Category: Business

Business

200% increase in fares; Flyers hit out at airlines

Editor

Stakeholders voice concerns, ask DGCA to intervene Few days of downpour in Kashmir—coupled with hiccups in traffic movement on the Srinagar-Jammu highway—have again resulted in manifold increase in airfares to the state’s summer capital, with air travel from New Delhi to Srinagar costing around Rs 12,000 to Rs 20,000 per-head. As per the data, the air fare in the Delhi-Srinagar sector—before the weather turned inclement in the Valley—was around Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,000 per-head. And this has—for the past few days—seen a 200 percent jump, giving tough time to…

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Excise officers won’t visit jewellers’ manufacturing units: KR Madhar

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The Additional Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, KR Madhar, today clarified that their officers would not visit any manufacturing unit or factory of jewellers and as announced in the Union Budget, one per cent excise duty would be levied on the turnover exceeding Rs 6 crore a year. Additional Commissioner KR Madhar in a press conference here said, “In this year’s Budget, a nominal excise duty of one per cent (without input tax credit) and 12.5 per cent (with input tax credit) has been imposed on jewellery.” While clearing doubts…

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Extend financial help to Kashmir without bias: Traders to FM

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The Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) today urged Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to extend financial assistance to the Valley without any “bias”. “We presume that walking an extra mile means that the prevailing political uncertainty in the state will be addressed, economic areas like horticulture, handicrafts, tourism, forests, industry and other sectors will be revived and strengthened, our power projects will be returned, draconian laws like AFSPA will be done away with, security forces will be made more accountable and adequate financial assistance will be extended without considerations and bias,”…

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Tulip Garden opens amid early spring

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With 20 new tulip varieties on display amid an early spring bloom, Asia’s largest Tulip Garden on the banks of the Dal Lake here was thrown open today. Displaying around a million colourful flowers in the foothills of the Zabarwan range, the Tulip Garden usually reopens in March-end. However, this year it was opened early due to favourable weather conditions and the government is now looking forward to a good tourist season. “Even though it rained yesterday and there is a forecast of more rain, the overall weather conditions remained…

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Achen controversy erupts amid real estate investments

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Govt rejected land swap offer from private party over a decade ago While protests over dumping of garbage at Achen have again snowballed into a controversy between the residents and the Srinagar Municipal Corporation, the successive governments turned down the land swap offer from the private partners. We learnt landfill site wasn’t in use few years and there wasn’t any major problem. The city has city now turned into hostage over garbage disposal. Officials told the newspaper the major controversy erupted only in 2007, when a convoy of Srinagar Municipal Corporation…

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Kashmir fruit industry in doldrums

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General Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir Kisan Tehreek, Ghulam Nabi Malik today said the fruit industry of Kashmir is in doldrums and needs focused attention and huge public investment. In a statement here today, he said the horticulture is the most important income generating industry of J&K, and Kashmir is an ideal region in the world for growing fresh and dry fruits. “The demand for Kashmiri fruit within the country is huge and export potential is also very high,” he said. Malik said the fruit industry in Kashmir is generating Rs…

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Kashmir’s tulips to bloom in autumn also, Travel trade opposes the move

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Director Floriculture Talat Parvez said they are planning to have two tulip blooms in a year in this garden. “We will have another tulip bloom during September – October which will further extend tourism season,” said Parvez. He said this year the department is experimenting on small area where few thousands of the tulips will blossom in autumn. “If it is successful, we will have lakhs of tulip blooms in next year autumn season.” When asked about the opposition shown by tour operators on keeping garden open for whole year,…

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Governor to present full-fledged annual budget

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Drabu says new Govt can change it, Rather says never Governor Narendra Nath Vohra would soon present a full-fledged annual budget indicating a prolonged stalemate on government formation. Sources in the Raj Bhavan said Governor Vohra would present a full-fledged annual budget not a vote-on-account, which a caretaker government usually does for using funds for various items of expenditure like staff salaries. As the state legislature is in a suspended animation following the death of sitting chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on January 7, the Governor, for avoiding a financial…

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Kashmir’s ‘Phiran’ reaches Pakistan fashion gala

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Kashmir’s traditional ‘phiran’, an oversized gown, got a makeover at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2016 here. Zara Shahjahan’s luxury collection titled ‘Sartorialist’ was a modern take on the ‘phiran’ (worn by Kashmiri people to guard against cold) and was coupled with a minimalistic and organic look. The designs looked royal and light by selection of earthy shades and soft pastels. In fact, Shahjahan also chose Kashmir’s famous embroidery — Ari work — for her designs. Ari was done on cotton linen with contemporary chic detailing and edgy silhouettes. Her…

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TAAK demands cap on bookings by travel portals

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Frisking at Cheshmashahi, foreign registration at Sgr airport should go Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) has voiced concern over the direct bookings made by online travel portal affecting local travel agents and tour operators. In a recent meeting with Principal Secretary Tourism Sandip Nayak, a delegation of TAAK discussed various issues confronting tourism sector in the Valley. TAAK delegation was represented by Vice President Malik Hamidullah Bazaz, Secretary General Farooq A Kuthoo, Former President Peerzada Faiyaz, Finance Secretary Habibullah Pandaw, chief organizer Showkat Ahmed, Publicity Secretary Irfan Mir besides EC…

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