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Hello Jammu News at 8:28:00 PM 0


SRINAGAR, JULY 13: Additional Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Rajni Sekhri today stressed for the need to prepare effective and realistic disaster management plan across all districts in the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Additional Secretary MHA made these remarks while reviewing the disaster management preparations in the State.
During the meeting, she said the best approach for mitigating disasters or minimizing their impact is to take timely action to reduce risk. Additional Secretary MHA asked state authorities to ensure the preservation of water bodies and stressed on the need to remove encroachments on river Jhelum and its tributaries.
She said the States like Andra Pradesh, Orissa, Vijayawada and Uttrakhand have state-of-art disaster management plan. She urged officers to send teams to these states so that they will study the plan which will help the state to draft a effective disaster management plan.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, on the occasion, informed the visiting dignitary about the arrangements and preparations done by the state administration to tackle any disaster-related situation.
Secretary Disaster Management Talat Parvaz, DC Srinagar, DG Health Services, Chief Engineer Irrigation & Flood Control, Director Disaster Management, Director MET, Commissioner SMC, NDRF and SDRF officers and other concerned officers were present in the meeting.

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Hello Jammu News at 8:38:00 PM 0

 New Delhi, May 14 :  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday sought reports from the West Bengal Government over the incidents of violence during the ongoing panchayat poll in the state, a ministry official said here.

Polling for panchayat election in 20 districts began early morning on Monday amid tight security but multiple incidents of violence have been reported from the state.
“There are report of clashes between rival groups which has marred the poll process in many districts as well of killings during the violence have also been received,” the official further said.
The rural polls began at 0700 hrs Monday. Altogether 621 Zilla Parishads, 6,157 Panchayat Samitis and 1,827 Gram Panchayats went to the polls on Monday. Counting of votes will be held on May 17.UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 1:29:00 PM 0


New Delhi, Apr 13: The Comptroller and Auditor General has indicted the Andaman and Nicobar administration for lagging behind the original scheme targets of coastal security despite adequate funds.
The CAG report, tabled in Parliament recently, has raised concerns as majority of the projects are far behind schedule and less than half of the allocated funds have been used so far.
The apex auditing body has reviewed the implementation of the coastal security scheme in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and found that only one out of ten planned Marine Operational Centers had been established even after seven years since commencement of the scheme. 
Under the CSS II scheme, ten Marine Operational Centers (MOCs) were to be set up as nerve centers to undertake patrolling, raids and surveillance in remote or scattered islands. 
In November 2010, MHA suggested the completion of all preparatory works for the MOCs by 31 March 2011. 
However, the Department formed joint survey teams only in May 2011 after being prompted by MHA to initiate processing of statutory clearances for identification of sites and preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). 
The CAG noted that only one out of the ten planned MOCs could be set up and operationalised in Kadamtala. 
The status of remaining nine MOCs, the four are currently at the tendering stage, had to suffer delays due to change in site, inadequate preparatory work and non-intimation of availability of funds. In three cases, clearances and allotment of land were awaited and administrative approval and expenditure sanction and revised estimates were awaited in one case each. 
The Department attributed the delays to involvement of various stakeholders in the process of obtaining clearances. 
The CAG also observed that explanations given by the concerned authorities were not tenable.
'The Empowered Committee with members drawn from all key departments such as Finance, Revenue, Public Works Department (PWD) and Forests that could have facilitated early clearances had also never met since its constitution though it was required to meet at least once every quarter. As a result, funds allotted by the Ministry have remained un-utilised and assets critical for coastal security are yet to materialise,' the CAG said in report.
The Home Ministry had sanctioned Rs 302 crore for purchase of 10 large vessels and 23 rigid inflatable boats (RIB) in November 2010. These vessels were required for surveillance along the coastline and were to be stationed at 10 strategic locations where Marine Operational Centres (MOCs) were to be set up.
The Ministry floated limited tender inquiries in June 2016 for procurement of the large vessels and RIBs more than five years after approval of the scheme and finalised tenders for these vessels in December 2017. 
'Thus, a critical component of Coastal Security Scheme (CSS)-II has been delayed for more than six years after approval and the objective of strengthening vigilance at strategic locations through regular patrolling has yet to be achieved," the report added. 
Funds for addition, alteration, up gradation of 20 Coastal Police Stations (CPSs) were sanctioned under the scheme. The top auditing agency has noted that estimates for only 12 CPSs had been received between May 2016 and September 2016 and estimates for the remaining eight CPSs were under preparation by Andaman Public Works Department as of November 2017. 
The CAG has observed that 20 CPSs was an independent component of the scheme for which funds had been made available much in advance.
Further, there was also deviation from procurement rules and guidelines in procurement of boats costing Rs 54.32 lakh. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 12:22:00 PM 0


