Month: April 2016

Travel trade fraternity hails Farooq Shah’s appointment as Secretary Tourism

Editor

Travel trade fraternity has hailed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for appointing Farooq A Shah as Secretary Tourism. The tourism fraternity also congratulated Farooq Shah for taking over the reins of tourism in J&K as its Secretary. In a statement, President TASK Mohammad Ibrahim Siah welcomed Farooq Shah’s posting as Secretary Tourism saying his experience has always helped tourism sector. “Tourism is a fragile sector which needs to be headed by an experience person. We believe Farooq Sahab is the right man to protect tourism sector and also promote it nationally…

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Major shake-up in administration

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The Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, ordered a major reshuffle in the state administration. As per the orders, Sundeep Kumar Nayak, Principal Secretary, Tourism Department, has been posted as the Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department. Bipul Pathak, Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department, has been posted as the Chairman, J&K Special Tribunal. Ashok Parmar, Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, has been posted as the Secretary, IT, Technical Education and Youth Services and Sports Department. Navin Kumar Choudhary, Secretary, Finance Department, has been posted as…

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“ Shift India Out Of Kashmir ”

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By B L Saraf ‘ Take India out of Kashmir ’ has been the refrain of separatist discourse for quite a time . Some in the Valley have taken to the gun to achieve the ‘ object ‘ . They almost succeeded in 1990 when institutions and commercial units associated with India , including radio and the TV , were ordered out of the Valley . It took GOI years to relocate them back . What a trick of the fate that what militants couldn’t achieve then , now ,…

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Forces attacked with stones during search operation in Pulwama

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In yet another such incident, protesters on Monday targeted government forces who had gone to a village to carry out a search operation following information that some militants were hiding there. Forces fired tear gas shells to disperse the mobs, police said, adding nobody was injured in it. Forces of 50 Rastriya Rifles and policemen conducted a search operation in Lelhaar village of Pulwama district, following information about presence of militants in the area, police said. The search operation yielded nothing and the forces called off the operation, police said.…

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Non-Kashmiri students want NIT extension centre in Jammu

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Following the government’s decision not to shift the National Institute of Technology campus from Srinagar campus, non-Kashmiri students of the institute have demanded an extension centre at Jammu on the pattern of Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Ranchi, and the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Allahabad. After the statements of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) and the state government that there will be “no question of shifting the NIT-Srinagar campus from Kashmir”, the fear-stricken students have requested for an extension centre of the institute at Jammu. “If…

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Religious, Regional polarisation dangerous for J&K: Rana

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Calling for a collective fight against elements inimical to peace and pluralistic ethos, National Conference Provincial President Mr Devender Singh Rana on Monday said religious and regional polarisation is dangerous for a sensitive state like Jammu and Kashmir. “Lately, a disturbing situation is being perpetrated to divide the society to divert public attention from political compromises made to remain glued to power”, Mr Rana said while inaugurating a Community Hall, constructed under Constituency Development Fund, at Katal Batal in Nagrota Assembly Constituency. Among others Shri Shri 108 Gurdeep Singhji Maharaj…

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Show no laxity in completion of projects : CM

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In her first major review meeting after assuming charge, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today hinted at reorienting the Planning and Development Department so that it was able to professionally handle the preparation of quality DPRs (detailed project reports), the absence of which she said was the real bane of project delays. She vouched for a mechanism where ‘empanelled consultants’ removed technical bottlenecks and fast-tracked the DPR preparation, enabling the executing agencies to deliver the projects on time. “If funds crunch was the problem in the past, nowadays it is the…

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CM increases ratio quota at first Cabinet meet

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Bonanza for employees: DA raised by 6%, old-age pension goes up In a major decision, the Cabinet today decided to go beyond the National Food Security Act (NFSA) by enhancing ration per head from 5 kg to 10 kg, involving nearly Rs 1,500 crore annual financial implication. The government launched a new scheme, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES). The enhanced quantity of ration would be provided to a population of nearly 1.19 crore through the MMSFES in addition to the NFSA. Consumers would have to pay more for…

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KU students march in solidarity with students harassed outside Kashmir

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A solidarity march was staged at the University of Kashmir on Monday for the Kashmiri students studying in various colleges outside Jammu and Kashmir. More than 300 students assembled outside the Humanities block at the varsity and raised slogans to condemn the attack on Kashmiri students outside the state. The protesting students also raised slogans in favour of Kashmir’s independence. “It is a shame that the government is silent at the attacks on Kashmiri students studying in various Indian colleges. They are worried only about non-locals students at the NIT…

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Saffron league at NIT

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By DAR WASIM Well known illustrator, Jim Benton has rightly said, “School prepares you for the real world… which also bites”. It all started in the Hyderabad University, then reached JNU and now is spreading in Kashmir. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s failures on development and good governance fronts, the right wing and his Hindu nationalist supporters started attacking premier institutions invoking the “nationalism” card. Rohit Vemula paid the price of being a dalit and JNU students were arrested for speaking the truth about his ‘institutional murder’. The crime of these…

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