Jammu Jan 24 PTI The Raj Bhawan on Monday night decided to cancel this years Republic Day At Home reception in view of the spike in coronavirus cases in Jammu and Kashmir Liutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has urged the people of the Union Territory to follow Covid Appropriate Behaviour CAB and safety protocols issued by the health officials a Raj Bhawan spokesman said Jammu and Kashmir on Monday recorded 5394 fresh cases of coronavirus taking the infection count to 402596 while eight deaths due to the virus were reported in the past 24 hours officials said Out of the fresh cases 2045 were from the Jammu division and 3349 from the Kashmir division they said PTI AB CK

Jammu Jan 24 PTI The Armys northern command chief Lt Gen Yogesh Kumar Joshi on Monday paid a visit to his first commanding officer Colonel retired K S Jamwal at his residence here a defence spokesman said Colonel retired Jamwal groomed Lt Gen Joshi during the formative years of his military career the spokesman said in a statement Lt Gen Joshi General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Armys northern command believes that the first few years of unit life have been the most valuable part of his foundation as an Army officer and he credits Col Jamwal for grooming and shaping him for future challenges and enriching contributions Expressing gratitude to Col retired Jamwal he said Youre an incredible trainer and Im grateful for your guidance encouragement and constant motivation which pushed me to immense heights I never imagined Thank you for inspiring me to be excellent in everything I do Col retired Jamwal said Joshi was commissioned in 13 JAK RIF as 2nd Lieutenant and joined in Nagaland when I was commanding the unit Right from his early service days he exhibited the winning streak and was always in the forefront with a sound professional approach PTI TAS AB SMN SMN

Jammu Jan 24 PTI Taking a dig at the government for its District Good Governance Index DGGI for Jammu and Kashmir the National Panthers Party NPP on Monday said the union territory was passing through its worst phase of misrule The first-ever DGGI virtually released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday is a framework document comprising performances under 10 governance sectors having 58 indicators with 116 data points which include agriculture services commerce and industry human resources environment justice and public safety social welfare and development NPP chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said there was hardly any sign of governance in Jammu and Kashmir Leave aside good governance or bad governance The fact is there is no governance at all There are no takers for the shrill cries of the public who continue to suffer for want of even the basic amenities the NPP leader claimed He alleged that the union territory was hit hard by power crisis water crisis health care crisis dilapidated roads increased cost of living and deteriorating law and order while development has taken a back seat and corruption has become all pervasive Rather than indulging in such incessant chest-thumping and self-praise the government needed to reach out to the people particularly in remote and far-flung areas so as to mitigate the sufferings of the ailing humanity Singh said He accused the BJP of imposing proxy rule in Jammu and Kashmir through obsequious bureaucrats and defanged experts requisitioned from outside Jammu and Kashmir having hardly any knowledge of the history culture geography and languages of the erstwhile state The result was the collapse of the administrative set up with the public at large eventually becoming the casualty of the failed system And shockingly the government was talking of good governance What a paradox he said Claiming that the people have hardly any access to the corridors of power Singh said The self-certified good governance by the present regime has only evoked cynicism rather than apprehension in view of the all-round disenchantment prevalent in the union territory against the government PTI TAS AB CJ CJ

Jammu Jan 24 PTI Saluting daughters of the country for their accomplishments in various fields on National Girl Child Day Jammu andKashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday called for securing equal rights for every girl child and empowering them with opportunitiesSinha asked people to make collective efforts to promote awareness about the rights of the girl child and provide support and opportunities to girlsLet us reiterate our commitment towards securing equal rights for every girl child empowering them with opportunities for a peaceful prosperous and sustainable society Sinha said in tweet I salute the daughters of the nation for their accomplishments in various fields They are also the backbone of our healthcare system fighting the global pandemic the LG said He said it is our social and moral responsibility to increase awareness on the importance of girls education and their health and nutritionThe efforts put in by all those working towards empowering the girl child are commendable the Lt Governor saidThe National Girl Child Day is being observed on January 24 with an objective to generate awareness about the rights of girl child and spread the message on the importance of their education health and nutrition PTI AB DV DV