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Kishtwar admin mulls tough action against violators of Food Safety Act

Special squads constituted to step up market inspection


KISHTWAR: The District Level Advisory Committee (DLAC) met here today under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Kumar Shavan to review measures for reinforcement of food safety and implementation of healthy diet initiatives.


The Committee discussed the effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, along with the rules, regulations, and guidelines framed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).


The meeting emphasized the need for constituting dedicated teams, headed by the ADM, to conduct daily routine checks and provide reports on hygiene and sanitation.
The DDC instructed the DLAC members to form squads for market inspections to ensure strict compliance with food safety standards. The inspections will focus on items such as milk, milk products, khoya, packaged goods, sweets, and other consumables.


Asking the enforcement departments to act tough against the violators, the DC stating asked them to impose ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 fine on habitual offenders.


A three-day deadline was set for the mandatory whitewashing of commercial establishments. The DC also directed the EO MC to seize 200 unauthorized rehris (handcarts), prepare a list of these vendors, and ensure their proper registration. Once registered, these vendors will be allowed to operate within the designated Chowgan Ground.


Additionally, the DC ordered that no trade units or stalls be established in front of shops or personal properties without proper authorization. He further stressed the need to organize training workshops and awareness programs for vendors, the food business fraternity, and other stakeholders to uphold food quality standards as per government norms.
At the onset of the meeting, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety, DFCO Kishtwar, Farooq Ahmad, provided an update on the status of food safety in the district. He outlined steps to ensure the availability of safe, pure, hygienic, and high-quality food for consumers. He also emphasized the importance of proper adjudication in food safety matters.


The meeting was attended by PO ICDS/CEO KDA Rishi Kumar Sharma, ASP Kishtwar Pawan Sharma, GM DIC/ACD Kishtwar Phulail Singh, Assistant Commissioner Food Safety and Member Secretary DLAC Farooq Ahmad, CMO Kishtwar Dr. Rajinder Kumar, CAO Kishtwar Amjad Hussain Malik, Deputy CEO Kishtwar Masood Qazi, Inspector FSO Kishtwar Sajjad Hussain, besides representatives from consumer organizations, food business stakeholders and Food Safety Expert Prithpal Singh

DDC reviews working of FCS&CA Department Poonch

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POONCH: District Development Commissioner Poonch Vikas Kundal on Monday chaired a review meeting in Conference Hall of DC Office to access the working of the Food Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Department. Assistant Director FCS&CA Adil Shabir and all Tehsil Supply Officers (TSO)s of the district attended the meeting.


At the outset, the Assistant Director FCS&CA gave a detailed presentation regarding the functioning of the department. He said that the district boasts ample reserves of essential commodities including wheat, rice, LPG, petrol and diesel. “To ensure widespread accessibility, the department utilizes seven stores and 167 fair price shops and 20 Government sale depots for ration distribution,” he added.


A thorough discussion ensued and the DDC reviewed the status of e-KYC/e-Shram/NFSA/Non-NFSA & PMFSS schemes focusing on three categories of Non- Priority Households (NPHH), Priority Households (PHH) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY). He reviewed the current status and issues faced by the TSOs from various zones in the district.
The DDC reviewed E-KYC reports from each zone and asked the TSOs to complete the E-KYC registration in their jurisdictions. He also discussed issues related to online transactions, instructing officers to only provide ration through online mode. Manual or offline ration provision is not permitted only in areas having network issues. The Assistant Director was asked to review the network location of offline PoS Machine again.


The DDC reviewed the status of AADHAAR seeding, construction of Govt food Store Balakote and employee strength, rationalization of manpower and addressed various issues of employees.

Director Agriculture Jammu inspects ongoing HADP aided projects in R.S. Pura

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JAMMU: Director Agriculture Jammu Arvinder Singh Reen visited the R.S. Pura sub-division today to inspect ongoing agricultural projects aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and promoting advanced farming techniques in the region. He was accompanied by Sub-Divisional Agricultural Officer Surinder Gupta, Zonal Officers and the staff.


