Category: Business

Business

Daily 50 flights to arrive at Srinagar Airport from March onwards

Editor

Airlines’ proposal to double daily in and out flights to 100 welcome step: Tourism Inc After taking a nosedive due to last year unrest, air traffic to Kashmir may witness more than cent percent increase with a record number of 100 flights scheduled in and out at the Srinagar Airport beginning March. Seven airlines operating to Srinagar in their new schedule submitted to Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), New Delhi, have increased their number of flights to Srinagar taking the total count of daily arrivals to the capital city…

Read More

Jonty Rhodes bats for ‘Incredible’ Kashmir

Editor

Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes, who has been to Kashmir three times, has appeared in a promotional video for Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, urging people to visit the “incredible” Valley for its “amazing” hospitality and tourist places. “This is my third visit to Kashmir…. I have done heli-skiing in the past and I learnt to snowboard on the hills right behind me,” Rhodes says in the 72-second video shot in the famous skiing resort of Gulmarg this winter. Impressed by the local hospitality and the wide range of…

Read More

India’s own Switzerland, Kashmir is Safe: Tourism Secy

Editor

An amount of Rs 2,400 crore will be invested in Jammu and Kashmir during the next five years to give boost to the tourism sector, which is considered as the backbone of the state economy, with the government laying special focus on unexplored and new regions like Kargil. This was stated by the Secretary, Tourism, J&K, Farooq Shah, on the sidelines of a function in Mumbai last night. Shah, along with other state functionaries was in Mumbai to promote the state’s rich culture, serene beauty and unmatchable landscapes. “The Union…

Read More

Curbs on big fat weddings leave a bitter taste for Valley Chefs

Editor

The state government’s order to check extravagant wedding celebrations has not gone down well with ‘wazas’ (traditional chefs) and other stakeholders while others remain sceptical about the implementation of the government order. Even as people had already started booking wazas ahead of the wedding season that usually starts after mid-April and lasts till October-end, the chefs now fear another year of loss. “Last year, our business took a hit due to the unrest. Now, the government order will again hit us hard and we fear another year of loss. While…

Read More

‘Arbitrary’ checking of vehicles returns on highway, allege transporters

Editor

Transporters and commuters have alleged that arbitrary checking of vehicles returned on the Jammu-Srinagar highway stretch passing through Ramban following the reshuffle in Traffic department. “Traffic cops posted on Jammu Srinagar National Highway especially in Ramban district are violating instructions and orders of the the department by taking advantage of absence of officers transferred in recent reshuffle” sources alleged. They said that cops along with official vehicles can be seen after every ten Kilometers ‘waiting for their prey to extract money in the name of entry from the drivers plying…

Read More

AirAsia begins daily flights between Delhi, Srinagar

Editor

Low-cost airline carrier AirAsia started its operations here today with the launch of its morning and evening daily flights between New Delhi and Srinagar. An official statement said the inaugural flight from New Delhi was received by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti at Srinagar International Airport at 10 am. Another flight to New Delhi was seen off by the Chief Minister soon after. The airline is also planning to connect Srinagar to many other destinations in the country in coming days. Welcoming the initiative, Mehbooba said the new flights would augur…

Read More

JK to get back two power projects from NHPC: Baig

Editor

‘Pak army created hurdles in peace with India’ Senior PDP leader and MP Muzaffar Hussain Baig Monday said the State will soon get back two power projects from NHPC. “We will soon get back at least two power projects from NHPC. It will make the J&K self sufficient economically and we will also be able to sell power to others besides ending electricity crises in the State,” Baig said while speaking at the PDP office, here during the party meeting. He said they have initiated talks with the Government of…

Read More

Almond cultivation on verge of extinction, courtesy govt apathy

Editor

With every passing year, the almond orchards in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are being axed for apples as the government has not shown any interest in promotion of almond cultivation. For the past few years, the area under almond trees has declined as swathes of Karewa land, that was deemed to be the best for cultivation, has come under apple cultivation. Horticulture experts maintain their view about the huge scope of dry fruits in the district as Karewas occupy a considerable area here. While comparing almond and apple preferences, the…

Read More

Airfare for Kashmir Sector going through the roof

Editor

For Tuesday – February 7- the highest fare was around Rs 18,577 for a one way travel and lowest fare was Rs 11,508 with overall average of Rs 13,678 price available with different airlines. Airfares soared to new highs on routes connecting Srinagar with other cities as the only surface link with Kashmir continues to remain a non-certainty due to inclement weather. Tickets for flights to Jammu, less than 45 minutes away by air, went up to several thousands of Rupees. One-way-economy class air travel from Jammu to Srinagar costs…

Read More

Transfer of hydel projects to state still a distant dream

Editor

As the PDP-BJP regime will complete two years of government on March 1 this year, one of the main objectives of the Agenda of Alliance — transfer of hydropower projects from the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation — still remains a distant dream. The Jammu and Kashmir Government is still pursuing the matter with New Delhi. The last and only formal meeting with the Union Power Minister over the issue was held on March 16, 2015, giving an indication that the coalition has put the issue on the back-burner. Most of…

Read More