News Analysis India

Tag: Srinagar Diary

  • Srinagar diary: Tourism Department holds Gurez Festival to woo tourists

    Express News Service
    The J&K Tourism Department organised a two-day Gurez Festival in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez sector near the Line of Control (LoC) to promote Gurez Valley as a tourist destination and highlight the heritage and culture of the area. During the festival, which began on Friday, a number of adventure activities like camping, trekking, angling, water sports and other recreational events were organised.

    According to officials, the Gurez Valley has a lot to offer to tourists. There’s scope for adventure and sports tourism, they said. 

    Govt sets up team to monitor attendance of employees

    The J&K administration has constituted two teams of officers to monitor attendance of employees working in various departments of the Civil Secretariat in Jammu and Srinagar.

    The teams will randomly check the attendance records of employees at all departments and report unauthorized absence to the General Administration Department (GAD) for appropriate disciplinary action. The teams were formed after the administration received complaints that some government employees were showing laxity in performing their duty and are taking unauthorized leaves, thus hampering the delivery of public service. Of late, the administration has tightened its grip on the government employees. 

    Jab certificate, Covid negative report must for all tourists

    The administration in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district has made it mandatory for tourists visiting the district to produce certificates of vaccination and Covid-19 negative report, not older than two days. The measure has been necessitated as people have been thronging picnic spots defying Covid guidelines, increasing the risk of a third wave. The administration has constituted joint teams of civil and police officials to ensure that Covid-19 SOPs are followed at tourist destinations. 

    NIT-Srinagar to conduct village trips for students

    The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar has launched a Visit to Village (V2V) program to expose students to rural areas so that they can identify problems faced by villagers and develop solutions. The V2V programme by Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship Development (IIED) centre of NIT Srinagar has been undertaken with an objective to find in-situ creative and innovative solutions by involving the local communities and local students and teachers. According of NIT officials, all students in general, and the masters-level students of TIED and MBA in particular, would get a hand on exposure to grass root innovations, traditional knowledge, traditional industries, rural technologies and capabilities available in these spaces. The broader objective of the V2V program is to offer technical and scientific solutions to the problems faced by people living in villages.

    Fayaz Wani 

    Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir [email protected]

  • Srinagar diary

    Express News Service
    Deteriorating Covid-19 situation in J&K 

    The Lt Governor (LG) has constituted a five-member Crisis Management Group (CMG) to monitor the rapidly deteriorating Covid-19 situation in Jammu and Kashmir and take necessary measures.

    The five-member CMG comprises Chief Secretary as Chairman and FC (Finance), FC (Health), PS (Home) and PS (PWD). The Principal Secretary to the LG will be a special invitee. The CMG will meet daily or more often, if necessary, to review the fight against Covid-19. Apart from reviewing the testing rate, positivity rate and other parameters, the CMG will also review the oxygen and medicine requirements. 

    Coronavirus war room in Srinagar established

    The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has set up a round-the-clock Covid-19 War Room in Srinagar to help people in emergency situations. Srinagar is the worst Covid-19 affected district in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Of the 1,83,486 Covid cases in J&K, Srinagar accounts for 45,648 cases. Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar Aijaz Asad, who is also the chairman of the DDMA Srinagar, said round-the-clock Covid-19 War Room has been set up in light of the prevailing surge in infections in Srinagar.

    People can contact a helpline number (01942- 483650/651) in cases of emergencies or if they are in need of medical facilities such as oxygen, ambulance, hospital beds or essential medicines. Srinagar is under a curfew from Thursday evening. It will continue till May 6.

    HC quashes order on car re-registration

    Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Kashmir’s circular mandating re-registration of vehicles purchased outside J&K.

    The March 27 circular by the RTO had made it mandatory for owners, who had purchased vehicles bearing registration numbers of another state, to apply for a new registration within a period of 15 days, failing which it warned of action. After the circular, police had cracked down on such vehicles and seized scores of them. 

    Bonus for National Health Mission staff

    The government has approved an experience/loyalty bonus for contractual staff hired under National Health Mission for the financial year 2020-21.

    An order issued by Mission Director, NHM, J&K stated that sanction has been accorded for 10% experience/loyalty bonus to those employees who have completed a minimum of three years service under NHM.

    The employees who have already drawn the experience/loyalty bonus for a period of three years and completing five years service during the financial year (2020-21), will be entitled to the differential % (ie 15-10) of 5% of experience/ loyalty bonus.

    Fayaz Wani

    Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir

    [email protected]