All the previous testing and containment facilities are being reactivated. On a visit to different covid testing and wellness/Quarantine DM Srinagar Aijaz Assad while interacting with Gulistan News said that, in wake of increasing covid-19 positive cases administration has decided to reactivate all the covid 19 testing and wellness/Quarantine facilities.
He also said that “Adherence of SOPs is the only solution to break the chain”.
Lockdown is no possible solution to contain the virus. Lockdown may help in restraining the spread but has a number of setbacks to the society.
“We will try our best to contain the spread without the implementation of Lockdown until we are left with no other option” he added.
The authorities on Wednesday sounded an alert and asked the people to take extra precautions while moving out after avalanche hit Kishanganga river in Gujran village of remote Gurez valley in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that officers, employees of SDRF, revenue department and police have reached the spot while a warning has been issued for people to avoid going to the riverbank near the spot.
He said that taking cognizance of the matter, the district authorities sounded an alert and asked local residents to take extra precaution while moving out.
The official also advised the people of the area that do not pay attention to any kind of rumors as the district administration is taking all necessary steps—(KNO)
Officials order closure of institution till Saturday
SNS KASHMIR
SRINAGAR,, MARCH 31 :
At least two staff members of Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Kothibagh Srinagar were tested positive for Coronavirus on Wednesday that prompted authorities to close the establishment for five days.
In this regard, officials of the School Education Department told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that it has decided to close the institution till Saturday.
The officials said that the school will resume the academics from Monday.
Earlier some staff and students at several other schools in Jammu and Kashmir were also tested positive for the virus previously following the reopening of schools here.
In the past one week nearly a dozen students and staff members of various government schools were tested positive for Coronavirus in Budgam district.
On March-23, in this regard, a communiqué was issued by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) wherein the authorities have stated that a mass sampling at government Higher Secondary School Hardpanzoo Budgam was conducted wherein at least nine students of the school were tested positive for COVID-19—(KNO)
Massive reduction in record carriage as Secretariat switches to e-office
SNS KASHMIR
JAMMU, MARCH 31: While chairing a high-level meeting to review the preparations for summer darbar move 2021, the Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam informed that there will be a substantial reduction in the transportation of records during the bi-annual shifting of capital from Jammu to Srinagar on 30th April 2021.
It was informed that the Government has taken concrete steps to switch to paperless office by rolling out e-office in the moving departments. As such, most of the official record has been uploaded to the e-office, and training of employees has begun. The switch to the online mode will avoid wear and tear as well as loss of official record during the bi-annual transit, besides saving the associated transportation cost.
The General Administration Department informed that the move offices observing 5-day week and 6-day week will close at Jammu on 30th April 2021 and 1st May 2021, respectively. All the offices will reopen in the summer capital city of Srinagar on 10th May 2021.
The meeting reviewed the arrangements being made to transport employees and limited records on 1st -2nd May 2021 and 8th-9th May 2021. The security/ escort plan, availability of trucks and buses, recovery vans, mobile workshops, health facilities, and ambulances along the highway were discussed threadbare.
The Chief Secretary directed the Traffic Department to ensure hassle-free movement of the convoy from Jammu to Srinagar. He directed the BEACON and NHAI to ensure the good condition of the National Highway-44.
The Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department was asked to distribute temporary ration cards to the move-employees through a special week-long camp.
The Chief Secretary also directed the Estates, Jal Shakti, and Power departments, and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to inspect residential colonies of the move-employees and ensure complete sanitation, availability of electricity, potable drinking water, and other basic facilities therein.
He asked Estates Departments to set up additional convenience facilities at the Civil Secretariat Srinagar for employees, besides ensuring adequate drinking water facilities and cleanliness.
It was decided that a Mini-Secretariat will be kept functional in Jammu during the summer season for the safekeeping of the official record and accordingly, Estates Department was directed to ensure availability of adequate accommodation and facilities at the Civil Secretariat, Jammu.
Administrative Secretaries of departments of Rural Development Department, Housing & Urban Development, General Administration, Estates, Jal Shakti, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, besides Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Commissioners of JMC and SMC along with IGP, Security, IGP Kashmir, and IGP, Jammu participated in the meeting.
