Month: January 2025

Jammu Crackdown: Over a Dozen Houses Demolished in Anti-Encroachment Drive

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Jammu Crackdown: Over a Dozen Houses Demolished in Anti-Encroachment Drive

Over dozen houses razed in Jammu amid crackdown on illegal structures A dozen illegally built houses and four plinths were demolished in a major encroachment drive here on Saturday, leading to retrieval of 10 kanals of the land belonging to the Jammu Development Authority (JDA), a senior government official said. The successful drive was conducted by the JDA in close coordination with the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), Jammu district administration and police at Sidhra, Majeen and Rangoora areas, the official said. He said the areas with large-scale recent encroachments, including…

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Direct Or Detour?: The Debate Over the Srinagar-Delhi Train’s Midway Stop at Katra

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Direct Or Detour? : The Debate Over the Srinagar-Delhi Train's Midway Stop at Katra

Srinagar-Delhi Train Service: Why Passengers Deserve a Seamless Journey Without Midway Disruptions By: Javid Amin The long-anticipated Srinagar-Delhi train service was envisioned as a transformative development for the people of Jammu & Kashmir, promising seamless travel between the capital city and the rest of India. However, reports that passengers will be required to deboard at Katra Railway Station, undergo security checks, and board another train have sparked widespread criticism. Political leaders, passenger groups, and citizens have raised concerns over this arrangement, labeling it inconvenient, unnecessary, and counterproductive to the purpose…

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Srinagar Smart City Project Plagued by Corruption: Two Senior Officials Under Investigation

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Srinagar Smart City Project Plagued by Corruption: Two Senior Officials Under Investigation

Corruption plagues Srinagar Smart City Project; The ACB action comes at a time when the city continues to grapple with delayed and substandard execution of key infrastructure projects under the Smart City initiative Srinagar, Jan 10: A massive corruption scandal has engulfed the much-hyped Srinagar Smart City Project, with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) launching a full-scale investigation into allegations of illicit wealth amassed by top officials of Srinagar Smart City Limited (SSCL) and registered cases against two senior officials besides carrying out raids at multiple places. The ACB action comes…

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Sub-Zero Chill: Cold Wave Hits Kashmir, Pahalgam and Gulmarg Coldest

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Sub-Zero Chill: Cold Wave Hits Kashmir, Pahalgam and Gulmarg Coldest

Most parts of Kashmir witnessed another sunny day even as the night temperature dipped further at multiple places The famous tourist resorts of Pahalgam and Gulmarg were the coldest places in Kashmir on Friday, recording minimum temperatures of -10 degrees Celsius and -8.1 degrees Celsius on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, according to data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD’s local office predicted rain and snow at an isolated places on Saturday. Most parts of Kashmir witnessed another sunny day even as the night temperature dipped further at…

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Omar Abdullah Calls for Clarity on INDIA Bloc, Farooq Abdullah Stresses National Unity

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Omar Abdullah Calls for Clarity on INDIA Bloc, Farooq Abdullah Stresses National Unity

No clarity, wind up INDIA, says Omar; vital for nation’s unity, differs Farooq Hours after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the INDIA bloc should be wound up if it was formed only for the parliamentary poll, his father and National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah said the alliance was meant to strengthen the country and was not limited to the elections. Answering a query from media persons in Jammu, Omar said it was unfortunate that no meeting of INDIA bloc had taken place. There was no clarity on the agenda…

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Omar Abdullah Emphasizes Learning UT Assembly Functions, Confident of Statehood Restoration

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Omar Abdullah Emphasizes Learning UT Assembly Functions, Confident of Statehood Restoration

Need to learn about UT assembly functioning, rights, limitations: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Jammu, Jan 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday stated that all Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), including him, were the “first-timers in the J&K Assembly in the present set-up and needed to learn about its functioning in the Union Territory.” He, however, asserted that the Union Territory set up would not remain forever and exuded confidence that the Centre would restore statehood to J&K, as it promised to the J&K people. “We – many of us –…

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Kashmir Awaits: Decades of Patience and a Ride Full of Expectations

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Kashmir Awaits: Decades of Patience and a Ride Full of Expectations

Three decades of wait, plus a few fears, ride on the train to Kashmir Five years after it claimed to have bridged the historical gap between Kashmir and the rest of the country with the abrogation of Article 370, the Narendra Modi government is looking at a geographical triumph with the inauguration of the last link connecting Kashmir to the country’s railway network. The project was promised first in 1994, and seemed a remote possibility, with Kashmir in the grip of militancy at the time. For close to a decade,…

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Kashmir’s Sufi Soul: Ancient Monuments Reflect a More Accommodative Islam

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Kashmir's Sufi Soul: Ancient Monuments Reflect a More Accommodative Islam

Ancient monuments of Sufi orders dotting the Valley speak of the existence of an Islam that was more accommodative than its modern revivalist avatar. By: Shakir Mir Kashmir has a rich Sufi heritage, which is enshrined in the ancient tombs and hermitages (or khanqahs) that dot its landscape. Its encounter with Sufism started in the 14th century, when wave upon wave of Sufi theologians from former Mongol and Timurid territories migrated to Kashmir. Historically, six Sufi monastic orders or silsilas have shaped Islamic religious expression here. These are the Kubrawi,…

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Kashmir’s Peaks Experience Unusual Warm Spell, Sparking Curiosity

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Kashmir's Peaks Experience Unusual Warm Spell, Sparking Curiosity

Warm spell in Kashmir’s peaks sparks curiosity, snowmelt Anantnag, Jan 8: Several upper reaches in southern Kashmir recently experienced warmer days compared to the low-lying areas, sparking discussions among locals and experts alike. Areas such as Ahlan-Gadole and Matigawran, the remotest parts of Kokernag, along with D K Marg in Kulgam and Hirpora in Shopian, situated beneath the Pir Panjal mountain ranges, reported this unusual phenomenon last Saturday. “Yes, it felt warm that afternoon in our area,” said Ishfaq Ahmad, a local from Gadole village of Kokernag. He said that morning…

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Cold Wave Alert: Kashmir Braces for Chilling Days Ahead

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MeT director Mukhtar Ahmad cautioned of drop in temperatures before another wet weather forecast on January 11 The weather on Wednesday remained clear and sunny for the second day while night temperatures dipped to below zero across Kashmir valley. MeT director Mukhtar Ahmad cautioned of drop in temperatures before another wet weather forecast on January 11. “There could be a cold wave at isolated places,” he said. The mercury dropped to a bone chilling minimum temperature of -9.8 degree Celsius in the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir on Tuesday…

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