Srinagar, Dec 13: Commissioner, Drug and Food Administration (DFA), Jammu and Kashmir, Smita Sethi urged the public not to panic over reports of adulterated eggs, saying that investigations are underway and no eggs from the company Eggoz have been found in Kashmir so far.

Sethi said that unnecessary panic would only create confusion and worsen the situation. She said the department is actively working on the issue and laboratory reports will determine the actual status of egg samples being collected. “Let the reports come. We are working on it and will inform the public accordingly,” she said.

The Commissioner said that a special drive to collect egg samples is currently underway and will continue for another two to three days. She said samples collected will be tested in accredited laboratories to determine whether they are fit for human consumption or contaminated. “So far, we have not found egg products from Eggoz company in Kashmir, and we do not even know the source of these reports,” she added.

Sethi said the department will also examine the feed being given to hens, including the use of antibiotics. She clarified that while antibiotics are permitted within prescribed limits, any violation beyond the allowed threshold will invite strict action. “We do not yet know whether this is a stray incident or a regular feature. It will take at least two weeks for the full picture to emerge,” she said.

Citing previous enforcement actions, the Commissioner said the department regularly conducts tests even if they do not always become public. She recalled that action was taken earlier against specific batches of Priya Gold biscuits and Ajwa drinking water after laboratory testing. “An adulterated batch does not mean the entire supply chain of a product is unsafe,” she said.

She explained that prohibitions are imposed batch-wise and district-wise based on laboratory findings. “Every supplier has a batch number and such batches are usually limited to specific districts, not across the entire Union Territory,” she said, adding that a UT-wide ban is issued only when contamination is established at a larger scale. “If required, I will personally issue a UT-wide ban order,” she said.

Sethi reiterated that all testing is being conducted in accredited laboratories and assured that the public will be informed transparently about any contaminated products. She again appealed to people not to panic, saying the department is closely monitoring the situation and will take action wherever violations are confirmed. [KNT]

Jammu, Dec 14: Jammu and Kashmir government’s public grievance redressal platform, JK Samadhan, has received over 1.02 lakh grievances in 2025, with 88,091 cases resolved, translating into an overall disposal rate of 86.27 per cent, officials said on Sunday.

A comparative month-wise trend analysis showed consistent citizen engagement, with grievance inflow peaking at 7,087 cases in February and sustained levels in subsequent months, the officials said.

They said the information was shared at a meeting chaired by chief secretary Atal Dulloo to review the functioning of the JK Samadhan public grievance redressal system here.

The meeting took an extensive assessment of grievance disposal performance across departments, districts, and their allied offices.

The Department of Public Grievances (DoPG) informed the meeting that the platform has received 1,02,110 grievances till December 11, of which 88,091 have been redressed, reflecting an overall disposal rate of 86.27 percent.

The redressal patterns were also analysed separately for Samadhan-origin grievances (87.59 percent disposal) and Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System linked grievances (76.35 percent disposal), the officials said.

The chief secretary appreciated the progress in district-level citizen registration under JK Samadhan, noting that several districts have achieved exemplary household coverage with Ganderbal leading with 115 percent, Shopian (105 percent), and Kishtwar (101 percent).

The overall registration coverage across the Union Territory stands at 69 percent of target households.

The meeting reviewed department-wise grievance loads and disposal efficiency.

Key departments such as revenue, PWD (R&B), rural development, power development, housing and urban development, home, and Jal Shakti reported the highest grievance traffic and were directed to ensure faster disposal and improvement in public satisfaction ratings, the officials said.

They said several departments displayed strong performance, maintaining disposal rates above 85 percent, while others were instructed to reduce pendency further.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to accountable and citizen-centric governance, Dulloo stressed that timely, transparent, and empathetic grievance redressal is a core responsibility of every department.

He said JK Samadhan has emerged as the central platform for transparent citizen-services monitoring and emphasised the need to further streamline responsiveness, improve appeal mechanisms, and enhance integration with CPGRAMS for seamless grievance handling.

He urged all administrative secretaries, heads of departments, and district administrations to bring down pendency levels, improve departmental communication with complainants, and ensure that every grievance stands resolved up to the satisfaction of the complainants.

The chief secretary also reviewed the citizen feedback dashboard, which recorded feedback on 8,704 grievances.

