July 2020 | Page 4 of 9

Hue & Cry across Kashmir as thousands of non-local are arriving amid pandemic and lockdown

July 20, 2020July 20, 2020 Editor

If public transport is banned in Kashmir, why is no such ban on the highway: Locals ask Is India planning large-scale killings in Kashmir through Hindutva terrorists A video has gone viral on social media network sites wherein non-local labourers heading towards Kashmir say they have not undergone COVID19 test has left people here worried. The administration says that the necessary protocol is being followed. In the video, a bus can be seen halted somewhere on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway while on the way to Kashmir. One of the passengers…

Weatherman predicts wet spell between July 20 and 21

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020 Editor

Kashmir is likely to get a relief from hot weather conditions as the Metrological department Saturday forecasted light rains between July 20 and 21 while its main activity would be Monday evening. Director Meteorological Department, Srinagar, Sonam Lotus told Kashmir InFocus that they were expecting light rains in scattered places of Kashmir from Monday till Tuesday afternoon. “We are expecting a good spell of rains to occur at most places of Jammu, scattered places of Kashmir and at isolated places of Ladakh regions between July 20 and 21 with main…

As corona-virus cross 13000 cases, restrictions & curbs returned to J&K

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020 Editor

Five fresh deaths, all from Kashmir Valley, were reported during the past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), taking the coronavirus toll to 236 in the Union Territory. With 441 new positive cases, the Covid count reached 13,198. Even as J&K continued to witness a surge in COVID cases, for the first time, the number of patients recovered was higher than those who tested positive on a single day. Patients, numbering 607, were cured and discharged from different hospitals in J&K on Saturday. As per the official bulletin issued…

GoI amended J&K Development Act for ‘Land Grabbing’: Regional Political Parties

July 19, 2020July 19, 2020 Editor

A day after the Jammu and Kashmir administrative council amended the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act, paving the way for armed forces to notify “strategic areas” for themselves, regional political parties accused the government of being “on a mission of a major land grab”. The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference in a statement said the move could be anything ranging from establishing colonies to the special deployment of defense equipment to creating an army establishment in J&K. The party described the proposed amendment as a remnant of colonial era laws.…

GoI changes laws to aid the construction of armed forces facilities outside cantonments

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020 Editor

Slum rehabilitation, Special townships, New Housing Policy approved in J&K Over 2 lakh houses to be built in the next few years 7 models of housing development in JK The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, G C Murmu, accorded sanction to the proposal of Housing and Urban Development Department for adoption and notification of J&K Housing, Affordable Housing, Slum Redevelopment, and Rehabilitation and Township Policy, 2020. The policy envisages seven models of housing, ranging from in-situ slum redevelopment to integrated township, to cater…

Kashmir could be Next Big Flashpoint between India and China: US Experts

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020 Editor

These moves in Kashmir will add more tensions to already strained ties between India and China. According to experts, “Exploiting India’s vulnerabilities is an essential element of China’s “contain India” policy.” Tensions between India and China have not even cooled down and experts have already warned that Kashmir could emerge as the next big flash-point between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. And this time, India and China would be joined by the third claimant to Kashmir – Pakistan. India has vehemently objected to the construction of multi-billion-dollar Diamer Bhasha multipurpose dam…

Udhampur – Srinagar -Baramulla railway link to completed by 2022: V.K. Yadav

July 18, 2020July 18, 2020 Editor

The Indian Railways is hopeful it will complete the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link by December 2022 and the central government is closely monitoring its progress, Railway Board Chairman V.K. Yadav said on Friday. Addressing a virtual press conference, Yadav said, “Execution of the last stretch of 111 km from Katra to Banihal is in progress and the project is targeted to be completed by December 2022.” The Chairman stressed that the balance section of the project is one of the most challenging tasks as it entails large scale tunneling and bridge…

Post the killing of Sheikh Bari, Resignation of BJP cadre started flowing in from across Kashmir Valley

July 17, 2020July 17, 2020 Editor

All is not well in BJP as activists from J&K Unit are continuously turned up with resignations in one pretext or other. A senior party leader admitted that the repeated delay from the administration in providing adequate security cover is the main reason for fear among party cadres which led distances by members while another admitted that efforts are on in this regard. Several BJP activists have given up the party either after receiving life threat by militants or having indifferences with party higher ups. At least three party activists…

Fear of WW3 looming, as China expands its forces into Indian territory post deadly conflict on LAC

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020 Editor

INDIA’S prime minister Narendra Modi has been berated in his own country for allegedly surrendering disputed territory in the Himalayas to Chinese forces as Beijing expands its military presence in the disputed region. The Indian prime minister has been facing repeated criticism since brutal hand to hand conflict broke out between troops on the Himalayan border region last month. Mr Modi has been accused of a retreat that has allowed China to capitalise on the situation. However, the Indian leader has said he is trying to de-escalate the situation. He…