Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 14: Emphasizing introduction of more innovative laws and Acts for welfare of labour class, Minister for Labour and Employment, Ajay Sadhotra, today said that the Government is working on a comprehensive policy for improvement of efficiency of labourers through skill development.
Taking a detailed review of activities and progress of Labour Department, the Minister informed that the Buildings and other Construction Workers Welfare Board has realized a cess of Rs. 320 crore, of which, Rs 100 crore has been disbursed among the beneficiaries as financial assistance for education, marriage and healthcare purposes. Besides, the Labour Department has collected revenue of Rs. 95.45 lakh during 2013-14 and Rs. 29 lakh during three months of current financial year under different Acts of the department.
Among others present were Labour Commissioner, Nirmal Sharma, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Nitu Gupta, CEO, Buildings and other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Sayed Murred Hussain and Assistant Labour Commissioners of all the districts of Jammu division.
The Minister had a detailed review of working of Building and other Construction Workers Welfare Board besides taking stock of physical and financial progress under different schemes. He also reviewed the implementation of laws of the department including Employees Compensation Act, Payment of Wages Act, Industrial Dispute Act, Minimum Wages act, Employment Gratuity Act, Payment of Bonus Act, Shops and Establishments Act, Child Labour, Motor Transport Act, Migrant Labour Act, revenue realization, Labour Sarai and other related programmes.
Quoting famous saying “Justice delayed is Justice denied”, Sadhotra issued strict instructions to the concerned officers to step up efforts for speedy clearance of all pending cases under different laws and Acts so that the labourers do not face any hardship on this account.
“Delay in disposal of cases lessens the faith of the beneficiaries in working of the department so it should be prime concern of every officer to clear all pendencies on priority basis”, he maintained. He said that the Government was keen to ensure that due care of interests of both the employer and the employee was taken while implementing these laws.
Exhorting upon need of creating mass awareness about the programmes of the Labour Department, the Minister asked the officers to ensure that the necessary details about the Acts and schemes are displayed in every concerned office and other establishments.
Taking a strong notice of slow progress in certain quarters of the department, the Minister asked the officers to ensure completion of registration process within three days and disbursement of financial assistance under different sectors within 15 days.

Excelsior Correspondent

AKHNOOR, July 14: Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma today inaugurated Rs. 72 lakhs Lift Irrigation Scheme (LIS) at village Meeni in Akhnoor.
The LIS has been developed along Pouni Tawi having ultra modern pumping machinery and will benefit population of more than 200 souls. The scheme will irrigate over 60 hectares of land at village Meeni and other adjoining hamlets.
The Minister also laid foundation stone for construction of flood protection works in Kathar Tawi/Queer Nallah having project cost of Rs. 1006 lakhs. The project after completion will benefit villages including Choki Chora, Bain Laid, Chagyal, Latheri, Adgan, Phagal, Queer, Manowa, Kathar, Manoah and other villages.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that it is endeavour of the Government to provide better facilities to the people in every nook and corner of the State with special focus on the up-gradation of existing infrastructure. He said Government has been working under a well-knit programme to ensure all round development in all areas, especially in rural and far-flung areas.
Congratulating the people for the facility of irrigation, the Minister said that the facility will change the socio-economic profile of the people of this area. He said Government will explore possibilities to develop more such schemes to add more areas under the ambit of irrigation in the belt. He said as many as 19 LIS were taken up along the river Chenab and on some potential nallahs in Akhnoor and majority of them are at the completion stage. These schemes are aimed to create irrigation facilities in the dry belt which will bring prosperity in the area, said the Minister.
He said during the past one decade several PHE schemes have been developed in Akhnoor block and large numbers of villages have been covered with potable drinking water. He said efforts are afoot to provide safe drinking water to all uncovered areas, particularly in the hilly belt of Akhnoor. He asked the people to make judicious use of water and conserve the water resources.
Chief Engineer, Irrigation & Flood Control, H. C. Jeerat, Chief Engineer PHE Sushil Aima, Prominent locals, Sarpanches, Panches and a large number of local people were present on the occasion.