While many departments received favourable satisfaction ratings and high responsiveness scores, certain departments were advised to improve citizen communication, especially in cases where users reported not receiving follow-up calls or messages from officials, the officials said.

Awantipora, Dec 14: Police in Awantipora have presented a challan in case FIR No. 86/2025, registered under Sections 2/3 of the EIMCO Act, before the Court against 40 accused persons who were allegedly involved in anti-national activities, officials said on Sunday.

According to police, the accused had allegedly crossed the border into Pakistan for illegal arms training and did not return thereafter.

A police spokesperson said that the investigation in the case was conducted by SHO Police Station Awantipora, under the supervision of SDPO Awantipora. Upon completion of all legal formalities, the challan has been submitted for judicial proceedings.

J&K Police remain committed to taking firm and lawful action against offenders and ensuring strict adherence to the rule of law.

Srinagar, Dec 14: Light snowfall was witnessed in several high-altitude areas of Kashmir on Sunday, even as a severe cold wave tightened its grip across the Valley, officials said.

Snowfall was recorded at Zojila Pass, Minamarg and Baltal in Ganderbal district, while parts of north Kashmir’s Tulail Valley also received about an inch of snow, they said.

The fresh snowfall was followed by a sharp drop in night temperatures across most parts of Kashmir, with several stations registering a fall of four to five degrees Celsius compared to the previous night.

Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, down from 2.0 degrees a day earlier.

The mercury at Srinagar airport dipped to minus 4.0 degrees Celsius from 0.6 degrees, while Pulwama recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees compared to minus 2.7 degrees the previous night.

Shopian and Budgam also witnessed a marked fall in temperatures, settling at minus 3.7 degrees Celsius and minus 3.1 degrees, respectively.

Other areas, including Baramulla, Pampore, Anantnag and Bandipora, remained below the freezing point.

Zojila Pass was among the coldest locations, recording a minimum temperature of minus 17.0 degrees Celsius, indicating severe cold conditions in the higher reaches.

In the Jammu region, the decline in night temperatures was comparatively mild. Jammu city recorded a minimum of 10.3 degrees Celsius against 11.4 degrees a day earlier, while Banihal and Bhaderwah logged lows of 3.8 degrees and 3.6 degrees, respectively.

Ladakh continued to reel under sub-zero temperatures, with Leh recording minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, Kargil minus 5.2 degrees and Nubra Valley minus 5.7 degrees, officials said.(KNS)

Srinagar, Dec 14: Due to nightlong cloud cover, the minimum temperature improved on Sunday and rose above the freezing point throughout Kashmir Valley, while the maximum temperature dropped further.

The Meteorological (MeT) department officials said that due to nightlong cloud cover, the minimum temperature throughout the Valley rose above the freezing point while the maximum temperature dropped further.

“Srinagar city recorded 2 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature today, as Gulmarg recorded 1.4 and Pahalgam 2.4 as the minimum temperature today. The maximum temperature was 7.7 degrees in Srinagar yesterday, while it was 7.2 and 9 degrees in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, respectively,” the MeT department said.

Jammu city had 11.4 degrees as the minimum temperature, while it was 11.2 in Katra, 7.9 in Batote, 5.5 in Banihal and 4.7 in Bhaderwah, the MeT department officials said.

Despite the cloud cover and fog at most places in Srinagar city and the rest of the Valley, there is no possibility of any snowfall in the plains, while isolated light snowfall might take place in the higher reaches in the coming days.

The MeT forecast does not indicate any major change in weather during the next 10 days, giving rise to apprehension that the month might not witness any major snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir.

An extended dry spell for over two months has brought down the water level in rivers, streams, lakes, springs and wells in Kashmir.

The Jhelum River, running through the middle of the Valley from south to north, has almost hit the bottom.

The 40-day-long period of extreme winter cold called the ‘Chillai Kalan’ will start on December 21 and end on January 30.

Traditionally, heavy snowfall in Chillai Kalan replenishes all the water reservoirs in the mountains to sustain the various water bodies in the union territory during the summer months.

No snow in Chillai Kalan would foretell a drought in summer. It is for this reason that Kashmiris are praying with folded hands for a plentiful snowfall during the winter months. In addition to water shortages, the dry winter cold has triggered widespread chest ailments in J&K, with most people complaining of flu and dry cough.

–IANS

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