Day: January 19, 2016

Mehbooba keeps suspense On

Editor

A day after being authorised to decide on government formation, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti maintained suspense over it today, apparently as she was still seeking feedback from party functionaries on the performance of coalition government with BJP headed by her late father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The PDP core group, which met here yesterday, had authorised Mehbooba, who is tipped to be the next Chief Minister to succeed her later father Mufti Sayeed, to take the final call on alliance with the BJP. However, she has not revealed her cards so…

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Div Comm stresses need for effective parking system

Editor

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Hassan Samoon today stressed the need to adopt the concept of vertical parking and paid parking to decongest the city roads. Samoon also stressed the need to chalk out effective parking management mechanism. The Divisional Commissioner was chairing a meeting of officers from the State Development Authority, Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Roads and Buildings, Police, Government Press, Economic Reconstruction Agency and Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation. He said with limited free space available in Srinagar city, the stress should be laid on the construction of vertical…

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Keeping silent doesn’t mean I endorse alliance with BJP: Karra

Editor

Senior PDP leader and MP Tariq Hameed Karra Monday said maintaining silence does not mean that he endorses party’s alliance with BJP. “Keeping silence does not mean I endorse the alliance with BJP. A section of media has reported that I did not speak during the meeting, and at the same time have reported I did not support or oppose the alliance with BJP,” Karra said. He was referring to media reports in which it was stated that Karra maintained silence during the PDP core group meeting called by party…

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‘PDP not looking for other coalition options’ BJP heaves sigh of relief

Editor

BJP heaved a sigh of relief after PDP’s official meeting regarding government formation made it clear that the party was not exploring other coalition options as speculated earlier. Talking to us, senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister, Nirmal Singh said: “After yesterday’s meeting we came to know that PDP is not looking other options. It was a hopeful hint from PDP although it was unofficial.” However, the saffron party is yet to receive any formal communiqué from PDP. Singh said since the period of official mourning following Mufti…

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Agenda of Alliance can’t be implemented in 10 months: BJP

Editor

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ cannot be implemented within 10-months. “Agenda of Alliance between PDP and BJP is for six years when the government completes its term. The agenda cannot be achieved in 10 months. PDP is not right when it says that the Agenda of Alliance with BJP was not fulfilled,” the BJP General Secretary (organization) Ashok Koul told KNS. Asked whether BJP had approached NC for government formation, the BJP leader said “There is not truth in it.” Koul said that the…

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Illegal confinement taking heavy toll on my health: Geelani

Editor

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who is not feeling well for past several days, on Monday said continuous confinement to house is taking heavy toll on his health. The octogenarian pro-freedom leader is suffering with chest congestion and is undergoing treatment at his Hyderpora residence. After complaining of breathlessness, Geelani was administered oxygen on Sunday morning. “By Almighty Allah’s blessings, I am gradually recovering and feeling a bit better now,” Geelani said sitting in his drawing room. Pointing towards medicines and injection vials on his side…

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Deliver on promises or break alliance: Omar to Mehbooba

Editor

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked PDP president Mehbooba Mufti to either deliver on the promises made to people of Jammu and Kashmir or break the alliance with the BJP. “Mehbooba Mufti, or the PDP for that matter, has two options — to either deliver on the promises made to people of J&K or break the alliance with the BJP. To hang on to this alliance with the BJP for dear life while pretending to be the unwavering example of high morality is akin to aspiring to have the…

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Valley remains in grip of cold, Leh coldest at minus 13.0 degrees Celsius

Editor

Cold wave conditions remained unabated as the night temperature across Kashmir division of Jammu and Kashmir continued to stay below the freezing point with weatherman forecasting the dry spell to continue this week as well. Leh in frontier Ladakh region, 434 kms from here, continued to be the coldest recorded place in the state with minus 13.0 degrees Celsius – marking an improvement of over one degree compared to previous night’s minus 14.4, a spokesperson of MeT here said. Neighbouring Kargil town was the second coldest recorded place with a low of minus…

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Kashmir heli-skiing season to take off today

Editor

The seventh season of Kashmir Heli-Skiing would start at ski resort of Gulmarg, from January 19 ( Tuesday). Within seven years of its launch, Heli-Skiing has made Kashmir as one of the preferred destination for skiers across the world. Launched in 2010 at Gulmarg by the JK Government, Heli-Skiing run by local skier and Director Kashmir Heliski,  Billa Majeed Bakshi has become hit all over the world and has attracted some of the well known extreme skiers and personalities during past years. Apart from making the virgin turfs of different…

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Jammu rich in heritage, but poor in tapping tourism potential

Editor

Jammu, also knows as city of temples, has a rich heritage but untapped tourism potential. Despite having a rich historical past, the city, which was the seat of the Dogra dynasty, has remained neglected when it comes to making it an independent tourist destination, an often repeated slogan of successive governments. Even the 15 lakh inhabitants of Jammu have a few options for having local outings with their families unlike Srinagar city, which is adorned by parks and well maintained historical places, giving its residents a sense of belonging to…

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