Kashmir valley to be promoted as golfing destination

CEC LAHDC Rigzin Spalbar today convened a meeting to review the implementation and progress of hydro and solar power plants undertaken by LREDA. The meeting was attended by all the ECs, Councilors, Jigmet Takpa, Project Director, LREDA and team of engineers of LREDA.

Takpa gave a presentation of the total projects in hand and detailed report on accomplished and ongoing works of LREDA. He informed that out of 22 hydro power plant projects, 10 projects are under execution with the deadline of ending 2014 and out of 125 solar power plant projects 92 are completed and the remaining will be completed by end of this year.

Expressing concern over the growing problem of vitamin-D deficiency across the globe, the second international conference on “Vitamin-D deficiency and its health consequences”, held recently in Abu Dhabi, has stressed on creating awareness and education among the masses, especially women, to control this global pandemic.

The prime objective of the conference was to identify the reasons of vitamin-D deficiency in the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the world; discuss issues related to laboratory measurement of vitamin, deliberate on consequences of vitamin D deficiency in bone and bone-related diseases like rickets, explain various biological roles of vitamin D in cancer, diabetes and depression and current clinical practice guidelines and their relevance.

A report submitted to the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) by the Drugs and Food Control Organisation (DFCO), a state government agency, has revealed that 438 medicines, including inject-able drugs have been found ‘not of standard quality’ (NSQ) after analysis over the past seven years. These samples were lifted randomly by officials of the organisation from government-run hospitals and chemist shops.

The SHRC is hearing a complaint by a civil society group, Jammu and Kashmir People’s Forum, filed in the wake of the spurious drugs scam and had asked for a factual report from the authorities concerned.

One person was killed and nearly sixty persons including 32 students were injured and hundreds of buildings damaged in the state when an earthquake of moderate intensity shook parts of North India

Noted geologist and senior professor at the University of Jammu GM Bhat has described the recurring tremors in the state as a “routine activity” but said it could be an indication of a major earthquake in the coming days.

“There is nothing unusual about it (earthquake) and it is a routine activity, as we are in the Seismic Zone-V. The state is prone to tremors measuring 5 and above on the Richter scale. The Bhaderwah and Thathri areas of Doda district witnessed maximum impact of tremors today because these areas were close to the epicentre of the earthquake,” said Bhat over the phone from New Delhi.

The Minister of Agriculture Ghulam Hassan Mir today dedicated the Mobile Plant Health Clinic van for district Udhamur under ATMA at Kissan mela held at village Neeli Nallah Jib.

The MLA Udhampur Balwant Singh Mankotia was also present on the occasion. Over 500 farmers including women participated in the Kissan Mela. Addressing the function Mr Mir said the mobile plant health clinic will act as an early warning system for the detection of diseases and pests for avoiding loss and it will also help in collecting location specific useful information of diagnosis making capacity.

A moderate intensity earthquake rocked Jammu and Kashmir today but there were no reports of any casualties so far.

High Level Monitoring Committee on Infant Mortality Reduction (IMR) held under the chairmanship of Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan here today.

The quake with a magnitude of 5.7 on the Richter scale shook the region at 2.57 pm, an official of the state Meteorological Department said.