RTI Reveals Over 60 % Teaching Posts Lying Vacant in Central University of Kashmir

Merely 40 %  Teachers  Posted  in Central University of Kashmir, Reveals RTI

Jammu, 14/July/2023: Over sixty percent posts of teaching staff are lying vacant in Central University of Kashmir (CUK) and merely 40 % are running the affairs, the information in this regard has been shared by the Central Public Information Officers of the University with Jammu based RTI Activist Raman Sharma in reply to his online application dated 15/06/2023 under Right to Information Act.

In response to the query related to strength status of teaching staff in the university, the Public Information Officer(PIO) of the university in his reply dated 12/July/2023 has informed that sanctioned strength of teaching positions in the university is 195 and present strength of the teaching staff is 76. The RTI reply  confirms that over 61 percent posts of teaching staff are lying vacant in the university as presently  119 posts of teachers are lying vacant in the CUK.

While giving detail about the  non-teaching staff in  CUK , the reply states that sanctioned strength of non teaching positions in the university is  114, out  of which 31 posts are lying vacant and as on date posted strength of non-teaching staff is 83.

While replying to the query of information seeker Raman Sharma about the steps being taken by the university to fill the vacant posts, the PIOs reply states that vacant positions of both teaching and non teaching are put to advertisement.

It is pertinent to mention here that earlier in an RTI reply by the Central University of Jammu it has been revealed that almost 40 percent teaching posts are lying there in CUJ. RTI Activist Sharma also informed that Similar RTI application to know about the status of staff strength  has also been submitted with the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Srinagar and their reply is awaited.. 

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RTI Reveals 40 % Teaching Posts Lying Vacant in Central University of Jammu

 Jammu, 13/July/2023: Almost forty percent posts of teaching staff are lying vacant in Central University of Jammu(CUJ), the information in this regard has been shared by the Central Public Information Officers of the University with RTI Activist Raman Sharma in reply to his online application under Right to Information Act.

In response to the query related to  status of teaching staff in the university, the Public Information Officer(PIO) in his reply dated 12/07/2023 has informed that sanctioned strength of teaching positions in the university is 178 and present strength of the teaching staff is 107. The RTI reply also  confirms that 71 posts of teaching staff are lying vacant in the university as on date.

While giving detail about the detail of non-teaching staff in the University, the reply states that sanctioned strength of non teaching positions in the university is  119, out  of which 32 posts are lying vacant. The university has skipped the query related to detail of temporary non-teaching staff there and simply stated “no such information available”.

With regard to query about the enrolled strength of the students,  the   reply served by the PIO to Information seeker Raman Sharma informs that total 2354 students are enrolled as on date in the university which includes 308-SC, 115- ST, 458-OBC, 01-PWD and 120-EWS students . The PIO has also preferred not to reply directly to the query related to total intake capacity of the Central University of Jammu for Students in different courses and departments and instead mentioned university website and  prospectus 2023-24. RTI Activist also informed that similar RTI application has also been submitted with Central University of Kashmir and their reply is awaited. 

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Over 21000 Trees to be Chopped in Jammu, Reasi Forest Divisions for Delhi-Katra Expressway

 Jammu, 09/July/2023: Over 21000 trees will be axed in Jammu,  Reasi forest and Wildlife divisions for Delhi_Katra  Expressway, information in this regard has been provided by National Highway Authority of India. 

In reply to an Right to Information plea  by Jammu based RTI activist Raman Sharma, the NHAI has informed that a total of 21483 trees are to be chopped down between Kunjwani to Sidhra and Sidhra to Ban Toll sections of Jammu_Katra express way.

 NHAI reply dated  23/June/2023  reveals  that 11946 will be axed under Jammu Forest Division  for Kunjwani to Sidhra Section, 1781 tress for Sidhra to Ban Toll Section out of which 746 falls under Jammu Wildlife division.

Under the jurisdiction of forest division Reasi  7756  trees needs to be removed out between Domel and Katra section.

The RTI reply also informs that so far out of 21483 trees that had been earmarked for  removal, 8150 have already been felled, out of which 7000 has been axed between Kunjwani to Sidhra section (Jammu forest division) and 1150  between Sidhra to Ban Toll, Nagrota.  Between Domel to Katra section so far no tree is uprooted yet.

The documents served to activist Raman Sharma by Project Director, NHAI, PIU Udhampur  also discloses that over 716 Kanals (36.2511 Hectares) of Forest Land belonging to Jammu and Reasi Forest divisions shall be diverted for non-forestry purpose that would be used for construction of Jammu-Katra Express Way.  There is also a provision for Compensatory afforestation for degraded forest land for which the funds shall be provided by the user agency.

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Rs 15 Crore Penalty Imposed on Contractor Company for Inordinate Delay

 Jammu Akhnoor Road Widening Project

Rs 15 Crore Penalty Imposed on Contractor Company for Inordinate Delay

Jammu, 02/June/2023: On failing to meet deadline for completion of its allotted work under Jammu Akhnoor Road Widening Project, the contractor firm has been slapped with a penalty of over Rs 15.00 crore by the government.

In response to an application by  RTI Activist Raman Sharma under Right to Information Act,  National  Highways and Infrastructure Development  Corporation Ltd(NHIDCL) vide its official communication dated 31-05-2023 has informed that a penalty of Rs 15.79 Crore ( rupees fifteen hundred and Seventy lac) has been imposed against the contractor Company namely  M/S Tarmat Ltd. for the delay in completion of its work within stipulated period of time.

