JKREVOLUTION

JAMMU, JANUARY 2: Director Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Jammu S. Arvinder Singh Reen inaugurated the first harvest of the Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinula edodes), here today at the Shiitake lab of the Spawn Production Office, Krishi Bhawan.

Shiitake mushrooms, known for their rare medicinal properties including anti-cancer, immune-boosting, and anti-allergic effects, require a specialized cultivation environment. These mushrooms can only grow on sawdust blocks made from hardwood, with a cultivation cycle ranging from 120 to 180 days and a biological efficiency of 20-30% on a wet weight basis.

In his address, Director S. Arvinder Singh Reen emphasized the immense potential of Shiitake mushroom cultivation as a high-value crop for Jammu and Kashmir. He stated that this initiative will not only foster employment generation but also open new avenues for startups, particularly among the region’s unemployed youth. Additionally, the project supports the diversification of existing mushroom cultivation activities within the UT.

The key raw material for Shiitake cultivation is sawdust, and Jammu and Kashmir is uniquely positioned to benefit from this, with its abundant supply of sawdust and Wooden Chips generated by the Jammu and Kashmir’s cricket bat industry. Furthermore, the ideal temperature range of 20-28°C (68-82°F) for Shiitake growth is well-suited to the region’s climate, making it an ideal location for large-scale production.

The Directorate of Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Jammu has successfully initiated the commercial cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms for the first time in the region. The Spawn Production Laboratory at Talab Tillo Jammu has successfully achieved spawn production and spawn run, following the protocols established by the Directorate of Mushroom Research, Chamba Ghat, Solan (H.P). Additionally, 1,000 ready-to-fruit blocks have been procured from District Project Manager-JICA, ODA Palampur, and are being supplied to progressive mushroom growers and DCTCs across the Jammu Province to encourage commercial cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms. Fruit initiation in these blocks has also been successfully achieved across the Jammu division.

The programme was attended by Deputy Director Central Dr. Ashwani Sharma, Agriculture Chemist Dr. Aman Jyoti Sharma, Spawn Production Officer Verinder Dogra, Mushroom Development Officer Raghubir Pal Kochar, SMS-RL Dharmesh Vaid, SMS-SDL Kewal Krishan Sharma, along with the staff from the Spawn Production and Mushroom Development Offices.

This groundbreaking project is poised to pave the way for sustainable agricultural practices, increased employment opportunities, and a prosperous future for the mushroom cultivation industry in Jammu and Kashmir.

KISHTWAR, JANUARY 02: To promote child health, the District Administration has launched a mass campaign to select healthy babies and extend medical facilities to the pregnant ladies, lactating mothers and newly born babies across the district.

In this regard, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rajesh Kumar Shavan chaired a meeting of the stakeholder departments to reinforce the schedule for organizing the events across the district.

The competition, which began on 1st January 2025, has generated significant enthusiasm among mothers, who care for the health and well-being of their babies despite all challenges .

The healthy baby shows for male and female children (6 months to 6 years), started at the Panchayat level would proceed to the Block level and culminate at the District level. The winners will be felicitated on the occasion of Republic Day 2025, with citation certificates and incentives.

A committee consisting of AWWs, AWHs, members of the Village Monitoring Committee, and women members of the Pani Samiti will conduct a preliminary survey of healthy babies from 1st to 5th January 2025 in each Panchayat based on specific criteria. The Village/Panchayat level committee will submit the selected list of 06 healthy babies (3 Male 3 Female) to the Block Level Committee along with documentation of all events.

The Block Level Committee consisting of BDO, CDPO, BMO, TSWO TSO will organize an inter-Panchayat competition from 7th to 9th January 2025 and select 06 healthy babies (03 male 03 female) for the District Level Competition.

The District Level Committee consisting of PO ICDS Kishtwar, ACD Kishtwar, CMO Kishtwar, DSWO Kishtwar, and AD FCS&CA Kishtwar will organize an inter-block competition from 14th to 18th January 2025 and select 02 healthy babies per block (01 male and 01 Female) and those will be the winners of the Competition.

This competition will be closely monitored by the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and the Block Medical Officers (BMOs) concerned, with thorough screening of the newborn children.

The main objective of the competition is to promote the health and well-being of newborns and to ensure proper care for their mothers also

RAMBAN, JANUARY 02: Member Legislative Assembly (MLA) Ramban, Arjun Singh Raju today called for promotion of cultural activities by providing local artists a platform to eke out their potential.

Inaugurating a private music recording facility, “Pahari Saga Studio,” here at Maitra, the MLA highlighted the importance of such initiatives in preserving and promoting the local art and music. He emphasized that in today’s digital age, music videos can play a pivotal role in showcasing Ramban’s rich cultural heritage and scenic tourist destinations, contributing to the local economy.

Encouraging local artists, including Music Director Ashh-k, Ronak Thakur, Abdul Majid Malik, Jeevan Pahar, Mohan Lal and Sangita Rajput, the MLA assured full support from his end and the government to foster growth in tourism and cultural activities besides providing opportunities for talent development.

