Category: Business

Business

Kashmir is natural play fields for adventure activities: ATOAK

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Hails tourism department for declaring 2016 as “Adventure Tourism” year  Adventure Tour Operators Association of Kashmir (ATOAK) has hailed the decision of   department of tourism for declaring the year 2016 as “Adventure Tourism” year in Jammu & Kashmir. In a statement, the members of ATOAK appreciated department of tourism for such a ‘visionary’ step which has been taken at an appropriate time though it was a long pending demand to the department of tourism from ATOAK to showcase and expose the adventure tourism potential of our state in its…

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Facilitate LoC traders’ meetings to boost business, officials told

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To boost cross-LoC trade, the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asghar Samoon today directed the officials to facilitate meetings between traders of the two sides and also build residential quarters for PoK businessmen so that they don’t mix with local population. He also asked the members of trader bodies to look for possibilities of trade in goods other than the approved items. During a meeting of traders and officials here, Samoon directed the Deputy Commissioner, Baramulla, and other officials concerned to have joint consultation with traders for enhancing marketing prospective of the…

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Only electronic mode of payment from treasuries in J&K from April 1

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In a major decision, the government today directed all the administrative secretaries and head of departments to change the mode of payment of bills from manual to electronic from April 1 to avoid disruption of payment and ensure transparency. An order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD) has asked the departments and drawing and disbursing officers (DDOs) to ensure that the new system is put in place on priority basis to ensure transparency and integrity of the payment system. “To avoid delay in making payments to ultimate beneficiaries by…

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Tourist boom expected as snow pattern changes

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With the Kashmir valley witnessing ‘maximum precipitation’ in February, the authorities expect the winter tourism season to peak this month. Several winter sports activities, including a national skiing event and Gulmarg derby, are on the cards this month. “In the last decade and a half, the snow pattern has shifted towards February, which is the best time to hold winter sports events now. We will hold several events like a national ski championship, Gulmarg derby, snow cycling and cross-country run (in Gulmarg),” said Director, Tourism, Mahmood Ahmad Shah. As the…

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Dearth of funds, road digging hits PDD’s underground cabling project

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The Power Development Department (PDD) is unable to carry out the underground cabling of power lines in the state due to shortage of funds and frequent road digging. According to officials, the underground cabling has been approved for the tourist areas of Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Patnitop. They said the government has not given the clearance for other places across the state in view of shortage of funds and frequent road digging. The under-ground cabling is cost intensive. The officials said they have been constrained to start the work in…

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Kashmiri walnut to be declared organic, officially

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Walnut in Kashmir is set to get organic certificate as the Horticulture Department has observed that most of the walnut grown in the Valley is raised organically with no chemical given to it. Organic certified crops have been in high demand as pesticides and fertilisers are not used and sprays with carcinogenic elements are not given to the crops. The department has formed clusters in each district, the number of which depends on the Chief Horticulture Officer. There will be between five and 10 members in each group who will…

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Walnut industry in slump

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Kashmiri walnut producers and growers are presently a worried lot due to the decline in the demand and low rates. According to the stakeholders here the lack of a walnut market (mandi) in Kashmir, and huge influx of imported walnuts from California in India have become major concern for the local growers, dealers and exporters. Zainul Abideen, president, Kashmir Food Processors’ Association told KP the lack of research on walnut processing has also contributed to the downfall of this dry fruit. “While Jammu has a walnut mandi, Kashmir has none,” Abideen…

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Kashmir bat industry dying a slow death

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From Jawbehara in Pulwama to Anantnag along the highway, a number of bat factories grab your eyeballs. As the bill-boards glued on these factories are big, so small the business is happening inside them nowadays. The owners of these factories claim, the business is dying its own death because of the indifference of the government towards them. The government had declared an Industrial cluster for this factory but the same hasn’t seen the light of the day yet. “The disorganized way of selling the product has a negative effect on…

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‘Kashmir is a tailor-made destination for corporate conferences’

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India’s top-notch event organizer and son-of-the-soil Naveen Kundu Sunday stated that Kashmir is a tailor-made destination for holding corporate conferences and wedding tourism. He pledged to promote meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibition or MICE tourism of Kashmir among corporate across the country. Kundu who runs an event management company namely Leisure Corp said that Kashmir apart from being tourism destination has also facilities available to become hub of MICE tourism. “If we assess the current infrastructure, Kashmir can host conferences having more than 3,000 participants,” Kundu said while talking to us in…

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TASK highlights JK’s tourism potential in Indore

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Holds seminar ‘Kashmir Back To Paradise’  As part of its tourism promotion campaign, Travel Agents Society of Kashmir (TASK) Saturday organized a seminar titled “Kashmir Tourism, Back to Paradise” at Indore at Hotel Sayaji. Mayor of Indore Malini Goud was the chief guest on the occasion. Director Tourism – Kashmir, Mahmood A Shah in his keynote address to the gathering of elite tour operators of Indore showcased the Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh. Director Tourism Kashmir  urged the stakeholders associated with the sector to come forward in promoting tourism avenues in…

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