Month: January 2016

Cantonment Board stakes claim over stretch of Jhelum

Editor

The desiltation of river Jhelum at Shivpora here has come to a halt as the Cantonment Board is staking claim over water expanse and embankments there. Shivpora locality was one of the worst hit areas in September 2014 floods as it remained submerged for more than 20 days. The Cantonment Board’s claim has shocked the locals. “We have never heard of any such claim in past. Everyone knows that only Irrigation and Flood Control department has jurisdiction on Jhelum,” said Farooq Ahmad, a member of Mohalla Behbood Committee at Shivpora.…

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‘Cyber crimes, land frauds galore in J&K’

Editor

Cyber crimes and land frauds have been on rise in Jammu and Kashmir, according to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Crime, Muneer Ahmed Khan. “There has been an alarming rise in cyber crimes, land and property frauds. People are being deceived by luring them online. Land and property fraud has also been on rise in the state which is a big concern,” Khan told. Police is worries about this “new face” of crime. “Land brokers have resorted to frauds due to two main reasons- one is Jammu and Srinagar cities…

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JK Police wants ‘silent burial’ of non-local militants who die in Kashmir gunfights

Editor

The J&K police have now decided to do away with the “practice” of handing over bodies of non-local militants—killed in gunfights with forces in Kashmir—to locals for burial, citing massive participation of people in their funerals and the resultant pro-freedom protests. A senior police officer, who wished not to be named, said the huge participation of people in the funeral of slain Lashkar-e-Toiba commander Abu Qasim in 2015 “became a major concern” for security agencies in the Valley. “This trend of mass participation of people in funerals of militants was…

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Fresh firing at Pathankot IAF base

Editor

Explosions and firing continued intermittently on Sunday night as security forces killed one of the at least two militants holed up at Pathankot air base on the second day of the attack in which military casualties including a Lieutenant Colonel of the NSG mounted to seven. Defence sources in Delhi said one militant was killed while another injured in the encounter that was on for nearly 43 hours, a day after four militants were gunned down after they struck yesterday. “The operation is still continuing and engagement with the militants…

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Power losses more in Jammu than Kashmir, reveals PDD audit

Editor

Energy losses are more in Jammu as compared to Kashmir, an audit by the Power Development Department has revealed. The audit conducted for the first quarter of the last year by the PDD’s Commercial and Survey (C&S) wing has revealed that the Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses were 77 percent in Jammu region as compared to 73 percent in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has 12 and 19 power divisions respectively. A senior official said the audit was ordered by the Government to cross-check the losses communicated by the PDD’s…

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Hoteliers boycott pre-budget meet with Finance Minister

Editor

Say govt not serious about promoting Jammu The All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA) boycotted today’s pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, blaming the BJP-PDP Government of step motherly treatment. The association said despite assurances, not even a single benefit had been given to Jammu hotels since they was declared an industry under the Industrial Policy 1995. Inderjeet Khajuria, president of AJHLA, said the hotel industry was fed up of the hollow promises made by the government, which allegedly had no intentions to bring Jammu region on the…

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Valley gears up for year’s first snow

Editor

The Kashmir region is likely to receive the season’s first snow tomorrow, according to a forecast issued by the Meteorological Department. The department said widespread downpour was expected on Monday, fairly widespread downpour on Tuesday and isolated downpour on Wednesday in the Kashmir region. It, however, warned of scattered but heavy snowfall on Monday in the region, which will be the first this season. The state government, in the past week, had reviewed the winter preparedness and had asked the administration to gear up to provide essential services on uninterrupted…

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Government committed to inclusive growth of Ladakh, says Deputy CM

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Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh today said the government was committed to the comprehensive development of Ladakh so that the people of the desert region get all modern housing and educational facilities and other related amenities. The Deputy Chief Minister was speaking at a function organised today by the All Ladakh Students Association of Jammu in connection with Lossar. Minister of State for Information, Education and Culture Priya Sethi, Councillor from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Drokpa Thukse Rinpoche and several prominent citizens, intellectuals and academia were present…

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Govt approves Rs 27 cr for repair of Pandit township

Editor

The government has sanctioned Rs 27 crore for the renovation of camp townships in Jammu, inhabited by displaced Kashmiri Pandits, which are in a dilapidated condition. The work will start in the next few months. Relief Commissioner RK Pandita announced this during a grievance redress meeting organised at Jagti township, which houses 4,000 Pandits. The meeting was organised by MLC Surinder Ambardar, the lone Kashmiri Hindu member in the Legislature. Pandita said the process of recruitment for the additional 3,000 posts announced by the government for the displaced community will…

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Mufti Sayeed’s condition still critical – Doctors

Editor

The condition of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who was hospitalised 10 days ago, continued to be “critical but stable” today with doctors attempting to contain the chest infection. 79-year-old Sayeed, who was airlifted from Srinagar on December 24 and admitted to AIIMS, continued to be in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Doctors attending to him said today there was no change in his condition from yesterday. AIIMS had issued a statement last night in which his health condition was termed as “critical but stable”.…

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