Cops lauded for handling crisis well in Jammu

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh has lauded the efforts of police personnel for ensuring lockdown and extending support to other departments in the fight against Covid and containing its spread. The police in J&K, along with the civil administration, have continued their efforts to control the spread of the virus and also ensured food and other essential services to labourers of other states. The police are also tracing people who are not disclosing their travel history by running round-the-clock control rooms at different police stations. OC

Poor broadband speed irks customers

Jammu: At a time when people are totally dependent on broadband, due to non availability of 4G mobile internet in the Union Territory, customers of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) continue to suffer due to poor speed. As most companies across the country are opting for work from home to contain the spread of Covid, the government-run telecom operator is taking its customers for granted by not ensuring undisrupted services. The poor speed of internet and disrupted connection has irked those working from home and students who are dependent of the internet for their studies due to the countrywide lockdown. People complain that the BSNL officials do not pick the call and even the name and mobile number the company provides at the time of complaint booking remain switched off. TNS

JMC flayed for using poor-quality pumps

Jammu: Notwithstanding claims of the BJP-led Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), many areas are without fumigation as “pick and choose” policy is being adopted to sterilise the city amid the growing threat of Covid. And more importantly, pumps procured by the authorities for fogging in ‘selective’ areas of the city, are not working properly due to poor quality. “In the prevailing emergency, the JMC has purchased sub-standard pumps, not working up to the mark”, Congress Councillor Gourab Chopra said adding, “Bleaching power, sanctioned for spray in the city, usually blocks holes of the manual pumps”, he said and pointed out that two days ago battery fitted electric pumps were sanctioned in different wards but the ground staff was not trained to operate these pumps. A BJP councillor, wishing anonymity, alleged that the pumps were procured by compromising with the quality. TNS

8-year-old girl donates year’s savings

Jammu: At a time when celebrities, sports stars, and businessmen are donating for CARE fund announced by PM Narendra Modi, small children are also coming forward to contribute to the fight against coronavirus. Priduysha (8), a student of the Tali Morh area in Jammu, has donated all her savings to provide food and other essential items to the destitute and needy. Recently, Priduysha saw activists of the Sewa Bharati distributing ration, vegetables and water to labourers living in the area. She donated the entire amount she had saved in her piggy bank to the Sewa Bharati volunteers. “Everyone is contributing in the ongoing fight against coronavirus. As a small kid, I have contributed as per my capability and capacity,” she told the activists, while appealing to the people to contribute as much as they can to fight this deadly disease. TNS

Dearth of playwrights discussed

Jammu: On Hindi Diwas, a videoconferencing session on Hindi literature, poetry and drama in Jammu ad Kashmir was conducted by Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee Mushtaq Kak with a few Hindi playwrights in the field. People drawn from art, culture and language joined the videoconferencing with Kak and debated on the issue with a common concern over the language not getting due promotion in flourishing the art, particularly drama. Kak said over a period, there had been dearth of good Hindi writers and poets which had created a vacuum in the field of drama. Joining, Rajneesh Gupta, a Hindi playwright of the UT, also emphasised on the need for producing young writers in Hindi who can contribute in play writing on the local and general issues so that local Hindi drama can flourish. TNS

Coordinators to ensure e-content

Jammu: The coordinators of different departments of Cluster University of Jammu (CLUJ) have been told to ensure that the e-content of class lectures of courses assigned to various teachers of the department are uploaded on the university website. Sources said all coordinators of different departments had been directed to make sure that the e-content of the class lectures of the courses would be uploaded on the official website of CLUJ in consultation with IT team experts. They further said all principals of constituent colleges of the university were also asked to ensure that the e-content of the class lectures of the courses assigned to various teachers of the department were uploaded on the their website. TNS

Slums, labourers face ration shortage

Rajouri: Despite the administration’s several measures to provide every possible help to stranded labourers and slum dwellers from outside the UT during lockdown, most of them are facing acute shortage of food, money, water and other basic facilities in the district. Many families residing in Rajouri town and its vicinity have not been provided promised ration and other items. Ragpickers have made their temporary shelters near rivers, rivulets’ sides while skilled/ unskilled and labourers have hired rented accommodations reportedly in groups. About 100 such families living in a slum in the town near Sailani Bridge are also looking for official aids. OC

Panel for better wages to anganwadi staff

Jammu: A central committee has stressed adequate remuneration and better working conditions for anganwadi workers and helpers. It said the anganwadi workers and helpers played a key role in the efficient implementation of the anganwadi services in remote and rural areas under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme. The total strength of children studying in anganwadi centres in J&K is 7,98,450, which includes 4,10,165 children between 6 months and 3 years of age and 3,88,285 children between the age group of 3 and 6 years. The panel observed that even though remuneration of the anganwadi workers and helpers was enhanced recently, it was still meagre in comparison to the services being rendered by them, especially in the remote and rural areas. TNS