Managing director Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) Shiv
Anant Tayal while giving details of the working of Central Workshop Division,
Jammu said that the Transformer Repair Workshop of Electric Central Workshop
Division (JPDCL) Jammu caters to repair of damaged DTs ranging from 25 KVA to
630 KVA rating pertaining to User Divisions of Distribution Wing JPDCL Jammu for
which buffer stock of DTs is created to meet up the emergent demand.
During the last one year a Unique Identification Number has been created for to
all the DTs in the Central Workshop as per the instructions of Chief Secretary of
UT of J&K. To keep track of the damage rate and to ensure fixation of
responsibility in case of damage of the transformers, the workshop division has
been asked to ensure that each and every transformer should be recorded in DT
Asset Management portal of JPDCL.
Managing Director JPDCL further informed that there has been 22.71 % reduction
in demand of repaired transformers. The demand of Repaired Transformers
raised by User Divisions during the current F.Y i.e 2022-23 upto September 2022 is
1024 Nos. as compared to 1324 Nos. during the last F.Y i.e 2021-22. He added
that due to availability of sufficient buffer stock before onset of peak summer and
due to consistent reduction in demand of repaired transformers, only 766 No. of
DTs of varying capacities have been repaired during the current F.Y i.e 2022-23
upto September 2022 as compared to 1103 during the last F.Y i.e 2021-22 thereby
resulting in Cost Savings amounting to Rs. 167 lacs as on September 2022.
MD JPDCL also informed that there is enough buffer stock of Transformers in
Central Workshop to early ensure replacement of damaged transformers in the
hilly areas during peak winter season. He said that during the ongoing Back to
Village program, all the sub-divisions are taking preventive measures such as Load
Balancing and topping of Transformer oil to further reduce Transformer damage
rate in Jammu region.

Vikalp- a student’s initiative (in existence since 2009) to educate the poor and destitute organised a two-day sports event at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University in which students took part in and performed remarkably well in different games. The Indoor games comprised Carrom board, Ludo, Card Memory game, Snakes and Ladders, Knock-the-balls, etc. whereas outdoor sports included Football, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi and Cricket. Every event was monitored under the supervision of student volunteers, who ensured fair play. The two- day events concluded well. The winners will be awarded at the Children’s Day celebration soon. Vikalp team expressed a note of gratitude to all the well-wishers of Vikalp and appreciated the efforts of the volunteers who planned and organised the event well.

NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) show that the country’s unemployment rate increased to 7.77% in October from 6.43% in September.
Out of the 25 states, six had double-digit unemployment rates. These were Jammu & Kashmir (22.4%), Haryana (31.8%), Rajasthan (30.7%), Jharkhand (16.5%), Bihar (14.5%), and Tripura (10.5%), among others.
The lowest unemployment rate was recorded in Madhya Pradesh, where it was 0.9%, followed by Chhattisgarh (0.9%), Odisha (1.1%), and Gujarat (1.7%).
According to the CMIE data, the rural unemployment rate increased from 5.84 percent in September to 8.04 percent in October. While the urban unemployment rate showed slight reduction from 7.7 percent in September to 7.21 percent in October. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI, Nov 4: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that primary schools will be closed from Saturday in view of spike in pollution levels in the national capital.
Speaking at a press conference, he noted that deteriorating air quality and pollution levels were a problem of the entire north India and the Centre should take steps to address it.
“This is not the time for blame game and politics, but time to find a solution to the problem. Blaming Kejriwal or the Punjab government won’t help,” he asserted.
The city continued to reel under the eye-stinging pollution with air quality recorded in the ”severe” category even on Friday.
Kejriwal announced that from Saturday onwards, classes up to fifth standard will be closed and outdoor activities for classes above fifth standard will be suspended.
“We are also mulling over implementing odd even scheme for plying of vehicles,” he said.
The Chief Minister was joined by his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann.
Kejriwal accepted that the stubble burning happening in Punjab was his party’s responsibility since its Government is there.
“Since our Government is in Punjab, we are responsible for the stubble burning. It has been only six months since we formed the Government there and there were issues that were being addressed. We are finding solutions. Give us a year’s time to address the issue,” Kejriwal said.
Mann concurred with him and said there was bumper paddy crop, which resulted in a huge amount of stubble.
“We are taking steps like there are 1.20 lakh machines to bury stubble. Panchayats have also passed resolutions to stop stubble burning. We promise by November next year, stubble burning will reduce,” he stressed. (Agencies)

JAMMU: A criminal involved in looting train passengers by allegedly serving tea mixed with some sedative substances was detained on Thursday after being slapped with the Public Safety Act (PSA) here, officials said.

