

Interestingly, the announcement has led the stock markets started bouncing back across the globe. The marks and the societies across the world are desperate for a glimmer of hope and the US announcement is just the beginning of it.

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GOI’s guidelines on stranded people welcome move: Tarigami

Srinagar

CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami on Wednesday said the latest guidelines by the government of India to allow movement of students, migrant workers, pilgrims and other stranded at various places was a welcome decision though late.

In a statement, Tarigami said the government must arrange transport for these stranded people so that they can reach to their respective destination without any further problems.

“Most of these stranded people have already exhausted their earnings and it is imperative upon the government to provide them free transport. There should be no further bureaucratic hurdles in the smooth movement of these stranded people,” he said.

Tarigami said in the recent days J&K administration airlifted some stranded students to Kashmir, but unfortunately, some labourers have been stopped in Kathua and they were stuck there for the past three days.

He said authorities must ensure their safe return to their home districts. “There is also large number of laborers from outside who are stranded either in Jammu or Kashmir. The government must ensure that they are sent back to their respective states at the earliest,” he said.

“Even Kashmiris stranded in Jammu which is part of the same state have not been brought back by the administration. Without undermining the efforts to combat COVID19, all the steps should be taken to facilitate the return of all these stranded persons,” Tarigami said.

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Land transferred for establishment of Kendriya Vidyalaya in Pulwama

Srinagar

In order to provide relief to the landslide victims of village Saddal in District Udhampur, the Administrative Council (AC) which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu today accorded sanction to the grant of 5 marla land on lease basis each to the 132 families affected due to the natural calamity in 2014.

As per the decision, 71 families shall be provided land in village Mansar and 61 affected families shall be given land in village Debriah in District Udhampur, for their rehabilitation.

The Administrative Council also accorded sanction to the transfer of Shamilat (Kahcharai) land measuring 60 kanals situated in village Chandhara in District Pulwama to the School Education Department for establishing Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pulwama.

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Coronavirus: India’s positive cases tally rises to 33,050, death toll reaches 1,074

Srinagar

With 1,718 new cases and 67 new fatalities in 24 hours, the total number of Covid-19 cases in the country climbed to 33,050 on Thursday morning, the Union Health Ministry said.

Of the total cases, 23,651 are active, 8,324 people have recovered, and 1,074 people have succumbed to the disease.

The total tally includes 111 foreign nationals, the Health Ministry said.

Maharashtra remained the worst-hit state with the total number of cases rising to 9,915, with 432 deaths, however, 1,593 people also recovered from the deadly virus. Gujarat was the next which reported 4,082 cases so far followed by Delhi which has reported 3439 cases, according to the Health Ministry data.

The other states which have seen sharp rise in cases are Madhya Pradesh (2,561), Rajasthan (2,438), Tamil Nadu (2,162) and Uttar Pradesh (2,134).

Being Covid-19 Positive

Maharashtra recorded 432 deaths, the highest number of fatalities among all the states. The western state is followed by Gujarat at 197 deaths, Madhya Pradesh at 129 and Delhi at 56 deaths.

Among other major states, Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,332 cases while 31 have died, Bihar stood at 392 cases with two deaths, Haryana 310 and three deaths, Jammu and Kashmir at 581 cases and eight deaths, Karnataka at 535 and 21 deaths and Kerala was docked at 495 cases and four deaths.

States which have reported less than 10 cases are Tripura, Mizoram, Puducherry, Manipur, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh.(IANS)

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Not setting up CAT in J&K is to defeat justice at doorstep: Altaf Bukhari

Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Thursday vehemently objected to a central government order by virtue of which all aggrieved employees of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir are henceforth supposed to approach Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Chandigarh for redressal of their grievances.

In a statement issued here, Bukhari took a strong exception to the order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training government of India dated April 29 by way of which CAT has been reconstituted and its jurisdiction extended to J&K employees who were brought within the ambit of central services on October 31, 2019, because of the UT status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Instead of establishing two tribunals one at Jammu and another in Srinagar for the aggrieved employees of J&K UT, shifting above 30,000 service matters pending against J&K UT to the CAT Chandigarh for adjudication is simply a travesty of justice,” Bukhari said while demanding immediate withdrawal of controversial order in the interest of the welfare of employees and unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the new order does not only deprive the aggrieved employees of J&K of speedier and cost-effective justice delivery but also deny these rights to the job aspirants of J&K who would like to approach judicial system with their grievances regarding the fairness and other anomalies, if any, in government conducted recruitment processes.

