Srinagar, February 06: Suspected militants fired upon security forces in Nowgam area of Central Kashmir’s Srinagar district on Saturday.
Official sources told GNS that militants fired upon 29 Battalion of CRPF in Chanapora. In this incident one CRPF personnel recieved bullet wound in leg, subsequently shifted to hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile whole area has been cordoned off to nab the fleeing militants, they said.(GNS)
Srinagar, Feb 06: With alarming rise in unnecessary Cesarean deliveries in Kashmir valley, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Saturday said majority of these surgeries are done for financial gains.
“Doctors are motivated by money to perform needless surgical deliveries,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
“Birth has become a lucrative business in Kashmir,” he said.
“There is a well-oiled nexus between private hospitals and doctors that is pushing patients into cesareans they don’t need.”
“A perception has been generated that cesareans are better than normal deliveries,” DAK President said.
“In order to convince perfectly healthy women to opt for elective cesarean section, doctors tell them about so called benefits of the surgery.”
“First time mothers are especially targeted because if a woman has C-section once, she would need surgeries for subsequent pregnancies,” he said.
“Doctors make more money for cesarean than a normal delivery and hospitals rake in money for patient’s longer stay and medical attention.”
“A cesarean is less time consuming and more profitable,” Dr Nisar said.
“A doctor would do 12 cesareans in the time it takes to do one normal delivery.”
“In government hospitals too, surgical births have increased dramatically,” he said.
“To learn the technique postgraduate students perform cesareans when they are not required.”
“C-section delivery is a surgical procedure used to deliver a baby through incision in the abdomen and the uterus,” Dr Nisar said.
“While WHO states that Cesarean rates should not be more than 10 percent of the total deliveries and must be performed in emergency cases, the rates at Kashmir hospitals are as high as 80 percent.”
He said unnecessary Cesarean section delivery is risky to both mother and child.
For mother, C-section raises the chances of complications such as blood loss, infection or blood clots.
Studies indicate that the chance of maternal mortality is 4-5 times after an elective cesarean than a normal delivery.
For the newborn, it means delayed breast feeding, lower birth weight, respiratory problems and increased rate of hospitalization.
“The natural birth is the ideal way and if it was better to deliver through the stomach, nature would have surely made it so,” said Dr Nisar.
Srinagar: Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan, from Kashmir who made it to the Indian Administrative Service securing the second rank, has been shifted from Rajasthan cadre to Jammu and Kashmir. Government of India, Secretariat of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Department of Personnel and Training has issued a formal order in this regard. The order as per KNT reads that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of DOPT (AIS Division) for Inter Cadre Deputation of Athar Aamir-ul- Shafi Khan, lAS from Rajasthan cadre to Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir for a period of three years in relaxation of the policy. Athar had been given Rajhstan cadre when there was no vacancy in Jammu & Kashmir. Khan belongs to Devipora-Mattan village of South Kashmir Anantnag district. The son of a school teacher, he was given Rajhstan cadre after cracking IAS examination in 2017. Besides Athar, Basharat Qayoom (IAS) has also been shifted from Jharkhan cadre to Jammu Kashmir cadre. One more IAS from Tripura cadre Akshay Labroo has been given Jammu Kashmir Cadre for a period of three years in relaxation of the policy. (KNT)
Srinagar 05 February : Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha thanked Prime Minister of india Narinder Modi and Home Minister Amit shah for acceding UT request of 4g restoration.
“I thank the Hon’ble PM @narendramodi Ji and HM @AmitShah Ji for acceding to our request and restoring 4G services in the entire J&K UT. The move will fulfill the aspirations of the people, particularly the youth”,LG tweeted.
It is pertinent to mention here that the 4g ban was a major grevience among the people of J&K and the Several Political Parties were taking the lead in questioning the motive and slamming the 4g ban as a regressive and authoritarian measure.
Earlier, The Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions challenging the 4G ban, has refused to strike it down but suggested to the government to review the same.
Srinagar: After remaining suspended for 550 days, the high speed mobile data services would be restored shortly across Jammu and Kashmir.
The government spokesman, Rohit Kansal in a tweet informed that 4g mobile internet services are being restored in J&K.
“4G mobile internet services being restored in entire J&K,” Kansal tweeted.
Notably, the high speed mobile data services were restored in twin J&K districts including Ganderbal in Kashmir and Udhampur in Jammu division on “a trial basis” on August 16, 2020.
