Month: December 2017

‘Chillai Kalan – 40 day harshest winter period’ arrives on milder note

Editor

The first day of the 40-day harshest winter period ‘chillai kalan’ witnessed slight rain and an increase in temperature. ‘Chillai kalan’, which began today, will end on January 30. During this time, people keep their eyes on the mercury as life slows down and is dependent on the whims of the weather. The use of ‘kangris’ and generators is frequent during ‘chillai kalan’ as electricity is erratic and activity comes to a near-standstill. In villages, people use traditional methods to keep themselves warm. They cook on firewood and eat dried…

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Swine Flu : With 5 more deaths at SKIMS toll rises to 21

Editor

Five more patients have died of H1N1 influenza at Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, taking the death toll of people killed by the Swine Flu to 21. Confirming the deaths, official sources at SKIMS told Kashmir Post that three patients have died in last three weeks. “Two women – an 80-year-old and another 90 years of age — both residents of Budgam were cases of comorbidities. Both were admitted in the hospital and died. A 41-year-old mail patient of Ganderbal also died,” they said. Sources said two more…

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Industry body supports levy of toll tax at Lakhanpur

Editor

A delegation of Association of Industries led by its president Rattan Dogra met Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu and urged him that the levy of toll at Lakhanpur barrier must be continued so as to safeguard and protect the industry. The association submitted that the toll was never intended to be covered and subsumed under the GST. It said toll was levied in many states and National Highway Authority of India continued to collect it even at many points in J&K and elsewhere in the country. The minister promised the association…

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For 7 Years, I religiously waited for some evidence, but all in vain: Special CBI judge

Editor

Special CBI Judge OP Saini on Thursday rued that despite having “religiously” devoted seven years to 2G scam cases, no “legally admissible evidence” was placed before him by the CBI. The judge made the remark in his verdict acquitting former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and several others, including top corporate honchos, in three separate cases probed by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). “I may also add that for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the…

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Pakistan links Kashmir issue to Palestinian crisis at UNSC

Editor

Pakistan frequently raises the Kashmir issue at various UN forums. However, for the second consecutive year not a single other nation has come out in its support. Pakistan has raked up the Kashmir issue again at the UN Security Council, linking it to the Palestinian crisis and asserting that the world continues to watch these “egregious” situations without addressing them. Participating in an open debate at the UNSC, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi on Wednesday said challenges to international peace and security are intensifying at a time…

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‘Chillai Kalan’ Harshest winter period is here

Editor

There has been a respite in the cold wave in the Valley as the temperature has witnessed an increase. The temperature increased by as much as six degrees at some places due to rain. “The rise in temperature was due to the cloudy conditions last night,” said Director, Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus. Meanwhile, residents are bracing up for ‘chillai kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period, which begins tomorrow. During ‘chillai kalan’, which begins with the winter solstice, the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent. The weather remains cold…

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Ration shortage triggers protest in Jammu

Editor

The workers of Dogra Front & Shiv Sena (DF&SS) today held a protest demonstration in the city against Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department over shortage of ration and deletion of names from ration card lists. Carrying empty utensils, the protesters led by DF&SS president, Ashok Gupta raised slogans against the government for not supplying ration in the government depots as also deleting the names of some ration card holders, especially the BPL families, from the list thus depriving them of the ration commodities. As per a press…

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HC asks PDA to consult experts for hotel renovations

Editor

The J&K High Court has directed the Pahalgam Development Authority to appoint and consult a technical expert for supervising the repair and renovation of any structure or hotels in and around the Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir. These directions were issued on Monday by a division bench of Justice Mohamad Yaqoob Mir and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey following public interest litigation on Pahalgam. Earlier in October, the court in its directions had sad that no fresh construction should be allowed in Pahalgam, and if any renovation or repair of…

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Allege bias, Ladakh leaders push for separation from Kashmir

Editor

Given the “discriminatory” policies of successive governments towards the remote Ladakh region, the regional divide has deepened to such an extent in Jammu and Kashmir that the elected representatives of Ladakhi people are now openly demanding “separation of Ladakh from the Kashmir hegemony”. Their grudge against the Kashmir-centric leadership lies rooted in the alleged decades-long discrimination against the people of Ladakh in every sphere, be it for jobs, education, benefits of schemes or political representation. “We want to be separate from Kashmir because Kashmir-centric leadership, Kashmir-centric policy and the Kashmir-centric…

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Governor returns Tassaduq Mufti’s papers with queries, Minister of State for Haj and Auqaf resigns

Editor

Governor NN Vohra has returned to the government with queries the nomination papers of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s brother Tassaduq Mufti to the Legislative Council. Sources in the PDP-BJP government said the Governor had raised certain queries over the procedure and the circumstances suggesting Tassaduq’s nomination as a member of the Legislative Council to fill the vacancy caused by resignation of PDP’s MLC Vikramaditya Singh from the House a few weeks ago. Vikramaditya had also quit the PDP to protest against what he alleged the discriminatory attitude of the government…

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