“There are above 30,000 services matters pending in Jammu and Srinagar wings of J&K High Court awaiting disposal. These matters pertain to various claims like promotions, pensions, retirement benefits, transfers, suspensions, disciplinary actions, quashing of selection lists, stays and other similar matters. Once these cases are shifted to CAT in Chandigarh, it is bound to prove a tedious and a costly affair for almost all these litigants which will surely defeat the purpose of constitutionally guaranteed justice at the doorstep to the citizens of the country,” Bukhari remarked.

The JKAP president said that the huge chunk of service matters filed before the J&K high court pertain to daily wagers, casual labourers, consolidated workers, ITI and skilled workers, contractual and Adhoc appointees, Class IV besides other low paid employees of both divisions of J&K who can hardly afford the litigation costs, the fee for lawyers, and travel and stay expenditures if their litigations are shifted to CAT in Chandigarh.

“By establishing two separate wings of CAT in twin capitals of J&K, justice will get speedier, cheaper and the litigants will have a choice to engage local lawyers and save their expenses on travel and stay beside the average time spent on pursuing a hearing in their matters will be reduced substantially,” he opined.

Also, the aggrieved unemployed job aspirants of J&K will not be required to travel all the way to CAT Chandigarh for redressal of their grievances. In view of the litigants’ expectation for speedy and affordable justice, Bukhari said, the service matters of J&K employees should not be moved to Chandigarh CAT or otherwise claims made by the country’s leadership will fall flat.

“Justice at your doorstep is periodically proclaimed on political and judicial platforms, the same shall prove correct only when justice will be available at everyone’s doorstep. Most of the employees of J&K and job aspirants belonging to economically weaker sections cannot afford boarding and lodging in pursuit of their litigations, far from their home state,” Bukhari said and added that J&K is not like Haryana, Punjab, Amritsar, Himachal Pradesh which surrounds Chandigarh and it amounts to penalising those who do not live in these cities, making it harder for them to access timely and affordable judicial remedy.

The JKAP president solicited the personal intervention of union home minister to order the establishment of two designated CAT wings at Jammu and Srinagar in order to provide speedy and affordable justice to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.  “The central government order being inimical to the purpose of justice delivery system in the country needs to be rescinded keeping in mind the above-highlighted shortcomings,” Bukhari demanded.

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Wearing facemasks in Srinagar mandatory from May 1

Srinagar

In order to curb the spread of coronavirus, wearing of facemasks shall be mandatory for the people of Srinagar from May 1.

In this connection, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary issued an order today making it mandatory for the people of the district to wear facemasks from May 1.

“Whereas, effective measures have been put in place across district Srinagar by stakeholder agencies/departments/organisations for containment of the spread of Coronavirus. This also included a greater public response to the advisories issued from time to time,” reads the order.

“Whereas, it has been felt necessary that measures for containment of COVID spread are made mandatory in public places. Wearing a mask lowers the chances of coronavirus entering the respiratory system through droplets left in the air from an infected person. Studies on this aspect have been examined,” it reads.

COVID-19: Wearing of face masks in public places to be mandatory with effect from May 1 in Srinagar.@diprjk @kansalrohit69 @listenshahid @PIB_India @PTI_News @ANI @PBNS_India @Nidhi pic.twitter.com/4bxyusF4ug

— Srinagar district administration (@srinagaradmin) April 29, 2020

“Whereas, it is also required that Government offices, Public & Private Establishments and organizations/ persons dealing with good &/or services, market places or such establishments, put in place effective measures for hygiene,” the DM said in the order.

“Therefore, I, Chairman, District Disaster Management Authority, by virtue of powers vested in me u/s 34 of The Disaster Management Act 2005 and u/s 144 of the CrPC, do hereby order that it shall be mandatory to wear Facemask/ Face-covering at all public places including public transport, offices, shopping or market places, etc. w.e.f 1st May 2020. Medical grade masks which are strictly for hospital use shall, however, be avoided for general use.”

