Srinagar, Jammu witness season’s coldest night

Continuing its free fall on Thursday, the minimum temperature dropped to minus 2.3 degrees in Srinagar and 7.9 in Jammu, the lowest recorded at both places this season. While Leh was the coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 11.6, Kargil recorded minus 9 as the night’s lowest temperature, the Met department said. Night temperatures fell below the freezing point through the valley. Pahalgam recorded minus 5.7 while Gulmarg recorded minus 5.4 as the minimum temperature. Katra recorded 9.5, Batote 6.5, Bannihal 6 and Bhaderwah was at 2 degrees…

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Use of banned calcium carbide continues to ripen fruits

Despite a ban by the state Horticulture Department, the use of harmful chemicals like calcium carbide by vendors to ripen fruits continues unabated. Whether it is the wholesale market at Narwal mandi or small vendors selling different fruits on roadsides, there has been no let up in the malpractices in ripening fruits. Pertinently, calcium carbide is a known carcinogen, a cancer-producing chemical which is known to have harmful effects on the liver and other parts of the body. It also contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus hydride which produce several…

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Process on to grant amnesty to first time stone pelters: Mehbooba Mufti

Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has announced amnesty for the first-time stone-throwers of the Kashmir valley by initiating the process of withdrawal of FIRs against them. The PDP-BJP government’s announcement comes after recommendations of the Centre’s special representative on Jammu and Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma. Sharma is set to start his second visit to J&K from tomorrow (November 24). “It gives me immense satisfaction to restart the process of withdrawing FIRs against first-time offenders of stone-throwing. My government had initiated the process in May 2016, but it was unfortunately stalled due to…

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Pvt coaching centres ‘Fleece’ students by charging exorbitant tuition fee

The private coaching centres are fleecing the students by charging exorbitant tuition fee. Among the 182 coaching centres granted registration recently by the education department, not even a single centre has notified its fee structure. This was made mandatory by the education department vide order no 1246 DESK of 2017 dated 7 October 2017. The registration list issued by the Education department was formulated on recommendations of joint inspection teams of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Chief Education Officers (CEOs). These teams were constituted after directions by the High Court in…

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Surrendered a week ago, but footballer Majid Khan not yet home

A week after Anantnag footballer-turned-militant gave himself up before the security forces, Majid Irshad Khan is yet to return home. After a brief rendezvous with militancy and appeals by his family to return home, Majid gave himself in before security forces in Anantnag on November 16. His only public appearance since has been during a press conference at Army’s Victor Force headquarters in Awantipora on November 17. Wearing a black ‘pherun’ and a skull cap, pulled well below his ears, a sombre Majid was presented before mediapersons for less than…

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Dineshwar Sharma arriving in Jammu today to visit migrant camps

The Centre’s special representative Dineshwar Sharma will be in Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow for his second visit to the state during which he will visit migrant camps in Jammu as well as epicentres of unrest in the Valley. Sharma, who visited Srinagar and Jammu earlier this month, will be in the state for four days, spending two days in Jammu before going to Kashmir, officials said. In Jammu, he will visit camps of migrants from Kashmir as well as those displaced from border villages following shelling from Pakistan. In Kashmir,…

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