Category: Business

Business

Shikaras in troubled waters

Editor

Owner struggle to make ends meet While Shikaras represent pristine beauty of Kashmir on magazine covers, tourist guides and picture postcards, their owners struggle to make ends meet. “For a Shakara waala, it’s very hard to make his ends meet, especially during winters when the influx of tourists is at its lowest,” said Ghulam Muhammad (70), a Shikara owner from Abi- Nowpora. “We start our day at 10 in the morning and wait for a customer. Sometimes even days go by without earning anything. We can hardly earn two square…

Read More

Tourism Dept organises food festival on Republic Day

Editor

The Tourism Department organised a food festival on the occasion of Republic Day in New Delhi yesterday. Secretary Tourism Farooq Shah said the festival was held during ‘Bharat Parvah’ organised by the Union Ministry of Tourism. He termed the food festivals as ‘important and effective medium’ to promote the state as a tourism destination. Manager of JKTDC Food Court CB Koul said the Kashmiri cuisine was liked and appreciated by all visitors and participants which was an ‘encouraging sign’. The secretary said the JKTDC would organise food festivals across the…

Read More

Buddhist Mahakumbh at 12,000ft in July 2016

Editor

Ladakh to host two-day event at Hemis, the biggest monastery in the region Ladakh — the land of high passes — will host the two-day “Mahakumbh of the Himalayas” on July 14 and 15 this year. The event is expected to be attended by thousands of local and foreign visitors. The “Mahakumbh” will be organised at Hemis, the biggest monastery in Ladakh. It will be an extended rendition of the annual Hemis festival observed at the monastery, marking celebration of the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava (8th century Buddhist master).…

Read More

70% wheat crop in JK hit by dry spell

Editor

Scientists blame climate change, suggest adaptation The food crisis in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to worsen as nearly 70 per cent of this year’s wheat crop has already been damaged due to an unprecedented dry spell at crown root initiation (CRI) stage of rabi crop. According to scientists, this dry spell is a result of climate change. With the wheat crop in the non-irrigated ‘kandi’ belt already damaged, the Agriculture Department has pressed the panic button by asking the Irrigation Department not to close the gates of Ranbir Canal…

Read More

Kashmir tour operators explore attracting Arab nationals for Sufi circuits

Editor

To launch marketing campaign in Arab Travel Mart In the event of steep downfall of leisure tourism in Kashmir, travel agents are exploring religious tourism to market Valley’s prime religious sites in the Muslim majority cities in India and abroad, Nasir Shah of CNE Luxury Holidays, Sheikh Ashiq of Asia Pearl Tourism LLC, Dubai and Musadiq Shah of Pride of Kashmir Dubai have started a market campaign of Kashmir’s Sufi sites to Indians living abroad and to Arab nationals of UAE. “Most of people here are not aware huge Sufi…

Read More

CVPPL fails to construct over 2000 MWs power projects

Editor

Electricity Woes ; Work yet to start on 1000 MWs Pakal Dul, 624 MWs Kiru and 540 MWs Kwar project The Chenab Valley Power Projects Ltd (CVPPL) has failed to construct the key power projects including the largest project of 1000 MWs Pakal Dul project. According to officials, work is yet to start over 1000 MWs Pakal Dul, 624 MWs Kiru and 540 MWs Kwar power projects even as the CVVPL had earlier scheduled to start the projects in 2014. CVPPL had informed the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) last year…

Read More

Amid Startup India hype, startups in Kashmir await paradigm shift

Editor

Throwing the catchphrase ‘Startup India, Standup India’ , PM Narendra Modi announced a plethora of initiatives last week to boost entrepreneurship in the country that already ranks third in the global startup ecosystem, according to IT industry body Nasscom. Being labelled a head-start – a three-year tax holiday, business incubators, research parks, among other initiatives and Rs 10,000 cr start-up fund – have been promised by the PM to give wings to his ambitious project. Whether or not the budding startups would be able to ‘take the leap of faith’…

Read More

Less snowfall hits winter sports in Gulmarg

Editor

The change in climate conditions that have resulted in less or no snowfall in Kashmir this winter season has hit winter sports activities at Gulmarg. Gulmarg, known all over World for its winter sports activities has not received favorable amount of snowfall this season. In plains, Gulmarg bowl, this winter season so far snowfall has been only around one-feet while as in upper reaches of Apharwat it has been around three-feet. Usually Gulmarg used to remain abuzz with sports activities at this time of the year with skiers from all…

Read More

Amarnath yatra to begins from July 2

Editor

This year’s 48-day-long annual Amarnath pilgrimage will commence on July 2. The decision was taken today by the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board at its 30th board meeting in New Delhi. The meeting was presided over by Governor NN Vohra, who is the chairman of the shrine board. The duration and date of commencement of this year’s pilgrimage was based on the recommendations of the Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Committee, which had been set up to advise the board on this key aspect. The date of the start of the yatra,…

Read More

Poor Airtel service irks subscribers

Editor

The poor airtel data and cellular service in Mominabad, Batamaloo and several other areas in Srinagar has become a source of annoyance for the subscribers. The subscribers in MominabadBatamaloo said that despite their pleas, the company has been taking them for a ride. “It is useless to have the Airtel SIM here. For last over a month, the service is totally down. Neither we are able to make a call nor can get the Net service on Airtel SIM,” said a subscriber. Subscriber of 9797830197 said: “For every single call,…

Read More