SRINAGAR, May 16: Government today cancelled the appointment of three officers to the Time Scale of KAS under technical quota.
These officers were among 14 appointed by selection to the Time Scale of KAS on March 15, 2012. These officers were required to confirm acceptance of their appointment to Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service within 21 days.
Three officers—Mohammad Sharief (Sheep Husbandry), Dr Waseem Qureshi (Health and Medical Education Department) and Fayaz Ahmad Lone (Finance) have failed to confirm acceptance of their appointment to the Time Scale of KAS as such their appointment has been cancelled.
NEW DELHI, May 16:
The Government today said a total of 7,172 corruption cases investigated by the CBI are pending trial in various Courts of the country.
“There are 7172 cases of corruption investigated by the CBI pending trial as on January 31, 2012 in various Courts all over the Country,” Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
He said data regarding cases of corruption investigated by other agencies was not maintained by the Central Government.
Mr Narayanasamy informed that the Centre decided to set up 71 additional special Courts exclusively for the trial of CBI cases in different States.
“Out of these 71 Courts, the Central Government has sanctioned 70 Courts, out of which 62 Courts have started functioning. In addition, 43 Special Prosecutors and Assistant Special Prosecutors and 45 Technical Experts have also been appointed,” he added.
In another reply, he said the percentage of prosecution in respect of cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act during 2010, 2011 and upto March 31, 2012 is 83.38 per cent.
The Minister said the CBI has disposed of 1,366 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 from investigation during this period and has filed charge sheets in courts in 1,139 cases out of the above.
He also informed that during the above mentioned period, the CBI has registered 1,451 cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, out of which 464 were trap cases.
Mr Narayanasamy said the Central Government has introduced a number of legislations in Parliament to strengthen anti-corruption mechanism.
The legislations include the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2011; the Whistleblowers’ Protection Bill, 2011; the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations Bill, 2011 and others.
The Lokpal and Lokyuktas Bill and the Whistleblowers’ Protection Bill, 2011 have been passed by the Lok Sabha and these Bills were pending in the Rajya Sabha. (UNI)
SRINAGAR, May 16: Minister for Medical Education R S Chib today said that the Government has initiated a one man inquiry to bring the facts to fore about the reported deaths of children in the G B Pant Hospital. He informed that Dr. Showkat Zargar, Director, SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar will conduct the inquiry accordingly.
The Minister, who visited the Hospital, said that the provision for better health care to the people is the priority of the Omar led Government, adding that various efforts are on in this regard.
Mr. Chib said there are 15 tertiary care hospitals in the State to cater the medical needs of the people. He said G. B Pant Hospitals established at Sonawar in Srinagar with active support of Cantonment Authority is doing its best to provide quality medicare to the civilians of the adjacent areas. He said the G B Pant Cantonment Hospital, Srinagar is the only referral tertiary care Pediatric hospital in the Valley where patients not only from valley, but also from Banihal, Doda, Bhaderwah and Kargil visit the hospital for necessary treatment.
Mr. Chib said 62 doctors have already been deployed in the Hospital for providing treatment to the patients, adding that due to heavy rush of the patients, however, the Government is already in the process to engage more para-medicos and also to upgrade the existing equipment so that the patient care is substantially improved.
Later, the Minister accompanied by Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar Dr. Qazi Masood visited Government Bone & Joint Hospital, Barazulla to enquire about the welfare of people injured in an accident at Dad Ompora (District Budgam) in which two precious lives were lost and 24 persons injured.
Mr. Chib directed the hospital authorities to provide free medicines and other diagnostic facilities to the patients and meals to the attendants besides it was also directed that Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar will pay frequent visits to G.B. Pant Hospital to ensure effective functioning of the Hospital. He also directed the Divisional administration for extending cash relief of Rs. 5,000 to the injured and compensation to the kiths and kins of deceased as per norms.
Employees to ‘gherao’ Sectt on May 25
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 16: Brushing aside the remarks of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah that Government has resolved employees issues and their strike was unjustified, senior JCC leader Ram Kumar Sharma today said that Chief Minister’s claim was not correct as three major points of the agreement reached between JCC leadership and Government representatives on September 15, 2011 have not been honoured yet.
Addressing a press conference here today the JCC leader accused bureaucracy for providing wrong information to the Chief Minister. He said the agreement meeting was held on the directions of the Chief Minister in which his political advisor Devinder Singh Rana, Chief Secretary, his own Principal Secretary, Commisioner/ Secretary GAD etc were present. It appears that his own advisors and bureaucrats were not feeding him correct information. He said the Chief Minister should not depend on his bureaucrats only, rather he should have correct information from his own agencies and other sources. He said no action has been taken so far regarding issues of pay anomalies, daily wagers and enhancement of retirement age besides redressal of PSU workers concerning 6th Pay Commission arrears.
