Month: March 2016

187 posts okayed for timely completion of power projects

Editor

The State Administrative Council (SAC), which met here today under the chairmanship of Governor NN Vohra, approved creation of 187 posts for two dedicated project wings, one each for the Jammu and Kashmir regions, and one Project Management Unit (PMU) at the secretariat level for monitoring and timely completion of power projects. The creation of the posts is initially for five years. The meeting approved two posts of Chief Engineer, six posts of Superintending Engineer, 14 posts of Executive Engineer, 35 posts of Assistant Executive Engineer (AEEs) and AEs and…

Read More

No concrete assurance from Centre to PDP as yet

Editor

The chances of government formation in the state look bleak as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not received any concrete assurance on the implementation of the confidence-building measures and the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ from the Centre. This was given out when PDP president Mehbooba Mufti met party legislators here this evening. Mehbooba Mufti, after landing in Jammu this afternoon, drove to Government Guest House on the Canal road and held one-on-one meeting with party legislators. “Mehbooba clearly said that she will not compromise on the confidence-building measures and the…

Read More

Jewellers’ strike enters 2nd day

Editor

Jewellers across the city continued to down their shutters for the second consecutive day today as a part of three-day pan-India strike to protest the proposed re-imposition of 1 per cent excise duty on gold and diamond jewellery and mandatory quoting of Permanent Account Number (PAN) by consumers for transaction of Rs 2 lakh and above. Jewellers consisting of manufacturers, retailers, artisans, among others, participated in the strike called by the All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation.

Read More

Get ready for Assembly polls: Omar

Editor

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the National Conference (NC) cadre to gear up for fresh Assembly elections in the wake of the failure of the PDP and the BJP to form the government in the state. “God willing, fresh Assembly elections will be held and you have to be ready to fight it. We have to create a new army of workers to fight the elections,” Omar said during the NC’s youth convention here. The NC working president said after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s death on January…

Read More

Hepatitis-E Outbreak: 5 more test positive in Qazigund village

Editor

With five more cases of Hepatitis-E coming to fore, the number of people diagnosed of the infection in Cheki-Wangund village of Kulgam district in South Kashmir has reached 13. The doctors had last week confirmed outbreak of Hepatitis-E in the village after eight people were tested positive for the infection. The highly contaminated water supplied to the inhabitants by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department was attributed as the sole reason for the outbreak. “Five more people have tested positive for infection,” said a doctor today. He said that out…

Read More

Climate Change and its causes

Editor

It is March in Kashmir and sun is shining with full pace rejoicing people, but despairing experts. Apart from very less snowfall this winter, it has struck fear among the people and experts that agriculture activities might be impacted this season which contributes major part of economy in Kashmir. The fourty day long Chilai Kalan (harsh wintry days) which was expected to receive highest snowfall has not received a single flake of snow. Kashmir has witnessed the hottest day in February in 76 years as mercury roses to 20.6 degree…

Read More

BJP leaders meet J&K Guv, discuss political situation

Editor

A two-member BJP panel today met Governor N N Vohra and discussed with him the current political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. State BJP President Sat Sharma and MLA Billawar Nirmal Singh called on the Governor at the Raj Bhavan here today, an official spokesman said. Besides discussions on the political situation, the BJP leaders brought to Governor’s notice several important issues, including disbursement of relief to PoK refugees and to those who had lost their houses in the floods, the spokesman said. The issues of construction of shelters for…

Read More

Car lifters gang busted

Editor

The J&K Police busted a gang of car lifters today and recovered five stolen vehicles and several engines from them. A police spokesman said an anti-theft squad was formed to investigate the car thefts in the city. The squad was formed in Hazratbal zone and was headed by Lal Bazar SHO Tauseef Lone. It was monitored by Sub Divisional Police Officer, Hazratbal, Sajad Bukhari and supervised by Hazratbal SP Rayees Mohammad Bhat. “The squad detained three car lifters, identified as Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh, a resident of Awantabhavan Soura; Irshad Ahmad…

Read More

Government orders rebidding for Zojila tunnel contract

Editor

The Union Government has ordered rebidding of the strategic Rs 10050-crore Zujila tunnel contract in Jammu and Kashmir, which was earlier given to IRB Infrastructure, reports said on Wednesday. The decision to rebid the tunnel project was taken at a meeting, presided by Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. As some doubts were raised in respect of the project, rebidding was ordered to maintain complete transparency and uphold probity in public life. Zoji La is 9 km from Sonamarg and provides a vital link between Ladakh and Kashmir. It…

Read More

PDP suffers from ‘paralysis of analysis’

Editor

Gowhar Geelani Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed breathed his last on January 7. Nearly two months after Sayeed’s demise, his party led by daughter Mehbooba Mufti is yet to take a stand on the government formation. What does this inexcusable delay in either restitching the partnership with the ideologically antithetical Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or divorcing the right-wing Hindu nationalist party entail? Saying that PDP is in serious leadership crisis and facing paralysis of analysis would be stating the obvious. It is indeed facing a precarious…

Read More