The services were suspended on August 05, 2019 when the government in centre abrogated the special status of J&K and bifurcated the erstwhile State into two Union territories—(KNO)
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is among 14 states and UTs where Avian Influenza among commercially reared and wild birds has been confirmed, the government said on Friday.
In Jammu and Kashmir context, Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan, informed Rajya Sabha that the avian influenza cases have been confirmed in Kulgam, Anantnag, Budgam, Pulwama, Baramulla, Poonch and Udhampur districts.
The species affected, he said, include “crows and poultry”.
Besides J&K, the minister said that avian influenza cases have been confirmed from Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and New Delhi.
Responding to the questions by parliamentarian Anand Sharma, the minister said that advisories were issued to States/UTs for increased surveillance and bio-security in poultry farms before onset of winter due to arrival of migratory birds during winter.
The states and UTs have been asked to increase surveillance around water bodies, live bird markets, zoos, poultry farms, etc., and also carry out proper disposal of carcasses, strengthening of bio-security in and around poultry farms, restrict movement of poultry from infected zones and taking preparatory measures— maintaining sufficient stock of PPE kits and accessories, disinfectants and other logistics required for control operations.
They were also asked to set up central control room to monitor daily progress of preventive and control measures, he said.
The states and UTs have been requested to ensure effective communication and coordination with Health and Forest authorities for close vigilance of the disease status to avoid any chance of jumping of the disease into humans.
“As per information gathered, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a detailed guidance note on safe handling, processing and consumption of poultry meat and eggs during bird flu outbreak,” he said as per the reply, a copy of which lies with GNS.
As per the Action Plan, he said, there is a provision for compensating poultry farmers for forced culling of poultry and destruction of eggs and poultry feed.
The Department, under the Assistance to States for Control of Animal Disease (ASCAD ) component, provides financial assistance for such compensation, he added. (GNS)
Jammu: The security forces on Friday issued a high alert after Jammu and its adjoining areas received Pakistan mobile signals, causing panic among the people in the region. Following this, the Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted searches in city’s Bharat Nagar area, reported Dainik Jagran. The report further claimed that raids were also conducted in Anantnag.
“However, the search operation, which lasted for nearly three hours, was stopped because the agencies didn’t find any suspicious activities in the region,” Dainik Jagran quoted a senior police official as saying.
Quoting sources, the Dainik Jagran report claimed that security agencies are on high alert as they fear that the signals might be used by militants hiding in the Valley, adding that some residents might also use Pakistani SIM cards.
The intelligence agencies had earlier also issued an alert, saying Pakistan is trying to resurrect militant groups in Jammu and Kashmir and might enhance its mobile coverage in the Valley. They also claimed that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), along with Khalistani militants, is also planning to carry out attacks across India, especially in Punjab, New Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir.
Following the alert, five militants, backed by ISI, were arrested by the Delhi Police after a shootout in the national capital. The Delhi Police later said that huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the militants.
The police had claimed that the five militants — two from Punjab and three from Jammu and Kashmir — were backed by ISI for narcomiltancy and were also linked with some murder case in Punjab.
Srinagar: Director Education, Mohammad younis malik said that In order to reopen schools safely and mitigate disease spread, Intensive sensitisation programme has been started ahead of Reopening of schools in the valley.
“Schools remained closed during pandemic phase in valley along with other parts of country and we switched to online mode with every resource whatever was possible with us. As on date with available feedbacks, with some comfortable situation, the government decided to repon schools”, he said.
He also said that school has been reopened in jammu and they are about to reopen schools here in valley as per schedule after the winter vacation ends and the children will be able to attend classes physically in schools.
“As far as preparations are concerned, we have started an in intensive sensitisation programme in collaboration with Divisional covid control room with some of their experts who will sanitize Head of Institutions regarding SOP’S”, he added.
He said “We have to see cleanliness of schools which is very important so that it should not be the cause for Pandemic and all community teachers, students and other stakeholders need to be sensitised.”
“We have some days left to reopen schools and with every possible effort we will try to sensitise all Heads of instutions and will communicate Parents what precautions we have to follow while opening these schools.”he said. (KNS)
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded three more lives deaths due to COVID-19 taking the death toll to 1,941 in the Union Territory while 65 positive cases were reported taking the tally of positive cases to 124,659 in J&K.