Referring to demands, JCC leader said enough time was given to the Government but it has turned deaf ear towards employees’ demands. He said after two day successful strike programme, the JCC leadership has now decided to go on three day strike on May 24, 25 and 26 in the entire State. On May 25, thousands of employees from all the districts will assemble in Srinagar and conduct ‘gherao’ of the Civil Secretariat. On May 26, they will carry out protest march towards Raj Bhawan and submit a memorandum to the Governor N N Vohra. The operation staff of PHE, PDD, MCs, JMC/SMC, staff on exam duty, emergencies of Hospitals have been exempted from the purview of strike.
The JCC members demanded that Government should frame policy for regularization of casual, seasonal and daily rated workers who have completed 7 years in service after 1994, enhance retirement age from 58 to 60 years, remove pay anomalies of different cadre, settle of demands of PSU workers including benefit of 6th Pay Commission and release of DA in their favour and withdrawal of GP Fund conditions imposed on employees. They alleged that Government was trying to gag the voice of the employees and resorting to lathicharge and use of brutal forced on them.
Ram Kumar said on one hand the Government is claiming that they don’t have funds, on the other they enhanced the salaries of ministers/ legislators, giving more than 100 % hike. Crores are being spent on their residences/ bungalows, luxuries, telephone bills, foreign and domestic tours and travels. Employees’ pension has been stopped but the MLA/ MLC/ ministers are still enjoying their facility. In other states, the tenure of Assembly is just 4 years but in J&K, those in power are in no mood to reduce it from 6 to 4 years. Lakhs of rupees of ministers, legislators bureaucrats are pending as power arrears. He alleged that those at the helm of affairs should sweep before their own doors. He condemned the State Government for its anti-people and anti-employee policies.
Senior members, Ganesh Khajuria, Balwan Singh Jamwal, Kulwant Singh, Amrik Singh, Mohd Muneer, Parshotam Sharma Madan Sangral, Joginder Pal and others were also present.
Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah chairing Governing Body meeting of SKIMS on Wednesday.
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 16 : Terming SKIMS premier tertiary care medical institution of the State, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday underscored the importance of its growth and development on modern lines.
“All measures need to be taken in this direction to develop it as one of the leading super speciality medicare centre in the Country where modern treatment of highest degree would be available to the people of the State”, he said and referred to the priority given by the Government for expansion, upgradation and infrastructure development in health and medical education sectors in the State.
The Chief Minister said that with the coming up of super speciality hospitals at Jammu and Srinagar, upgrading of JLNM Hospital Rainawari and Gandhi Nagar Hospital Jammu on modern lines and improvement in other existing hospitals would open a new phase in the progress of secondary and tertiary care health facilities in the State.
“We have laid equal focus on the coverage of rural and far-flung areas under best possible medical facility”, he said, adding that district, sub-district and other hospitals in villages are receiving due attention for development on modern concepts.
Chairing the 38th meeting of Governing Body of SKIMS here this morning, the Chief Minister highlighted the importance of SKIMS in providing latest treatment for critical diseases and development of trained human resource in the health and medical education sectors.
The Chief Minister said that best service delivery should be benchmark of the functioning of all institutions, adding that the centres associated with providing medical treatment to patients need all the more missionary spirit on delivery front.
The Chief Minister approved Screening-cum-Selection Committee for the appointment of Principal of the SKIMS Medical College, Bemina. He also approved training of Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation to Resident and Staff of SKIMS and renaming of the Department of Accident and Emergency as ‘Emergency Medicine’.
Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather, Minister for Health,. Sham Lal Sharma, Minister of State for Health, Javid Ahmad Dar, Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal, Principal Secretary Finance, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Secretary Health, M K. Dwivedi, Dean SKIMS, Dr. Khurshid Ahmad, Principal Medical College, Jammu, Dr. Allaqaband and Dr. Mehraj-ud-Din were present in the meeting.
In a PowerPoint presentation, the Director SKIMS, Prof. Showkat Ali Zargar gave resume of the achievements registered by the institution during last one year in various disciplines.
He said construction of 24-bedded Day care centre for cancer patients has been started and is likely to be completed in two months. While 14-bedded Haemodialysis Centre has been made operational and 11-bedded Critical Care Unit will function within one month’s period.
