Year: 2015

Beef Ban Row likely to dominate JK Assembly Session

Editor

The issues of beef ban and rehabilitation of flood victims are expected to dominate the eight-day autumn session of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly beginning today. The session is set to be a stormy affair as opposition parties are geared up to corner the seven-month-old PDP-BJP coalition government on many issues, especially the controversial beef ban issue and delay in rehabilitation of flood victims. The National Conference, CPI(M) and independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid have submitted separate bills seeking revocation of a 150-year-old law that criminalises cow slaughter in the state.…

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Youths wave Pakistani, IS flags; clashes with police

Editor

Clashes broke out today between police and groups of youth when they waved flags of Pakistan and ISIS and posters after the Friday prayers in Jamia Masjid and adjoining areas here. Immediately after the Friday prayers ended at Jamia Masjid, masked youth took to streets and started waving flags of Pakistan, ISIS and militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad besides posters of Jamat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Sayeed and Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Sallahuddin, officials said. The youths, they said, also waved the posters of two slain three-year-old boys – Burhan of Sopore in north Kashmir and Aylan of Syria. While the Sopore youth…

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BJP faces tough fight from Cong, PDP – Leh Poll

Editor

Saffron party admits differences with coalition partner PDP in Leh The saffron party’s dream to gain control over the powerful Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, which governs the district politically, may suffer a jolt as it faces a tough electoral battle with its arch-rival Congress and its alliance partner Peoples Democratic Party. The PDP’s decision not to ally with any political party for the Leh Council elections is being taken as a setback for the BJP as the latter, on September 19, had announced an alliance with the…

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Casual, daily wagers go on indefinite hunger strike

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir Casual and Daily Wagers’ Forum (JKCDF) today started an indefinite hunger strike against the failure of the government to address their long-pending demands here. The protesters, led by JKCDF Chairman Sajad Parray, started the strike at Pratap Park in city centre and said they would continue with their stir till their demands were not met. “We were forced to sit on an indefinite strike as the successive governments have only given us false assurances. When the PDP was in the opposition, their leaders would express solidarity…

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Telecom firms fail to provide ‘reliable’ 3G services

Editor

The winter capital of the state continues to remain disconnected, as the telecom operators allegedly fail to provide fast internet to the people of Jammu, despite huge claims. There are six telecom operators in the Jammu city, but none of them is providing reliable 3G internet services. Despite paying hundreds of rupees as monthly rent, city subscribers face the “torture” of low-speed net or no signal. “After January 2013 when the only CDMA network provider TATA DOCOMO closed its operation in the state, none of the telecom operators has fulfilled…

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JK HC notice to Govt on criminalisation of bovine slaughter

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday sought a response from the state government to a writ petition seeking striking down of the Constitutional provisions criminalising bovine slaughter in the state. The notice was issued by a Division Bench comprising Justices Mohammad Yaqoub Mir and Ali Mohammad Magray after hearing a writ petition filed by Afzal Qadri through his Advocate Syed Faisal Qadri seeking to strike down the relevant provisions of Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) which criminalises the slaughter of bovines. Advocate General Jehangir Iqbal, appearing on behalf of the government,…

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Taj Group, Indigo airlines organize FAM Tour to Valley

Editor

Taj Group and Indigo airlines arranged yet another Familiarization ‘FAM Tour’ to the Valley. This time the tour operators and travel agents were majorly from Mumbai and other western region which is a major potential market for the valley. During their stay at Vivanta by Taj Dalview Srinagar from Sep 29 to Oct 1, the group visited SKICC to understand the MICE opportunities in Kashmir, where a complete product brief was given about the convention Centre. The group also did a show around of the RSGC to promote golf tourism…

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Parvez Rasool Reascues J&K vs Kerala on Controversy-Hit Opening Day

Editor

At the start of the day, there was lot of confusion as two warring factions of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) named two separate squad with former Delhi player Mithun Manhas being named captain in one while the other team named Parvez Rasool as the captain. In the end, the Manhas-led team took the field with Rasool as his deputy. Vice-captain Parvez Rasool and senior batsman Bandeep Singh scored half-centuries as Jammu and Kashmir reached 247 for seven against Kerala on a controversy-hit opening day of their Ranji…

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MC collects Rs 8,050 fine from traders, violating Polythene ban

Editor

Continuing the drive against the use of polythene carry bags, the enforcement staff of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) visited the areas of Talab Tillo, Akhnoor Road and Bhagwati Nagar. The team inspected various shops and other outlets and seized polythene carry bags. Rs 8,050 as compounding fee from the defaulters was charged on the spot for using the polythene carry bags. The team also made the public aware of the ban on the use of polythene carry bags.Besides this, the JMC, as a part of the weeklong “Clean Jammu…

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‘Wealth amassed by LAWDA officials needs to be looked into’

Editor

Vigilance Commissioners appointed by the J&K High Court to monitor illegal activities in and around Dal Lake in Srinagar have submitted their first report, suggesting therein that wealth amassed by officials of Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA) needs to be “looked into through proper functionaries.” Underling that encroachments do exist in and around Dal Lake, the report indicates that the Enforcement Wing of the LAWDA has “either remained dormant in the entire affair or seems to be in league with the violators.” As per the report, illegal constructions have…

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