Asserting that tourism is the best way to promote dialogue, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said the state government is making efforts to create world-class tourist infrastructure in J&K. Interacting with a delegation of tour operators from different cities of the country, the Chief Minister said tourism promoted people-to-people contact and tourists become goodwill ambassadors of a place. She said like the maxim “seeing is believing,” a tourist can testify the veracity of a claim about a place only after visiting it. She asked the tour operators to promote visiting…
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Srinagar -Banihal highway four laning project misses another deadline
While work on major portion of Srinagar-Jammu highway from Jammu side is complete, the four laning of 67.7 km from Srinagar-Banihal has missed another deadline with officials stating that the project would take yet another year, thus aggravating the connectivity conundrum faced by the people in Kashmir. The four-laning project of Srinagar- Jammu Highway has been divided into six sub-projects, Jammu-Udhampur road (65 km), Chenani-Nashri tunnel (9.2 km), Ramban-Udhampur road (43 km), Banihal-Ramban road (36 km), Qazigund-Banihal road (15.25 km) and Srinagar-Banihal road (67.7 km). While work on Jammu-Udhampur stretch…
Read MoreHari Om slams Leadership, BJP breaks silence, vows to back West Pak Refugees
Hari Om slams BJP over West Pak refugee issue Party ministers, however, keep mum to avoid confrontation with PDP Former BJP ideologue Hari Om has termed the BJP’s U-turn on the issuance of “domicile certificate” to Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan as “inhuman.” Hari Om, who had resigned from the party to oppose the formation of the coalition government with the PDP, alleged that the BJP had proved that it was no different from the separatists and other mainstream parties in the state. Hari Om now heads Jammu For…
Read MorePDD Violates own schedule, resorts to over 20 Hour Cuts
Power supply will improve soon: Chief Engineer The Power Development Department (PDD) is resorting to over 20-hour power cuts in violation of the curtailment schedule of 4 and 8 hours which was earlier approved by the government for metered and unmetered areas respectively. PDD is not sticking to any curtailment schedule and the electricity is supplied only for few hours during the day which has triggered widespread resentment among people with protests lodged at many places. Even as PDD had to notify the outages schedule, it has not done so…
Read MoreTime to address ‘Weaknesses at Internal Level’: Mirwaiz on Kashmir Uprising
‘United leadership mulling long-term protest program, can’t go for hartals throughout the year’ Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Sunday said the recent five-month-long uprising in Kashmir has showed people and pro-freedom leaders how to “defeat” moves aimed at changing the Muslim majority character of J&K. He also said it is time to reach out to victims of forces’ action and go for introspection to “overcome the weaknesses” so that Kashmir can “emerge as a strong nation to combat politics of deceit.” Addressing a Seerat Conference organised by…
Read MoreWill make up for the lost time due to unrest: Mehbooba Mufti
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today regretted that a number of youth were affected by the turmoil in the past five months during which not only the government but every section of society suffered and now people have started realising the quantum of loss. The Chief Minister said her resolve had been to get the people of the state out of the time of uncertainty so that the youth have a joyful, happy and smiling future. Mehbooba also regretted the loss of time during the current working season and said instructions…
Read MoreMoses in Kashmir, Jesus in Rozabal
Researchers suggest that Jesus came to Rozabal and some believe that Moses is interred in the shrine of Hazrat Bibi Arifa Deep in the mountains of the North Kashmir district of Bandipora, near an old tree, lies a Jewish grave that dates back to the pre-Islamic period. It lies inside the shrine complex of Hazrat Bibi Arifa, a lady saint locally known as ‘Ded Mouj’. Hundreds of devotees would visit the remote hilly village of Butho, till militancy took over the region two-and-a-half decades ago. A section of Jews believes…
Read MoreCold wave tightened grips across Kashmir, Weatherman predicts no respite
Cold wave tightened its grip across Kashmir as minimum temperature dropped at most places in the Valley, with Srinagar recording a low of minus 5.5 degree Celsius last night, officials said on Friday. On Friday—the third day of 40-day-long harshest winter period called ‘Chillai-Kalan’—the Dal Lake in Srinagar and most other water bodies in the Valley were seen partially frozen. “The maximum temperature recorded in Srinagar on Friday was 8.1 degree Celsius while the minimum was minus 5.5 degree Celsius,” a Meteorological department official here told Kashmir Post. He said…
Read MoreAnger mounts over unscheduled power cuts
Locals from Maisuma and its adjacent areas on Friday took to streets against Power Development Department (PDD) and locked-up its office at Basant Bagh here. Witnesses said a large number of people from Basant Bagh, Mandir Bagh, Nai Sarak and Maisuma assembled outside PDD office and locked it up to protest against the department’s “failure” to supply them electricity. The protesters said that they receive electricity for only three hours despite paying their fatty monthly bills. “PDD has failed to provide us adequate electricity from past more than four weeks.…
Read MoreBJP flayed for succumbing to Separatists Pressure
While the National Conference and separatist groups have politicised the humanitarian issue of grant of “identity certificate” to West Pakistan refugees, the ruling BJP came under fire from Jammu-based parties for not taking a tough stand on the issue. The parties have reasons to target the BJP because it is an equal partner in the coalition regime which, instead of clearing its stand on the issue, is busy in placating separatists on the “identity certificate” controversy. Not only the Opposition parties, some offshoots of the Sangh Parivar are also blasting…
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