He said that 28 more seats have been added in MD/MS courses this year and for the first time 25 students have been admitted to the MSc Nursing course. He said that the Gama Camera has been made operational while MD Pathology, MD Paediatrics, MD Microbiology and DM Gastroenterology have been recognized by the Medical Council of India while new courses in Surgical Gastroenterology and Gynaecology & Obstetrics are starting this year, Paediatric Surgery and Neurology courses are in the pipeline.
Prof. Zargar said that the Government has in principle approved upgradation of SKIMS and SKIMS Medical College for development of infrastructure and machinery equipment to create better advanced medical facilities.
The meeting reviewed the follow-up action taken on the decisions of previous meeting of the Governing Body and discussed matters relating to various aspects of the development and growth of the institution.
The Chief Minister directed the SKIMS management to route the matters relating to academics and finances through the Academic and Finance Committees for final decision by the Governing Body.
Employees of Urban Local Bodies holding protest demonstration in support of their demands in Srinagar on Wednesday. —Excelsior/Amin War
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 16: Police charged batons and arrested over a dozen employees of Urban Local Bodies Department while they tried to march towards the city centre here in the morning.
The protesters were demanding release of their pending salaries along with the payment of first installment of arrears under the Sixth Pay Commission.
This morning employees under the banner of Urban Local Bodies Employees United Forum (ULBEUF) assembled at the Old Secretariat and staged a strong protest in support of their demands. The protesters were addressed by Manzoor Ahmad Pampori, president ULBEUF and some other leaders of the Forum.
Putting forward the demands, Manzoor said that the Local Bodies Department should be reorganized and the employees should be given 61 percent House Rent Allowance (HRA)/ Dearness Allowance (DA). Manzoor said that the services of daily wagers and consolidated employees working in the Department should be regularized. He demanded that daily wagers and consolidated employees, especially the sanitation staff should be paid monthly wages of Rs. 3750 instead of Rs. 1800/2100. He demanded creation of more staff in the Urban Local Bodies under SRO-214 dated May 23, 2008.
“The benefits of the Sixth Pay Commission have not accrued to the employees of the Urban Local Bodies Department. The Government should immediately order for the release of 20 percent arrears for the employees of Urban Local Bodies Department. There is a need to put in place a transparent and effective time bound policy of the employees within the Department,” said Manzoor.
Manzoor further said that seniority of every cadre should be established in the Department adding that divisional as well as State Level Departmental Promotional Committees should be held regularly. He said establishment related issues of the employees including leave salary, time bound promotion, compensation under SRO-43 cases and family pension cases should be solved at the earliest.
Seeking the attention of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, Manzoor said the employees are living from hand to mouth since their salaries are pending for the last five months. He demanded immediate release of the pending salaries.
From Old Secretariat the employees marched towards the office of Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr. Asghar Samoon and presented him the charter of demands. The employees apprised Dr. Samoon about the issues confronting them and appealed him to intervene and get their issues solved.
The employees then moved towards the Press Enclave here and raised slogans there. They were carrying banners and placards in their hands. The protesting employees had plans to move through the city centre but the posses of police personnel present at Press Enclave stopped them and didn’t allow them to move further. The police action was resisted by some of the protesting employees and they tried to break free the cordon. On this the police swooped on them and resorted to lathi-charge on them. These protesters were bundled by police in vehicles and were lodged at police station, Kothi Bagh.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 16: Vice Chancellor, Jammu University, Prof Mohan Pal Singh Ishar today ordered transfer and posting of some senior officials.
According to an official order Sanjeev Mahajan, Joint Registrar (Exam) shall be the Joint Registrar College Development Council relieving Jatinder Khajuria.
Jatinder Khajuria, Incharge Joint Registrar, College Development Council shall be Incharge Joint Registrar Exam.
BL Bhat, Assistant Registrar shall also look after Coordination Branch till further orders in addition to his present duties.
Neeraj Sharma, Special Secretary to Vice Chancellor, has been transferred and posted as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Finance whereas JK Sharma, Joint Registrar Finance has been transferred and posted as OSD to Vice Chancellor.
Vivek Slathia, Incharge Deputy Registrar, Budget and Finance shall swap position with PP Sharma, Assistant Registrar Academics.
Judicial employees alongwith ailing girl child at Jammu on Wednesday.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 16: As a humanitarian gesture, judicial employees posted at Jammu Headquarter today donated Rs 26,250 for the operation of an eight month old child suffering from heart ailment.
The money was donated by the judges, judicial employees and members of Bar Association Jammu and was handed over to the parents of the girl in presence of the Principal District and Sessions Judge Jammu, Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal, today.