The order provides that all government offices/private establishments, shops, mandis, etc. shall put in place arrangements for hand wash, sanitizers, soap, etc. as per the requirement.

“Information promoting hygiene/hand wash shall be displayed at all such places. This shall be applicable for all managed public places and institutions as well,” the order said.

The order directs all DDOs/supervisory officers to ensure that field functionary involved in the house-to-house survey, duties in red zones, COVID-containment strategies, quarantine/wellness centers, public distribution service including ration & LPG, essential services, etc. shall be provided facemasks and other protective gear as may be required as per laid down protocols.

Kashmir’s Mask Manager

The order states that all the government and the private hospitals shall notify and prominently display measures to be put in place for maintenance of hygiene/sanitization, and physical /social spacing or distancing and personal protection of staff and visitors/patients/attendants etc.  “A copy of such notifications shall be forwarded to DDMA and any violation thereof shall be communicated for action on a regular basis,” it said.

“Assistant Commissioner Development, Srinagar (RRD being Nodal Department) shall make available for public use 15 lakh masks produced, as per government order,  through Rural Development Department, Social Welfare Department, SHGs and other groups, after approval from the competent authority, for public distribution with a pack of 5 masks to be provided per family across district Srinagar,” the order reads.

“House to House distribution shall be made through RDD, ICDS, BLOs or other officers under the supervision of Additional District Magistrates in respective Zonal clusters,” reads the order.

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Men are more than twice as likely to die from COVID19

Srinagar

Men and women are equally likely to contract the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19), but men are more than twice as likely to die from the disease as compared to women, warn researchers.

The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, suggest that additional care may be required for older men or those with underlying conditions.

So far, researchers have confirmed that older COVID-19 patients and those with certain underlying conditions, such as heart disease and respiratory conditions, are at greater risk of severe disease and death.

However, Dr Jin-Kui Yang, a physician at Beijing Tongren Hospital in China, noticed a trend among COVID-19 patients who died.

“Early in January we noticed that the number of men dying from COVID-19 appeared to be higher than the number of women,” said Yang.

“This raised a question: are men more susceptible to getting or dying from COVID-19? We found that no-one had measured gender differences in COVID-19 patients, and so began investigating,” Yang added.

For the findings, the research team analysed several patient datasets to see if there were differences in how men and women respond to COVID-19.

This included data on 43 patients who the doctors had treated themselves and a publicly available dataset on 1,056 COVID-19 patients.

The virus responsible for COVID-19 is similar to the virus behind the 2003 SARS outbreak, and it attaches to the same protein, called ACE2, on cells it attacks. Given this similarity, the doctors also analysed a dataset of 524 SARS patients from 2003.

Among the COVID-19 patients, the researchers confirmed that older people and those with specific underlying conditions tended to have more severe disease and were more likely to die.

The age and numbers of infected men and women were similar, but men tended to have more severe disease.

Strikingly, in the largest COVID-19 dataset, over 70 per cent of the patients who died were men, meaning that men had almost 2.5 times the death rate of women.

And interestingly, being male was a significant risk factor for worse disease severity, regardless of age, the study said.

In the SARS dataset from 2003, the researchers found a similar trend, with a significantly higher mortality rate amongst males compared with females.

Interestingly, levels of ACE2, the protein involved in the viral attack in both SARS and COVID-19, tends to be present in higher levels in men, and also patients with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, all of whom have worse outcomes in COVID-19.

However, further research is needed to determine exactly why men with COVID-19 tend to fare worse than women.

While the current findings have a small sample size, and larger studies are needed to confirm the results, this is the first preliminary indication that male gender is a significant risk factor for COVID-19 severity and death, the researchers noted.

Earlier this month, another study, published the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, found that males over 50 with non-communicable chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease are at greater risk of death from coronavirus.(IANS)

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Govt restricts overall expenditure of departments for first quarter of financial year

Srinagar 

The finance Department of the Union Territory Government restricted overall expenditure of the departments within 20 percent of budgetary estimates of 2020-21 Financial Year in the first quarter i.e. April to June and issued guidelines for maintenance of expenditure.

An official order to this effect was issued today by the Financial Commissioner (Finance Department) Dr Arun Kumar Mehta.

