Four-laning of Lakhanpur-Jammu highway nears completion

Four-laning of Lakhanpur-Jammu highway nears completion
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Lakhanpur/Jammu, August 28
The four-laning of the 91-km-long Lakhanpur-Jammu National Highway (1-A) is nearing completion.

The Central government’s project to reduce traffic snarls on the Lakhanpur-Kathua-Samba-Jammu National Highway, which was started in 2005 by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), has entered the final stage and traffic signals are being installed on the highway.

“The four-laning of the highway is almost complete. Even bridges have been repaired. A large number of vehicles ply on this route, so we don’t want to leave any work incomplete. The entire work will be completed within a month or two,” said MK Jain, in-charge, NHAI, Jammu and Kashmir.

He added that all the new and old bridges, except one or two, had been opened for commuters.

Jain added that the road was carpeted right from the main gateway of the state at Lakhanpur to Jammu and dividers were also installed. “We have entered the final stage under which we are installing the traffic signals,” added Jain.

No obstructions were found on the highway. However, near the railway overbridge at Samba, the road had not been widened.

Replying to a question about the delay in the progress of work on this particular stretch, a senior officer of the NHAI said, “We have taken up the matter with the Railway authorities and are waiting for the clearance. As we get the sanction, the work would be started.”

The highway is the only trade link with the rest of the country. Pilgrims to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and the Shri Amarnath cave shrine also enter the state via the highway.

The NHAI officers said a huge amount was spent and now they would focus on the four-laning of the 312-km-long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Good monsoon augurs well for RS Pura rice growers

Good monsoon augurs well for RS Pura rice growers
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

RS Pura, August 29
Farmers of RS Pura, known as the rice bowl of the state, are expecting a higher yield as the rainfall so far has been about 846.8 mm.

“Last year, the monsoon was weak, which adversely affected the production.But this year, the recent heavy rain has helped in the proper growth of the crop,” said Gurdeep Singh, a rice grower.

This correspondent talked to a number of farmers. “ We are expecting the yield to double, as the rain and the Agriculture Department have been helpful to us,” said Chaudhary Dev Raj, president of the RS Pura Rice Growers Association.

The Agriculture Department had provided hybrid seeds to the farmers this year, which would increase the production. “Now, the government should make arrangements to ensure that the farmers get remunerative prices for their produce,” said Dev Raj.

Meanwhile, officials of the Agriculture Department said they were also expecting a high yield and were arranging buyer-seller meets at various places across the state.

“As per our fresh survey reports, the crop will be ready by the end of October.There has been an increase of 20 per cent in the total sown area this year, which will also lead to an overall increase in the production,” said VK Bhakri, joint director, Agriculture Department.So far, the crop had not come under any pest attack,he added.

Scientists in the Agronomy Department of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST) also said that the monsoon this year would be good for the rice growers.

New law to check sale of adulterated food

New law to check sale of adulterated food
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, August 31
With the coming into force of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the state government has started the process to check the sale of adulterated food.

The government has appointed district food safety officers and gave powers to other officials to check the violations and impose heavy fines. Earlier, the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, dealt with such violations.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Satish Gupta, Food Safety Commissioner and Drug Controller, said, “The rules and regulations of the Food Safety and Standards Act have been enforced in the state from August 5 and now we have appointed district food safety officers to ensure the implementation of the Act.”

He added, “The officials are being trained to implement the new Act.”

He said the new Act had provisions for penalties up to Rs 10 lakh for the sale of substandard and unbranded material and fines up to Rs 5 lakh, with six years’ imprisonment, for non-grievous injury due to the consumption of unsafe food.

“It also imposes a penalty of not less than Rs 10 lakh with an imprisonment of not less than seven years, which may extend to life imprisonment in case of death occurring due to the consumption of unsafe food,” he added.

Sources said the new Act was implemented after receiving a number of complaints about substandard food being sold in the state and the earlier Act not proving beneficial.

Gupta hoped that the new Act would start showing results in the coming days when designated officers of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department (CAPD),the Food Safety and Health Department and the municipalities would start dealing with violators.

He said the district food safety officers had been appointed in all the 22 districts of the state.

INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE: Affiliation of 14 teachers training institutes cancelled

INADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURE
Affiliation of 14 teachers training institutes cancelled
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 31
After inviting criticism, the state Board of School Education (BoSE) has started conducting surprise visits to keep a check on improper infrastructure in private Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) institutes across the Jammu region.

The board cancelled the affiliation of 14 ETT institutes in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts for inadequate infrastructure last evening. “During inspection, these ETT institutes were found to have inadequate infrastructure. The institutes had been warned earlier, but did not comply with the orders and failed to fulfil the criteria. Hence, we finally cancelled their affiliation,” said RP Gandotra, joint secretary, BoSE.

