Year: 2016

‘Chilai Kalan’ draws to a close, brings relief from cold to Valley

Editor

Fresh snowfall in Gulmarg, Pahalgam and higher reaches; Srinagar & plains of Kashmir receive intermittent rain There was fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir, including the tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, while the mercury stayed above freezing point at most places today. The day marked the end of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest phase of winter. Many areas in the plains of the Kashmirvalley, including the summer capital, received intermittent rain. The state’s Meteorological Department forecast mainly dry weather for the week ahead. Around one foot of…

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No govt until BJP fulfils Mufti’s vision: Mehbooba

Editor

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday told her party’s core group that she was not averse to forming the government in Jammu and Kashmir but this cannot happen unless she has assurances from the ally BJP that her late father’s vision would be fulfilled. Presiding over the meeting of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leaders, Mehbooba Mufti, according to party sources, said she needed concrete assurances from the coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party that the vision of late chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed about equitable development and peace in the state…

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Poor response to Jammu rally worries BJP leaders

Editor

The much-publicised ‘Vikas Sushashan Sankalap’ rally, organised by the BJP in Jammu city today, received a lacklustre response as the party failed to fill the venue which has a capacity of just 500 people. Although earlier BJP rallies in various parts of the Jammu region received a similar public response, low turnout in today’s function was noticeable because Jammu city is considered as the citadel of the saffron party since the days of the Praja Parishad and the Jana Sangh. The low turnout in today’s rally demonstrates a widening gap…

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Why doesn’t anybody talk about threats of Sang Parivaar? Rasheed

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AIP supremo and MLA Langate Er Rasheed has asked BJP leadership not to be under the impression that Sang Parivaar can infiltrate into political scenario of Kashmir by hiring proxies. While addressing party workers at Town Hall Shopian on Saturday, he said, “There is no justification to the threats made by a senior Sang Parivaar leader in UP few days back that Hindus of India have already lived under slavery of Muslim rulers for 1000 years and to defeat their designs and to prevent them further we are making a…

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DAK warns of Zika virus threat in Kashmir

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Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Saturday warned of possible Zika virus threat in Kashmir as the virus is believed to have crossed over to the common mosquito. President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement said that up until now it was thought that aedes aegypti mosquito, which is confined to tropics, was solely spreading the virus, but scientists in Brazil believe that the virus is being carried and transmitted by the much more common culex mosquito. “They say they are as little as a month away from confirming that…

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Avalanche hits Machhil in north Kashmir, killing a student

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A teenage boy died and two others were injured after an avalanche struck the forest area of Machhil in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday morning. A police officer told Srinagar based news agency GNS that the avalanche hit the Chuntiwari Balla area of Machhil in the frontier district, resulting in on-spot death of a 15-year-old boy. After the news spread in the area, all the locals and police rushed to the spot and retrieved the body, the official said. The injured boys were immediately taken to Machhil hospital where…

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Two cases of H1N1 flu detected in J&K; measures put in place

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Two cases of H1N1 Influenza have been reported in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting the government to step up measures in place to tackle the flu. The Jammu and Kashmir Health department collected 43 samples of suspected H1N1 patients yesterday, out of which two turned out to be positive. “We collected 43 samples of suspected H1N1 patients in Jammu and Kashmir yesterday. Of these two are positive and 31 negative and reports of 10 samples are awaited”, a senior officer of the Health department said. In view of these reports, Governor…

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Imposter booked for ‘looting’ job seekers

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Crime Branch Jammu has booked one person, pretending to be PA to the former Chief Minister, for allegedly duping several people, promising them government jobs against huge amounts of money. “ Crime Branch has registered an FIR No. 06/ 2016 against Muhammad Amin Khan who had duped people by impersonating himself as PA to the then Chief Minister,” police sources said. “ Mohan Lal son of Kaka Ram of Samba had lodged a written complaint with the Crime Branch, mentioning that Khan of Bagh- e- Mehtab projected himself as PA…

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Now, Aadhaar card can be used as ID proof

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In a significant decision, the state government today decided to officially recognise the Aadhaar number being given to residents of the state as valid proof of identity as well as proof of address for availing various services. According to an order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) here, the government asked all departments to ensure that the Aadhaar number is adopted as a valid document for identity proof and address proof. “The Government of India has established the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for issuing the Aadhaar number…

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Parking lots overcharging residents

Editor

Residents are being fleeced by parking contractors in the city. The contractors are charging parking fee as per their own sweet will. Residents of the city, which is already facing parking crunch, especially during winter, have no other option, but to pay parking fee as per the sweet will of the contractors. The contractors are charging double than the printed rates on parking slips. Weather it is the parking lot of the commercial hub of Bahu Plaza or the parking near the civil secretariat at Shalamar, the contractors continue to…

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