The visit commenced with an inspection of Paddy Procurement Mandi in the R.S. Pura sub-division. The Director carefully reviewed the mandi operations and provided essential guidance to improve efficiency, ensuring smoother procurement processes for local farmers.
Later, the Director visited high-tech polyhouse issued under HADP to progressive farmer Mahesh Choudhary of Kirpind area of R.S. Pura. The polyhouse is designed to encourage the cultivation of high-value crops in controlled environments.


During the visit, Director A.S Reen inspected the polyhouse, where Mahesh Choudhary is cultivating exotic crops. Additionally, the farmer has raised runner mother plant nursery for strawberries, which have been transplanted into fields. The Director also witnessed the successful transplantation of seedlings raised within the polyhouse. Currently, the polyhouse also has bell pepper seedlings that are ready for transplanting.


The Director was impressed with the progress, noting that the polyhouse enables Mahesh Choudhary to achieve three crops in a single season, significantly enhancing the productivity and income from the land. He praised the farmer for embracing modern agricultural practices, highlighting the potential of such initiatives to transform local farming and boost the region’s agricultural output.


The Director stressed the importance of techniques such as controlled irrigation, proper pest management, and seasonal crop forcing that enable farmers to maximize their yields. These methods play a key role in improving crop production and ensuring consistent harvests even during off-seasons.

APD Minister lauds Fisheries Department for earning national level recognition

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Says Govt eyes massive job creation through fish farming promotion


JAMMU: Minister for Agriculture Production Department (APD), Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR), Javid Ahmad Dar, today commended the J&K Fisheries Department for its outstanding achievements, earning national-level recognition on World Fisheries Day 2024.


The J&K Department of Fisheries, received two prestigious national awards for its exemplary work in developing fish and fisheries in the Union Territory.
Director Fisheries, J&K, Abdul Majid Tak received the awards, which included a trophy and a certificate of merit for achieving the first position as the best performing Union Territory among all UTs in the country. The department also received best performing district award for Kulgam district. These awards were conferred on November 21, 2024, on the occasion of World Fisheries Day, celebrated at the national level in New Delhi.
The event was inaugurated and presided over by Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.


Meanwhile, Javid Dar felicitated the Director Fisheries for receiving National awards and asserted on ensuring taking government schemes to the people at the grass-root level.
The Minister emphasized that the government is committed towards creating massive jobs through fish farming promotions across Jammu and Kashmir. He also said that efforts are on to increase the income of fish farmers, improving the living standards of the fishermen community, and creating more employment avenues for unemployed youth.
Javed Dar encouraged the youth to take advantage of government schemes and get remunerative prices for their produce.


The Director Fisheries attributed this huge achievement to the leadership of Minister Javid Ahmad Dar and the guidance of Principal Secretary APD, Shailendra Kumar.

DC Shopian inaugurates Wisdom Grove Reading Rooms at Shopian

SHOPIAN: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Shopian, Mohammad Shahid Saleem Dar today inaugurated the ‘Wisdow Grove,’ Reading Rooms at Court Road, Shopian here.
This initiative aims to provide a dedicated space for students, researchers and the local community to access educational resources and engage in knowledge-building activities.
This facility has capacity for 120 plus students with proper arrangements for seamless services.


Shahid said that the new facility is expected to support academic and cultural development in the region, offering a conducive environment for learning.

Promoting Road Safety: DIPR’s Cultural Unit Kmr holds awareness program at GCW Nawakadal

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SRINAGAR: In an effort to promote safe driving practices and save lives, particularly among the youth, the Cultural Unit Kashmir, of Department of Information and Public Relation (DIPR) J&K in collaboration with the Government College for Women (GCW) Nawakadal, Monday organized a traffic safety awareness program within the college campus, here.
Recent accidents including at Tengpora and Lawaypora resulted in the loss of young lives, thus prompting the need for an increased awareness about road safety among the masses, especially younger generation.