He added 10 institutes in Kathua and two each in Samba and Jammu districts were disaffiliated with immediate effect. “Now, these institutes will have to upgrade their infrastructure, if they want fresh affiliation from the board,” Gandotra said.

He said they had received complaints against some ETT institutes for flouting norms. He added, “Any institute running without adequate infrastructure will not be spared. The new chairman of the education board has shown keen interest in plugging the loopholes in the existing system.”

BoSE sources said the action was taken on the direction of Minister for School Education Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed.

The state has become a hub of private ETT and B.Ed colleges and a large number of students from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh and New Delhi take admission here. These institutes reportedly offer admission to students on an assurance that they need not attend classes. This has made the institutes popular among the students.

The courses offered by these institutes are valid in other states and after clearing the examination, one can apply for the post of government teacher in his/her state. At present, about 40,000 students are enrolled in such institutes.Of them, 90 per cent are from other states.

Health Dept directs chemists to install ACs

Health Dept directs chemists to install ACs
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 2
The Health Department has appealed to chemists across the state to install airconditioners (ACs) on their premises. “This is not mandatory for the chemists, but we appeal to them to install ACs at their shops so that medicines requiring a cool atmosphere can be stored appropriately,” said Satish Gupta, Controller, Drug and Food Control Organisation.

Gupta said though this was not specified in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, they had taken the step to maintain the quality of drugs.

“The Act has so far made a refrigerator mandatory for getting a new licence or for the renewal of the old one. But keeping in mind the frequent climate changes and long summers, we are asking the chemists to follow the advice,” said Gupta.

He added the Punjab government had issued an order making a provision of an AC mandatory for the chemists. “But I am not aware about the response there,” he said.

Asked about the department’s failure to keep a check on the absence of licence holders from drug stores, Gupta said, “A person can hire a technician to open a chemist shop or get a licence, but the technician or the pharmacist should always be present at the shop. Otherwise, it is an illegal act. Our officials are aware of the issue and they regularly conduct surprise visits to chemist shops.”

Three to get best teacher award

Three to get best teacher award
Archit Watts/TNS

Jammu, September 3
Three teachers from the state have been selected for the National Best Teacher Award to be presented by President Pratibha Patil on Teacher’s Day (September 5) in New Delhi.

Nazir Hussain, Zahoor Ahmad Shah and Seema Sharma will receive the award for their contributions to improving the standard of education and infrastructure at their respective places of posting.

Talking over the phone, Nazir Hussain, principal of Boys Higher Secondary School, Surankote in Poonch district, said, “I got a call in the afternoon that I had been selected for the award. It was nothing less than a dream come true for me. I will get the reward for my 30 years of dedicated service.”

Speaking about his achievements, Hussain said, “I became Principal of the school in 2008 when its overall result was 38 per cent. The result is now 86 per cent and that too in this far-flung area. Besides, I developed the infrastructure of the school.”

Similarly, Zahoor Ahmad Shah, a teacher of Urdu at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Beerwah in Budgam district, who is physically challenged, has been selected for the award. An official at the office of the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Budgam, said, “Zahoor is physically challenged but still he is very regular in his duty. He can’t walk properly due to a severe spinal injury, but he rarely remain absent from the school.” He added that Zahoor had left for New Delhi to receive the award.

Another awardee Seema Sharma, a teacher at Government Middle School, Pehruchak in Kathua district, has also left for New Delhi. Kuldeep Gupta, CEO, Kathua district, confirmed that Seema had left for Delhi.

Teachers' Day: Jammu varsity students to hold protest today

Jammu varsity students to hold protest today
Archit Watts/TNS

Jammu, September 4
On Teachers’ Day, a majority of students of the University of Jammu (JU) have decided to go on an indefinite strike and boycott classes against the alleged favouritism and nepotism in the university.

The National Secular Forum (NSF), which is supported by a large number of students, in a move to apprise the authorities of their stand against “favouritism and nepotism”, have asked the students to join them in a large number for the protest.

Vikas Sharma, state president of the NSF, said, “There will be a complete boycott of classes by the students to show resentment against the Vice-Chancellor of the university.”

“Almost three years have passed since the Vice-Chancellor took over the charge, but hardly anything has been done for the betterment of the university and to bring transparency in the system,” Sharma added.

“Corruption is increasing day-by-day and there is no control over it,” he said, adding that the students were facing a lot of problems.

He also highlighted several other issues claiming that he had sufficient documents to “expose” the authorities, which he would show to media in the coming days.

“We appeal to the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the university, to look into the matter,” said Sharma.