Of the exact number of 124,659 cases, 73,070 are from Kashmir and 51,589 from Jammu division. Officials told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that among 65 new cases, 49 belong to Kashmir division while as 16 are from Jammu division, adding that the total number of positive cases in Kashmir division have reached to 73,070 including 71,306 recoveries and 1,219 deaths while as total number of positive cases in Jammu division have reached to 51,589 including 50,743 recoveries and 722 deaths.
The officials said that the total number of active cases in Jammu and Kashmir are 669 including 545 from Kashmir division and 124 from Jammu division.
With 61 more recoveries, the tally of total recoveries in Jammu and Kashmir has reached to 122,049 which is 97.82 percent of the total cases.
“Cases tested positive in J&K include 23 from Srinagar, 03 from Baramulla, 05 from Budgam, 02 from Pulwama, 01 from Kupwara, 06 from Anantnag, 02 from Bandipora, 07 from Ganderbal, 00 from Kulgam and 00 from Shopian in Kashmir division while as 16 from Jammu division include 09 from Jammu, 06 from Udhampur, 00 from Rajouri, 00 from Doda, 00 from Kathua, 00 from Samba, 00 from Kishtwar, 01 from Poonch, 00 from Ramban and 00 from Reasi,” officials disclosed.
Notably, in the last 24 hours three persons who were tested positive for COVID-19 have died, among them two belong to Kashmir division and one to Jammu division.
As per officials figures, 26,262 positive cases including 458 deaths and 25,589 recoveries are from Srinagar, 8,124 including 174 deaths and 7,909 recoveries are from Baramulla, 7,777 including 7,6249 recoveries and 118 deaths are from Budgam, 5,731 including 5,594 recoveries and 88 deaths are from Pulwama, 5,663 including 95 deaths and 5,541 recoveries are from Kupwara, 4,913 including 4,775 recoveries and 86 deaths are from Anantnag, 4,695 cases including 4,614 and 61 deaths are from Bandipora, 4,635 including 4,529 recoveries and 46 deaths are from Ganderbal, 2,697 including 2,618 recoveries and 54 deaths are from Kulgam and 2,573 including 2,508 recoveries and 39 deaths are from Shopian.
In Jammu division, 24,988 including 24,565 recoveries and 371 deaths are from Jammu district, 4,210 including 4,128 recoveries and 57 deaths are from Udhampur, 3,868 including 3,812 recoveries and 55 deaths are from Rajouri, 3,432 including 3,364 recoveries and 64 deaths are from Doda, 3,254 including 3,199 recoveries and 53 deaths are from Kathua, 2,832 including 2,781 recoveries and 40 deaths are from Samba, 2,732 including 2,709 recoveries and 22 deaths are from Kishtwar, 2,502 including 2,454 recoveries and 24 deaths are from Poonch, 2,133 including 2,109 recoveries and 21 deaths are from Ramban and 1,638 including 1,622 recoveries and 15 deaths are from Reasi.
As per the daily information bulletin 1,141,184 persons in Jammu and Kashmir are under observation while 34,333 persons have been kept under home quarantine besides that 669 persons are in isolation.
According to the bulletin, 998,053 persons have completed surveillance period and 106,188 persons are under home surveillance besides that so far results of 4,600,637 samples are available.
Out of 4,600,637 the number of samples tested negative stands at 4,475,978 while as 124,659 have tested positive, among them 669 persons are active, 122,049 persons have recovered and 1,941 persons have died—(KNO)
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir administration in collaboration with the Railway authorities is mulling to resume the train services by February 17 after a gap of ten months, official sources said.
People from different areas of Kashmir said that public transport is normally functional and now government has also decided to open educational institutions, then why only services have been kept suspended.
“If train service will resume, passengers can skip Qazigund -Banihall portion which remains very slippery in winters and it can reduce traffic jam on national highway as well,” Subzar Ahmad, a resident of Qazigund told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
Saqib Yousuf, Chief Manager Railways said that once government will come up with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) pertaining to Covid-19, train service will resume in J&K.
He said department suffered losses in crores but decision was taken for wellbeing of people.
A top official in the administration told KNO that train services in Jammu and Kashmir will resume by February 17.
He said that government will come up with SOPs in this regards in next few days.
Pertinently, train services in Jammu and Kashmir were suspended on March 19 last year’s after outbreak of Covid-19.
Notably, Banihal-Baramulla Train services resumed on 11 November 2019 after remaining suspended for around 100 days after abrogation of special status of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Railway officials had said that railway suffered a loss of around 2 crore for remaining suspended from 05 August 2019 to November 11, 2019 after revocation of special status—(KNO)