The RTI reply served to information seeker Sharma and signed by SPS Sangwan, General Manager(P), NHIDCL, Akhnoor further informs that the stipulated completion date( under package-III) was fixed as  23/12/2021 which was later extended  till 30/03/2023 and despite the extension of 163 days the contractor company failed to meet the deadline and now again a new deadline has been fixed as 31/12/2023.

M/S Tarmat Ltd Company has been awarded tender work under package-III             ( from Km 06.000 to Km 26.350) of Jammu Akhnoor Road Widening Project with bid amount of Rs 193.99 Crore.

An Amount of Rs 131.05 Crore has been released  to company till date with 71.86 % Physical Progress of Work and 67.56 % Financial Progress.

In response to the query related to penalty amount so far submitted by the firm , the NHIDCL reply stated that till date an amount of Rs 5.5 Crore has been withheld from the bills of the Contractor Company on the amount of penalty.

The overall final date for completion of this important Jammu Akhnoor Road Widening project has been fixed as 13/03/2025.

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Enhance Amount of Social Welfare Pensions of Citizens: RTI Activist

 Jammu, 30/Jan/2023: RTI Activist Raman Sharma, hailing from Jammu have urged the union finance minister Nirmala  Sitharaman to enhance the amount of  monthly social welfare pensions of the citizens which is given to senior citizens, widows, orphans, physically disables and other kind of vulnerable sections of the society. In his appeal, Sharma said given the present inflation rate, the amount given to the citizens under social pension schemes is too meager and it should be rationalize in comparison to present inflation rate.

He also demanded that union government should also  sanction and approve inclusion of more people under social welfare pension schemes because at present the applications for inclusion of beneficiaries  remain pending with the social welfare department with months and years for approval because of limited funds as released by the union government. In his appeal , the RTI activist also requested for ensuring minimum wages paid to the daily rated workers and provision of life insurance for each skilled and unskilled labour.

He also said the students belonging to economic weaker sections studying in government and private schools should also be provided free books, uniform and fee waiver/discount  and the  specific provision should be made in the budget to stop exploitation of poor people.

Contrary to Gadkari’s statement, 3 toll plazas operational within 60-km in J&K

Contrary to Gadkari’s statement, 3 toll plazas operational within 60-km in J&K 

Arteev Sharma  

The News Now

 Jammu: In contrast to the Union Minister for Roads, Transport and Highways (RTH) Nitin Gadkari’s much-talked about statement in the Parliament on removing fee plaza within 60 kms from preceding and succeeding toll plaza, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has candidly admitted that three such toll plazas are permitted and operational in Jammu and Kashmir. The NHAI, however, claimed that fee plazas functioning within a 60-km range are permitted “in accordance with sub rule 2 of rule 8 of NH Fee Rule 2008 and Fee Rules 1997 as applicable”.

 

“The three toll plazas having a distance of less than 60-km range between Start Plaza and Destination Plaza include Kachkoot-Urjoo (39-km), Bann-Thandikhui (42-km) and Lamber-Kachkoot (40-km),” the NHAI said in an RTI reply to the noted Jammu-based activist Raman Sharma.

“Honble Minister, RTH in Parliament (March 2022) has announced to remove the fee plaza within 60 kms from preceding and succeeding fee plaza. The extant guidelines for location of fee plaza may be referred under Rule 8 of NH Fee Rules 2008 which is available on toll based website of NHAI i.e. tis.nhai.gov.in. The distance criteria for establishment of a fee plaza have come into existence after NH Fee Rules 2008 and there were no such criteria in earlier NH Fee Rules 1997,” the NHAI said in another reply.

"I will ensure that there will be only one toll plaza within 60 km and if there’s a second toll plaza, then it will be shut in the next three months,” Gadkari had said while replying to a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the demands for grants pertaining to his ministry in March this year.

 

The NHAI, however, justified the operationalization of Bann Toll Plaza and Thandikhui toll plaza within a distance of 42-km, saying two plazas were located on two different sections.

“Ban Toll Plaza is located km. 22+600 on Jammu-Udhampur section whereas Thandikhui toll plaza is located at km 88+300 on Lakhanpur-Jammu section. The distance between Thandikhui toll plaza and Lakhanpur toll plaza is 71.90km,” the NHAI had said in a separate reply.

It said that the Government of India had earlier announced the intent to implement satellite-based tolling in India to ensure seamless movement of vehicles along tolled roads in India in line with the vision of toll booth free.

Pertinently, the NHAI has set up six toll plazas on a potholed and unfinished highway between Lakhanpur and Srinagar. It has been generating a whopping around Rs 400 crore annually by way of toll being collected from these toll plazas.

The matter of concern for a highway user is that there has been over 100 percent increase in revenue generation for the NHAI on the toll plazas in Jammu and Kashmir during the last six years. It has been done by way of levying heavy toll tax on highway users despite the fact that the condition of roads has not been improved satisfactorily.

The NHAI has also planned to establish two more toll plazas on the upcoming Jammu Ring road starting from Raya Morh in Samba district up to Jagti in Jammu district and Srinagar Ring road.

https://www.thenewsnow.co.in/newsdet.aspx?q=148708

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