The Finance Department Circular said there will be only regular salaries including Children Education Allowance while payment in respect of salary arrears, Leave Travel Concession (LTC), Leave encashment etc will not be made during the period April-June 2020 without prior consent of the Finance Department.
“Transport Allowance will not be drawn in respect of employees who haven’t attended the office during lockdown period,” the Circular said.

Regarding medical treatment, the Government order said, advance payment will be made only in emergency cases while as far as office expenses are concerned only committee liabilities will be cleared which can’t be avoided.

On RRT, publication and other charged, the Finance Department has ordered that no expenditure will be incurred and in only exceptional cases, the file can be sent to the Finance Department.

“Expenditure for Outsources Manpower/Wages shouldn’t exceed one-fourth of the budget in first quarter,” the Circular read.

It said expenditure on other non-salary heads including minor works, GIA may not be incurred without prior consent of the Finance Department.

“In case of Capex/Plan budget, expenditure on essential activities can be initiated after the formulation of Plan and uploading of work wise activity on the BEAMS with prior approval of the Finance Department.”

The Finance Department directions came in the wake of Coronavirus situation in J&K followed by lockdown since March 24.

It may be mention here that the Central Government has also suspended payment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to its employees till June 2021.

 

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Coronavirus: UGC issues guidelines for new academic year

Srinagar

Students can be graded based on their performance in internal assessment tests and the previous semester, the University Grants Commission (UGC) said on Wednesday, in one of many suggestions aimed at keeping the academic schedule on track in the aftermath of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.

The higher education regulator also said examinations in colleges and universities can be held in May and June with July being the month of summer vacations. The next academic cycle can begin in August for second- and third-year students and in September for freshers, it said.

Generally, academic sessions end in colleges and universities in May-June and new sessions begin in July-August. Education institutes have been shut down across India since March 25, when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19.

In guidelines issued on Wednesday after long deliberations, UGC said if the previous semester’s result is not available, particularly in the first year, 100% evaluation of students may be done on the basis of internal assessments.

The internal evaluation process can be continuous, mid-semester or it can be any method that gauges a student’s progression, UGC said, adding that the guidelines are “advisory” in nature and an individual institute will have to chart its own course based on its circumstances.

Universities may also adopt efficient and innovative modes of examinations by reducing the time from three hours to two hours, it said. But students should be informed well in advance (at least one week before) about the conduct of examinations and other related activities.

The regulator, however, said students who want to improve their grades should be allowed another opportunity whenever circumstances allow. It said there should be a grievance redressal mechanism set up by universities. UGC will establish a help line for monitoring grievances.

Universities, colleges and schools across the country have been closed and exams postponed since March 16 when the Centre announced a countrywide classroom shutdown as one of the measures to contain the Covid-19 outbreak.A nationwide lockdown was imposed on March 25, and it was later extended till May 3.

Where it is difficult to hold exams, universities can give 50% weightage to internal evaluation and the remaining 50% to the performance in the previous semester, the UGC guidelines said. The period of lockdown will be treated as “deemed to be attended” by all students.

The universities may conduct practical examinations and viva voice examinations through Skype or other apps. In some cases, practical examinations may be conducted during ensuing semesters, the guidelines suggested. UGC also suggested giving a six-month extension to M.Phil and PhD students.

Universities will follow a six-day-week schedule. Students will be given exposure to laboratory assignments or practical experiments through virtual laboratories.

UGC has also recommended that universities should prepare e-content/e-lab experiments and upload the same on their websites. They have also been asked to strengthen the mechanism of mentor-mentee counselling. They should also develop virtual classroom and video conferencing facility, and all teaching staff should be trained with the use of the technology.

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Man shot at, injured

Srinagar

Unknown persons on Wednesday shot at a 38-year-old man in Beigh area of Kralgund Handwara in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

A police officer told news agency GNS that the suspected militants barged inside the house of Ali Mohammad Beigh (38) son of Habibullah Beigh at around 8:20 pm and fired upon him.

Ali Mohammad suffered serious bullet wounds and was shifted to a nearby primary health center from where he was referred to district hospital Handwara in critical conditions.

