Srinagar diary

Even the posting of Basant Rath as IG, Traffic Police, has had no effect on traffic woes in Srinagar.
Srinagar diary

No end to traffic blues

Even the posting of Basant Rath as IG, Traffic Police, has had no effect on traffic woes in Srinagar. The summer capital still suffers frequent traffic jams, causing grave inconvenience to commuters. Lal Chowk, Jehangir Chowk, Lal Ded Road, Hari Singh High Street, Sonawar, Indira Nagar, Pantha Chowk, Dalgate and many other uptown areas regularly witness traffic jams after the seat of governance was shifted to Srinagar last month. The people are complaining that Rath and his department are focusing on ensuring hassle-free VIP movement.

Women staff urged to report harassment

To provide safe and better working environment in offices, the Srinagar administration has urged women employees not to hesitate and report incidents of harassment to their higher ups. Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Syed Abid Shah said by not reporting harassment, the women are emboldening perpetrators and it sustains the culture of harassment of women. Women employees should expect fair proceedings and strict action against the perpetrators. The non-reporting of harassment has a direct bearing on self-esteem of women, which makes it all the more important for them to report any type of harassment, he said. An awareness programme for female employees will be held soon.

MLA wants June 7 as State holiday

Firebrand MLA and AIP supremo Sheikh Abdur Rasheed observed June 7 as ‘State Day’ and unfurled J&K flag at a Srinagar park. About 2,000 supporters of the MLA attended the function during which the state anthem was played. Rasheed said J&K has a separate identity and appealed the government to declare June 7 as State holiday.The three-time MLA from Langate has been highlighting his cause for quite some time. Rasheed demanded that the state anthem, symbolising the struggle of Kashmiris from 1931 to present,  be played in all the functions where the Indian flag is unfurled and anthem played. The day will come soon when the people hoist their own flag from Lakhanpur to Ladakh, he added.

Expired drugs found at govt hospital

This week, the police arrested two pharmacists of a government medical store at a Srinagar hospital for selling expired medicine by tampering with the expiry date. The fraud surfaced after a person made a police complaint about the sale of “expired” Iopamidol, an injectable drug used for contrast CT-Scan, at the hospital’s drug counter. Hospital authorities said while the packaging of the drug showed the expiry year as 2020, the complainant scanned the barcode and found it was 2018. Subsequently, the drug and food control organisation inspected medical shops and diagnostic labs.

The department ordered suspension of sale at two cooperative drug stores in the hospital for non-maintenance of records and other violations. Doctors Association Kashmir president Nisar-ul-Hassan said it was shocking that expired medicines were being given to patients. He said original information label of the drug was removed and replaced with a new one. Hassan demanded that nexus between the pharma companies and some hospital officials be probed and the people responsible for criminal activity be given exemplary punishment.

Fayaz Wani

Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir

fayazwani123@gmail.com

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