Month: March 2016

Centre urged to declare Mughal Road as NH

Editor

Governor NN Vohra has requested Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to declare the historic 84-km-long Mughal Road, connecting Shopian in the Kashmir valley with Bafliaz in Poonch district of the Jammu region, as a national highway. The Governor has also requested the Union Minister to approve construction of an 8-km-long Chattapani-Zaznar tunnel to make the Mughal Road an all-weather link. In a letter, the Governor has conveyed that the road has several avalanche-prone locations near Pir Ki Gali and that a considerable portion of it remains…

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‘Tulip garden conversion will deprive Kashmir of its USP’

Editor

Taking strong exception to the government proposal to turn Tulip garden into a ‘round-the-year tourist spot’, the Valley-based tourism traders today said it will deprive Kashmir of its USP. The tourism players said the move would prove counter-productive for the Tulip garden which is known for its serene locales and variety of tulip bulbs attracting hordes of backpackers during spring to Kashmir. On the foothills of Zabarwan, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden has been ranked among ‘Top 5 tulip gardens’ to be visited across the globe, by the World…

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Special prayers to mark Navroz celebrations

Editor

As Navroz is being celebrated today, greetings are pouring in on the festive eve.Navroz marks the beginning of the New Year of the Persian calendar and is celebrated with fervour by the Shiite community in the Kashmir valley. In a joint statement, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and working president Omar Abdullah greeted the people of the state. “I pray the coming year ushers the state into a phase of stability, development and inclusive growth and brings peace and happiness into our homes and lives. This is also an occasion…

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On Navroz eve, Dal Nadroo missing from Kashmir markets

Editor

Nadroo—lotus stems or upper root—figuring most prominent in Kashmiri cuisines kept the date with all the big festivals ranging from Eid to Navroz. But since the great floods of 2014, it has disappeared from the markets. Ahead of this Navroz, the local Nadroo was again off-the-shelf in Srinagar markets for the second consecutive year after 2014 floods. Nadroo—lotus stems or upper root—figuring most prominent in Kashmiri cuisines kept the date with all the big festivals ranging from Eid to Navroz. But since the great floods of 2014, it has disappeared…

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Role of State Subjects in India

Editor

Dr. Syed Nazir Gilani It is high time that the citizens of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, (legally identified as State Subjects), and the opinion makers assign to themselves a serious consideration of their respective roles in the State (Valley in particular) and their roles as students, businessmen, teachers, lawyers and others during their residence in various parts of India. It is important that in addition to their needful roles in various disciplines and walks of life they take well measured steps to advocate the tragedy of the Muslims…

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Srinagar to get wholesale fish market, retail sales centres: Div Com

Editor

Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, said on Sunday that the Central Government had given its nod for a wholesale fish market here. “Srinagar will soon get a wholesale fish market and retail hygienic fish sales centres, which have been approved by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB) at an estimated cost of Rs 2.50 core on 90:10 Centre-state sharing pattern,” Samoon said. He said the government had identified four places for establishing retail sale outlets of fish with modern facilities in Srinagar — Chattabal, Karan Nagar, Parimpora and…

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Mehbooba Mufti likely to visit Delhi today, meet Arun Jaitley

Editor

As the deadlock over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir continued, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said it was fully committed to the agenda of governance in the state, while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti is likely to make a second trip in five days to Delhi today. Mufti is also likely to call a meeting of senior party leaders in the coming days to clear the ‘misgivings’ about the stalemate over government formation. Though the issue of government formation in J&K did not come up…

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Stop Stereotyping Kashmiri Students

Editor

“Jab kendra main sarkar kamzor ya undecided hogayi to aapko pata hai ki akhri dinoon main Manmohan Singh ji kuch nikar rahe thei. State agencies koi kaam ni karrahi thei. … Usi period main ye sab gusein hain, jo Kashmiri militants hain aur ye saare hain. Ye usi period main in tatvoon kayahan par entry hogaya hai. Varna JNU ki history main kabi be is qisim ki naare-baazi nahin hui. … anti-national matlab aisi naare-baazi jo desh ki akhandta aur samprabuta kei upar prashan chin uthayey. Aise kabi naare-baazi ni…

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PoJK refugees want govt to implement relief package

Editor

The Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir Front today sought implementation and final settlement of relief component announced by the Central Government for the displaced comm-unity members. The front warned of agitation if the Central and state governments continues to discriminate with the community. Led by president Rachpal Singh Chib, protesters claimed that then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had sanctioned a financial package of Rs 112 crore in 2000 for the rehabilitation of the refugees from Mirpur, Bhimber, Kotli, Deva, Watala, Chamb, Nah, Manawar and Muzaffarbad after 1947, but the package…

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Rain lashes Valley, waterlogging woes remain

Editor

There is no respite from waterlogging for the residents in the summer capital for the fourth consecutive day today as rain continued to lash the Valley. Residents blamed the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for failing to dewater all areas. For the last four days, commuters have been facing difficulties due to inundated roads and lanes hampering traffic movement. “Dewatering will not help because it has been raining for the last four days. It needs a permanent solution. If the drainage problem is not solved, we will be forced to protest,”…

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