Day: January 15, 2016

Kashmir for the Solo Female Traveler

Editor

By Shally Kashmir? Alone? Its not safe. You’ll get bored? What if something bad happens? There are terrorists in Kashmir. What if you got kidnapped?” These were responses not from my parents, but from people my own age. In this post I’d like to address these very legitimate concerns. Media has portrayed Kashmir as a war zone for so many years , So of course when I was about to embark on my solo trip to Kashmir I was nervous as hell. But from fellow travelers I had heard that it was very…

Read More

11 killed, 20 injured as bus falls into gorge in Udhampur

Editor

Eleven people were killed and over 20 others injured today when the bus they were travelling in skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir The vehicle bearing 32 to 35 passengers was on its way to Basantgarh in Ramnagar tehsil when the mishap occurred in the Kiya area, said Udhampur Deputy Commissioner, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary. Eleven persons were killed in the accident, including one woman and a child, he said, adding that 20 others were injured and are being hospitalised. Choudhary…

Read More

My Name is Mehbooba and I am not the CM

Editor

Just like you, my name is also Mehbooba. Just like you, I am also a daughter of Jammu & Kashmir living in the incomparable city of Srinagar. And just like you, I have also spent my life living in the shadow of men in this manly world of men. To the naked eye, those are the similarities we both share. Unlike you, I am a commoner. Someone, who has accepted to bow to practicalities and realities, which – unfortunately for you and me – have become too common. Unlike you,…

Read More

KREDA using renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emission in Kargil

Editor

From the last many years Ladakh has been witnessing untimely rain, snowfall and flash-flood. According to experts this is the effect global warming and in the next 30 to 40 years Ladakh will be facing acute water shortage. Although government is trying its best to conserve environment in Ladakh region, in Kargil, KREDA has also been working from the last many years to devise ways to do away with the dependence on diesel generators to save environment. They are busy in devising ways to provide energy through renewable sources which…

Read More

Srinagar out of smart city race

Editor

The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir has been dropped out from the list of 100 potential ‘smart cities’ as it failed to meet the eligibility criteria. Srinagar could not even make it through Stage 1 of the selection process that included Institutional Systems and Capacities (15 points), Self-financing (30 points) and past track record (30 points). Besides Srinagar, Rae Bareli and the newly-formed Telangana’s state capital Hyderabad are also out of the smart city race. Soon after BJP came to power in mid-2014, the Narendra Modi-led government announced the…

Read More

PDP signals fresh engagement on ‘Agenda of Alliance’

Editor

Party meeting likely by weekend Curtains seem to have fallen over the possibility of a government being in shape in the near future as the signals from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti are clear that a new set of terms need to be negotiated with BJP to continue the alliance. Though BJP is hiding its nervousness by downplaying the latest vibes from PDP, it is becoming clear that the two parties are not on course of getting on together as they were until January 7. PDP, which holds…

Read More

Medicos ‘fleece’ patients at private clinics

Editor

Weak and inadequate regulations and complete lack of monitoring of fees charged by doctors at private clinics in Kashmir has left the patient’s high and dry. Huge disparities in fee charged by doctors for private consultations have gone unnoticed over the years. A rudimentary ‘circular’ issued by Health and Medical Education Department in 2013 outlining the consultation fee that a doctor working with the government can charge was discarded even before it could be implemented. Doctors are charging patients as per their likes, a practice that patients have called ‘loot’.…

Read More

PDP-BJP govt did ‘absolutely nothing’ for 10 months: Omar

Editor

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the PDP’s review of the performance of its coalition with the BJP was a vindication of opposition charge that the government did “absolutely nothing” in the past 10 months. “Effectively making our point that their government did absolutely nothing for 10 months,” Omar wrote on Twitter. The opposition National Conference working president was reacting to PDP statement that the party was reviewing the progress made on its ‘Agenda of Alliance’ with the BJP before taking a decision on continuation…

Read More

NHAI fails to provide basic amenities on highways

Editor

In the absence of washrooms and rest houses on the national highways, travellers are dependent of dhabas. Despite charging a heavy toll, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has failed to provide basic amenities to commuters on the highways. The much-hyped programme of ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ is being ignored on the national highways of Jammu and Kashmir as well as in the rest of India. People can be seen attending to nature’s call on the roadside of national highways. Travelling on the highways is very difficult for women as…

Read More

Uncertainty remains as PDP in no hurry to form government

Editor

The PDP seems to be in no hurry on the government formation even as the party gave indications about its next move. PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, which remains the centre of attention following the death of her father and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, is yet to open her cards. “The family is still in shock and grief,” said a senior PDP leader. “Things will settle down in due course of time,” added the PDP leader, giving an impression that Mehbooba was in no hurry to succeed her father. With…

Read More