Category: Business

Business

Non-local skilled workers take up Kashmir’s famed art

Editor

Wood Carving In Its Last Throes Manzoor Ahmed Shah, 57-years-old, has seen the best of the times when the downtown area in Srinagar had hundreds of wood carving artisans. However, at present skilled artisans, knowing the intricate details of wood carving, can be counted on finger tips. Ironically, non-local skilled workers working in factories in Kashmir are taking up the wood carving as their means of livelihood. “Only few artisans are now working on wood,” said Shah in a low tone. Products made of walnut wood artistically designed by the…

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60% increase in tourist arrivals to Kashmir this Feb

Editor

In what would warm the cockles of tourism traders, the tourist arrivals to Kashmir in February so far have gone up by an impressive 60 per cent. According to official figures a total of 45,129 tourists arrived this month so far in Kashmir. Last year the figure for the entire month was 17,062 while a year earlier it was 21,097. “Even though last year’s tourist footfall was extremely low on the back of massive floods in 2014, the response this year is positive,” Ghulam Jeelani Zargar, Deputy Director (Recreation) JK…

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Kashmir an ideal shooting destination: Imran Khan

Editor

The stalls set up by J&K Tourism department and the travel trade of the state at the OTM exhibition at Mumbai received an “encouraging” response from the visitors who showed keen interest in the destinations and tourism products showcased. The department to promote all the three regions of the state organised a road show in club Andheri west and several interactive sessions with travel trade and media fraternity at the convention hall of Mumbai Exhibition centre. The department also organized Kargil night in collaboration with Kargil travel trade and LHDC…

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NHPC seeks to adjust water cess against JK’s power purchase liabilities

Editor

With the power purchase liabilities piling up against J&K, the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is eyeing to adjust the outstanding water usage charges against the State’s liability. According to official documents, the Corporation came up with the demand during the 30th meeting of the commercial sub-committee of the Northern Regional Power Committee (NRPC) held in the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh on September 23, 2015. The State purchases electricity from several central power suppliers including NHPC that has seven hydropower projects operational in the State. Post 2009, the power generating companies…

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Dachigam to be thrown open for tourists: Secy Tourism

Editor

TAAK, PHAROA release directories at OTM, Mumbai Jammu and Kashmir Tourism department organized a press conference at OMT, Mumbai on Friday. A large gathering of exhibitors and visitors participated were present on the occasion. Chief Guest Secretary Tourism J&K Farooq A Shah gave full profile of the J&K and highlighted the features of its three regions. He said besides existing destinations, new destinations like Gurez are being promoted in a big way by the government. He also said J&K is the only state having tourist police who ensure every smooth…

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Kashmir Inc aghast over ‘misuse’ of food safety law

Editor

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry today expressed serious concern over the “raids and inspections being carried out and disproportionate penalty slapped in the name of Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act.” President, KCCI, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani said the chamber is dismayed at the manner in which the authorities concerned were implementing the FSS Act. “A sort of panic is being created in the food industry by the uncalled for raids and inspections and disproportionate penalty slapped in the name of FSS Act,” he said. “The FSS Act is in…

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After year tender of lowest bidder cancelled for PakalDul Power Project

Editor

The Chenab Valley Power Corporation has cancelled the offer of a consortium to construct 1000-MW PakalDul hydropower project citing “substantially high prices” quoted by the bidder. The consortium had emerged lowest bidder for the project last year. An official said authorities at Chenab Valley Power Projects Private Limited (CVPPPL) on Tuesday cancelled the tender of the consortium of Mumbai-based Patel Engineering, Limak of Turkey and GoI owned BHEL citing substantially higher prices quoted by it in comparison to estimated cost worked out by the company. “… it was found that…

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TAAK holds ‘See Kashmir in Light’ in Ahmedabad

Editor

Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK) organized first of its kind a roadshow in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) in which travel agents and tourism officials from J&K and Gujarat participated. TAAK also organized ‘Promotional Evening’ at Hotel Fortune under the theme ‘See Kashmir in New Light’ where over 100 travel agents from J&K and Gujarat participated. Director Tourism Kashmir Mahmood A Shah and Director Tourism Jammu R K Verma were the chief guests. Director Tourism Kashmir gave a presentation on J&K’s all the regions highlighting tourism potential of the State, a TAAK…

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Uninsured flood-hit traders to get relief after Guv’s directive

Editor

After waiting for nearly one and a half year, the uninsured flood-hit Valley traders will finally get relief to restore their businesses. Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Hassan Samoon said the decision to this effect was taken in a recent meeting with Governor NN Vohra. “We had a meeting with the Governor and he has directed that on priority relief be distributed among those small-time traders who suffered losses in the floods and had no insurance,” said Samoon. In Srinagar, there are around 8,000 traders whose businesses were not insured and…

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Just one checking for vehicles carrying tourists, pilgrims to J&K

Editor

Taking a strong notice of the reports and complaints from different quarters that both, the Traffic as well as the Executive wings of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, were subjecting the non-J&K vehicles carrying tourists and pilgrims to unwarranted checking at around 25 points, Governor’s administration has ordered that such vehicles would be checked nowhere other than the entry point of Lakhanpur. Highly placed authoritative sources revealed to us that Governor’s Advisor Parvez Dewan last week directed Secretary Transport Kifayat Hussain Rizvi to come up with a policy that would ensure…

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