Soon after the incident, the officer said a joint team of police, SOG and army launched searches to nab the assailants. (GNS)

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Coronavirus: 16 Cases In A Day, Tally Reaches 581

Jammu

The Government Wednesday informed that 16 new positive cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), all from Kashmir division, have been reported today thus taking the total number of positive cases in Jammu and Kashmir to 581.

According to the daily Media Bulletin on novel coronavirus (Covid-19), out of 581 positive cases, 381 are Active Positive, 192 have recovered and 08 have died.

Being Covid-19 Positive

Moreover, 16 more COVID-19 patients have recovered and discharged from various hospitals today which include 05 from Jammu division and 11 from Kashmir division.

The Bulletin further said that out of 18450 test results available, 17869 samples have tested as negative till April 29, 2020.

Furthermore, till date 68846 travellers and persons in contact with suspected cases have been enlisted for surveillance which include 6440 persons in home quarantine including facilities operated by government, 244 in Hospital Quarantine, 381 in hospital isolation and 8663 under home surveillance. Besides, 53110 persons have completed their surveillance period.

Providing district-wise breakup, the Bulletin said that Bandipora has 127 positive cases wherein 102 are Active Positive, 24 recovered, 01 died; Srinagar has reported 1 case today taking positive cases to 87 with 34 Active Positive, 51 recovered (including 1 recovery today),  02 died; with 01 new case today, Shopian has 71 positive cases with 58 Active Positive, 13 recovered; Baramulla reported  01 new cases today taking total number of positive cases to 73 with 49 Active Positive, 21 recovered, 03 died; Anantnag district reported 09 new cases which led to 71 positive cases with 70 Active Positive, 01 died; Kupwara has 49 positive cases with 30 Active Positive, 19 recoveries including 10  recoveries today ; Budgam reported 04 new positive cases taking its total to 19 of which 10 are Active Positive with 09 recovered cases; Ganderbal has 14 positive cases with 09 Active positive and 05 recovered; Kulgam reported 1 case today making total positive cases 07 and all of which are Active Positive ; Pulwama has 05 positive cases with 02 active positive, 03 recovered.

Similarly, Jammu has 26 positive cases of whom 03 are Active Positive, 05 recovered today taking total number of recovered patients to 23, Udhampur 20 positive cases of which 03 are Active Positive, 16 recovered and 01 died, while as Samba district has 04 positive cases and all the cases have recovered; Rajouri has 04 positive cases, 01 active positive and 03 have recovered;  Kathua has 01 positive case who is active positive; Kishtwar had only 01 positive case who has recovered; Ramban has 01 positive case who is Active Positive; Meanwhile, Reasi has 01 positive case who is Active Positive.

The Bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing.

The Bulleting informed that Jammu and Kashmir Government has devised a robust mechanism of integrated Health Audit & Intensive Screening Framework through mobile ‘Swasthya Nidhi App’ for door to door survey to ascertain the spread of COVID-19 on “real-time basis” for large areas.

It said that the survey would enable the administration in taking measures for effective combat against the spread of novel coronavirus.

The ‘Swasthya Nidhi App’ is being used by screening teams to collect and capture the data from each and every household about the persons in the household, their travel history, any COVID-19 like symptoms and any previous health issues etc. in various districts across the Union Territory of J&K.

This data, the Bulletin said, is analysed on daily basis by the officers of the Health Department who can plan a visit based on the inputs provided. Once the Doctor visits the household he can either mark the household as green (Healthy), Under Surveillance or recommend the household for Quarantine and Testing.

Advisory issued in the media bulletin requested people to cooperate with the visiting screening team members, provide the correct information and help in fight against COVID-19.

Hatched In Quarantine?

Stressing on the early detection of COVID-19 to prevent the spread of disease, advisory said, “let us be responsible for the well-being of ourselves and everyone around us.”

It further said that not disclosing symptoms could put life of individuals and their families at risk. “In case of symptoms like fever, cough and difficulty in breathing report early. Do not fear, call COVID-19 helpline numbers and seek medical advice,” reads the advisory.

Advisory urged people not to step out of home, unless absolutely necessary. “If you have to move out for unavoidable reasons, ensure that you wear a mask and practice social distancing, personal hygiene and frequent handwashing.”

Similarly, all social, religious and other gatherings are strictly prohibited.

