Month: January 2018

Uproaring in assembly as Speaker blames Dy CM for security breach

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta today left the state government red-faced after he alleged that Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh’s escort vehicles “breached his security protocol” but the police did not act on his complaint to “please” the Dy CM. Gupta’s remarks triggered a protest in the Assembly with opposition members cornering the government for “failing” to protect the privileges of the Speaker as well as the MLAs and staged a walkout from the House “to show their solidarity” with the Speaker. The matter was raised when the…

Read More

Joint Resistance Leadership calls for shutdown on January 21, 25, and 27 in Kashmir

Editor

Joint Resistance Leadership comprising of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Wednesday has called for a complete shutdown in Lal Chowk, Srinagar, Handwara and Kupwara towns on January 21, 25 and 27 respectively. The spokesman said that shutdown will be observed at Gaw-Kadal and its adjacent areas on January 21, Handwara town on January 25 and Kupwara on January 27. The JRL spokesman said that on 21st January, a public rally will also be held at Gawakadal, this was stated by the Joint resistance…

Read More

210 Complaints filed by Pandits regarding encroachment of properties, action in 5 cases only

Editor

Displaced Kashmiri Pandits have filed 210 complaints regarding encroachment of their immovable properties in the Valley since 1990 when they were forced to flee due to the armed insurgency. However, the government has taken action in just five cases under the J&K Migrant Immovable Property (Preservation, Protection and Restraint on Distress Sales) Act, 1997. The government said this in a written reply to a question put by BJP MLC Girdhari Lal Raina in the Legislative Council. According to the details given by Minister for Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction…

Read More

Icestock team from J&K to represent India in world championship

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir State Icestock team is all set to play in 12th Icestock World Championship-2018, to be held at Winklarn and Amstetten in Austria from 26th of February. J&K Icestock team will represent India in World Championship-2018 in two different events (Individual and Team) and the championship will likely proceed till 3rd of March. Meanwhile, the team qualified for the 12th Icestock World Championship after thrashing eight States in 4th National Icestock Sport Championship- 2018, which was held at Ice Rink Gulmarg. Moreover, the 12th Icestock World Championship will…

Read More

Haj likely to be costlier, but not because subsidy abolition

Editor

Haj 2018 is likely to be costlier than last year but not because of the abolition of the subsidy by the government on Tuesday. The cost is likely to go up, thanks to the rise in expenses incurred in Saudi Arabia during Haj on accommodation, transport, food, etc. Notably, the government subsidy did not cover these expenses and was limited to the airfare. Haj Committee of India (HCI) chairman Mehboob Ali Kaiser said it was bargaining hard with the Saudi authorities to keep the cost in check but local factors…

Read More

PDP MLA joins opposition in cornering govt on Jehlum dredging

Editor

The Legislative Assembly Wednesday witnessed bonhomie between ruling party and opposition legislators on demand for constitution of a house committee to monitor dredging in river Jhelum. As the Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC), Sham Lal Choudhary stood up to answer a query on the Jhelum dredging in Legislative Assembly today, he was cornered by ruling PDP MLA from Sonwar, Mohammad Ashraf Mir who said the government has failed to satisfactorily dredge the river Jehlum in Srinagar district. “In your reply, you have stated that you are doing dredging…

Read More

Kashmiris have realized they cannot achieve what they desired for: Bipin Rawat

Editor

The army chief Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said that people in Kashmir have got tired and have realized that they cannot achieve what they have desired for, said a media report today. He said that people of Kashmir in general are getting tired of militancy. “It has not given them what they desired for. You cannot cede away from India. People have realised that. Some have got radicalised… I feel most of them want to join the mainstream,” said General Rawat, according to The Indian Express. Rawat said that he…

Read More

Govt red-faced as BJP MLA says Omar govt ‘Better’

Editor

In a major embarrassment for the Mehbooba Mufti-led government, BJP legislator Choudhary Sukhnandan today claimed the previous government (headed by Omar Abdullah) was “better than the ruling dispensation” and “he was happy to be a member of the Opposition”. He also took a dig at Finance Minister Haseeb A Drabu for laying more thrust on the Kashmir valley while neglecting Jammu in various sectors. He also warned the government of simmering anger among the farmers whose land was “forcibly” being acquired for the Ring Road project and said, “He will…

Read More

Abdul Haq Khan offers to resign if proven corrupt in MGNREGA Scam

Editor

Minister of State for Rural Development Abdul Haq Khan today offered to resign if the allegations of corruption against him were proved right in a Centrally sponsored scheme. He said this in response to the allegations levelled by Congress MLA from Banihal Waqar Rasool Wani over ‘unfairly’ distribution of money to waive the liability under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). As soon as the proceedings of the J&K Legislative Assembly began, Wani raised the issue of Ramban district being ignored financially to wave the MGNREGA liability. “There…

Read More

Not against dialogue, but oppression must end first: Joint Resistance Leadership

Editor

The joint resistance leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Tuesday hit out at the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, calling her statement that the separatist leadership was “shying away from participating in the dialogue process” as “mischievous and misleading.” “No sane person would oppose a meaningful dialogue process as a means of conflict resolution, especially when the entire nation is reeling under grueling repression and paying so dearly. But the dialogue has to be aimed at that end,” the leaders said in a…

Read More