Category: Business

Business

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

Editor

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…

Read More

Tourist boom expected as snow pattern changes

Editor

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…

Read More

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

Editor

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…

Read More

Kashmiri walnut to be declared organic, officially

Editor

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…

Read More

Walnut industry in slump

Editor

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…

Read More

Kashmir bat industry dying a slow death

Editor

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…

Read More

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

Editor

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…

Read More

TASK highlights JK’s tourism potential in Indore

Editor

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…

Read More

Tourism promotes brotherhood: Kavinder

Editor

The two-day third international conference on “Sustainable destination excellence: Revitalising peace through innovation in tourism” began at the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), University of Jammu, here today. Kavinder Gupta, Speaker, J&K Assembly, was the chief guest at the inaugural function, while Farooq Ahmad Shah, Secretary, Tourism Department, was the guest of honour. RD Sharma, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu, presided over the function. Ma Christina G Aquino, president, APacCHRIE, and Executive Director for Planning and Development of the Lyceum of Philippines University, Manila, was the keynote speaker.…

Read More

State has potential to attract millions of tourists, says Tourism Secretary

Editor

The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), University of Jammu, organised a day-long workshop on “Sustainable destination excellence” in collaboration with the state Tourism Department at the Golf Course, Jammu, on Wednesday. Farooq Ahmad Shah, Secretary, Tourism Department, was the chief guest, while RK Verma, Director, Tourism, Jammu, was the guest of honour. Prof Parikshat Singh Manhas, Director, School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, presided over the function. The resources persons included Prof Marta Jusztin, Budapest Business School, Hungary, and Amir Shani, Ben Gurion University of Negev. The workshop…

Read More