Month: May 2016

Online travel portals take major share of hotel rooms in Kashmir

Editor

Hoteliers prefer outside agents to locals for secure business The mass hotel bookings by online travel companies like MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, Yatra has sounded a death knell for local travel agents who are not in a position to book the rooms for their clients. Most of the hotels and houseboats – high-end as well as budget category – have tied up with these multi-million dollar companies to secure advance bookings of their rooms. These online travel portals block hotel rooms in advance leaving minimum share for the local travel agents. This…

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JK Govt to start functioning from summer capital : Darbar Move

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The Jammu and Kashmir government is all set to start functioning from the summer capital here Monday after shifting from winter capital as part of the pre-independence bi-annual Darbar Move practice. Raj Bhavan, Civil Secretariat and other offices were closed in Jammu on April 29 and are scheduled to reopen here tomorrow as per the ‘darbar move’, a century-old practice under which government functions six month each in the two capitals of the state. The government would function in the summer capital till late October and then move to Jammu,…

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Come up with proposals to seek Central help, says Union Minister

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Technology centre to come up at Samba’s Industrial Growth Centre Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Kalraj Mishra today said J&K was not ‘making much use of various schemes of the ministry’. He urged the state government to come up with more proposals so that more assistance could be provided. The Union Minister said this while addressing a press conference here. He said it had always been the endeavour of the NDA government to bring ‘all sections of society into the mainstream, especially the ones which are…

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‘Kashmir to remain top issue in India-Pakistan talks’

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The Kashmir issue cannot be whisked away from the dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad, Pakistani Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said on Saturday. Commenting on the stalled dialogue between India and Pakistan, Chaudhary said: “Whenever there will be talks between Pakistan and India, Kashmir will remain on top of the agenda.” The arrest of alleged Indian spy Kulbushan Yadav from Balochistan has verified India’s involvement in Pakistan’s internal affairs, Dawn online quoted Chaudhary as saying. He said there was a trust deficit between Pakistan and India which needs to be…

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JK Govt to give five kg rice per person under new scheme

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In the wake of widespread protests over implementation of NFSA in Jammu and Kashmir, the state government has decided to provide additional five kg of rice per person under a new scheme, named after ex-chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, which would be implemented from July 1. “From July this year, the state government will provide additional five kg of rice per person under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES),” Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali said here today. He said bona fide rationee would get…

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Muslims will have to solve their own problems : Sheikh Hussain Yee

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Prominent Islamic scholar Sheikh Hussain Yee today said the Muslims across the globe would themselves have to find solutions to their problems. “To come out of problems and issues which the Muslim community is besieged with, the only way out is that we rely on Allah and fear him only. The Muslims will have to find out the solutions of their problems themselves,” Yee said while addressing the Friday congregation at Jamia Masjid in old Srinagar city. “…if Muslims practice the commandments of the Koran and obey Allah in real…

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Kashmir grapples with pollen-induced allergy

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Pollen is back in the atmosphere and the Kashmir region is grappling with the pollen-induced allergy these days. Doctors and health experts who are dealing with such kind of patients in hospitals across the Valley have advised taking adequate precautionary measures as the symptoms get exacerbated with patients having asthma or breathing problems. The common symptoms of pollen-induced allergy include nasal irritation, running nose, red and watery eyes, which may further exacerbate if proper medical advice is not sought by the affected persons. “The pollen-induced allergy is a seasonal health…

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Travel firm owner held for duping Hajj aspirants

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The J&K Police has arrested the owner of Al-Hajeej Tour and Travels – the main accused of swindling crore of rupees by duping Haj aspirants in 2011 and 2012. Fabiyan Wahid Gilkar, the owner of Al-Hajeej Tour and Travels, was arrested by the J&K Police from Delhi. He was at large and was not attending the court upon which warrants were issued against the accused persons. A police spokesman said they got an information that the accused was trying to flee to Dubai. “Acting on this information, a police party…

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BJP’s make-peace meeting flops, leaves MLAs fuming

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Legislators slam ‘unapproachable’ ministers The much-awaited meeting to iron out differences between BJP ministers and MLAs proved to be futile as a majority of the legislators were not satisfied with the outcome of the exercise because their grievances were not taken seriously by the leadership. Instead of giving strict directions to the ministers to immediately address grievances of the legislators, the party leadership led by state chief Sat Sharma asked legislators to give suggestions how to solve problems of the people like the scarcity of potable water and unscheduled power…

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SC to decide on exams by State Boards on Monday : NEET

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The Supreme Court will on Monday decide the fate of students appearing in medical entrance examinations conducted by J&K and other states, after hearing the Solicitor General of India. “The issue with regard to those students, who had appeared or who are due to appear in examinations conducted by the States in accordance with their State laws, shall be decided after hearing the learned Solicitor General,” apex court bench headed by Justice Anil R Dave said in its order. The direction followed after Solicitor General, Ranjit Kumar, requested the bench…

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