Valley returning to normalcy: Govt
In a note placed before a Supreme Court bench hearing a batch of petitions relating to media curbs, medical facilities and challenges to abrogation of Article 370, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Monday said that restrictions are temporary. A snapshot of what the government told the court:
Day-time restrictions
Barring 12 police stations in Kashmir, prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been lifted from 94% of the police stations in the region as on September 15.
Landlines & mobile phones
All 102,069 landlines are functional. Mobile phones are functional in all 10 districts of Jammu division, in both the districts of Ladakh division and in one (Kupwara) of the 10 districts in Kashmir division.
Health care
■ Health services are functioning normally in Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir. Till September 15, over 10 lakh patients attended the OPD services in hospitals in Kashmir, 67,196 patients visited indoor patient departments in various government-run health care institutions and doctors successfully performed 10,699 major surgeries, including caesarean sections, and 53,297 minor surgeries in various hospitals in Kashmir.
■ There is sufficient stock of essential drugs and other medical requirements across the hospitals in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh divisions, while 90% of medical shops are open ensuring adequate supply of drugs.
■ Cash availability has been ensured
Necessities
■ Round-the-clock supply of drinking water and electricity is being provided.
■ There is three months’ stock of essential commodities like food grains, LPG cylinders, petrol, diesel etc. Additionally, 898,050 LPG refills have been delivered to consumers in the last one month across Kashmir valley, 6.46 lakh quintals of ration have been distributed, with a regular supply of vegetables and meat.
Schools
Schools in Jammu and Ladakh divisions are fully functional, with 97% of schools functioning in the Kashmir division.
For apple growers
The central government has introduced a Special Market Intervention Price Scheme to procure apples from all apple-growing districts in Jammu and Kashmir and fruit mandis in Sopore, Parimpura, Shopian and Batingo.