In case of any emergency people can avail free ambulance services 24×7 at their doorsteps by calling on toll-free number 108 while as pregnant women and sick infants can avail free ambulance services by dialling toll-free number 102.

People can also call on toll-free national helpline number 1075; J&K COVID-19 Helpline Numbers 0191- 2549676 (UT level Cell), 0191-2520982, 0191-2674444, 0191-2674115 (For Jammu Division), 0194-2440283 & 0194-2430581 (For Kashmir Division) for support, guidance, and response to health-related queries on Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19).

Public is advised to strictly follow the advisories issued by the government from time to time and are urged to rely only on the information released by the government through the daily media bulletin to print and electronic media.

People are also advised to refrain from spreading rumours and pay no heed to them at the same time.

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Stranded In Goa, Kashmiris Desperate To Return Home

by Tasavur Mushtaq

SRINAGAR: Thursday, April 23, Mukhtar Ahmad was moving restlessly in and out of his rented accommodation in Goa.  Lost in the thoughts of his family back in Kashmir, Mukhtar was worried for not being at his ailing father’s bedside. Surrounded by many fellow families from Kashmir, he did not seem aware of their presence. He spent his night aimlessly.

Kashmiri traders stranded in Goa have already exhausted their resources and are merely killing time. KL Image: Special arrangement

A day later, when the phone rang, he picked it up and heard a wailing voice. The caller told him that his father is no more. Shattered, the magnitude of the disaster that had struck his family, he the eldest of the siblings, desperately wanted to go home. But amid the current pandemic, the possibilities denied. The hopes dashed.

Mukhtar is not the isolated case of helplessness. In Goa, hundreds of families are stranded.  Out there for business during the winter months, the individuals and families are seeking help for their early return.

The Crisis

Scheduled to return home in the ending week of March or early April as per routine they have evolved over the years, the shopkeepers, traders, and handicraft hawkers had their tickets booked for the return. They had wound up their months-long activity in anticipation of their return to the valley.

In between, the virus got viral. The lockdown was announced and the people out in Goa got stranded.

While talking to Kashmir Life over the phone from Goa, Ajaz Ahmad said they are caught between “the devil and the deep sea.” Narrating the ordeal, Ajaz said, they had booked their tickets as per the schedule before the lockdown but could not move after borders were sealed and air traffic was suspended.  Roughly said to be between 1200-1500 individuals, Ajaz said they had booked tickets second time in April but they too have been cancelled. “As of now, we booked tickets thrice. First in March, then in April and now we even tried for May,” said Ajaz.

Another man stranded in the coastal state, Shafat Nazir, said the entire season this year was ‘terrible’. “We had no business this season. The foreigners left early and we too shut our shops,” he said. “Whatever we had, we spent all these days and now we have nothing in hand.”

Shafat further said they pooled money between themselves to help the survival of all the stranded people, but now “that too is gone.”

In a video shared by Javid Ahmad, a young man along with his daughter and wife is pleading authorities to facilitate their return. “We are stranded in Goa including the families and individuals. We appeal Jammu and Kashmir government to help us to return home. All our earnings have been spent and nobody is helping us,” appealed the young man.

However, Ajaz said they were offered meals by the government agencies but not the help in going back. “They at times offered us the meals,” he said and added, “the booking amount of the tickets despite the government directions has not been refunded.”

Willing to pay, Ajaz says they want facilitation. “We only want facilitation. Leave air travel, we are willing to go by bus and pay for the facility.”

Besides Goa, the stranded Kashmiris across India have appealed the authorities stop facilitate their visit.

Every year, tens of thousands of Kashmiris are spending most of winter in Goa and most of them are associated with handicrafts. This season, they were caught in the lockdown days ahead of their routine departure. KL Image: Special arrangement

Reacting to the please, spokesman of the UT government Rohit Kansal tweeted, “Appeal: Please be patient. Govt is working hard to facilitate all.” This he said announcing the return of 376 students from Kota Rajasthan.

On late Tuesday evening, Srinagar mayor offered help to the stranded passengers. “For all those (from Srinagar and other districts of J&K) stuck in #Goa-kinldy share your locations and phone numbers here,” he tweeted.

