Month: March 2016

Mehbooba all set to become J&K’s first Woman CM; PDP anoints her as legislature party leader

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs on Thursday unanimously elected party chief Mehbooba Mufti as the legislature party leader, paving the way for her to take over the reins of the government as Jammu and Kashmir’s first woman chief minister. Speaking at the PDP meeting, Mehbooba thanked the party workers for extending their support to her and for backing her during testing times.”I would like to thank all of you. Today you have once again elected me as the leader of legislative party. I thank you for your support. Mehbooba…

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Mehbooba is now willing, but BJP wary of coalition

Editor

Mehbooba Mufti’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appears to have failed to motivate BJP to reciprocate the PDP chief’s new-found willingness to repair ties and form the government in Jammu & Kashmir. Although Mehbooba expressed satisfaction over the 30-minute meeting with the PM and indicated her willingness for J&K government formation with BJP, sources in the saffron outfit said the PM refused to discuss the coalition’s revival with her, saying she needed to sort out the matter with the BJP brass. Sources also said that while Mehbooba…

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Shahid Afridi’s Kashmir comment creates ripples

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Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi chose to raise an unexpected controversy on Tuesday by raking up Kashmir before the start of a World T20 here. Asked by former Pakistan cricket captain and now commentator Rameez Raja if he and his team had support from the crowds here, Afridi said that “A lot of people are here from Kashmir”. “It seems you have a bit of fan following here in Mohali,” Raja remarked after Afridi lost the toss in the match against New Zealand. “Ya, a lot of people, a lot of…

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Dredging season over, ‘high-tech’ dredger yet to start

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Rs 46 crore project failing as machine develops snag The much hyped Jhelum dredging project is yet to take off despite tall claims of the authorities as the defective “high-tech” dredger afloat Jhelum River here is yet to extract any deposits from the river bed. Though the company tasked to de-slit the river bed claims that the dredger was made operational two weeks back but for the past 15 days the dredger seems sitting idle. On March 6, Kolkata-based Reach Dredging Limited, the firm which has been tasked by the…

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Protests against NFSA in city areas

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People of several areas of Srinagar on Tuesday staged protest against the implementation of National Food Security Act (NFSA). Inhabitants of Soura took to streets against NFSA calling it “anti-people.” A complete shutdown was observed in the area while shops and other business establishments remained closed till late afternoon. The protestors erected barricades on roads affecting vehicular movement in the area. The protestors chanted anti-NFSA and anti-government slogans. “The authorities are not coming clear over the issue. How can a family live on five kilograms of rice. Even doctors recommend…

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Lacking testing facilities, FSO ‘smells’ food, seizes stock, No testing facility for Oils, Milk

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The Food Safety Organization on Tuesday seized stock of ‘chicken leg pieces’ being sold by a retailer in Bemina on complaints of ‘foul smell’ from the meat, officials said. Assistant Food Commissioner of Food Safety, Hilal Ahmed Mir said “it was obvious that this meat was stale given its smell.” When we asked whether there was any other mechanism to check whether meat being sold in Kashmir markets was fresh and stale, Mir said: “In such` products, smell is an indicator for us. We do not have any other system to…

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Srinagar faces ‘garbage calamity’ as Achan mess persists

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SMC violates MSW, EPA guidelines in solid waste disposal With the failure of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to scientifically manage the solid waste, summer capital Srinagar is facing ‘garbage calamity’ as Achan mess persists. According to officials, since the acquisition of Achan site (having about 540 Kanals of land) in early 2000, waste disposal at the site was being done as sanitary land filling of the entire untreated incoming mixed garbage that gets generated across Srinagar city. The officials, wishing not to be named informed that the move amounts to…

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Seasonal mushroom Shajkun sells like hotcakes in north Kashmir

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Shajkun, a seasonal mushroom found in the coniferous forests of Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora in March and April months, is selling like hot cakes in north Kashmir. As the weather has improved here, the women folk venture out in the nearby thick forests of Deodar in Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Kralpora and Kandi to collect the rare mushroom locally known as Shajkun. According to the locals this mushroom generally grows in the shape of an ear and is rich in protein, iron and calcium. The locals believe this golden colour mushroom…

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The Alliance Agenda that Mehbooba is keen to fulfil

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CBMs sought by PDP chief remain unaddressed As the apparent stalemate continues over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba is still hopeful of forward movement in the points mentioned in the Agenda of Alliance which paved the way for first ever PDP-BJP government in Jammu and Kashmir on March 1, 2015. Power project The PDP chief has asked for return of Dulhasti and Uri hydro power projects to J&K from the NHPC — a demand which was agreed upon by the two parties in the Agenda of the Alliance.“The…

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One-way traffic to continue on Sgr-Jmu highway

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Only one-way traffic will continue on the Srinagar-Jammu highway as the road at several places was still not fully repaired after recent landslides. Meanwhile, majority of roads linking far-flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC) with district and tehsil headquarters, reopened after recent snowfall. Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying passengers, left Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir valley for Jammu, a traffic police official said. Empty trucks and oil tankers and other heavy vehicles, which were also stranded at different places, including Qazigund,…

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