‘Now both Jammu, Srinagar Sectts can function for 12 months’
50,000 youth to get help to become entrepreneurs
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 20: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today said the Jammu and Kashmir administration has completely transitioned to e-Office putting an end to the practice of hundreds of years old ‘Durbar Move’, under which the Civil Secretariat and other ‘move offices’ function six months each in Srinagar and Jammu.
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“Now, both the Jammu and Srinagar Secretariats can function normally for 12 months. This will save the Government Rs 200 crore per year, which will be used for the welfare of the deprived sections,” he said.
The administration has also decided to establish a youth club in every panchayat through which they would be connected with creative work, Sinha said in his ‘Awaam Ki Awaaz’ programme, aired on all local and primary channels of All India Radio stations.
Congratulating the farmers for the meaningful changes that have been made in the infrastructure of agriculture and horticulture, the Lt Governor said a new era is being ushered in this sector.
Sinha directed the agriculture department to promote naturally degradable packaging under a policy and impart training to all the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir in using biodegradable packaging.
“Despite Corona, the administration has been working diligently in the field of agriculture and horticulture. Investments are being made in a systematic manner in Jammu and Kashmir for high-density plantation, food processing, cold storage and many schemes are being launched for the farmers,” he said.
In this month alone, he said Nano Urea Liquid has been started by IFFCO for the farmers of the Union Territory, so that there is more produce and the land also remains fertile.
“The Government will provide financial help to at least 50,000 aspiring boys and girls this year so that they can become entrepreneurs. The administration has also decided to establish a youth club in every Panchayat through which they would be connected with creative works,” he said.
Recalling last month’s ‘Awaam ki Awaaz’ episode, when he spoke about families who lost their loved ones due to COVID-19, the Lt Governor said the Saksham scheme has been launched by the UT administration for them and such families will be looked after with full responsibility.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also started a separate scheme named ‘PM Cares for Children’ for the help and empowerment of the children affected by Corona, which will benefit the families of our UT,” he said.
He also informed that the system of providing ration to the poor and orphans in Jammu and Kashmir is going on, so that no family remains hungry.
“The neglected poor and deprived sections are the focal point of our priority. When the benefits of all the schemes reach the last person standing in the last queue, only then we will be satisfied that the administration is working properly”, he added.
He also remembered four-year old girl Adha Shakeel who became an unfortunate victim of man-animal conflict in the Ompora area of Budgam district earlier this month.
“While paying tributes to her, the Lt Governor said that by destroying forests for development, we are creating difficulties for the coming generation. Along with the wildlife department, it is our collective responsibility to handle man-animal Conflict effectively. Feeling the pain, anguish of Adha’s family, I urge you all to strike a balance between nature and progress,” the Lt Governor said.
Sinha said the only objective of his administration is to accelerate the economic development of the Union Territory and make it multi-dimensional.
He also said that the pace of new industrial schemes had stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the efforts would be intensified to take it on the ground in the coming days.
“We are paying close attention to the business, industry, and tourism sectors affected by Corona and decisions would be taken for their convenience. Work will also be done on a war footing to promote the art and culture of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sinha said.
He said in the coming days, “we have only one objective – to accelerate the economic development of J&K and make it multi-dimensional”.
Sinha said working within the tenets of financial prudence, transparency and accountability, the Jammu and Kashmir government is moving ahead the agenda of all-round development in the region.
Coming down heavily on the recent issue of unwarranted rumours being spread by a few with vested interests, Sinha said certain elements cannot digest the speedy execution of development work and effective management of COVID-19.
“We need to reject all such rumours and focus on playing a constructive role. For the past several decades, such people deliberately misled our young generation for personal gains and deprived them of development dividends. So I humbly request all of you not to pay heed to such rumours,” he said.
Sinha said an effective administration has ensured a robust healthcare facility in the Union Territory and some shortcomings found in it would be corrected soon.
He said his administration has made people’s healthcare the topmost priority and the improvement in the medical infrastructure in the Union Territory has been possible only due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Government’s policies.
“We were able to control Corona better than other parts of the country because the administration as well as all citizens, cooperated and the team Jammu and Kashmir worked relentlessly on the ground,” Sinha said.
He said not only has the number of oxygen beds increased but the capacity of 15,000 LMP oxygen has been enhanced more than three times to 53,000 LPM, which will be added up to 90,000 LPM in coming days.
Sinha acknowledged the great success J&K has achieved in vaccine coverage and how people are discussing the J&K model of vaccination and want it to replicate in other parts of the country.
“This is only because of the dedication and toil of our hardworking health workers,” he said, adding the pictures from border villages of Gurez have shown how the dedicated staff is vaccinating people by traversing miles through the snow.
Taking note of complaints by a health worker, the Lt Governor urged all citizens to acknowledge the selfless efforts of health workers and doctors, who are nothing short of the worldly manifestations of God and deserve “respect and gratitude”.
Responding to a request to cut short the long working hours, the Lt Governor said that instructions have been issued to the chief medical officers to recruit additional staff in all the districts to reduce the workload on healthcare workers.
“Its process has also started and very soon a large number of trained manpower will be available in the health sector,” he said.
Praising the philanthropic work during the crisis of the Corona epidemic, the Lt Governor observed that those who have helped people with the spirit of service to mankind deserve all the praise.
