Month: March 2016

Migratory birds bid early adieu to Kashmir as temperature rises

Editor

Thousands of migratory birds are bidding an early adieu to Kashmir this year because of unusually hot temperatures and scant rain and snowfall. “Normally, the migration back to summer homes from the Valley by the migratory bird species starts by the middle of March, but due to unusual rise in temperatures and scant precipitation during the winter months, these avian visitors are leaving earlier this year,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad Lone, wildlife warden (Wetlands Kashmir). Lone said many species of migratory birds including Pintails, Mallards, Pochards, Wigeons and Shovellers have already…

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Work on 1856 MW Sawalkot project likely to start next yr

Editor

After much delay, the work on 1856 Mega Watt (MW) Sawalkot Power Project is likely to start next year, according to sources. The proposed power project will come up on the bank of Chenab River in Tinger Panchayat, about 40 kilometers from the Ramban town. According to sources, “Originally JKSPDC had planed 600 MW power project and anMoU was signed by Sawalkot consortium which comprised SPAS of Norway, HCC of India and Ozaltin of Turkey to develop the project. However the project never took off.” Thereafter, a revised DPR estimated…

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Cellular companies vandalise roads

Editor

Throwing norms to winds, the cellular companies operating in Srinagar have come under severe criticism among people who accuse them of damaging roads after laying underground optical fibre or cable wires. The cellular companies have dug up various roads across the summer capital for laying pipes. However despite the government spending crores of rupees on black-topping, these companies have once again left the roads defaced much to the dismay of common people. “There is no coordination between government agencies and cellular companies when it comes to public works.  It is…

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Vohra-led administration asks PDP-BJP ministers to vacate official bungalows within 7 days

Editor

In a significant development, the Governor-led administration in J&K has asked former ministers of the PDP-BJP government to vacate ministerial bungalows under their possession within next seven days as “they have no right to occupy them.” “….You are requested to kindly handover the possession of the ministerial bungalow allotted to you in your capacity as Hon’ble Minister to the Estates department within seven days from the date of issuance of this communication,” reads the notice served to the former ministers individually by the State’s Estates department. The notices were slapped…

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Govt to take over NGO-run school for special children

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir government is considering taking over a special school run by an NGO for differently abled children here to meet financial requirements of the institute. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon directed the Srinagar Deputy Commissioner and Director Social Welfare, Kashmir, to consider the modalities for taking over of the school at Solina in uptown city for blind, mute, and speech-impaired children by the Department of Social Welfare. Samoon gave the direction while chairing a meeting to review the functioning of various facilities for differently-abled children in both…

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‘Courage of Kashmiri, Palestine, Western Sahara women highlighted at UN’

Editor

The courage of women of Kashmir, Palestine and Western Sahara was highlighted at UN in Geneva on International Women’s Day, a Hurriyat statement from Geneva said. Statement said the African Commission for Human Rights arranged a sideline event parallel to the 31st Human Rights Council where Kashmiri, Palestinian and Western Sahara activists briefed the world on the plight of women in their respective regions. The organization chose a Kashmiri activist, Shagufta Ashraf, to lead the event, statement said, adding, “Ashraf told international rights defenders that India’s army is responsible for…

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Tourism and trade bodies seeks night flights for Kashmir

Editor

Representatives of various tourism and trade bodies met Principal Secretary, Tourism, Sandip Naik here today to discuss the issues being faced by them. “A detailed discussion was held on the issues raised by the travel and trade bodies who sought government’s intervention in addressing problems being faced by them in running their business activities. They demanded operation of night flights, checking of unnecessary air fare hike during peak season, introduction of chartered flights, giving industry status to the tourism sector and stopping frequent traffic police checks of vehicles ferrying tourists,”…

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BJP still striving to find its feet in Valley

Editor

Despite forming the previous coalition government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the BJP is still striving to gain a firm foothold in the Kashmir valley. Though the party boasts of having enrolled around 3.5 lakh members in the Valley, its local leaders say a lot still needs to be done to bring about a ‘change in the hearts’ of the people at a place where the BJP has failed to win any electoral seat. “We have to change the mental setup of the people. We also have to bring…

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Heavy rain in Kashmir soon, possible flood alert

Editor

The month of March in the last two years brought nothing but bad news and flooding for the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In between, September 2014 also witnessed heavy rainfall with flash floods and inundations in several places. In fact, Jammu and Kashmir receives more rain in the month of March than in the Monsoon season. The average rainfall for the month of March in Srinagar is 115.6 mm while the average is 60 mm and 70 mm in July and August, respectively. We can say that March is…

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Residents protest implementation of Food Act

Editor

Demanding rollback of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), residents today blocked the national highway at Satwari. They demanded that the Act should not be implemented in the state. Locals alleged that the new Act was aimed at depriving people of ration, which would not be accepted. The highway remained blocked for more than one hour, which affected the movement of traffic, leading to chaos. Majority of the protesters alleged that ration dealers had refused to give them flour for this month and instead of that, they were being asked…

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