Auto drivers, passengers take to streets
Demand separate stand, traffic beat
Mir TariqBandipora, July 19: Hundreds of auto-rickshaw drivers on Saturday stage sit-in protest behind the DC office and demanded separate auto-rickshaw stand here in north Kashmir district of Bandipora. Protesting against the absence of an auto-rickshaw stand in the area, hundreds of auto-rickshaw drivers along with passengers staged a sit-in behind the DC office Bandipora for about three hours.They said the area should be provided with separate auto-rickshaws and traffic police booth in the Bandipora town to facilitate smooth movement of vehicular traffic and decrease overcrowding in markets.The passengers are facing a lot of problems in the only congested mini bus stand where auto-rickshaws temporarily park in Bandipora.“We are facing a lot of problems while running auto-rickshaws. This temporary mini-bus stand remains congested which adds to the problems of the passengers," said Ali Muhammad, President Autorickshaw Association Bandipora. “To ease traffic congestion, we are demanding a separate auto-rickshaw stand for the convenience of drivers as well as passengers."“It takes a lot of time to cross few meters from the mini bus stand to main road as the stand remains congested with the trucks, Tata Sumo vehicles, min buses and wheel carts,” said Bashir Ahmed, an autorickshaw driver. “Trucks and other goods carrying vehicles should be asked to park in the new bus stand yet to be opened for the public after construction."Condemning the proposed traffic regulating system adopted by the district administration, the passengers said, "The district administration is not thinking seriously about the growing traffic and congested roads. We are facing a lot of problems and district administration is acting a mute spectator."Deputy Commissioner Bandipora during the fasting month of Ramadan in 2007 announced the opening of newly constructed bus stand but the stand is yet to be opened for public.“It takes a lot of time to cross few meters through the congested roads of Bandipora," said Mushtaq Ahmed, a local teacher.Malik Faheem, a local said: “For years, the town has been facing inordinate traffic system and the administration had to face protests for not enforcing traffic rules properly."Another resident of Bandipora, Zahoor Ahmed said, “Although we had staged protest demonstrations to highlight the problem of growing traffic and lack of bus stand but the authorities were unmoved.”Superintend of Police, Bandipora Sheikh Juniaid Ahmed said, "I have taken charge of the district three days back. In the coming days, the problem of auto-rickshaw drivers and passengers will be solved."Additional Deputy Commissioner Bashir Ahmed Bhat said, “The construction of new bus stand is complete now. The bus stand will be opened for public in the coming three to five days
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ASHA workers demand pending dues
July 19Mir TariqBandipora, : Demanding immediate released of their wages, Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) workers on Saturday came out on roads in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district and threatened to stage massive demonstration if their incentives are not released.The ASHA activists working under the Sub District Hospital Bandipora said that they are not being paid by the concerned authorities although they had rendered work for their respective villages."We are working in our respective villages. We look after the pregnant women in our locality, inform the health department about the births and deaths and immunize the children in schools and home," said Waheeda Begum. “The concerned officers in the department are not giving compensation for services which we provide under various ongoing State Government and Government of India schemes like institutional delivery under Janani Suraksha Yojana(JSY), completion of DOTS treatment under Rural National TB Control Programme, promotion of household toilets under Total Sanitation Campaign and the overall guidance of District Health Mission.”Another ASHA worker Mehjabeen said, “We counsel women on birth preparedness, immunization, contraceptive, RTI and STI. We mobilize the community and assist them in accessing the services already available at Aganwadi Sub-Centre and PubliC Health Centre. Instead we are getting abuses and disrespect from the concerned authorities."The ASHA workers said that they have not received any wages for their services for the previous one year."We are paying money from our pockets to take pregnant women to the hospital but we are not getting anything," said Sara Begum. "Only those workers are being paid who have influence in the hospital."Under the National Rural Health Mission, these women function as links between the community and the health system. They reinforce community action for universal immunization, safe delivery, newborn care, prevention of communicable diseases, improvement in nutrition and promotion of household toilets.ASHA worker are the health activists in the community who have been engaged by the Health department to create awareness on health and its social determinants, mobilize the community towards local health planning and increased utilization of existing health services. Talking to Rising Kashmir, Block Medical Officer Bandipora, Dr Mushtaq Ahmed Malik said, "ASHA worker gets performance-based incentives for promoting universal immunization, referral and escort services for Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) and other healthcare programmes. They have no monthly salary. We are sending the report to higher authorities, which takes time as a result of which ASHA workers are facing problems."He said the pending payment of 2007 of ASHA workers would be released within few days.