Hurriyat, govt have tacit understanding: KP’s at resettlement Issue

A day after the PDP-BJP government succumbed to the pressure of separatists and announced that it has no plans to create exclusive colonies for resettlement of displaced Pandits, community leaders today alleged there is a tacit understanding between Hurriyat Conference and government to stop Hindu minority’s return to the Valley. Education Minister Naeem Akhtar had said on Thursday that separate colonies to house 3.50 lakh Pandits will not be constructed. He added that they will have to live along with the majority community whenever the process to bring them back…

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Mirwaiz calls for joint strategy against ‘RSS designs’ during srinagar rally

Expressing determination that a joint strategy would be devised to counter these designs, he said the resistance leadership would not stay silent but will meet these challenges head on. Hurriyat (M) Chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday on Friday said a joint strategy would be devised to foil the “nefarious designs of the RSS and its collaborators in the state.” He cautioned that attempts of harming the religious and cultural identity of Kashmiris and changing the demography of the region by converting Muslim-majority into a minority were being made under a…

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Soft drinks lose fizz as MRP goes up

Most of the wholesalers, vendors, provisional store owners and small-time shopkeepers selling soft drinks of various brands have stopped purchasing them due to a steep hike in the maximum retail price (MRP). There has been nearly 20 to 30 per cent rise in the MRP of all the branded soft drinks which has made them “un-affordable”, they said. Marketing manager Amit Kumar of Jai Beverages Pvt Ltd, Bari Brahmana, Jammu, said the hike was a part of the company’s strategy. The company’s plans relating to distribution, cost-effectiveness of the products…

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Valley feels May heat, Alert issued in Jammu

This summer even Srinagar is feeling the heat as the daytime temperature has risen six to seven degrees above the average in Kashmir valley. In the Jammu division also the situation is no better as the Weather Department has already issued an alert for a heat wave. The Meteorological Department said that the maximum temperature in the city over the last two days has remained above 30-degree mark. This was six to seven degrees above the normal temperature at this time of the season. The mercury here on Wednesday touched…

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KEA tells govt to come clean on Pandit colonies and other issues

The KEA Chairman appealed the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to come clean on the government stand on these sensitive issues which are “dragging Kashmir towards another 2008 like agitation.” Chairman, Kashmir Economic Alliance, Haji Muhammad Yasin Khan Friday asked the Government to come clean on the proposed Pandit colonies and other controversial issues. Khan, who is also president Kashmir Traders’ and Manufacturers’ Federation (KTMF) said the so-called “clarification” by the government on the issue of Pandit colonies in a recent press conference held by its spokesperson, has “raised more queries…

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Pak flags displayed in old City during Hurriyat procession

Pakistani flags were displayed today during a procession led by moderate Hurriyat Conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in old city of Srinagar. Masked men were holding the Pakistani flags when the separatist leader took out the procession from Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area as part of a series of events organised on the eve of 26th death anniversary of his father Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq. “Pakistani and green (Islamic)flags were waved by a group of youthat the rally led by Hurriyat Conference chairman Murwai Umar Farooq,” a police official said. The…

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HCC ‘fails’ to maintain highway, DM initiates criminal proceedings

The work of four-laning project from ‘Km 150 to 187’ was allotted to HCC under the conditions that the company also has to properly maintain the existing NHW, an official spokesman said. District Magistrate Ramban, Muhammad Aijaz on Thursday initiated criminal proceedings against Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) for “failing” to properly maintain the Srinagar-Jammu highway from Ramban to Banihal, leading to various traffic accidents. The work of four-lanning project from ‘Km 150 to 187’ was allotted to HCC under the conditions that the company also has to properly maintain the…

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FCO raids Parimpora Fruit Mandi; Carcinogenic Calcium Carbide used to ripen mangoes

Food Control Organisation on Thursday raided Fruit Mandi Parimpora here and some other wholesale fruit dealers, finding carcinogenic chemical calcium carbide being used for ripening of mangoes. “During inspection, some fruit dealers were found in possession of boxes in which pouches of calcium carbide were found,” a press handout of Food Control Organization said. The handout further said, “Use of this chemical, which releases acetylene gas, is prohibited under Food Safety and Standards Act.” FSSAI website has detailed information on artificial ripening agents and their effects. It states that the…

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With rising mercury, power crisis worsens in Jammu

With summer season peaking by the day, the power crisis in Jammu region has also worsened as the gap between demand and supply has touched around 115 MW. The gap further widens during peak hours like in the afternoon and in the evening, sources in the PDD informed. The officials however, said that the gap is not that much, “but there are other reasons responsible for the crisis, which mainly include outdated system and equipments”. The scenario is forcing the PDD authorities to resort to ‘Distress Curtailments’ in order to…

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GoI directs monitoring of harassment of Kashmiri students studying outside

Asks JK govt to take up issue with state govts Government of India (GoI) has directed Jammu and Kashmir government to regularly follow the complaints of harassment of Kashmiri students studying outside with the concerned state governments. In the directive issued by Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), J&K government has been asked to regularly take up the cases of harassment of the Kashmiri students with the concerned Director Generals of Police (DGPs) and Chief Secretaries (CSs) of state governments. The MHA has directed the J&K Home Department and police…

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