Month: March 2016

Governor’s Rule puts “Popular” government to test

Editor

K B Jandial Finally, the two and half months’ long  political uncertainty in the sensitive border state of J&K has come to a happy end, thanks to the “positive meeting” of Mehbooba Mufti and PM Modi at 7 RCR, New Delhi on 22rd March, 2016. It is not as important to unearth the  “positive” assurances (CBMs) that have been given to Mehbooba Mufti in her half an hour meeting as the breaking of ice between two alliance partners – PDP and BJP which all through maintained that their alliance was…

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Mehbooba likely to be sworn-in on April 4

Editor

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti, set to be the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, is likely to be sworn-in on April four. PDP sources said the swearing-in is likely to take place on April four once the availability of some senior leaders from Delhi was confirmed. Mehbooba, who will also have the distinction of being the first Muslim woman Chief Minister of the country, had met Governor N N Vohra on Saturday last and staked claim to form the government with the support of 25 MLAs of the…

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Jewellers continue protest

Editor

25th-day on Strike  KEA demands rollback of act While the Valley jewelers strike against government’s proposal to levy 1 per cent excise duty on gold, entered 25th day on Monday, the association held protests march from Saraf Kadal to Baba demb and were demanding rollback of the act. The jewelers who have pegged their tents in Srinagar city at Saraf Kadal marched towards Khanyar via Baba Demb and were chanting slogans like ‘we want justice’. Led by Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) president, Muhammad Yaseen Khan, the protests were holding banners…

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Geelani says TeH most disciplined, strongest organization

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Terming the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) as a most disciplined and strongest organization with a clear stand in the Kashmir struggle, Chairman Hurriyat (G) Syed Ali Geelani Monday issued special directions to the central as well as district officials of the party to specify first fifteen days of the month of April for the membership drive of the party. Geelnai passed the direction so that more people especially youth could get into the party fold and work for the Kashmir cause, a statement issued here said. He said TeH is although a…

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Get ready for power pangs this summer

Editor

Low discharge of water hits electricity generation, eight small hydropower projects still shut Scanty rain and less snowfall are set to compound electricity woes of Jammu and Kashmir this summer as the state continues to generate only 50 per cent of its total power generation capacity due to low discharge of water into all major rivers. “The generation capacity of the state is 770 MW. Generation has come down drastically to around 400 MW due to low discharge into rivers. We have been running only two turbines of 150 MW…

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Growing drug abuse among youth matter of concern: HC

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Says country’s proximity to opium-growing regions behind drug trafficking The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has said that due to India’s close proximity to the major opium-growing regions, the country is facing the menace of drug trafficking and drug abuse among the youth is increasing, which is a matter of concern. These observations were made today by the J&K High Court while dismissing a habeas corpus petition by a “drugs trafficker”, Jahangir Ahmad Khan, a resident of Wanigam in north Kashmir’s Baramulla. Khan, who was first booked by the authorities…

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DAK expresses concern over rampant hysterectomies in Valley

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Due to lack of clinical audit, thousands of innocent women in Kashmir are being subjected to “unscrupulous” hysterectomies — surgical removal of uterus, claimed Doctors Association of Kashmir. “Women in Kashmir are prone to osteoporosis which is facilitated by unnecessary and scandalous hysterectomies,” said DAK president Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan. Dr Hassan attributed the increasing cases of osteoporosis among women to removal of uteruses after pregnancy complications. As per the Union Health Ministry data, more than 12,000 hysterectomy surgeries were conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014 and 2015, he said. The…

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Less influx of Kashmiris hits Jammu business badly this winter

Editor

With relatively lesser influx of Kashmiris in Jammu this winter, the local business has been badly affected. The Udhampur petrol bomb attack is considered as one of the main factors for many Kashmiris not visiting Jammu for fear of communal violence. One of the two persons injured in the attack on a Kashmir-bound truck on October 9-10 night later succumbed to injuries, triggering valley-wide protests. “Yes, we witnessed less business. Very less number of people (from Kashmir) came to Jammu because of Udhampur incident. Otherwise, we see heavy rush of…

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Guv approves supplementary budget for three months

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Jammu and Kashmir’s State Administrative Council (SAC) which met here on Monday under the chairmanship of Governor N.N. Vohra, approved supplementary budget for three months for the state. “The SAC approved the ‘On Account Appropriation’ for a period of three months beginning April, 2016,” said an official statement here. The ‘on account appropriation’ by the governor’s administration was necessitated because a regular budget could not be passed in Jammu and Kashmir as the state legislature has been put under suspended animation following imposition of governor’s rule here on January 8.…

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Haj Committee must increase general category quota for J&K : Mir

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The decision of the Haj Committee of India not to increase the quota for Haj aspirants of Jammu and Kashmir under the general category has not gone down well with people of the state. Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist president Ghulam Hassan Mir has asked the Haj Committee to reconsider its decision and increase the quota under the general category. Mir said J&K being the only Muslim-majority state had high expectations from the Haj Committee in giving preference in the Haj quota. “The decision has disappointed Haj aspirants who…

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