Kashmir In Goa

Lamenting over the luck, Ajaz said they tried everything but did not succeed. One among credible names, Ajaz quoted was Satya Pal Malik, the incumbent governor Of Goa. Malik is a known face for Kashmir. The last governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, Malik who oversaw the abrogation of special status and downgrading of J&K state into two Union Territories was shifted to Goa.

A governor with many words, Malik in Goa had said that he continues to suffer from a “Kashmir hangover.”

Governor Satya Pal Malik addressing on Police Commemoration Day on October 21, 2019.

Malik landed in political controversies many times in Kashmir. From “loag inhe jooton se maareinge” (people will beat them with shoes) while referring to Congress leaders to his advice to militants of “killing those who looted J&K”, he had bumpy tenure in Kashmir, before silently being shifted to the coastal state.

His controversies did not stop in Kashmir. During his visit to his hometown Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh, he said “Governor ka koi kaam nahi hota [A Governor has no work].”

“The Governor of Kashmir simply drinks alcohol and plays golf. In other states, the governors relax and don’t involve themselves in day to day politics,” he continued.

In Goa, while taking the oath, he said: “Jammu and Kashmir was known as a very problematic place but I have dealt with it successfully and have successfully solved all the issues.”

He even has his hand in raking up the controversy regarding the appointments in J&K Bank.

He, however, had intervened to help the stranded Kashmiris. “Chief Secy Goa is on the job and concerned officials are in touch with your people and they are doing the needful,” he tweeted in response to a distress call made from Kashmir.

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Coronavirus: 55 More Persons Discharged After Completing Quarantine

Srinagar

Fifty-five (55) more persons in all who were shifted into administrative quarantine in Srinagar were discharged this past week after successfully completing their quarantine periods.

Concerned supervising officers oversaw their discharge and transportation to their respective homes.

The persons like all others before them were under thorough medical supervision throughout their quarantine period and were discharged after clearance from doctors and health authorities.

A total of 1985 persons have been discharged from administrative quarantine so far after successfully completing their required quarantine in Srinagar.

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Coronavirus:11.50 Lakh Quintal ration provided to 1.19 Cr beneficiaries in 2 months, says Govt

Srinagar

To help people during the lockdown period, the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) has supplied about 11.50 lakh quintals of ration to more than 1.19 crore beneficiaries in Jammu and Kashmir through its public distribution network in March and April 2020.

Out of 1.19 cr people, 72 lakh beneficiaries have been provided free food grains. FCS&CA, being an essential services department, performed its duties actively while providing ration during COVID-19 Pandemic situation.

The department not only actively performed its routine duties, besides, it also ensured ration delivery to the consumers at their door-steps and provided ration to Deputy Commissioners of the Union Territory to meet out the requirement of migrant labourers, distressed workers, quarantine centers etc.

The department has received 6494.28 quintals of pulses (Channa whole and Moong) and the same will be distributed among AAY, PHH and BPL families for free-of-cost shortly.

At Your Doorstep

In Kashmir division, the department ensured the supply of gas cylinders at door steps and distributed 10.40 lakh LPG cylinders among the consumers during these two months.

The Department issued two months advance ration (April and May) of 6.50 lakh quintals to 68.02 lakh beneficiaries in Kashmir division. The department under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY) also provided free 2.13 lakh quintals of ration for the month of April 2020 to 40.47 lakh beneficiaries covered under AAY, PHH and BPL categories. Furthermore, 4 lakh quintals of additional free ration would be distributed for the month of May and June 2020 to  these people.

The department provided about 3000 quintals of rice to deputy commissioners to meet the requirement of migrant labourers, distressed workers, quarantine centers and others. The department lifted/distributed 43.68 lakh liters of kerosene oil among the beneficiaries in Kashmir division.

Similarly, in Jammu division, the department issued two months advance ration (April and May) to the tune of 5.76 lakh quintals to 51.65 lakh beneficiaries.

The department under PMGKAY also provided free 1.40 lakh quintals of ration to 31.54 lakh beneficiaries covered under AAY, PHH and BPL categories for the month of April 2020.

The department also provided about 1000 quintals of rice and 1500 quintals of Atta to Red Cross Society Jammu for distribution through a committee constituted by deputy commissioner Jammu to the poor and stranded labour/daily wagers free of cost.