A dossier was prepared by the railway police in Jammu incorporating detailed summary of all the unlawful activities carried by the criminal, Angoor Choudhary. Subsequently, the district magistrate slapped PSA against Choudhary, they said.

Police detained him to prevent him from acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of the public order, they said.

“His criminal record manifests that he is a substantial threat to railway passenger security. Since his criminal acts are very dangerous and detrimental to the lives of innocent railway passengers, it was found a fit case to be recommended for PSA”, a senior police officer said.

Choudhary was looting passengers by allegedly served tea mixed with some sedative substances and carrying out gruesome criminal activities within and outside the state, they said.

Several cases are registered against him.

NEW DELHI, Nov 4: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday said it has attached Jammu and Kashmir separatist leader Shabir Ahmad Shah’s Srinagar house as part of a money laundering probe linked to a case of fuelling terrorist activities in the union territory.
The house, worth Rs 21.80 lakh, is located in Botshah colony, Sanat Nagar, in Srinagar’s Barzulla police station area, officials said. The money laundering case against Shah stems from a FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in May 2017 against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and others under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
”Shabir Ahmad Shah was actively involved in the activities of fuelling unrest in Kashmir valley by way of stone pelting, processions, protests, bandhs, hartals and other subversive activities.
”He was involved in receiving funds from terrorist organisation Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and other terrorists outfits based in Pakistan as well as from the Pakistani establishment through hawala and various other means and channels and these funds were then being used for fuelling and supporting militant activities in the Kashmir valley,” the ED said in a statement. (Agencies)

JAMMU, Nov 4: Weather was partly cloudy in J&K as the Meteorological (MeT) office said on Friday that partly cloudy sky with possibility of light rain is expected during the next 24 hours.
“Partly cloudy sky with possibility of light rain is expected in J&K during the next 24 hours”, an official of the MeT department said.
Jammu had 15.8, Katra 14.8, Batote 9.7, Banihal 6.6 and Bhaderwah 6.2 as the minimum temperature.
Srinagar had 5, Pahalgam 1.3 and Gulmarg 0.5 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature.
In Ladakh region, Drass town had minus 2.3, Kargil minus 3 and Leh also minus 3 as the minimum temperature. (Agencies)

Srinagar, November 

Omar Abdullah, former CM of J&K, will not contest the upcoming Assembly elections until J&K remains a Union Territory, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has said. At the same time, the party has appointed heads of the 46 Assembly constituencies of Kashmir, seen as a step towards poll preparation.

In 2014, Omar won his last Assembly election from Beerwah constituency which will be headed by Muhmmad Shafi now. “Omar has made it clear that he will not contest the elections as long as Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood is not restored,” Farooq said in Budgam district.

A leader said the list of constituency heads had been issued to fill the gaps arisen by the Delimitation Commission’s fixing of new geographical boundaries for the Assembly segments.

However, the list of constituency heads is an indication that the NC may not have a pre-poll alliance with other constituents of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration and may go solo in the Assembly elections.

In August, the NC passed a resolution that it will contest all the 90 seats on its own but Farooq Abdullah later said that a decision on elections would be taken only when the Election Commission of India decides the dates.

Kargil/Jammu, Nov: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor R K Mathur on Thursday inaugurated a 300-bed district hospital in Kargil district and stressed the need for providing the best possible health facilities to the people of the Union Territory.

Constructed at a cost of Rs 40.37 crore, the hospital complex has come up at Lower Kurbathang in Kargil, officials said.

The LG congratulated the people for one of its kind state-of-the-art district hospital in Kargil.

He appreciated the efforts of the Kargil hill council along with the officials of the administration for making the construction of the district hospital with all facilities possible in a short time.

Mathur stated that the MRI machine would be sanctioned for the New district hospital in Kargil and further infrastructure expansion works would be made in the future so that the public could avail their benefits.

Chairman, LAHDC (Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council) Kargil, Feroz Ahmed Khan, thanked the administration for setting up the New district hospital in Kargil on behalf of the people.

He informed that the hospital was constructed in a short span of time despite the COVID-19 pandemic. PTI