Year: 2015

HC gives Centre 2 more weeks to clear stand : Relief Package

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court today granted the Central Government two more weeks to file its status report on the Rs 40,000-crore relief package sought by the state government for the rehabilitation of September 2014 flood victims. The directive was passed by a Division Bench headed by Justice Muhammad Yaqoob Mir. The High Court, which is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on the floods of 2014, had earlier directed the Centre to disclose its stand on the relief package. The ruling PDP-BJP government has come under criticism for…

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Under pressure from BJP, govt puts off response to petition on Art 35A

Editor

Privileges to state subjects: SC gives J&K final opportunity to file response by Dec 3 Under pressure from its ally BJP, the coalition government headed by Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed today delayed filing its response before the Supreme Court to a petition challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A. The petition has been filed by We the Citizens, a Delhi-based non-governmental organisation. The apex court has now given the state government the final opportunity to file its response by December 3, after the counsel representing the J&K Government sought more…

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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan fails to improve sanitation in Jammu

Editor

Even after several campaigns launched by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA), the city presents a “dirty look” as failure of the municipal bodies and poor civic sense among residents has turned the winter capital of J&K into a huge garbage dump. The hype and photo sessions during the campaigns launched by the Municipal Corporation have failed to make an impact on ground. The city already ranks 427th, lowest in India, when it comes to cleanliness, which exposes poor planning and lack of interest shown…

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Cool weather grips Kashmir region, MeT predicts rain or snowfall in next two days

Editor

The Kashmir Valley is experiencing cool weather for the 2nd time during past around two weeks after fresh light snowfall in some higher reaches and scanty rains that lashed the plains early Tuesday. A MeT official said that 0.5 mm in Srinagar and 4 mm rainfall in Pahalgam was recorded today. The night temperature plunged to minus 5 degrees celsius in north Kashmir’s tourist resort at Gulmarg adding  Pahalgam recorded 6.1 degrees Celsius  while as 8.5 degrees Celsius was recorded in Srinagar. MeT sources said that light rain or snowfall…

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Security tightened across Kashmir Valley ahead of Modi’s visit on november 7

Editor

Security has been tightened across Kashmir four days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit during which he is scheduled to address a public rally in Srinagar. The venue for the Prime Minister’s rally – Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium – has been turned into a virtual fortress with a large posse of police and paramilitary personnel deployed in and around the area to secure it, a police official said. He said anti-sabotage checks are being carried out within the stadium as well as in the surrounding areas to ensure fool proof…

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Package won’t work, talk with Pak on Kashmir, says Abdullah

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National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said any package won’t work in the Valley until the Centre engages itself in a dialogue with Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. “Till the time the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is not solved, no package can work in Kashmir,” Abdullah told reporters here. “The Prime Minister is coming on November 7; let’s see what he can give to the people of Kashmir. I would say a package won’t fulfil the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The most important issue is the…

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Police to block Facebook, Twitter pages promoting Kashmir ‘million march’

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Police in Jammu and Kashmir is trying to block hundreds of Facebook and Twitter pages where ‘million march’ programme called by Hurriyat(G) is trending. Sources disclosed on Sunday that about 120 such Facebook and Twitter pages have been identified so far. “The cyber cell of Jammu and Kashmir police is making efforts to block them and more pages are being identified,” said a police source. The pages have been created since yesterday following an appeal by Hurriyat (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani to promote the proposed march on social networking…

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No end to traffic jams in Srinagar

Editor

Traffic mismanagement continues to hassle people in Srinagar as in the absence of traffic police, locals volunteer in the evenings to get off the gridlocks. People in Srinagar are up in arms against the authorities for failing to get rid of traffic jams in most parts of the summer capital. The locals said in most of the places and important intersections, traffic police were not present to manage the gridlock, which stretches the congestion for hours together. “At most places, traffic jams could be avoided if there are police to…

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Patrolling intensified in region for Modi’s visit

Editor

Security forces have begun setting up checkpoints and intensified patrolling in the region ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state later this week. As part of the security measures in the region, the state police and central paramilitary personnel have launched multiple area domination operations, including random frisking of civilian vehicles. The security set-up will be further strengthened on a daily basis ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit to the region on November 7, said sources in a central paramilitary force. The sources said the frisking of…

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J&K Govt readies draft to defend special status to state subjects

Editor

State response to petition challenging Art 35A likely to be submitted in SC today Defending Article 35 A of the Constitution, which grants special rights and privileges to permanent residents of J&K, the PDP-BJP coalition government in its draft objections, likely to be submitted before the Supreme Court tomorrow, has stated that “accession” of J&K to India is “limited in scope and not absolute”. Seeking dismissal of the petition by an RSS-backed think tank challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A, the J&K government in its objections has stated that…

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