Month: June 2016

1.40 lakh teachers on record, 20000 not traceable

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There are no whereabouts of around 20000 teachers working with Jammu and Kashmir Education Department, the Government informed the Legislative Assembly on Monday. Winding up the discussion on demand of grants for School and Higher Education, Minister for Education Naeem Akhtar said on papers there were 1.40 lakh teachers working in School Education Department. “But while compiling the data from each district, we found the figures (number of teachers) was around 1.20 lakh to 1.25 lakh. We are trying to locate the missing teachers,” the Minister told the House. He…

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Govt to crackdown on encroachers to protect water bodies

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Vowing to take a “tough stand” against those found encroaching upon pathways and areas of water bodies, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said that the government was serious in making concerted efforts to ensure clearing of the waterways to end fears of disasters in future. Intervening to a question of CPM’s MY Tarigami on flood management during Question Hour in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said that there were many reasons for vanishing water bodies, including blockage of movement of water in the tributaries to Jhelum river and lakes in…

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Paragliding banned near defence areas : IAF Plea

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Against the backdrop of Pathankot airbase terror strike, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has banned private airborne activity — para-jumping, paragliding and hoisting of air balloons — within a radius of one kilometre of any defence and security installations in the state. It follows the request of the Indian Air Force (IAF), Police Headquarters, to all district magistrates to restrict “private airborne activity”. In this regard, a communiqué from the IAF, Police Headquarters (Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu area), was issued on June 2. The IAF apprehends that terrorists could…

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More cross-LoC crossing points likely to be opened: Chief Minister

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More crossing points are expected to be opened on the Line of Control (LoC) for greater movement of people and goods to and fro Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and banking system is likely to be introduced for trade, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said here on Monday. “The state government has taken up the matter regarding opening of more cross-LoC points with the Centre and I am sure there will be positive movement forward on the issue as serious discussions are on in this regard,” Mehbooba informed the Legislative…

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Mehbooba supervising selective crackdown: Omar

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National Conference working president Omar Abdullah today claimed that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was “personally and directly supervising a selective crackdown” on separatist leaders. Omar said the crackdown was selective and based on the level of public opposition to her party’s “recurring U-turns” ahead of the Anantnag byelection, which Mehbooba is contesting. “It is clear that the Chief Minister is spooked by her growing unpopularity ahead of the Anantnag bypoll and intends to re-arrest all Hurriyat leaders as soon as the election concludes,” Omar said addressing party workers in central…

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One gunman killed, Three CRPF men wounded in suspected militant attack in Udhampur

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Terrorists on Monday attacked a CRPF camp on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway in Kud area of Udhampur District, according to SSP of Udhampur. One terrorist has been killed in encounter with security personnel while 3 CRPF jawans have been injured in the operation, according to CRPF sources. Traffic has been stopped at J&K National Highway by security forces for the safety of passengers, according to ANI. Reports say terrorists opened fire at the CRPF team when they stopped a bus for checking. This is the second attack in the state by…

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BJP terms Kashmiri separatists as ‘Pakistani agents’

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 13 June dubbed the Kashmiri separatists as ‘Pakistani agents’ and blamed them for creating disorder in Jammu and Kashmir after they conducted a meeting on the Sainik colony issue. Saying that they are following instructions given by the kingpins in Pakistan, BJP leader Ravinder Raina told ANI: “These Separatist leaders are Pakistan’s agents. They take money from Pakistan and follow the instructions of their bosses in Pakistan and work on their command.” “As far as separatists are concerned, the turmoil that has been created…

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Older Pandits yearn for past, Gen-next finds no future : Return to Kashmir

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When a teary-eyed Mehbooba Mufti offered milk to Goddess Ragnya Devi at Kheer Bhawani, 27 kilometres from here on Sunday, she became first head of Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir in a long time to perform puja at Tulmul’s famous Hindu temple. The chief minister, later, raised her hands in prayer for peace and prosperity in the state, a gesture that touched the hearts of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits gathered for the ceremony, who seek separate colonies to be able to return to the militancy-affected homeland. “She is head of the…

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Two devotees hurt in stone-pelting incident as thousands of Kashmiri Pandits throng Kheer Bhawani Temple

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Mehbooba, who visited the shrine, used this occasion to reach out to the pandits. Two women devotees were injured in a stray stone-pelting incident even as thousands of Kashmiri Pandits thronged the shrine of Mata Kheer Bhawani to participate in the annual mela at Tulmula village in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Police said unidentified miscreants were pelting stones on a new police post when a bus carrying pilgrims to Mata Kheer Bhawani shrine was passing by at Wanpoh village in Kulgam district of south Kashmir on Friday evening. “A stone…

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Opposition fails to push for resignation of ‘tainted’ minister

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Opposition parties in the state legislature have failed to mount pressure on the PDP-BJP coalition government on the issue of land grabbing by Minister for Animal Husbandry Abdul Gani Kohli. The Vigilance Organisation is probing a case against Kohli and has found that the minister has grabbed around 10 kanals of forest land. The Animal Husbandry Minister has raised a huge structure on the forest land at Nowabad in the Sunjwan area of Jammu city. A BEd college, ETT college, paramedical school, public school and a branch of J&K Bank…

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