The department also distributed about 3.01 lakh masks and 45,000 hand sanitisers among various Fair Price shop dealers, labourers, K-Oil dealers, transporters etc. Besides, the department also issued masks and sanitisers to Police department, Labour department, PHE Department, PDD, department ULB etc.

In order to keep a check on prices of essentials in the market, the department activated monitoring and enforcement wings and they imposed fines of Rs 7.28 lakh on the erring traders between March 25 and April 28.

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Shopian Gunfight: Police Version

Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday issued following statement regarding Shopian gunfight saying that based on a credible input about the presence of militants in Melhoora area of District Shopian, a cordon and search operation was launched jointly by Shopian Police, 55RR and 178Bn CRPF in the area.

A damaged house where the encounter took place in Melhoora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Wednesday, April 29,2020. KL Image by Bilal Bahadur

“During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” said the spokesman.

“In the ensuing encounter, 03 militants were killed. The identification of slain militants is being ascertained. The medico-legal formalities of the slain militants are being done,” he said.

“In the encounter, three security force personnel also sustained injuries and were evacuated to hospital for medical treatment,” he added.

“Incriminating material including arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and initiated an investigation in the matter,” said the spokesman.

“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosive materials if any,” a police spokesman in a statement said.

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Come forward to help needy: Div Com to NGOs & VO’s

Srinagar

In view of the current situation of COVID-19 pandemic, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole Wednesday made fervent appeal to the NGOs and voluntary organizations active in Kashmir division to come forward to help the needy by augmenting the measures taken by the government in this regard.

He also framed Divisional Level Cell (DLC), headed by a senior KAS officer, for uniformity, better coordination between the NGOs, voluntary organizations and the administration both at the district as well as the divisional level for efficient delivery of relief work in the current situation of pandemic unleashed by the COVID-19. Daily monitoring of activities are also being undertaken at the divisional level.

According to latest data provided by Kashmir Division NGO Coordination Cell, at present 97 NGOs are working in Kashmir division in active collaboration with divisional administration.

These NGOs and Voluntary Organizations in collaboration with administrative authorities have distributed more than 7300 food kits to the needy families, 14400 masks and 1670 PPE kits across the valley. Besides, some NGOs have carried out extensive fumigation in various areas and a number of logistic items needed to combat the COVID 19 have also been donated, which is helping the government machinery in managing the deadly disease, besides carrying out awareness programmes.

Some of the NGOs actively working in collaboration with divisional and district administration are Syed us Sadat Foundation, Anantnag, Chinar International Foundation, Srinagar, Babul  Uloom  Educational Society, Srinagar, Rehmat-lil-Aalameen Society, Shopian, Spring Buds Educational Trust, Budgam, Ramzana Educational Charitable Society Pulwama, Human Aid Society, Baramulla and  Hope Disability Centre, Ganderbal, have made significant contributions.

Syed us Saadat Foundation, Anantnag has transferred Rs. 16,50,000 to 670 needy families as on 20 April, 2020 besides, undertaking installation of additional tap points in district hospital for hand wash purposes and repair of water filtration plant in the district hospital.

Rehmat lil Aalameen Society, Shopian has been providing meals at quarantine centers since day one and has provided ration kits to more than 350 families besides providing one ambulance, 18 oxygen concentrators, one CTG machine and six wheel chairs.

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Spring Buds Educational Trust, Budgam has distributed more than 1300 food kits among needy families.

Chinar International Foundation, Srinagar has distributed more than 650 food kits to needy families, besides providing personal hygiene items.

Babul Uloom Educational Society has provided more than 200 complete food kits to needy families in the Srinagar vicinity.

Hope Disability Centre, Ganderbal has provided 450 food kits to needy families in addition to masks, PPE kits and sanitizers.

Human Aid Society, Baramulla has been generating public awareness from March 24, 2020 besides providing food kits to 80 needy families and 2000 masks.

Ramazan Educational Charitable Society, Pulwama has provided 1000 surgical masks and more than 300 food kits to needy families besides, distributing masks and sanitizers.

The NGO’s and Voluntary Organizations have been requested to contact the Kashmir Division NGO Coordination Cell on mobile number 9419024133 and 7006414736, in case they face any difficulties in carrying out their operations.

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