At least 36 students and a 60-year-old male, who is a parent of one among the students, were tested COVID-19 positive at Noorani Public School in Khull area of Damhal Hanjipora in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district, officials said on Tuesday.
Block Medical Officer (BMO) DH Pora Dr. Shugufta Salam told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that “37 COVID-19 positive cases have been detected from this school including primary contact of student in mass/random sampling, testing for all the contacts will be undertaken in due course of time.”
She said 390 were tested while 37 among them were declared as positive for COVID-19.
She said that all the primary and secondary contacts of the affected students have been advised to self-isolate, quarantine themselves
Meanwhile, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kulgam, Mohammed Ashraf Rather told KNO that school will remain closed for week due to surge in COVID-19 postive cases—(KNO)
: National Investigation Agency (NIA), Wednesday said that a Pakistani militant from Lashkar-e-Toiba was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment and also slapped with a fine for hatching conspiracy to carry out attacks in India.
In a statement issued to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the NIA spokesman said that last week (26.03.2021), Special Judge for NIA cases, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi, pronounced judgment in NIA Case No. RC11/2016/NIA/DLI (Conspiracy by Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT ) and convicted one accused namely Bahadur Ali alias Saifullah Mansoor, a Pakistani militant belonging to LeT under sections 120B, 121A, 489(C) of IPC, sections 17,18,20,38 of UA(P) Act, sections 7,10 & 25 of Arms Act, section 9B Explosives Act, section 4 of Explosive Substances Act, section 14 Foreigners Act and section 6(1A) Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act,1933 and sentenced him to ten years’ rigorous imprisonment and fine.
“This case was initially registered at PS NIA, New Delhi on 27.07.2016 pertaining to a larger conspiracy hatched by the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), an outfit, based in Pakistan, to commit militant attacks in India. As a part of this conspiracy, accused Bahadur Ali alias Saifullah Mansoor along with his two associates Abu Saad and Abu Darda, all trained militants of LeT had illegally infiltrated into J&K with the intention to carry out militant attacks at different places in India including Delhi, as per instructions given to them by their handlers in the LeT, based in Pakistan/ PaK,” the statement said, adding that “On 25.07.2016, accused Bahadur Ali was arrested at village Yahama Mukam, Handwara, Distt. Kupwara and large number of arms viz. AK-47 Rifle, UBGL, ammunition, hand Grenades, UBGL Shells, Military Map, Wireless Set, GPS, Compass, Indian Currency, Fake Indian Currency Notes etc. were recovered from him. During investigation Bahadur Ali had revealed about the recruitment, various training camps of LeT, trainings to LeT militants about handling of weapons, explosives, Wireless Sets, Night Vision Devices, GPS, Grid Reference etc. and modus operandi for motivating the newly recruited cadres for Jihad and militant acts in India by the leaders of LeT and also the details of launching pads of LeT in PaK. NIA had filed chargesheet against Bahadur Ali on 06.01.2017 in the case.”
The statement further said that later, two Pakistani terrorists of LeT who were associates of Bahadur Ali, namely Abu Saad and Abu Darda were killed in an encounter on 14.02.2017 at Hajan P.S. Kralgund Handwara, Distt. Kupwara.
During investigation two associates/ supporters of Bahadur Ali, namely Zahoor Ahmad Peer and Nazir Ahmad Peer both residents of Jammu and Kashmir were also arrested in this case—(KNO)
A 70-year-old tourist from Maharashtra died of Covid-19 at a hospital here, officials said on Wednesday.
They said that the elderly tourist was admitted to the Chest Disease Hospital Srinagar on March 30 after he complained breathlessness and showed other Covid-19 related symptoms.
Confirming the death , a senior doctor at hospital said that the patient from Pune, Maharashtra was suffering from “severe covid-19 Pneumonia”. “He was referred from SMHS hospital and was admitted here,” the senior doctor at the CD hospital, one of the exclusive facilities for the management of covid-19 patients here, told GNS.
Sources said that the patient along with his son had surprisingly tested negative at Srinagar Airport on their arrival to the Kashmir Valley s few days ago. The elderly person’s son has also been admitted and is presently under treatment at a hospital here.