*ADDC announces Rs 70,000 relief, SPO job to deceased’s wife

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, July 14: The vehicular movement on the busiest Bakshi Nagar road came to standstill, when the parents and relatives of a road accident victim along with large number of people held a protest demonstration here today demanding immediate arrest of the accused persons.
However, Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Sher Singh announced on the spot relief of Rs 70,000 and SPO job to the wife of the deceased.
As per police sources, Sushil Kumar, son of Janak Raj Gupta, a resident of Gurah Bakshi Nagar, was riding on a scooty along with one another person to home after concluding his office work, when a rashly driven car hit their scooty near Bus-Stand yesterday, leading to critical injuries to duo.
The profusely bleeding Sushil Kumar was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where doctors pronounced him as brought dead.
The body was handed over to family members for last rites after completing legal-medical formalities.
A case under relevant Sections was registered at Bus-Stand police station and investigation started.
Meanwhile, the parents, relatives and large number of people along with the dead body of the deceased assembled near Gurah Morh in Bakshi Nagar this morning and staged protest.
To express their anguish, the protestors also burnt the tyres and raised slogans against the Police Department for not taking prompt action to arrest the accused persons. The protestors were demanding immediate arrest of the accused person at the earliest.
Due to the protest, the vehicular movement on the busiest Bakshi Nagar road came to standstill for couple of hours, leading to long traffic snarls.
On getting information, Additional District Development Commissioner (ADDC) Sher Singh along with Superintendent of Police (SP) City Yougal Manhas, SHO Bakshi Nagar Police Station Dilip Singh and other senior officers of Police Department rushed to the spot and assured immediate arrest of the accused.
Citing that the deceased was the lone bread-butter earner of the family, ADDC sanctioned on the spot relief of Rs 70,000 and SPO job to the wife of the deceased.
Later, the protestors dispersed and vehicular movement was restored. However, it took around one hour by the men in blue to clear the jamming.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: G A Mir, Minister for Tourism, who is also MLA from Dooru Shahbad today, said that his constituency has witnessed great achievements during his tenure.
In a statement, he said that he has played a major role in the development of his constituency.
Highlighting some of the achievements, he said he has established a Government Degree College, Dooru, Verinag Development Authority, Government Polytechnic Institute at Larkipora, Industrial Estate at Mehmoodabad, receiving stations at Dooru, Hiller, Shankerpora, Nowgam, Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Verinag, Command Area Development Projects and Jehlum Project.
Engagement of Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers, establishment of EGS Centres, engagement of third teachers, engagement of Anganwari workers/helpers, engagement of ITI trainees in PHE, engagement of candidates in Floriculture, completion of NABARD Projects, road connectivity under PMGSY, CRF Projects, construction of Irrigation Dam at Chinigund, Dooru, Water Supply Schemes and Improvement Augmentation of existing Water Supply are also the achievements to his credit.
He said that the constituency has achieved changes under Rural Development Schemes like NREGA/IAY/Haryali etc, adding that establishment of sports stadium and playgrounds at various locations and construction of Sub District Hospital Complex at Dooru are also some of the changes, which the constituency has witnessed during his tenure.
MLA stated that various roads, link roads, bridges, establishment of PHCs at Kapran, Qamar, Saidawara, Larkipora, Hakura and Chakiwagund and power infrastructure has also witnessed drastic changes in his constituency.

Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, July 14: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today staged walkout from the Lok Sabha protesting Government of India’s silence over the continuing bloodbath in Gaza.
As the Lok Sabha convened here this morning, PDP members Mehbooba Mufti and Tariq Hameed Karra got up from their seats urging the Speaker that the House should unanimously condemn the Israeli aggression in Gaza continuing since July 8.
The PDP MPs said that as the largest democracy of the world India can’t remain a mute spectator to this naked aggression by Israel that has already consumed around 170 innocent Palestinian lives, with hundreds of others injured and thousands fleeing their homes.
“A massive humanitarian crisis has erupted in Gaza and as a regional power India has to use its influence to safeguard the lives and property of the innocent Palestinians,” Ms Mehbooba told the House. She said India has a history of standing by the Palestinians and in the prevailing crisis also the country’s leadership should raise their voice against the atrocities being committed by the Israelis in Gaza.
“We don’t expect the country of Gandhi to watch this naked aggression silently. We should not get influenced by the US or Israeli hegemony, but should rise and speak for the suffering Gazan’s,” she said.
PDP has decided to move a Call Attention Motion in the Lok Sabah to seek a discussion on the grave situation prevailing in Gaza.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: Son of the soil Dr Surinder Singh, Director, National Institute of Biologicals, has been awarded with Dr B C Roy Memorial Award -2014.
In recognition of the excellent contributions made by Dr Singh towards blood safety programme in India, he was honoured with this prestigious award by the Federation of Blood Donor Organization of India, Kolkata, during the recently held CME at Science City, Kolkata.
Dr Surinder Singh, who belongs to Reasi in J&K, is credited with implementing `Haemovigilance’ – a set of surveillance procedures covering the whole transfusion chain from the collection of blood and its components to the follow-up of its recipients. It is an important tool for improving safe blood transfusion practices in a country.
The Haemovigilance Programme of India (HvPI) was launched on December 10, 2012 in the country. The National Coordinating Centre of this programme is at National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), Noida, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and it is being implemented by Dr Surinder Singh, Director Incharge NIB in collaboration with Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission with the budgetary support from Pharmacovigilance Programme of India. At present 154 centres (Medical Colleges (Govt. & Private), Institutions, Hospitals (Govt. & Private) and Blood Banks are enrolled under this programme.
An indigenous software, “Haemo-vigil” has been developed by IT team of NIB for collecting and collating transfusion reaction data from the enrolled centres. Further, 15 CMEs have been organized since April-2013 in Medical Institutions / organizations in various parts of the country to create awareness amongst health care professionals and stake holders about importance of safe blood transfusion practices.
Haemovigilance programme of India will benefit public health system by assuring donor & recipient safety, promote safe blood transfusion & blood product administration practices and assure overseas patients seeking medical interventions in India about safe blood transfusion practices.

Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, July 14: A special squad of CAPD Department under the supervision of the Assistant Director CAPD Kathua conducted intensive checking of various business establishments especially Hotels, Karyana shops, Vegetable vendors and Halwai shops in the areas near national highway from Hiranagar to Lakhanpur, Billawar and Basohli town and Bani area, from which 42 violators have been booked under Essential Commodity Act & LPG Act 2005 and imposed on spot fine to the tune of Rs 17700 on the defaulters.
The Department has also warned the Hoteliers and Halwai shops not to use domestic LPG cylinders for commercial purposes. Karyana shops and vegetable vendors have also been warned and directed to display rate list at their business premises.