Month: July 2017

With no Permanent Resident Certificate, Orphans ineligible for govt jobs

Editor

Children orphaned due to militancy or any other reasons taking shelter in various charitable homes in the state stand at a loss of not getting government jobs despite being top position holders in academics. The reason is that none of them have a permanent resident certificate (PRC), which is mandatory to apply for a government job. Balgran, a charitable home for the destitute at Channi Rama Jammu, is one such example where 112 children affected by militancy, earthquake and floods are living. They have excelled in academics, but are at…

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Centre asks forces to plan major offensive in Kashmir

Editor

Security forces are planning to take an aggressive stand to crush growing terrorism in the Valley and prevent people from joining terror outfits such as LeT or Hizbul Mujahideen mainly active in various districts of south Kashmir. The Union home ministry is learnt to have asked security agencies to draw up a concrete plan to stem public support which hampers anti-terror operations. The instructions come days after Union home minister Rajnath Singh said the government had a “concrete strategy” for a “permanent solution” to the Kashmir issue. The central government…

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75% Decline in entry of goods trucks to state

Editor

As stalemate persists over the implementation of the GST in J&K, the scarcity of essential commodities and goods has been staring at the state with the inflow of goods-laden trucks entering the state coming down nearly by 75 per cent. According to the official records of the Commercial Taxes Department at Lakhanpur, the gateway of the state, only about 1,750 trucks loaded with goods and essential commodities entered J&K since the nationwide rollout of the GST on July 1. “Approximately, 2,200 trucks used to enter the state via Lakhanpur toll…

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Geelani ‘again’ trying to bail out PDP govt: National Conference

Editor

The opposition National Conference on Monday hit out at Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani over his statement on Goods and Services Tax, saying he has “yet again gone out of way to distort the state’s history to bail out the PDP-BJP government—this time on the crucial and sensitive issue of GST extension to the state.” In a joint statement, senior NC leaders Ali Muhammad Sagar, Abdur Rahim Rather, Chaudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Mubarak Gul, Muhammad Shafi Uri, Muhammad Akbar Lone, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Nasir Aslam Wani and Devender Singh…

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3 Militants killed during 24 hour gunfight, 3 houses raised down by forces

Editor

24-hour-long gunfight in Bahmnoo village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district ended on Tuesday morning with the killing of third militant. Reports said that government forces blasted and set to set on fire three residential houses where the militants had taken cover. They said that para commandos were called in last night to neutralize the last militant who was putting up a tough fight. “The commandos blew up and set ablaze three houses, bringing an end to the gunfight raging since 7 am yesterday,” said an official. Two militants – Kifayat…

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Smart City, execution a challenge in Srinagar

Editor

After being selected for the coveted Smart City Mission, Srinagar now faces a major challenge in the terms of implementation of the project, given the tardy execution of earlier government programmes. Since the Smart City status means that over 100 projects will be taken up, Srinagar has to adopt a dynamic approach for their implementation. However, the present pace of work continues to be slow. The construction of the flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh, started in 2013, has already missed two deadlines so far and is now scheduled to…

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JK Police foiled attempts of 54 youths to join militancy in the past few months

Editor

The Jammu and Kashmir police on Monday said 54 youth were arrested over the past “few months” in different parts of the valley, foiling their attempts to join militant ranks. The arrested youth included four boys who attempted to cross the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district last month, it said. “As many as 54 youth have been arrested from different districts of Kashmir over the past few months. The arrests foiled their attempts to join militancy, thereby saving 54 families getting adversely affected by the militancy,” a police…

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Govt faces GST test as opposition vows to protect Art 370

Editor

The special session of the Jammu Kashmir legislature reconvened for implementing the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime would start Tuesday with the government bringing a resolution for giving consent to GST the implementation in the State. Finance Minister and senior leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Haseeb Drabu would on Tuesday in the Legislative Assembly move a resolution, “The House resolves that the government gives consent to the adaptation of the GST regime by application of relevant amendments made to the constitution of India in a…

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Dilapidated roads make commuting a challenge

Editor

Making mockery of the claims made by the PDP-BJP coalition government of improving the road network in J&K, the pitiable condition of roads in Jammu exposes the false promises of the government, especially the BJP leadership which got 25 MLAs elected from the region. Resentment is brewing among the masses against the administration as the restoration of roads was set as a major target after the formation of the government. However, only patching work is being carried out in different parts of the city. Though senior officials in the Roads…

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Civil Society, Traders form new body to oppose GST

Editor

Upping the ante against Goods and Service Tax (GST) law, all Kashmir-based trade bodies and a civil society formations on Sunday came together to form the “Kashmir Coordination Committee” to resist implementation of the new tax regime in the state. The decision followed a series of meeting between trade and business bodies and civil society groups to pressurize the government to come up with its own law on the GST, said former president Federation Chambers of Industries Kashmir, Shakeel Qalander. He said around 30 trade bodies and civil society groups…

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