New Delhi, Mar 30: Government has constituted an expert committee, headed by former top bureaucrat, Madhukar Gupta, to review the ‘organisation, structure and processes’ of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). 
The objective is to meet the growing internal security challenges of the 21st century.
Way back in 2009, then Union home minister P Chidambaram had suggested bifurcation of the MHA to focus on mounting internal security challenges.
The terms of reference of the panel provide a scope for evaluation of the system, capacity and processes of the Ministry besides recommendations on increased coordination among various security wings and stronger legal foundation. 
It has been asked to examine and evaluate the organisational design of the interior ministry with respect to its objectives, and the laws it is assigned to implement. 
Former Sahastra Seema Bal chief Archana Ramasundaram and Director of Institute of Conflict Management Ajay Sahni are the members of the Committee. 
According to its terms of reference, the Committee will also examine and evaluate the organisational capacity of MHA and the human resources at its disposal and propose methods for augmentation as well as better resource deployment if required.
'The Committee is also expected to examine and evaluate the organisational procedures followed by MHA, including delegation of powers, responsibilities and financial processes,' a top source in the Ministry said.
Other terms are to "propose methods to increase coordination and flow of information within different departments of the Ministry, particularly with regard to national security, law and order issues and other security related issues which may arise in future. The panel is to propose mechanisms to allow senior officials of the Ministry to exercise better oversight of their areas of work and devote greater time to strategic priorities.'
One of the tasks with the committee, said a government source, is to rationalise the work of Home Secretary, Special Secretaries, Joint Secretaries and other officers to fine-tune MHA’s functioning with contemporary demands, such as establishing cyber and information security division to deal with online security threats and crimes. 
'The terms also provide to study Ministry’s activities that require stronger legal foundations and to propose the need for legal changes if required. 
'Besides, the task force is also mandated to study and propose the mechanisms that allow the Ministry to engage professional experts, provide flexibility in areas of emergent need such as cyber security and technological developments that may pose risks to internal security." 
The Committee will also study and propose methods to increase the efficiency of organisations associated with the Ministry, such as training centres and forensic labs to enhance their capacity and efficiency.
It is expected to prepare one or more reports with its findings and recommendations as per the terms of reference so as to restructure the Ministry in a way that it is ready to deal with the challenges of the present era, and any other matter the Committee considers relevant. UNI
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Hello Jammu News at 2:15:00 PM 0


New Delhi, Nov 30: The Home Ministry has asked the coastal states to speed up the process of registration of fishermen whose cooperation is indispensable to maritime security, a lesson learnt after the Mumbai terror attack.
For identification of the fishermen, biometric cards are given to them.
Since 2008, coastal and maritime security has been strengthened substantially by successful implementation of technical, organisational and procedural initiatives by all maritime security agencies but there are still many gaps in security architecture of the coastal security which need to addressed quickly to avert situation like 26/11.
Extended in more than 7,000 kilometers, India’s shoreline has a variety of security concerns that include illegal landing of arms and explosives at isolated spots on the coast, infiltration by anti-national elements, use of the sea and offshore islands for criminal activities, smuggling of consumer and intermediate goods through sea, an official said.
The government wants fishing communities to become the ‘eyes and ears’ of security architecture, as fishermen are in touch with their fellows even on the sea when they set out for fishing
Till now, out of total 19,90,521 fishermen, 19,74,098 had been enrolled and 18,60,630 cards had already been dispatched.
To verify the identity of the fishermen, the ICG, coastal Police, Fisheries department are provided with card readers. Registrar General of India gave 4,000 card readers to these agencies. The concerned state governments also supplied 2,636 card readers to the fisheries department.
Issue of ID cards to all fishermen with a single centralized database, registration of over 2 lakh fishing vessels operating off our coast and equipping fishing boats with suitable equipment, to facilitate vessel identification and tracking are major steps taken since 26/11.
The government is spreading awareness in these communities through coastal security campaigns, conducted by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard, in all coastal districts of the country time to time. UNI
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