Students from the college participated in the program, discussing road safety measures and the consequences of rash driving.
The program was attended by distinguished guests, including RTO Kashmir, Syed Shahnawaz; SSP Traffic City Srinagar, Muzafar Shah; Cultural Officer Kashmir, Burhan Hussain; Principal Government College for Women Nawakadal, Mohammad Farooq; Chairman KRSF, Nasir Ali Khan, other officers of Information department, college faculty and the students.
SSP Traffic through a PowerPoint presentation presented recent statistical data on road accidents in Kashmir, including number of accidents and fatalities, causes of accidents (e.g., reckless driving, over speeding, drunken driving etc.) emphasizing the importance of following traffic rules, especially among young drivers.


The data highlighted the need for increased awareness and enforcement of traffic rules to prevent accidents and save lives. Shah emphasized the importance of responsible driving practices and appealed to the youth to follow traffic rules.
Emphasizing the critical need for following traffic rules, RTO Kashmir stressed the need for proper driving practices and appealed to parents not to provide vehicles to their teenage children, which can lead to disastrous consequences.


Appreciating the Information Department, RTO said that today’s event was a significant step towards promoting road safety awareness and encouraging responsible driving practices among the youth.


Earlier, the Cultural Officer welcomed guests to the road safety awareness program, emphasizing the Cultural Unit Kashmir’s commitment to organizing awareness programs on critical social issues across the valley. He stressed the importance of safe driving, highlighting how negligence can lead to devastating consequences for families who lose their young ones.
Principal Govt. College for Women Nawakadal encouraged the students to set an example for others by adhering to traffic laws and promoting a culture of road safety. His message reinforced the need for collective responsibility in preventing road accidents and ensuring a safer environment for all.


Chairman KRSF also highlighted the importance of adherence to road safety measures to prevent accidents.
On the occasion, artists of Mehak Dramatic Club presented a short play on Road Safety Awareness.


Later, AECO Syed Shakeel Shan expressed gratitude to the dignitaries and participants, acknowledging the crucial role of the traffic department, RTO, and NGOs in curbing wrong driving practices on roads.
In the concluding session of the road safety awareness program, dignitaries and student participants were felicitated for their outstanding efforts in spreading awareness about road safety.

40 mobile phones worth above Rs 8 lakh recovered in Kathua

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KATHUA: J&K Police Kathua with the aim to extend Public Services, recovered 40 Android Lost Mobile Phones (including 01 Apple i Phone 11 Pro) with purchase value of approximately INR 8,16,000/- for which missing complaints were registered in various Police Stations of District Kathua. SSP Kathua Shobhit Saksena-IPS alongwith Addl. SP Kathua Rahul Charak, DySP DAR Kathua Subash Chander and other officers today handed over these recovered mobile handsets to their rightful owners after proper verifications. These phones have been recovered by the dedicated professional team of (IT Section DPO Kathua) by using technical assistance.


On receiving their missing/lost mobiles phones, the owners felt elated and expressed their gratitude towards Kathua Police and especially to SSP Kathua for his arduous efforts and guidance in tracing out missing mobiles. These mobile phones have been recovered from different areas of J&K UT(from Kathua, Jammu & Udhampur District) as well as from adjoining Punjab State also.


General Public appreciated the role of Kathua Police.
Moreover it is pertinent to mention here that 176 No’s of Missing Mobiles have been recovered so far making the cost up to 20 Lakh(Approx). Any valuable/vital information regarding any issue, locals can contact on the numbers 100 or 09858034100 (PCR Kathua).

Avoid powering ON all heating gadgets together: CE (Distribution) KPDCL to consumers

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1043 DTs damaged in Nov 2024, 1035 restored

SRINAGAR: Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) today urged its consumers to avoid powering on all heating gadgets at the same time which critically overloads the system and results in snapping of power supply causing unscheduled cuts.

In a press statement released here today, Chief Engineer, Distribution, KPDCL, Er. Aaquib Waheed Deva, advised the consumers to adjust their heating load at the time of resumption of power supply after curtailment hours. “Snapping of power within 15 or 20 minutes is primarily due to simultaneously powering on all heating gadgets,” she said, while identifying rampant use of banned crude heaters and boilers as the principal cause of DT damage.
The Chief Engineer assured that if the heating load is judiciously synchronized within the sanctioned load of consumers, unscheduled power outages will disappear.


