India is fast-tracking a project to connect Kashmir valley with the rest of the country by rail, which will enable trains to operate between New Delhi and Srinagar in 14 hours flat. The railway line, which could become functional in four years, is seen as a big development push by the Narendra Modi government in the valley. Costing over Rs 10,000 crore, it will provide all-weather connectivity and be a cornerstone of the government’s outreach programme in Jammu & Kashmir. The project is being personally monitored by rail minister Suresh…
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Will go for shutdown if ban on Islamic channels not revoked: Cable operators
Fearing a huge public backlash against banning of 34 TV channels in Kashmir, cable operators on Tuesday said implementing or ignoring the ban order by them will either ways have an adverse impact on their day-to-day operations. The state government on Sunday directed all the District Commissioners in Kashmir to take action against 34 channels, which includes channels beamed from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, senior member of Kashmir Cable Operators Association, Khateeb Hussain told Kashmir Post that a massive public demand for the banned channels, particularly the religious…
Read MorePeak tourist season in Kashmir sees few bookings
Tourism in Kashmir is set to suffer another dry year as the unrest continues in the valley. There has been very low tourist flow since September 2014 when Kashmir witnessed a devastating flood. The local tourist agencies are blaming the Central government and the state government’s policies for the mess. “I travelled with the state tourism department to various places to get tourists. I could feel that the Central government was stonewalling all the efforts to send tourists here. The national news channels are also to blame as they are…
Read MoreCable operators can be taken to task for airing Pak Channels
The Centre today said the local administration in Kashmir had the right to confiscate the equipment of cable operators allegedly airing unauthorised Pakistani channels and take action against them. Stating that the government had sent an advisory, Union Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore said such advisories were regularly sent by the Centre on unauthorised channels. “Whenever such news comes up, it is our duty to ask for a report. Action is being taken in the matter,” he said. Rathore said it was the responsibility of the local administration to monitor unauthorised channels…
Read MoreBJP MLA Spits Venom Against Kashmiri Traders
BJP MLA Raja Singh known to make controversial statements has brazenly asked all Hindus not purchase anything from Kashmiri Muslim traders. In a video message uploaded on his ‘Sri Ram Channel’ on YouTube on Wednesday, Singh says that in order to take ‘revenge’ on behalf of the Indian soldiers don’t buy anything from Kashmiri traders. “To those who visit Amarnath and other holy sites in May, June and July, my request is that don’t buy anything even worth Rs 1, of goods from these Kashmiri Muslim traders,’’ Raja Singh appealed.…
Read MoreKashmir Tourism hit big time, almost all package bookings cancelled
Rs. 3,000-crore losses last year; shortfall to increase manifold this year Tourism, the mainstay of J&K’s economy, has been the worst hit by the ongoing turmoil in the Kashmir valley as the majority of the tourists have cancelled their bookings for the months of May and June. The state already witnessed an unprecedented decline in tourist footfalls in March and April. “Almost 100 per cent of the package bookings of tourists, who had planned to visit Kashmir after visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine and other religious places in the Jammu…
Read MoreIT companies bear the brunt of internet gag in Kashmir
‘Several tech-based projects in limbo; 15,000 IT workers impacted’ Ambitious projects being handled by local Information Technology companies are in a limbo now as the 3G/4G internet services continue to be suspended forcing these firms to suffer massive losses, many IT stakeholders said on Wednesday. Jehangir Raina, president, Information Communications Technology Association of J&K (ICTA) a conglomerate of 45 IT companies said high-speed mobile internet has become backbone for micro and smaller companies who cannot afford lease lines and radio links. “Out of the 15,000 workforce which means 3000-4000 IT…
Read MoreNarendra Modi to launch low-cost air connectivity scheme today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch on Friday a regional air connectivity scheme under which the fares of flights will be capped at Rs 2500 per seat per hour. Modi will flag off a flight from Shimla to Delhi to launch the ‘UDAN’ (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) scheme which is aimed at boosting regional connectivity. Simultaneously, flights will be launched on Kadapa– Hyderabad and the Nanded-Hyderabad sectors. ‘UDAN’ is a first-of-its-kind scheme globally to stimulate regional connectivity through a market-based mechanism, the PMO said in a tweet. “To make…
Read MoreKashmir Inc questions govt decision to provide 24X7 power to Jammu industries only
Senior President, Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Javeed Ahmad Bhat in a statement termed the recent announcements as “partiality within the regions of the state”. At a time when Industrial Estates in Kashmir continue to suffer from unscheduled and pesky power cuts, the Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh’s announcement of uninterrupted power supply to Jammu industry has been termed as “selective and biased towards the three districts of Jammu region” by valley based business leaders. The Deputy Chief Minister, while addressing a function in Samba recently has said that…
Read MoreSale of online chopper tickets for Amarnath Yatra from April 25
Online booking of tickets for the helicopter service for the annual Amarnath Yatra will begin from April 25, a top official said today. Umang Narula, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) said that advance online booking of helicopter tickets for this year’s yatra will commence at 10 AM on Tuesday. SASB has made arrangements with UTAir India Pvt Ltd and Global Vectra Helicorp Ltd for the Neelgrath-Panjtarni- Neelgrath sector and with Himalayan Heli Services Pvt Ltd for the Pahalgam-Panjtarni-Pahalgam sector for providing helicopter services for Amarnathji…
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