The judicial employees took the initiative following news reports that an infant admitted at GMC Hospital Jammu was suffering from heart ailment and needs to undergo immediate surgery. The father of the child Ajay Kumar son of Mikhi Ram of Pandorian, Mishriwala Jammu had requested for the donation as he was not in a position to meet the operation charges.
A team of judicial employees, under Accounts Officer, Wazir Ahmed Tak, collected the donation and members of the judiciary at Jammu generously donated for the noble cause.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Jammu, Jang Bahadur Singh Jamwal on the occasion appreciated the efforts and generosity shown by the judicial employees for the noble cause.
Cheating of Rs 9 lakh with innocent villager
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, May 16: Principal Sessions Judge, B M Gupta today rejected the bail application of Patwari and his associate, who were involved in cheating of innocent complainant to the tune of Rs 9 lakh.
According to the police case, Patwari of Roun Domail namely Uttam Singh, who was associated with the compensation relating to the land acquired by the CRPF, after taking undue advantage of innocence of the complainant namely Kashmir Singh and four other villagers, obtained their signature on the blank transfer vouchers in connivance with accused Romesh Singh and got transferred an amount of Rs 9 lakh in the account of Romesh Singh.
After hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi assisted by Advocate Ravi Abrol appearing for the Patwari, Advocate Mohd Shafi for accused Romesh Singh whereas Public Prosecutor Navneet Gupta, Principal Sessions Judge observed, “as per the investigation carried out by the police till date, the applicants are prima-facie involved in the commission of offences under Sections 420/467/468/471 RPC”.
“Accused Uttam Singh has misused his official position as he himself called all the intending claimants in the Bank and then got opened their bank accounts by putting his own introduction in the bank opening forms and then induced the claimants to sign blank transfer vouchers on the pretext of providing special benefit as well as early release of second installment”, the Court further observed.
“The accused persons intentionally and with malafide purpose made a mischievous plan to earn wrongful gains for themselves and for others and have swindled the compensation amount. Having regard to the huge amount involved in this case, there is apprehension of accused persons absconding or tampering with the prosecution evidence by pressurizing the prosecution witnesses”, the Court observed.
“The investigation of the case is still in progress and record pertaining to the case is yet to be seized. Moreover police is still making efforts to trace the persons who have been benefited through the large amount swindled by the accused persons”, the Court said, adding “the poor public and innocent illiterate villagers were deprived of their due compensation and many other persons are approaching the police with similar complaints”.
With these observations, Court rejected bail applications.
Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, inaugurating ANM School at Budgam on Wednesday.
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 16: Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather in presence of the Minister for Health, Sham Lal Sharma and Minister for Information and Technology, Aga Ruhullah, today inaugurated a State of the Art ANM Training School at Khanpora, Budgam. The Institute is one of the 12 ANM training schools sanctioned by the Centre for Jammu and Kashmir State to produce trained paramedical staff for improving patient health care in various hospitals across the State.
Speaking on the occasion, Rather said that the training institute has been constructed at a cumulative cost of about Rs 3.90 crore and is equipped with all the requisite facilities including modern labs, lecture halls, recreation hall and adequate boarding and lodging facilities for the trainees.
Highlighting the significance of para-medical staff in the patient health care, Mr. Rather said that the training school will provide facilities to the youth of district Budgam to get training in various para-medical courses adding that requisite posts/faculty would be sanctioned immediately so that training courses are started in the institute during the current year. He said the Coalition Government is concerned about improving patient care system in the hospitals, adding that for the first time in the history of the State, 6500 posts of doctors and para-medicos in Health and Medical Education Departments were created during the last three years, despite huge financial implications.
Sham Lal Sharma while highlighting the achievements made in improving the health care system in the hospitals said that from 1948 to 2009 there were only 10 ANM Schools in the State. After taking the charge of Health Department 12 ANM schools, three Nursing Colleges, one Unani College at Srinagar and one Ayurvedic College in Jammu were got sanctioned from the Centre, he added.
He said about 1200 trained para-medicos in various disciplines shall be produced annually in these upcoming ANM schools.
Aga Ruhullah, while thanking the Health Minister for construction of ANM School in Budgam said that it would provide much needed facilities to the youth of the district to shape their career in Health sector and will also help in overcoming the un-employment problem.
Besides a large number of senior citizens, Mission Director, NRHM, Dr. Yash Paul Sharma, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr. Saleem-ur-Rehman, Director, Family Welfare Dr. T. K. Moza, Director ISM, Dr. Kabir Dar, Project Director AIDS Control Society, Dr. Rakesh Khajuria, MD, J&K Housing Board, Mr. Daleep Thussu, Chief Medical Officer, Budgam Dr. Aleem-ud-Din were also present on the occasion.
