Month: March 2016

Wular lake safe haven for timber smugglers

Editor

The smugglers in Bandipora have been ferrying timber through Wular lake for a long time allegedly due to the official connivance. Local resident of  Nadihal, Garoora, Kema, Aloosa, Khenusa and  adjoining areas told that the smugglers use the river route to ship the timber in connivance with the officials of Forest Protection Force (FPF). The forest cover is fast dwindling here as timber smugglers are using Wular Lake to smuggle the green gold with Forest department unable to curb the practice.  The timber smuggling, according to residents, even takes place…

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Why Budget may have delayed Government formation in J&K

Editor

The general budget was expected to bridge the political gap between the BJP and the PDP in Jammu and Kashmir. But Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ended his budget speech without mentioning the state, upsetting hopes of an early revival of the PDP-BJP alliance and delaying government formation even more, sources say. Jammu and Kashmir has been under governor’s rule since Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, who headed the PDP-BJP alliance government, died in January.  His daughter and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti has said in the past that she wants the Centre to…

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Vohra reviews BRO road projects

Editor

Governor NN Vohra today reviewed significant road projects being maintained and developed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a high-level meeting here. The meeting was attended by Parvez Dewan, Adviser to Governor; Lt Gen Suresh Kumar, Director General, BRO; PK Tripathi, Principal Secretary to Governor; Rohit Kansal, Commissioner PWD (R&B); and Brig Biswajit Bhattacharya, Chief Engineer, Sampark. The Governor was apprised of the status of maintenance and ongoing work on Jammu-Poonch national highway, Basohli-Bani-Bhaderwah road, Batote-Kishtwar road, Parimpora-Shalteng-Narbal part of NH1; and Baramulla-Rafiabad-Kupwara-Tangdhar road. The Governor observed that keeping…

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Valley to host South Asian Amateur Chess Championship from Sept 1

Editor

As many as 250 players from eight countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) would vie for top honours in the historic South Asian Amateur Chess Championship to be hosted by J&K for the first time in Srinagar at Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Stadium from September 1 to 6. The participating countries are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Maldives. While briefing the media today, Atul Kumar Gupta, president of the All J&K Chess Association and joint secretary of the All India Chess Federation, said the event…

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Omar Abdullah accuses PDP of leaving Kashmir in “tatters”

Editor

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday accused PDP of leaving Jammu and Kashmir in “tatters” saying the party was staying away from government formation in an attempt to undo the “wrongs” which led to “political and economic uncertainty” in the state. “The ink-pot (symbol of PDP) party has left the state in tatters and is now busy trying its best to undo the wrongs which led to political and economic uncertainty in the state,” Omar, who is working president of National Conference, said addressing a function in his Beerwah…

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Damaged houses injures, bear testimony to Sarore horror

Editor

As the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) and the Samba district administration are trying to shift blame onto each other, affected Gujjars today said brutal force was unleashed on them on February 22 to evict them from the land where they had been putting up for over three decades. They blamed a local politician for the eviction drive. The KP team today talked to the JDA, Samba district administration, police, local BJP MLA Chander Prakash Ganga and also met affected Gujjars to have a close look into the sequence of events that…

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Div Com reviews developmental progress on roads, bridges

Editor

The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr Asgar Hassan Samoon Tuesday reviewed progress of work on roads and bridges being carried out in Kashmir valley. The meeting was attended by Chief Engineer R&B, Commissioner SMC, officials of ERA, JKPCC besides Deputy Commissioners of all thedistricts of the valley through video conferencing. During the meeting, Chief Engineer R&B said during the current fiscal 1098.09 Kms of road length has been blacktopped/macadamized and 619.67 Kms of road has been brought to WBM status. He said other works including construction of drains, protection walls and…

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NC misleading people for own political gains: PDP

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today lashed out at its arch-rival National Conference (NC), saying it was “misleading the people systematically and exhibiting political wickedness by viciously attacking the PDP”. On Monday, the NC hit out at PDP president Mehbooba Mufti by alleging that she could not escape responsibility for the party’s “sellout to the BJP and its complete failure for its 10-month-long tenure”. PDP general secretary Rafi Ahmad Mir today taunted the NC and alleged that it had failed to provide any relief to the people in the six…

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64,981 fined for traffic violations in Jan

Editor

10,478 penalised for using mobile phone, playing music while driving in 2015 The Traffic Police in Jammu and Kashmir have penalised over 10,000 drivers for using mobile phones or playing music while driving in the past one year. Reply to an RTI application also revealed that in January 64,981people were challaned for violating different traffic rules, ranging from rash driving to wrong parking. Activist Peer Noor-ul-Haque in his application had sought information about the number of people booked for using mobile phones while driving and vehicle operators penalised for using…

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Hindus asked to pick up guns against Muslims at Sangh Parivar meet attended by BJP legislators

Editor

Muslims were equated to “demons” and “descendants of Ravana”, and warned of a “final battle” during a Sangh Parivar condolence meet on Sunday in Agra, a media report said today. The condolence meet was being held for a VHP worker Arun Mahaur, who was allegedly killed last week by some Muslim youths. “Among those present on the dais were Union Minister of State, HRD, and BJP Agra MP Ram Shankar Katheria as well as the BJP’s Fatehpur Sikri MP Babu Lal, apart from other party local leaders, who joined in…

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