The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — Ashok Koul, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) General Secretary (Organisation) in Jammu and Kashmir, has stepped down from the post he had held since 2012.

Koul confirmed that he had relinquished the charge and would return to his parent organisation. He also said age was one of the factors behind his decision.

Koul has over the years been involved in the BJP’s organisational work across Jammu and Kashmir, including grassroots-level activities in both regions. BJP leaders have credited him with strengthening the party’s organisational structure and expanding its network in the Union Territory.

A senior BJP leader described Koul’s departure as a “major setback”, particularly for the party’s Kashmir unit, and said he had worked extensively in the Valley after taking over the organisational post.

Koul’s resignation comes amid organisational changes within the BJP following Nitin Nabin’s appointment as party president.

On September 23, the BJP appointed Satish Poonia as its Jammu and Kashmir in-charge and Reena Kashyap as co-in-charge as part of a wider organisational reshuffle.

The changes followed a period of organisational activity in the J&K unit. As recently as September 24, Koul had participated in party programmes in Srinagar in his capacity as General Secretary (Organisation).

Recent BJP organisational meetings in Doda and other districts had also been chaired by Koul as the party’s General Secretary (Organisation), focusing on grassroots coordination and public outreach.

Sources said further changes could take place in the J&K BJP unit in the coming days.

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Monday departed from its long-standing practice by taking up government business immediately after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather read obituary references for three former legislators.

The Speaker paid tribute to former Members of the Legislative Assembly Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Dharam Paul and Ghulam Hassan Khan at the opening of the autumn session. The House subsequently proceeded with the listed business instead of being adjourned for the day, as had traditionally been the practice.

During the obituary references, Rather read out the names and tributes to the deceased lawmakers, while no other member participated by delivering individual remarks. Members later observed a two-minute silence in their memory.

Under the earlier practice, members from different political parties would participate in obituary proceedings and the House would generally be adjourned for the day after paying homage to former legislators.

The change follows a suggestion made by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during the previous autumn session that the Assembly adopt the parliamentary procedure under which the Speaker alone reads obituary references, followed by a brief silence.

“When I was in Parliament, the obituary references used to involve long speeches after the Speaker’s reading, taking up an entire day,” Omar had said.

“Later, it was decided that the Speaker alone would read the references, and members would stand in silence for a minute. I think we should follow that system here too,” he had said.

The Business Advisory Committee subsequently agreed to adopt the parliamentary-style procedure for obituary references, according to reporting on an earlier Assembly sitting.

The Assembly Secretariat had already earmarked September 21 for both obituary references and government business in the provisional calendar for the current autumn session, marking a departure from the previous practice of adjourning the House after obituary references.

The revised procedure allowed the House to move to its scheduled legislative business on the opening day after paying respects to the former lawmakers.

SRINAGAR — The continuing strike by National Health Mission (NHM) employees has prompted the Directorate of Health Services Kashmir to direct hospitals and other health institutions to reorganise available manpower and duty rosters to keep essential patient-care services operational.

The Directorate has asked Medical Superintendents, Block Medical Officers and heads of institutions to ensure that all available regular staff are present and appropriately deployed.

Institutions have specifically been directed to maintain adequate manpower in critical and patient-care areas, including outpatient departments (OPDs), inpatient departments (IPDs), emergency services, labour rooms, operation theatres, diagnostic services and pharmacies.

The Directorate has also authorised adjustments to duty rosters wherever required to maintain manpower during the absence of NHM personnel.

Hospitals and other institutions have been asked to immediately report any shortage of manpower affecting essential services to the Directorate so that necessary intervention can be made.

The directions provide an indication of the operational impact of the strike, which has entered its second week after NHM employees extended their agitation by another 72 hours from September 15.

According to their association, more than 12,000 NHM employees are participating in the agitation across Jammu and Kashmir. The employees are demanding pay parity, a comprehensive policy for job security and regularisation, and social security benefits including EPF, ESI and insurance coverage.

Reports from different districts have indicated varying effects on health services. In Anantnag, around 700 NHM employees were reported to have remained off duty, with several hospitals operating with limited services.

The strike also involves personnel working under different NHM programmes, including the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme. Employees associated with the programme have said its functioning has been affected during the agitation.

NHM employees extended the strike after talks with the government failed, according to the supplied report, to produce a written assurance or a time-bound resolution of their demands.

The agitation continues across Jammu and Kashmir.