Year: 2015

Mufti wants Suchetgarh border on the lines of popular Wagah

Editor

CM to raise demand with MEA, mulls amusement park near international border Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today pitched for developing the Suchetgarh international border on the pattern of the Wagah border in Punjab so that people from both sides could meet at this point. He promised to take up the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs. “This is the nearest place from Jammu on the Indian side and Sialkot from the Pakistan side. If developed like the Wagah border, it could attract tourists from all over. Already Rs…

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Govt has no plan to smoothen traffic in overburdened Jammu

Editor

Despite huge traffic problem in the winter capital of the state, the authorities have no plan to smoothen its flow, except creating “check nakas” to fine private and commercial vehicles. The Jammu roads are flooded with vehicles these days as for the limited road length (about 500 km), about 6 lakhs vehicles have been registered in Jammu district. As many as 5,86,388 vehicles stand registered with the RTO, Jammu, till March 2015. Now with the Durbar Move in Jammu, about 50,000 vehicles have been added to the city. “Traffic jams…

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Omar, Separatists hit out at PDP-BJP govt over NFSA

Editor

The opposition to implementing National Food Security Act (NFSA) in Jammu and Kashmir is growing with mainstream and separatists lashing out at PDP-BJP government for the decision alleging that it will deprive a large population of subsidized food grains. Former chief minister Omar Abdullah hit out at the PDP-BJP coalition accusing it of robbing people of the right to bare minimum ration requirement. Hardline Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani said the reservations of the public in this regard cannot be taken as meaningless. Omar said despite pressure…

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In 100 yrs, Kashmir’s water bodies register 50% loss

Editor

Eco-degradation In 1911, the spatial extent of water bodies was 356.85 sq km, including 271.70 sq km of marshy wetlands and 85.15 sq km of water bodies. By 2011, the lakes and wetlands area had reduced to 158.54 sq km, which included about 117 sq km of marshy wetlands and 41 sq km of water bodies. Some wetlands such as Batmalun Nambal, Rakh-e-Gandakshah and Rakh-e-Arth have been completely lost, while some lakes like Gilsar and Khushalsar have been ecologically degraded. Wetlands in Valley have lost their water absorption capacity due…

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Minister in row over education details in EC affidavit

Editor

JK Minister Asiea Naqash of PDP is at the centre of a controversy over information about her educational qualifications furnished in her affidavit filed with the Election Commission for Assembly polls last year. In the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Naqash, who is minister of state for Health and Social Welfare, claimed to have a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and a law degree from Kashmir University. However, as per the declaration, Naqash completed her LLB in 1992 from Kashmir University followed by bachelor’s deg0ree in 1996. Although five-year integrated…

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Protests rage continues for the 6th day against food security act

Editor

There was no let-up in the protests against the implementation of the Food Security Act in the Valley for the sixth consecutive day today as residents in various parts of the city came on roads and demanded the that the Act should not be implemented in the state. According to government orders, the Act will be implemented in J&K from February 1, 2016. The proposed implementation of the National Security Bill sparked protests in the Rambagh area of Srinagar, resulting in disruption of vehicular movement for hours together. The protesters,…

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BJP’s demand to declare Accession Day a holiday lands PDP in a fix

Editor

To declare 26 October a gazetted holiday or not? The question is loaded with political implications in Jammu and Kashmir. It has set Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on a collision course with the BJP, his party’s alliance partner in the state. On 26 October, 1947, the then ruler of the state, Maharaja Hari Singh, had signed the Instrument of Accession to make Kashmir part of India. Before partition, Kashmir was an independent princely state. Soon after India’s independence, it got plagued by invasions led by Pathan tribesmen, forcing its…

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115 unfair means cases registered during class 10 exam

Editor

The JK Board of School Education (BOSE) has registered unfair means cases against 115 students who appeared in annual 2015 regular 10th class examination held in November this year. Of the total, maximum cases include possession of chits while 19 are ‘smuggling’ cases and three cases of impersonation. After the culmination of 10th annual examination, BOSE authorities convened a meeting regarding the cases and have also announced the punishment against erring students for resorting to unfair means in the exams. “We convened a meeting regarding the issue and took decisions…

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Residents recover abandoned baby from dog’s mouth

Editor

‘Society growing ugly and inhumane’ In a shocking incident, a dead newborn infant was seen into the mouth of a dog, parading at Press Enclave in summer capital Srinagar on Thursday morning. The infant wrapped in a newspaper had been thrown in garbage at SRTC yard opposite Tyndale Biscoe School while the dog after recovering the baby started running with infant into its mouth. Eyewitnesses said that people chased the dog and it left the baby on road. Hey said that the police rushed to spot and handed over the…

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Sgr-Leh highway opens for one way traffic

Editor

One-way traffic resumes on highway connecting Ladakh with Kashmir after 6 days Traffic on the highway, connecting the Ladakh region with Kashmir valley was restored from Thursday after remaining suspended from December 11 due to snowfall and slippery road conditions. However, the administration has already announced to close the highway for winter months from December 20 to avoid any accident due to slippery road conditions as the mercury drops to below minus 10 degree Celsius to minus 15 degree at several places. Traffic police sources said, “We allowed one-way traffic…

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