Year: 2015

Mehbooba Mufti prepares long-term agenda of PDP

Editor

For once ruling PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was not wearing her green abaya (traditional cloak). This Sunday it was a designer off-white coat with a matching embroidered suit and scarf when she outlined the long-term plan of her party that she, in all probability, has tasked herself to fulfil in the long term. This was a transformed Mehbooba Mufti, who has long walked in the shadow of her father and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed – the 79-year-old veteran who wants to see his daughter in his chair through a…

Read More

Attack on Kashmiri driver communal frenzy: Hurriyat (M)

Editor

Condemning the assault on another Kashmiri trucker, Farooq Ahmad at Nadani on the Srinagar-Jammu highway by communal elements, the Hurriyat Conference (M) on Monday said the government is maintaining criminal silence over this communal frenzy. A Hurriyat (M) spokesman in a statement issued to GNS said the government is irresponsible by maintaining silence over the repeated attacks on Kashmiri truckers and expressed concern over such attacks becoming a norm in Jammu region. He said with the government remaining silent over these attacks, the communal elements and fanatics are getting encouraged…

Read More

Mushrooming of gymnasiums irksome for Jammu residents

Editor

Parking of vehicles on road by members adds to traffic chaos in residential localities Though gymnasiums enhance health of people, but their mushrooming in the city in recent years also has another dimension, ie nuisance in residential localities. Furthermore, it may sound strange, but the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has not maintained any official record of such gyms in the winter capital, which by and large sans basic infrastructure, ventilated halls and parking space to mention a few. One could easily find these gyms in lanes and bylanes of the…

Read More

Policemen to man traffic

Editor

100 personnel to help Traffic Dept ease Srinagar’s congestion With lack of traffic police personnel on roads worsening congestion problems in Srinagar, the Traffic Department has roped in 100 personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police to help in streamlining traffic in the summer capital. The traffic congestion problems have increased in Srinagar ahead of the harsh winter, giving a tough time to commuters, particularly students. The Traffic Police have sought help from the Jammu and Kashmir Police to manage the growing traffic on roads. “We wrote to the higher-ups…

Read More

CAPD team to check quality of ration at FCI takeoff points

Editor

Fair Price Shops to be opened in all uncovered areas: Minister Minister for Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution (CAPD) Department Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today constituted a high-level committee of officers to check the quality of foodgrain at the Food Corporation of India (FCI) takeoff points before the same are dispatched to J&K. Taking cognisance of the complaints regarding dumping of substandard rations in some far-flung areas of the state, the minister made it clear that there would be no compromise on the quality of rations and strict monitoring would be…

Read More

Dense fog disrupts air, rail services in Valley

Editor

Dense fog across the Valley today disrupted air and rail services and lead to an accident on the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway. All flights to and from the Srinagar Airport were cancelled today, causing inconvenience to passengers. “Due to heavy fog and low visibility, all 22 flights to and from the Srinagar Airport were cancelled today,” said a senior security official at the airport. He said the first flight scheduled to arrive at the airport at 9 am could not land due to dense fog and low visibility. The last flight,…

Read More

BJP expels Hari Om who had criticised alliance with PDP

Editor

BJP on Monday expelled senior leader Hari Om from the party’s primary membership for six years after he criticised the party’s actions, including forming the coalition government with PDP. BJP state president and MP Jugal Kishore Sharma expelled Hari Om for “gross indiscipline, anti-party activities and un-repentance for his misconduct” after receiving his reply to a show cause notice issued to him on November 5. “Having received your response to the show cause notice, pertaining to your acts of gross indiscipline and anti-party activities, issued on 05.11.2015 and received by…

Read More

Seven killed after chopper crashes in Katra

Editor

Seven people, including a pilot, were killed after a chopper crashed in Katra area of Jammu region on Monday. Police said that a chopper belonging to Himalayan Heli Services crashed in Katra popular with religious tourists. The helicopter was ferrying pilgrims to the Vaishno Devi temple crashed near Katra, said an official to IANS news agency. More details awaited.

Read More

Parents resent textbook profiteering by private schools

Editor

Failure of authorities to tighten noose around private schools, who in nexus with publishers are fleecing parents by selling textbook and notebooks at exorbitant prices, has resulted in massive public outrage. A ground survey by us reveals that on average the textbooks of Class 6th costs Rs 2000 to Rs 3000, while at the same time the textbooks being prescribed by Board of School Education in government schools are priced only Rs 300 to 400. The huge discrepancy in prices of textbooks in government and private schools reveals the murky business…

Read More

Is E-commerce boom hurting Kashmir’s traditional markets?

Editor

Boom or Bust Go into an upscale neighbourhood of the city and chances are you would run into a motorbike-borne man riding with a big rucksack on his back. Every morning, hundreds of such men ride out from their office spaces in Srinagar in the morning with bags full of goods to deliver them at the homes of the buyers. Welcome to e-commerce in the Kashmir valley. As the growth of the internet spikes, more and more internet users are realizing buying online has many benefits. Apart from having to…

Read More