With militants targeting banks in south Kashmir, cash transactions in nearly 40 of their branches in the sensitive areas of Pulwama and Shopian districts in south Kashmir have been stopped.Security agencies issued an advisory asking the banks in the two districts to stop cash deliveries as they apprehend more such attacks. The branches affected belong to Jammu and Kashmir Bank and Ellaquai Dehati Bank, which were targeted by militants recently. A senior official of Jammu and Kashmir Bank said all other banking operations, including ATM services, would continue in these areas. “We were told that the security agencies have inputs about more such attacks; so we had to stop cash transactions at these branches designated by the security agencies as sensitive,” he said. Other banking operations, including cashless transactions and ATM services, will continue. Also, people in these areas can undertake cash transactions at other designated branches nearby, he said. The official said the move to stop cash transactions was temporary till effective measures were put in place to ensure the safety and security of bank employees and assets. “We have discussed various measures for the safety and security of our employees as well as the cash. We are putting those measures in place in the coming few days, and once they are in place, cash transactions at these branches will be resumed,” he said. More security Various measures like providing additional armed security guards at these branches and having bullet-proof cash vans have been discussed, the official said. On May 1, militants attacked a cash van of Jammu and Kashmir Bank and shot dead five policemen and two bank security guards in the Damhal Hanji Pora area of Kulgam district in south Kashmir. Meanwhile, a special State-level bankers committee meeting was held here on Friday in which the issue was discussed. Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, who presided over the meeting, said there was a need to devise special security measures to deal with this kind of situation. “Surveillance is good but it cannot substitute physical security on the ground,” he said. The meeting was also attended by Chief Secretary B. B. Vyas, Principal Secretary (Home) R.K. Goel and Director General of Police S.P. Vaid. read more
Persons who smoke could find themselves facing fines of up to $500,000 and or imprisonment for breaching the ban on lighting up in public places.Speaking on Wednesday, June 26, at a post-Sectoral Debate press briefing at Jamaica House, Legal Officer in the Ministry of Health, Cheryl Dennis, said persons may be fined $50,000 or three months imprisonment, on conviction for a first offence under Section 18 of the Public Health (Tobacco Control) Regulations (2013).A second offence will attract a fine of $500,000 or six months imprisonment, while a third offence will result in automatic sentencing. Both fines and sentences may be imposed at the discretion of a Resident Magistrate.[RELATED: Ban on Smoking Not Intended to Harass Smokers]Meanwhile, proprietors, managers, and lessees of premises, which are defined as public places under the regulations, are also liable for breaches of the regulations.“Owners and lessees and managers of certain premises – where they have acquiesced or have allowed these breaches to happen – will be held liable, and therefore an onus is on owners, managers, proprietors and lessees to ensure that there is no breach,” she stated.The Legal Officer was part of a team who joined Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Fenton Ferguson, at the briefing, where he expounded on the provisions of the ban, which he announced in his 2013/14 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on June 25.[RELATED: No Smoking in Public Places as of July 15]Under the Regulations, smoking or holding a lit electronic tobacco or tobacco product is prohibited in public places, workplaces, public transportation, all government-owned or occupied buildings, health facilities (including pharmacies), sport, athletic and recreational facilities (for the use of the public), educational institutions, bus stops, and areas specifically used by children.Minister Ferguson told the House that the Government spends more than US$170 million annually to treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Smoking contributes to, and adversely affects NCDs, which account for 60 per cent of deaths in Jamaica annually.The ban on smoking in public places takes effect on July 15.Contact: Alphea Saunders read more