Seeking cooperation from the consumers in protecting DTs from damage, Er. Aaquib Waheed Deva said that as many as 1043 DTs were damaged in the month of November 2024 due to unsanctioned load. “KPDCL restored 1035 DTs during the same month to provide succour to the consumers in winter months when temperatures plummeted to sub-zero levels,” she added.


The Chief Engineer further stated KPDCL is maintaining its Buffer Stock of 1554 DTs by reclaiming its damaged DTs in various Divisional Workshops as well as Central Workshop Pampore.

CS for judicious use of extended timeline to complete LD Hospital, EOC & other projects

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JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dullo today held a meeting to discuss the progress of projects taken up under World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) here in J&K.
Those who attended includes Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce Department; Secretary R&B; Secretary Health; Secretary Planning; Commissioner SMC; Principal GMC Srinagar; Chief Engineers, R&B/I&FC and other concerned officers and officials of these Departments.


Dullo took this occasion to impress upon the concerned to make best of this extension window to complete the stalled projects especially 120-beeded Lal Ded Hospital Block, Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), vital bridges and others projects which are yet to be completed.


He observed that this extension period is quite vital and should be utilized judiciously to complete all these projects well on time. He maintained that pre-emptive measures should be taken by the concerned departments to take-up works forthwith for their early completion without any fail.


He emphasised upon the executing agency to handover the new Bone & Joint Hospital at Srinagar to the concerned hospital administration at an earliest so that they begin functioning there.


The Chief Secretary also took note of the physical and financial progress of the works and enquired about the possible dates of completion for each of them. He stressed on swift delivery of equipments to be procured for Fire & Emergency Department as well as 50 Advanced Life Support bearing ambulances.


He called for finalising the flood mitigation reports framed after carrying out studies of both Jhelum and Tawi River basins. He maintained that these reports had a significance towards river management and taking of flood mitigation measures.
He also took appraisal of the status of completion of de-watering stations and their integration with SCADA for central monitoring.


He directed for initiating the hiring of consultancy services for the SPREAD program of the Tourism Department. He made out that this service should be in place with the Department with the next 2 months.


Dulloo further advised for complying with different audit observation. He asked for clearing these in consultation with the AG’s office here.
In his presentation the Secretary, PD&MD gave detailed overview of the projects that were part of JTFRP. He gave out that out of 213 projects, 194 sub-projects had been completed with an expenditure of Rs 1479 Cr till now.


It was further added that World Bank had given an in-principle nod for extending this project beyond the already fixed deadline of 31st December this year. It was revealed that currently 14 projects are going on and 5 more including 4 bridges and new block for LD Hospital are going to be allotted to be completed in the extended period.


The timeline for completing these projects was provided with most of the ongoing ones to be completed by March, 2025. It is noteworthy to mention here that these projects envisaged raising different critical infrastructure projects, generating livelihoods and capacity building of the people here in the UT besides protection works for safeguarding J&K from recurring floods.

Focus on timely resolution of public issues: Javid Dar to officials

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Meets various public delegations in Jammu

JAMMU: Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR), Javid Ahmad Dar today outlined the need for ensuring timely resolution to genuine public issues in Jammu and Kashmir.


These remarks were made by the Minister during meeting with various public delegations at Civil Secretariat, here.


The Minister asserted that the government is committed towards addressing public issues on priority and ensure seamless service delivery to the general public.
Javid Dar reiterated the government’s commitment to addressing the genuine issues of the general public.


He ensured that the people get compassionate hearing and their issues are resolved amicably at all offices.


While engaging with representatives from diverse sectors and public deputations from different districts, Javid Dar listened attentively to their concerns and provided guidance on resolving issues related to agriculture, rural development, and public services.
Minister emphasized the need for swift action in addressing genuine public grievances and urged officials to prioritize transparency, accountability, and timely action in resolving public grievances.


The delegations which met the minister include political delegations led by provisional President Jammu, Ratan Lal Gupta, employees deputations, civil society members and other youth and individual delegations from various sectors and districts.