The establishment of “Pahari Saga Studio” is expected to inspire local artists and enhance Ramban’s cultural landscape while attracting more visitors to explore its natural beauty and traditions.

RAJOURI, JANUARY 02: Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Abhishek Sharma conducted a surprise inspection of the Primary Health Center (PHC) Kallar Chatyar, which serves dozens of villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Keri Doongi area.

During the inspection, the Deputy Commissioner reviewed the attendance of the staff, emphasizing strict adherence to duty rosters. Highlighting the importance of accountability, he directed the hospital administration to address identified shortcomings and implement necessary improvements within a few days.

The Deputy Commissioner instructed the staff to ensure that all available healthcare services are delivered seamlessly and without hindrance to the public. He interacted with locals visiting the health facility to gather feedback on the quality of services, assuring them of the administration’s commitment to upgrading healthcare facilities in the region.

The surprise inspection reflects the district administration’s dedication to providing accessible and efficient healthcare to residents, particularly in remote areas near the LoC.

SRINAGAR, JANUARY 01: In a significant move toward achieving the goal of a TB-free India, a TB awareness camp was held on New Year’s Day, today at Clock Tower Lal Chowk, Srinagar.

The camp was organized by the District TB Control Society Srinagar under the 100 Days TB Intensified Campaign (Nikshay Shivir), and focused on promoting public awareness about tuberculosis (TB) and strengthening community participation (Janbhagidari) in TB prevention and care.

The event was attended by officials from Health Services Kashmir, including Dr. Adhfar Yasein, State TB Officer Kashmir and Dr. Abdul Roof, District TB Officer Srinagar. They were supported by teams from the National TB Elimination Program (NTEP) and the Urban Health Center (UHC) Maisuma Srinagar.

The initiative involved community-centric activities and featured targeted awareness sessions for police personnel, traffic police, and members of the local community.

These sessions emphasized early detection and treatment of TB, prevention strategies to stop the spread of the disease.

On the occasion, informational pamphlets were distributed to pedestrians, providing vital details about TB symptoms, free diagnostic facilities and available treatment options.

A special meeting was also convened with representatives from the Lal Chowk Trade Association, highlighting their role in disseminating information and fostering a TB-free environment.

It is worth mentioning that this initiative is part of the government’s ‘Nikshay Shivir Initiative’ which prioritizes accessible healthcare services and active community engagement to combat TB.

With optimism and determination, the campaign concluded with New Year wishes from the health team, reflecting the shared commitment to eliminating TB and building a healthier future.

Meanwhile, for more information on TB diagnosis and treatment, citizens are encouraged to contact their nearest healthcare center.

SRINAGAR, JANUARY 01: In order to gear up the District Administration and machinery to deal with winter challenges particularly with regard to current weather advisory, necessary preparations and arrangements were reviewed in Srinagar for ensuring prompt snow clearance and unhindered supply of essential services and supplies in the District.

On the directions of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat, senior Officers of District Administration Srinagar under the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Khalid Hussain Malik today inspected their respective jurisdictions and took stock of the arrangements made by the line Departments for prompt snow clearance and ensuring unhindered supply of essential services and supplies to the people.

During their visit, Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) West, Muzamil Maqbool and Assistant Commissioner Revenue(ACR), Srinagar Aijaz Ahmad Shah stressed the line Departments on readying men and machinery to ensure timely redressal of weather vagaries and subsequent interruptions of power & water supply and road closure due to snowfall.

They also asked the Officers to keep men and machinery ready for ensuring proper functioning of all essential supplies and services during snowfall, particularly timely snow clearance from roads leading to hospitals, Government offices, fire & emergency, power stations, WSSs and other vital installations.

BARAMULLA, JANUARY 01: The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Minga Sherpa, convened a meeting of the District Level Committee (DLC) today at DC office meeting hall to review the verification process of beneficiaries listed in the Public Distribution System (PDS) database for the district.

The committee is tasked with verifying the eligibility of all beneficiaries enrolled in the Public Distribution System (PDS) database, in accordance with the applicable rules, and ensuring the removal of ineligible beneficiaries.

On the occasion, the DC instructed the officers to expedite the re-verification process for all beneficiaries, particularly those under the AAY and PHH categories. He urged a thorough review of their current income status to ensure the accuracy of the PDS database.

Minga Sherpa also directed the Officers to ensure 100% completion of e-KYC for all beneficiaries and to incorporate any eligible beneficiaries who may have been left out into the system.

Meanwhile, to expedite the re-verification and updating process in the PDS, the DC directed the formation of committees at the Block and Panchayat levels which will conduct extensive surveys to streamline and update the database efficiently.

The meeting was attended by the Assistant Commissioner Revenue, Assistant Commissioner Development, Assistant Director FCS&CA and other officers and officials.