The Lt Governor quoted the example of dedicated ASHA worker, Trishla Devi of Kaulpur Village of Samba, who visit around 20 families everyday and check COVID symptoms and shift the needy to hospital. For last two months, she has been making sure that everyone remains healthy, gets vaccinated, and follows Covid protocol regularly. He directed the concerned authorities to take action on the suggestion of Trishla Devi for holding a monthly medical camp in remote areas of the district. He saluted the grit of all other ASHA workers like Trishla Devi who are a bridge between rural population and the Primary Health Centres.
Zafar Ali, Meeta and Najmina of Kullan Primary Health Center in Ganderbal district together have vaccinated more than 12,000 people. For above-45 age group, 100% first dose vaccination has been done in this district. In our second district Shopian, the team of Mohammad Isaq, Riyaz Ahmed, and Sister Afruza in the district hospital have vaccinated 12 to 15 thousand people in the last two months.
The Lt Governor also mentioned about Nasreen of Purmandal, Samba who is providing vaccine doses to people in far-flung areas.
“The pictures from border villages of Gurez have shown us how Shamshada Bano, Dr. Abu Bakr, Abbas Sheikh and Sarwar are vaccinating people by traversing miles through the snow. Our Corona Warriors in Bandipora- Dr. Jehangir, Shamima Begum, Nilofar Jan, and their companions had reached Weyan by walking 18 kms, and due to their hard work, it became the first village in the country to achieve 100% vaccination coverage,” he said.
Mentioning the suggestion given by Anganwari worker, Kiran Bala of R.S Pura regarding supplementary nutrition for the children and transforming Anganwadi Centers as meeting places for the Women & Counseling Centers, the Lt Governor assured her that administration will take a proper decision after considering her suggestions.
Referring to the letter of Kausar Jabeen of Pulwama, the Lt Governor said that sister Kausar has been constantly doing all the work like vaccination, patient care, testing for the past one year, at a local government facility, but despite her noble service she sometimes has to face anger of some patients or their family members. She has also highlighted how she faced a social boycott in her neighborhood owing to a misconception that by working among corona patients in the hospital, she had become a super spreader of the infection.
The Lt Governor also mentioned about the Ambulance driver, Mukesh Singh of Hiranagar who suggested for periodic auditing of 108 ambulances so that the First Aid infrastructure is properly maintained and necessary additions to it are also done.
He mentioned about Raghav Vaidya, a resident of Katra, and his associates who arranged food for more than 200 needy people during the lockdown; Rais Ahmed and his wife Nida Rehman, residents of Srinagar, who arranged 800 meals per day for the Covid positive patients, their attendants and the security staff of the hospitals and are still delivering home cooked food to the needy; Tariq Ahmed of Srinagar who had converted the houseboat as a Floating Ambulance, in which along with First Aid, PPE Kits, he had also installed a Loud-Speaker to inform people about the Corona Protocol; Inspector Sohan Singh of Gadigarh, Jammu, who provided reading material to 5,000 poor children; Dr Shivani, Medical Officer of CHC Lakhanpur, who is serving the patients despite being pregnant for 8 months saying she feels fortunate to have served the country at such a time. Dr. Shivani and our other friends are working on the great ideals of imparting service to the motherland, he added.
On the suggestions of Adnan Ali Khan, a resident of Pinjura village in Shopian, who is selling 15 varieties of apple through online mode, the Lt Governor directed Agriculture Department to promote naturally degradable packaging under a policy and impart training to all the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir in using Bio-degradable packaging. The Lt Governor informed that to make a permanent and efficient system for other youth like Adnan, the government will provide financial help to at least 50,000 aspiring boys and girls this year so that they can become entrepreneurs. The administration has also decided to established a youth club in every panchayat through which they would be connected with creative works, he said.
Responding to the suggestions of Subash Raina of Bhaderwah regarding sharing of best practices in Horticulture sector, Lt Governor said that despite Corona, the administration has been working diligently in the field of agriculture and horticulture. Investments are being made in a systematic manner in Jammu and Kashmir for High-Density Plantation, Food Processing, Cold Storage and many schemes are being launched for the farmers. In this month only, Liquid Nano Urea has been started by IFFCO for the farmer brothers of the Union Territory, so that there is more produce and the land also remains fertile.
The Lt Governor said that taking cognizance of the adorable video of complaint by Mahira, a little girl from Srinagar for the respected Prime Minister; the School Education Department has made a new policy for the children.
On the suggestions of an engineering student Shivam Gupta from Poonch regarding disruption in studies, reducing stress, adding co-curriculum activities to online mode, and regarding Optic Fibre Connectivity in villages of J&K and training of teachers for online education suggested by Isha Kavatra, a Guardian from Kathua, the Lt Governor said that last year on 28th November, the Administrative council has passed J&K Communication and Connectivity Infrastructure Policy (JKCCIP) under which the mobile and broadband connectivity would be strengthened in whole of J&K.
The Lt Governor mentioned about Swarn Rekha Lata, a yoga teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, who taught yoga through virtual medium to 3500 students during the lockdown.
Quoting her, the Lt Governor said that many people who were suffering from mental stress have benefited from Yoga. She suggested that yoga should also be included in the school syllabus on the lines of physical education, and books, magazines of the Ministry of AYUSH should also be made available regularly to the students in the school library.
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