Governor N. N. Vohra, President, Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), J&K, chaired the 176th meeting of State Managing Committee (SMC) of IRCS, J&K, Branch at the Raj Bhavan here today. Sh. Bali Bhagat, Minister for Health and Medical Education, participated in the meeting.For creating awareness about the objectives of the Red Cross movement and generating funds for the IRCS Governor stressed the importance oforganising Red Cross Melas in each District. Lauding the exemplary work done by members of a local NGO from Ramban in providing immediate aid to the large number of Shri Amarnathji Yatra pilgrims who were killed and injured in a ghastly road accident in July last, Governor emphasised the importance of imparting First-Aid Training programmes to youth on an extensive scale as this would help in saving precious lives in case of arising emergencies. He directed the Hony General Secretary Red Cross to provide a well designed First aid Kit to every Red Cross Volunteer.Governor directed the Divisional Commissioners Jammu and Kashmir and Deputy Commissioners to timely identify Red Cross Volunteers whose work merits conferring awards for their humanitarian services. Sh. Farooq Shah Secretary School Education Department was asked to actively involve all Government, Private and CBSE Schools for increasing the enrolment of students in the Red Cross family and to also frame a pragmatic policy for the schools utilising their share of Red Cross funds.
Stressing the need to make Red Cross activities progressively more and more meaningful, Governor emphasized that the need of the hour is to build a large pool of committed Volunteers for ensuring wider participation of people in the humanitarian and charitable endeavours of the Red cross.Sh. M.S. Rather, Honorary General Secretary IRCS, informed that, in the first phase, IRCS had taken up District Ramban (in Jammu) and Baramulla (in Srinagar) where a total of 701 students from 14 educational institutions had been imparted extensive training in First Aid and Disaster Response. Further, the full particulars of trained volunteers have also been shared with the concerned Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police so that their services could be utilized in case of any disaster or accident. He also informed that a detailed Training Calendar for Schools and Colleges has also been framed.In regard to imparting First Aid training in areas along the IB and LoC: Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Baramulla, Kupwara, Leh, and Kargil had been covered by the 3-day extensive First Aid and Disaster Response Training Programme.The meeting was informed that the Indian Red Cross Society, J&K State Branch, with support of IRCS-NHQ and ICRC, is implementing Livelihood Support Activities which are aimed to enhance livelihoods of Women Headed Households in Village R.S Pura and adjoining hamlets (District Jammu) and in Village Hayihama (District Kupwara).
This programme will support the women who are heads of identified economically vulnerable households with vocational trainings for manufacturing Handicrafts, Cutting and Tailoring, Book Keeping and Accounting, Live Stock Rearing and Maintenance, Basic IT Skills and other need-based trainings after proper assessment of the beneficiaries. Such women will be provided adequate supportlike Sewing Machines, Raw Materials, Computers, Live Stock and other equipments and tools for carrying out beneficial activities.Shri B. B. Vyas, Chief Secretary; Dr.S.P. Vaid, DGP; Sh. Umang Narula, Principal Secretary to the Governor; Sh. R.K Goyal, Principal Secretary, Home; Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Principal Secretary Health and Medical Education; Sh. Hemant Kumar Sharma, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Sh. Farooq Ahmad Shah, Secretary School Education Department; Brig. Ajay Malik, Commandant, MH Jammu; Sh. Harminder Pal, DIG, BSF Jammu; Sh. Mool Chand Panwar, DIG CRPF; Sh. Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Sh. Ravinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Udhampur; Sh. Rohit Khajuria, Deputy Commissioner Kathua; Shri Tariq Hussain Ganai, Deputy Commissioner, Ramban; Sh. Rajinder Singh Tara, Deputy Commissioner Samba; Sh. Sh. Avtar Singh Chib, ADDC Rajouri; Sh. Hanief Malik, ADDC Doda; Dr Gurjeet Singh Soodan, DHS Jammu; Ms. Roma Wani; Ms. Seema Shekhar Khajuria, Members of the SMC-IRCS J&K; Sh. G.A Qureshi; Sh. Dinesh Gupta, Sh. M.R. Mattoo were among those who participated in the meeting.