Year: 2018

Kashmir Tourism goes in for fresh marketing

Editor

As Kashmir tourism sector is on a revival path, the government and private stakeholders on Thursday embarked on a fresh countrywide promotional campaign. The tourism department will focus on wooing south Indian tourists in the first phase. “We will be making a presentation and have also set up a stall at the three-day 34th Indian Association of Tour Operators’ (IATO) Convention that started at Vishakapatnam on Thursday. We have started a fresh promotional campaign and we will go to all major cities across the country. However, we will concentrate on…

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PDP yet to take final call on local elections, but likely to go NC way

Editor

A day after the National Conference announced that it would boycott the upcoming panchayat elections, the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday decided to go for further consultations on the panchayat poll participation. The decision was taken by the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the highest decision-making body of the party, after a meeting which was chaired by Mehbooba Mufti at her residence. Party insiders, however, said the PDP was likely to go the NCway. It was likely to announce the boycott in a day or two. A senior party leader said…

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J&K Police Chief SP Vaid removed post abductions of cops kin

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Jammu and Kashmir director general of police (DGP) SP Vaid was removed from his post and appointed transport commissioner, a state government order issued late Thursday said. Dilbag Singh, currently director general, prisons, will be acting DGP, the order said. The removal of Vaid came two days after additional director general, CID, Abdul Gani Mir was replaced by B Srinivas, who had returned from central deputation. The reshuffle came as Centre and the new governor Satya Pal Malik were not happy over the spike in the incidents of militancy in…

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‘It’s safer to be a cow than a woman or Muslim in India’: Arundhati Roy

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Writer Arundhati Roy is in South Africa to promote her latest novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness. But in her homeland of India, fact sometimes outstrips fiction when it comes to stretching credulity – and addressing an audience in Cape Town on Monday night, the famously outspoken Roy slammed the current Indian government as nationalists with blood on their hands. At the mere sight of Arundhati Roy’s presence, an audience in Cape Town on Monday night erupted into wild applause before Roy had said a single word. If other writers…

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PDP should’ve pulled out of alliance after Kathua Rape: Amitabh Mattoo

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The PDP should have been the one to pull out of the alliance with the BJP after the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, a close aide of former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti has said. “Perhaps she should have resigned before but it was a tough call,” said Amitabh Mattoo. Mattoo, who admitted he should have advised her to pull out of the alliance earlier, was speaking at the launch of the “The Generation of Rage in Kashmir” by journalist David Devdas here…

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Governor should call all-party meet on civic poll: PDP

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The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday said it was hopeful that Governor Satya Pal Malik would convene an all-party meeting on holding of the urban local bodies and panchayat elections in the state. “(When) in government I had called an all-party meeting to discuss the ULB/panchayat elections and the majority of the parties had opposed holding of elections at that time. We had expected that the Governor too would call an all-party meeting where everyone would put forward their viewpoint, PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said in…

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State Administrative Council nod for 40 degree colleges in state

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Governor Satya Pal Malik-led State Administrative Council decided to open 40 new degree colleges, including 26 degree colleges already sanctioned, in a phased manner across the state. Acknowledging the need for opening up more colleges in remote areas, the SAC decided to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of Principal Secretary, Finance, to finalise the locations and other logistics. The SAC also approved the formation of a joint venture company for the development of the 850 MW Ratle hydro electric project and its transfer to J&K within a period of…

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National Conference playing role of separatists: BJP

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Bharatiya Janata Party Wednesday hit out at the National Conference for announcing to boycott the forthcoming civic bodies polls in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging the party was playing the “role of separatists” by “blackmailing” the Centre on Article 35-A. “The NC is playing the role of separatists by boycotting civic polls and trying to blackmail Government of India on Article 35-A, which is subjudice,”Priya told reporters. She claimed that every time the central and state governments try to take new initiatives of empowering people in Jammu and Kashmir by holding…

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Will boycott local polls unless assured protection for Article 35A: National Conference

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Days after National Conference appealed the people to vote in the upcoming municipal and Panchayat elections, the party Wednesday said it will not participate the elections unless the government of India and the state government assure protection for Article 35A. President of NC, Farooq Abdullah announced the decision after chairing a meeting of the core group, the party’s highest decision making body in which challenges to article 35A were also discussed. “The core group unanimously decided that National Conference will not participate in these (Panchayat and ULB) elections unless and…

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‘Rat fever’ kills 9 in flood battered Kerala, 37 more suspected

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Following severe flooding, 196 leptospirosis (rat fever) cases and nine deaths have been confirmed in Kerala since August 15. Another 37 suspected deaths are awaiting laboratory confirmation, said the state health minister, KK Shailaja, on Monday. Among the dead are five relief workers. “There is no need of panic but we have to be extra vigilant for at least three weeks. I have instructed health officials to engage with relief workers only after taking doxycyline tablets,” the minister said. Antibiotics are used to treat leptospirosis, which is a bacterial disease…

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