Year: 2016

Mehbooba’s Govt taking dictation from RSS: Congress

Editor

State Congress president G A Mir Friday said Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government was running on the dictation of RSS. “When Congress was taking up the issue that West Pakistan Refugees (WPRs) need identification as citizens of India, PDP would always oppose the move. Our stand has always been clear that there was no problem in granting WPRs citizenship of India. Though questions have been raised by some parties over granting WPRs domicile of the State, the decision was pending,” Mir said. He said when PDP wasn’t ready even to identify…

Read More

Post good start, tourism sector hits new low in Valley

Editor

As the year 2016 nears its end, the tourism industry in the Valley is hoping to bounce back in the winter months after a setback in summer. The stakeholders say the year proved to be a mixed bag for the sector with footfalls witnessing a dip after a good start in early summer. “This year was a mixed bag for the tourism sector. After looking to touch an all-time high in July, figures then touched an all-time low in next months,” said Director, Tourism, Kashmir, Mahmood Ahmad Shah. The sector…

Read More

Fresh Protests across Kashmir over West Pakistan refugees, ROW stares govt in the face

Editor

Protests and clashes broke out in various parts of Kashmir on Friday against issuance of “domicile certificates” to non-state subject West Pakistani Refugees residing in Jammu areas, even as Valley’s top separatist leaders strongly reacted to the government’s move and threatened state-wide agitation “if it is not rolled back forthwith.” The joint resistance leadership—Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik—had urged people to stage protests against “settlement” of WPRs in Jammu and Kashmir through issuance of domicile certificates, on Friday. The leaders had also called for a…

Read More

Trade bodies term 2016 worst year for business

Editor

It was a double whammy for the traders and industrialists in Jammu and Kashmir this year. They were first hit badly by the unrest and then by the demonetisation. This year has been rated as one of the worst years for the traders and industrialists of the state as the business has come down by more than 50 per cent. The decline in trade is likely to create long-term effects on the economy of the militancy-infested state, say experts. “Though the global business was down throughout the year, Jammu and…

Read More

JK may not meet 24×7 power target

Editor

As the electricity demand is likely to reach 4,217 MW by 2021-22 in the state and as work on the majority of the proposed hydropower projects is stalled, the ambitious plan of the PDP-BJP government to provide 24X7 power supply to the people by 2019 may remain a political rhetoric. Instead, the state is heading for a major crisis in the coming years which could create further public discontent, if projects taken up for increasing generation and infrastructure development continue to get delayed. Official sources said a survey conducted by…

Read More

Prolonged power cuts add to woes as Kashmir Valley freezes

Editor

Kashmir Valley is reeling under freezing temperatures and prolonged power cuts are only adding to the miseries of its over six million population. Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, recorded the minimum temperature of minus 6.5 degrees on Wednesday night, the lowest in the last six years. That incidentally on the night when ‘Chillai Kalan’, as the 40-day harshest part of winter is known in the Kashmiri folklore, started. Leh was freezing at 13.2 degrees Celsius. In order to beat the biting cold, the people need better power supply…

Read More

Kashmir Valley heats up over Domicile, Separatists to hit the streets

Editor

Separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir have announced a state-wide protest on Friday, following reports that said the government has started issuing domicile certificates to West Pakistan refugees. The announcement by the government comes at a time when Kashmir is yet to recover from the aftermath of the five-month-long unrest triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani. Separatist groups lashed out at the government, particularly ruling party Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), of attempting to “change the demography” of the state to fulfill the “Hindutva agenda” of its…

Read More

Pakistan refugees not given domicile certificates but only identity cards: Govt

Editor

After an uproar by separatists and the opposition, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday clarified that refugees who migrated here from Pakistan since after Independence were not given domicile certificates but only identity cards. These refugees, mostly Hindus who migrated into the state during and after the 1947, 1965 and 1971 wars, have no citizenship rights in the state. They can vote in parliamentary elections but have no right to vote in the assembly polls. They cannot apply for jobs with the state government because of they are not…

Read More

‘Won’t allow change in JK’s demography’ Domicile Certificate Row

Editor

Joint resistance leadership calls for statewide protest on Friday; Says PDP working on anti-Kashmir, anti-Muslim agenda Stating that attempts to change demography of Jammu and Kashmir will be resisted tooth and nail, the joint resistance leadership on Wednesday hit out at ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accusing it of resuming work on “its anti-Kashmir and anti-Muslim agenda.” “Issuing domicile certificates to West Pakistan Refugees, court verdict challenging the sovereignty of Jammu Kashmir and allowing outside banks to confiscate and hold properties in Jammu & Kashmir are the issues of life…

Read More

Kashmir’s Mushkbudgi, Kamad rice varieties get recognition

Editor

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Radha Mohan Singh on Wednesday hailed farming community of Danwantpora and Tangpawa Sagam in Anantnag district for their contribution to promote and produce Mushkbudgi and Kamad scented varieties of rice. The agriculture minister at a ceremony presented Plant Genome Saviour Community Award, citation and momentoes with Rs 10 lakh assistance by the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers Rights Authority, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India for conservation of Mushkbudgi and Kamad scented varieties of rice grown in Danwantpora…

Read More