Year: 2015

Govt. offices to reopen in Jammu today post darbar move

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir government is all set to start functioning from here Monday for the next six months after shifting from summer capital Srinagar as part of the pre-independence biannual ‘Darbar Move’ practice. `Darbar Move’ is a century-old practice under which the government functions six months each in the two capital. “The Secretariat and other offices, which are part of Darbar Move, will be reopened in Jammu, for Winter season, 2015-16. All the offices started functioning from tomorrow (Monday),” an official spokesman had said on Sunday. “All arrangements have…

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Mehbooba condemns attacks on rally participants

Editor

Condemning all acts and forms of violence perpetrated by any party that prevent or hinder efforts of bringing peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP president and Member of Parliament, Mehbooba Mufti has expressed anguish over the tragic death of Gowhar Nazir Dar of Mustafabad, Srinagar. She said while the government has already ordered an inquiry into the tragic death of the youth, the people who instigate the gullible boys to resort to violent actions must stop exacerbating the miseries of Kashmiris who have underwent the darkest era of…

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Package fails to cheer tourism stakeholders

Editor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of Rs 2,241-crore package for the tourism sector has failed to enthuse stakeholders in the Kashmir valley. They said the announcement made by Modi yesterday dealt with the long-term development of the tourism sector, but the present issues facing the industry were not addressed. “The package mainly deals with long-term projects. There was no mention of any short-term or immediate compensation for the flood-hit tourism sector,” said Nasir Shah, coordinator, Tours and Travel Bodies and former chairman of the J&K Tourism Alliance. Shah said the…

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Modi’s praise for Kashmir willow means nothing for bat makers

Editor

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Srinagar rally on Saturday invoked the once famed cricket bat manufacturing industry of Kashmir with possibly no clue about the “plight” of these manufacturers. Besides showering praise on cricketer Parvez Rasool and advocating hosting international matches in Kashmir, Modi said: “Sachin, Sehwag or Dhoni, whoever hit a six, they did it with a willow from Kashmir.” However for the bat manufacturers, the Prime Minister’s admiration meant little. For them last five years have been the most tumultuous and there seems to be no end…

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Residents complain of dirty water supply

Editor

Residents in various parts of Srinagar complained that they were getting contaminated water supply from the last two weeks which increased risks to various water-borne diseases. A group of residents from Rawalpora in the city said there was the problem of contaminated water from the last two weeks as there was mud visible in the water which was not safe for drinking. “The problem was always there but it was not much. Now the mud is clearly visible in water. The problem has worsened from the last week. We have…

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Enraged over package, West Pak refugees to devise strategy today

Editor

Enraged over their exclusion from the Rs 80,000-crore economic package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, an emergent meeting of the executive body of the West Pakistani Refugees Action Committee (WPRAC) is called on Tuesday to devise strategy to “fight the battle on the streets”. “Our executive committee will sit together at our headquarters at Swankha Morh in Samba on November 10 to discuss the Prime Minister’s package”, Labha Ram Gandhi, a visibly dejected convener of the WPRAC, told. “We had pinned our hopes on the Prime Minister’s…

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Valley Shut, Protests rage over youth’s killing

Editor

The Kashmir region observed a shutdown for the second consecutive day today to protest the killing of a youth during protests on the city outskirts last night. The youth’s killing overshadowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of an economic package. The shutdown affected the public transport services and markets also remained closed in the region for the second day. The authorities had imposed restrictions in several neighbourhoods of the old city and in Srinagar’s western outskirts, where the youth had died on Saturday evening, to prevent further demonstrations. The police,…

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Non-local labourers among PM Modi’s listeners at Srinagar rally

Editor

Wondering why non-local labourers didn’t turn up for work at your home on Saturday? Here is a clue. Scores of such workers comprised the audience to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rally at Sher-i-Kashmir stadium in Srinagar on Saturday. Besides the PDP and BJP workers, government employees and daily wagers, non-local labourers formed a major chunk of the audience, reports said.

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Omar asks PM Modi to announce ‘withdrawal of AFSPA’ during Srinagar rally

Editor

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Saturday asked PM Modi to announce the withdrawal of AFSPA from the state and resumption of composite dialogue with Pakistan during his rally in Srinagar. Abdullah wrote on Facebook that the financial packages haven’t changed the nature of the problem in Kashmir. “Three things I’d like to see in the PM’s speech today – One – a firm announcement with time frame for the phased withdrawal of AFSPA. Two – an unconditional invitation to separatists to come forward and open a dialogue…

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Er. Rashid waves black flags against Modi visit, detained

Editor

Independent legislator Er Rashid was detained on Saturday after he waved black flags to show his resentment to PM Modi’s visit to Srinagar. Reports said Rashid came out of residence in Jawahar Nagar area along with few of his supporters and waved black flags. Rashid had earlier appealed people to wave blacks to show their anger at the visit of Modi to the state. Reports said that a police contingent arrived at the scene and detained Rashid.

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