Maharashtra is one among the worst-hit states as regards the resurgence of Covid-19 in India and contributes most of the daily reported cases in the country recently.(GNS)
Covid-19 situation is going from bad to worse and the entire country is at a risk while there is a need to ramp up testing with focus on RT-PCR isolate promptly, trace contact and boost healthcare resources, the union health ministry said Tuesday.
As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a press briefing in Delhi said that situation in India is going from bad to worse and it is a huge cause for worry. “There is a need to ramp up testing in States/Union Territories reporting caseload,” Bhushan said.
He said that they have already asked officials of States/Union Territories to increase testing where cases are increasing and special focus should be on RT-PCR tests and Rapid Antigen tests should be used for screening in densely populated areas.
“There are 10 districts across the country that have most number of active cases,” he said, adding Maharashtra and Punjab are badly affected States and Punjab is neither conducting an adequate number of tests nor able to isolated positive people promptly,” Bhushan said.
“People are being told to isolate at home but there is need to monitor if they are actually doing it and they aren’t doing it then we must isolate people institutionally,” he said.
He added that 807 UK variants, 47 South African variants and one Brazilian variant have been found in India so far.
“All above 45 years of age will be eligible for vaccination for which advance appointment can be booked through official website cowin.gov.in,” he said
Dr VK Paul, member Niti Aayog speaking on the occasion, said that there is severe and intensive situation in just few districts but people of entire country are at risk and there is need to take all efforts to contain the virus and save lives should be taken—(KNO)
Two days after Regional Passport Office rejected her passport application, citing adverse CID verification, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti is likely to challenge the decision at a higher forum.
Sources within the party told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that Mehbooba may approach higher forum to defend her passport application which was rejected by the passport office Srinagar citing adverse verification.
They termed the alleged denial of travel document to PDP president and her elderly mother, Gulshan Nazir as political vendetta.
“She (Mehbooba Mufti) after discussing the issue with her lawyer may approach at the higher forum,” sources said.
Pertinently, the passport application of Mehbooba Mufti and her mother, Gulshan Nazir, wife of former Union Home Minister and two-times Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, was rejected following an adverse CID report.
The Regional Passport Office here had informed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti in a letter on March 26 that her application for a passport was rejected on the basis of the “adverse” police verification report.
The Passport Officer also informed the former Chief Minister that the CID of the Union Territory had recommended against granting a passport to her.
The letter said Mufti can appeal against the decision at a higher forum provided by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)—(KNO)
Says newly announced J&K Bank results reveal regional prejudice
SNS KASHMIR
SRINAGAR,, MARCH 30 :
National Conference (NC) Member of Parliament from Anantnag Hasnain Masoodi on Tuesday sought exemption of tax on re registration of non-J&K registered vehicles, urging the government to address the actual road blocks towards ensuring hassle free traffic on roads in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), he said the re-registration of non-J&K registered vehicles would put extra burden on the people especially the middle classes despite the fact that one time token tax has already been paid to the actual registered state/UT.
He said given the economic slump in the region the government is expected to provide succor to the people. He impressed upon the government to levy only a nominal amount of re-registration fee from these vehicles as used to be charged until now. The measure of levying heavy toll tax on re-registration, he said would impede the process of re-registration as the people would skip the process to evade the heavy duty.
“To ensure that all the outside vehicles are duly re-registered, the government should only charge a nominal amount,” he said. In addition to it, he said such measures won’t help the government deal with the traffic mess. He said the best way to deal with the traffic mess is to augment the existing road infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir to live up to the ever increasing demands of the people.
Masoodi also took strong exception to the newly announced result of J&K banking associate exams, saying the results reveal regional prejudice. “Reportedly out of 1500 qualified candidates, only 200 have qualified the said exam from Kashmir division,” he said.
While questioning the results he stated that the youngsters of Kashmir have outshone their counterparts elsewhere in the country by qualifying highly prestigious exams and that the low qualifying percentage of aspirants from Kashmir is inconceivable. He said the results have disheartened the most meritorious aspirants who have burnt midnight oil to qualify the exam—(KNO)
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