Month: September 2015

Bravehearts felicitated for saving lives

Editor

The bravehearts of Kashmir who showed resilience and courage during the September 7, 2014, floods were felicitated today by the Centre for Research and Development Policy (CRDP), a Srinagar-based organisation. Aiming to discuss the impact of the September 7 floods and look for a way forward, CRDP organised a two-day event at University of Kashmir. On the first day of the event, a series of discussions were held on five different themes, which include “Impact of floods on J&K’s economy: Reconstruction and revival a year after”, “Government’s response: Rescue, relief…

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What life imprisonment for the guilty Armymen of Machil means for Kashmir

Editor

Quick LOOK: The encounter In 2010, three Kashmiri youth were lured to the LoC with the promise of jobs and money They were killed by Armymen, who then tried to pass it off as an encounter The protests The discovery that this was a fake encounter led to massive protests in the Valley About 120 youth lost their lives in the following unrest The punishment The Army has court-martialled the six personnel responsible for the fake encounter All of them, including a colonel, have been sentenced to life imprisonment This…

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Tour de Kashmir cycling expedition logo unveils by CM

Editor

Chief Minister, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed unveiled the official logo of the 13th Tour de Kashmir cycling expedition, here on Monday. The 6-stage cycling expedition organized by J&K Sports Development Association in collaboration with Tourism department is scheduled to be held from October 1 to 10. Tour de Kashmir, a regular feature for the past 12 years is a 10-day event which is scheduled to cover a distance of 388 km from Verinag, Pahalgam, Srinagar, Dudpathri, Gulmarg, Sonamarg before concluding at Srinagar. “It is the only kind of its event held…

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Police cane charge Kashmir students in Chandigarh

Editor

Scores of Kashmiri students Monday alleged that police in Punjab used force to break up their demonstration against various Chandigarh colleges. The aggrieved students told that they were protesting peacefully against the college authorities when policemen used lathicharge to break up their protest. The students, who had sought admissions under Punjab Technical University (PTU), were opposing the Punjab government decision bringing their colleges under the domain of Maharaja Ranjit Singh State University, which is not recognized by the J&K government. “We had assembled today morning to demand refund of fee…

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Hang the guilty: Machil Fake Encounter Victims’ Kin

Editor

Life sentence to six Army personnel In a dimly lit room, Naseema Bano, mother of Riyaz Ahmed, a 22-year-old mechanic who was one among the three locals in the village who was killed in the Machil fake encounter in 2010, was busy with her daily chores. When a group of media persons dropped at her single-storeyed modest house this afternoon to inform her about the Army convicting six of its men for killing her son along with the two locals in the fake encounter, she broke down. Her relatives rushed…

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Flood rehabilitation a priority, says new Chief Secy

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir Government today appointed Braj Raj Sharma as the state’s Chief Secretary. Sharma succeeded Mohammad Iqbal Khanday, who opted for voluntary retirement last month. Sharma is a 1984 batch IAS officer of the J&K cadre. He was currently serving as the Principal Secretary in Planning and Development Department. He assumed the office of the Chief Secretary within hours of his appointment. The newly appointed Chief Secretary said the rehabilitation of the last year’s flood victims would remain his priority. “I will be tackling the situation arising out…

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Court martial sentence in Machil fake encounter confirmed

Editor

The army`s northern command GOC on Monday confirmed the life sentence awarded to six army personnel, including a colonel-rank officer, by a general court martial in the 2012 Machil fake encounter case, an army official said. “General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, Lieutenant General D.S. Hooda has confirmed the sentence of a Summary General Court Martial in the Machil encounter case,” Colonel S.D. Goswami, spokesman of the army`s Udhampur-based Northern Command, told IANS here. “Colonel Dinesh Pathania, Captain Upendra, Havildar Devendra Kumar, Lance Naik Lakhmi, Lance Naik Arun…

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Brij Raj Sharma appointed as J&K Chief Secretary

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Jammu and Kashmir government today appointed Brij Raj Sharma, a 1984 batch IAS officer, as the Chief Secretary, superseding four senior officers. “The Cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today approved the appointment of B R Sharma as the Chief Secretary,” an official spokesperson said. Born on April 27, 1960, Sharma will have one of the longest tenures as the Chief Secretary of the state if he continues in the office till his superannuation. The appointment of a new Chief Secretary was required…

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PDP-BJP govt trying to takeover Vaishno Devi Shrine Board: NC

Editor

The National Conference (NC) on Monday condemned the PDP-BJP Government’s decision to hike the service tax to 12.5 percent on the trip charges to the Vaishno Devi via chopper, and alleged that it was an effort by the latter to take over the Shrine Board. “It is the most unfortunate act on the part of PDP-BJP Government. This tax is unnecessary and is not going to add much to the state government. It has all the potential to hurt the sentiments of pilgrims. It is a direct confrontation with the…

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Government Should Allow International Aid for J&K Flood Victims: Ex CM

Editor

A year after devastating floods hit Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the Centre to allow international aid to the state if it did not have money or was unwilling to announce any package for the rehabilitation of victims. “We want that aid should come from wherever it can. If the Centre is not ready to give financial aid, or it does not have the money, then we should be allowed to get it from where we are getting it (internationally),” Omar told reporters after donating…

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