SRINAGAR, JANUARY 01: With an aim to identify potential entrepreneurs and to promote entrepreneurship at grassroots level, the baseline survey under Mission YUVA, a critical exercise to gather real-time data on existing and potential entrepreneurs commenced in Srinagar District today.

The Mission YUVA initiative is aimed to foster sustainable employment by supporting the creation of new micro-enterprises, expanding existing businesses, and promoting innovative entrepreneurial ventures. The objective of Baseline Survey under the initiative is to encourage entrepreneurship culture and a desirable ecosystem for helping the youth to start new enterprises and generate job opportunities for others.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr. Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat has urged the aspirants particularly the youth studying in different Universities/Colleges to take part in this survey for making it a meaningful exercise by providing feedback about their ambitions regarding self-employment.

He also urged the people in District to extend full support and cooperation to the designated Baseline Survey Enumerators visiting house to house for empowering youth of District to establish income generating units to earn livelihood with dignity and honour.

The DC also asked the educated youth to take advantage of this opportunity to get support to start their business and take the benefits under the scheme which includes a 25% government subsidy, 5% interest subvention, and an additional 10% subsidy for women and physically disabled persons for setting up business.

To conduct the Baseline Survey, the District Administration Srinagar has deployed a sufficient number of Supervisors and Investigators for the month-long survey under the Mission YUVA initiative.

KUPWARA, JANUARY 01: Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Trehgam today chaired an interactive meeting with officers and people at block headquarter Kralpora to review the development scenario of Trehgam Assembly Constituency.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Kupwara, M Rouf Rehman; ACD,CMO, CAO, CHO, DSHO, Dy. CEO, Executive Engineers of R&B, PMGSY, I&FC, besides, block level officers and general public were present in the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, MLA Trehgam said that the aim of holding the joint meeting of officers and the people was to bridge the gap between the people and administration for resolution of the public grievances and problems. He impressed upon the officers to work with utmost sincerity and dedication for the welfare of the common people to leave no gap for the grievances.

The MLA urged the Officers to increase their connection with the people at grassroots level to ease their sufferings. He emphasized the need for mass awareness of various Government schemes especially pertaining to Agriculture and allied departments and directed the concerned officers to monitor their schemes at ground level so that benefits reach to the deserving people.

On the occasion, the MLA took a detailed review of all departments and assessed their performance and progress.

Reviewing PMGSY, the Executive Engineer briefed the MLA about different ongoing road projects in the area. The MLA directed the Ex. Engineer to take up projects connecting unconnected habitations of Jumagund and Keran area which will facilitate the local population living in these pockets.

Regarding PHE, the MLA directed the AEE concerned to personally visit the areas having issues of water supply and fix responsibilities on his sub ordinate staff including JEs and Linemen so that the people do not suffer due to non-availability of water supply.

Reviewing RDD, the ACD informed that estimates of around 1500 works pertaining to the area have been done and progress exceeding 100% have been registered for man-days generation. The MLA asked the concerned officers to ensure the work is distributed equally so that the income status of people in large numbers is improved.

Reviewing Power sector, the MLA directed the concerned officials to ensure power supply strictly as per the curtailment schedule so that the people do not face any inconvenience in this bone chilling winter period.

The MLA also took a review of other departments including Health, Agriculture, Horticulture, Sheep Husbandry, Animal Husbandry and firewood status.

ADC Kupwara also spoke and assured all possible support from the District Administration regarding the redressal of grievances of the people.

Earlier, prominent and senior citizens of Trehgam constituency put forth various developmental issues of different villages before the chair which were heard patiently by the MLA.

UDHAMPUR, JANUARY 01: Deputy Commissioner Udhampur, Saloni Rai today convened a public outreach programme at CFC Ghordi Jagir, as part of the weekly Block Diwas initiative.

The event witnessed the participation of DDC Member Rakesh Sharma, Sub-Divisional Magistrate Ramnagar Rajinder Singh, former BDC Chairman, Aarti Sharma and officers from line departments, along with former PRI members and local residents.

During the interaction, DDC Member Rakesh Sharma, former BDC Chairman Aarti Sharma, former Sarpanches, Panches and residents of nearby Panchayats highlighted several issues and demands seeking Tehsil status to Ghordi, establishment of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in the area, ensuring sustained progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, quality checks for works undertaken by the RDD, repair of link roads under PMGSY and PWD and resolving issues related to new ration cards, filling of vacant posts of doctors in PHC Ghordi, addressing staff shortages in the PHE and Education sectors and mitigating the scarcity of drinking water etc.

The DC gave a patient hearing to the grievances and directed concerned officers to take immediate steps for their resolution. She emphasized the importance of proactive governance and urged officials to personally assess public issues and ensure their timely redressal.

The DC stressed that public outreach programs are integral to effective governance, enabling direct interaction with the people to understand their needs and obtain feedback on developmental works. She encouraged officers to work with dedication, sincerity and accountability, ensuring that genuine grievances are addressed at the earliest.