Day: December 28, 2015

Govt seeks public response on actual size of Dal lake

Editor

After conducting extensive surveys to measure the area of Dal lake, the Government has sought response from public to ascertain actual size of the water body. On the directions of High Court monitoring the Dal lake, the Government has conducted several surveys including using satellite images to ascertain the area of the water body—which is bedeviled by encroachments. Amid conflicting figures about the actual area of Dal lake, the Government has taken the settlement record of in 1895 by then settlement Commissioner Sir Walter Lawrence as yardstick. In his settlement…

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Kashmiris pay more power tariff than Jammu counterparts, reveals data

Editor

The domestic consumers in Kashmir are paying more power tariff in comparison to the collections made by the Power Development Department from consumers in other regions of the state including Jammu, official data has revealed. From April to ending November this year, the PDD has realized Rs 195.03 crore revenue on account of power tariff from its domestic consumers in the Valley, compared to Rs 133.12 crore collection in the same category in Jammu. In total, the tariff collection in domestic category has been Rs 61 crore more in Kashmir…

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Amid protests, ERA continues to work on Doodh Ganga water scheme

Editor

With the rising public anger over Doodh Ganga  water supply scheme built at summer capital Srinagar outskirts, Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) Saturday said that they would continue implementing the scheme. Hundreds of protestors held peaceful demonstrations, saying that they would continue to protest against the scheme till it is dismissed.  “We will continue to protest. The diameter of the pipe is such that the Dhoodhganga river will dry up even in summers,” said Irshad, a local.  “There is an undercurrent going on. The priority to irrigation is…

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‘Despite floods Kashmir had good tourism season last year’

Editor

Gearing up for promotional campaigns, various Kashmir-based travel associations with the support of Government will organize massive marketing shows across many Indian cities during this winter.   The marketing campaigns to be held at Indore, Raipur, Nagpur, Surat, Mumbai, Chandigrah, Ludhiana, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and other places shall include road shows and seminars. Director Tourism Kashmir, Mahmood Shah confirmed that the department will be organizing such campaigns in several cities of India. He said the department is also now focusing on the states in which people have little knowledge…

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VDCs: The new Ikhwan

Editor

The Village Defense Committees (VDCs) were set up in 1995 to fight the militancy in Jammu Kashmir. Under this strategy, the civilians, preferably, notorious hooligans and habitual offenders were armed. The government gave the justification that VDC will assist the government forces in counterinsurgency operations. VDC is a mercenary group armed, organised, and funded by the State government. In April 2013, the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah informed the Jammu Kashmir legislative assembly that “26567 persons were working with the VDCs in 10 districts of Jammu division and Leh district…

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Kashmir: Tales of unfinished probes and denial of justice

Editor

Justice continues to be a casualty in strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir, thanks to incomplete and abandoned probes into major political ‘mishaps’ and rights abuses. According to human rights defenders, the probes into political ‘mishaps’ and rights abuses in the state are ordered “only to quell public anger.” Noted human rights defender, Advocate Parvez Imroz, believes the Government of India has “hampered the criminal justice system by its overt and covert operations.” It’s believed that the “Institutional Denial of Justice’ in Jammu and Kashmir started way back in 1963 when Jawaharlal…

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Govt must hoist state flag on official buildings, cars: JK High Court

Editor

In his judgment, Justice Masoodi has reiterated that Jammu and Kashmir enjoins a special position in India and that Article 370 is permanent and can’t be abrogated, repealed or amended.  The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the government to hoist the state flag on all official buildings and vehicles of constitutional authorities. The judgment is a setback to Mufti Mohammad Sayeed-led PDP-BJP government that had withdrawn a circular asking the constitutional authorities to respect the state flag and hoist it on their official cars. “(The) respondents (state government)…

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Aasiya opposes Gulmarg show as against Kashmir’s culture

Editor

Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), Aasiya Andrabi has castigated communal elements for hatching conspiracies against Islamic ideology, local culture and civilization of Jammu and Kashmir. Aasiya Andrabi in a statement issued in Srinagar said, RSS-backed people are planning to organize a cultural programme at Gulmarg on Thursday in an attempt to counter the Islamic ideology of Kashmiris. “This program is being sponsored by a few Urdu, English dailies and TV channels. In this programme shameless Bollywood actors have been invited to perform. The event is being branded as an exemplary show…

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MLA Rashid to move Bill for restoring ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ title in Kashmir

Editor

Independent legislator Engineer Rashid is bringing a Bill before the State Assembly to restore the title ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ instead of Governor as State head, just a day after the High Court described the amendment of 1965 as “against the Constitution.” “I will bring a Bill in the coming Assembly session to make the necessary amendments so that the huge errors done are rectified. It is high time that all the political parties supported it without excuses and explanations,” said Mr. Rashid, an MLA from north Kashmir’s Langate constituency. “Restoration of Sadr-e-Riyasat…

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BJP in a bind over HC directive on Art 370, state flag

Editor

State president Sat Sharma says top brass to take a call on party stand The BJP has been caught in a tight spot over the J&K High Court’s observation on Article 370, replacement of “Sadr-i-Riyasat” by Governor, and hoisting of state flag on government buildings and vehicles of constitutional authorities. The state BJP leaders were evasive when asked about the party’s stand on the issue and their future strategy. “We will be talking to the higher authorities about the issue and will study the observation or judgment, whatever it is,…

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