Category: Business

Business

Post-floods, govt fails to revive economy

Editor

As Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu is making preparations to present the second annual Budget in the Legislative Assembly on January 22, the PDP-BJP government’s efforts in the last nine months to revive the post-flood economy have disappointed people. The coalition government, in its maiden Budget on March 22, 2015, had promised to work towards economic self-reliance and fiscal autonomy while focusing attention on putting the state on the path of recovery after the floods in 2014. The government had termed its first Budget as “white paper” on the state finances…

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Govt aims to make Tulip Garden a ‘major tourist attraction’

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In a bid to woo tourists throughout the year, the government is seriously mulling to make Tulip Garden in Srinagar as an all-season attraction, officials said on Tuesday. If all goes as per the plan, Tulips would bloom twice a year at the Tulip Garden situated on the foothills of Zabarwan mountains, overlooking the famous Dal Lake here. “A tourist should have something to enjoy throughout the year. We plan to integrate Botanical Garden with the Tulip garden to make it an all-season attraction for tourists,” said Director Floriculture, Talat…

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Can’t be taken for granted anymore, says Kashmir’s business community

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Kashmir traders’ groups have said they have sent a clear message with their boycott of the pre-Budget meeting with the Finance Ministry that they cannot be taken for granted anymore and be swayed by false assurances. Traders said they boycotted Monday’s meeting in protest against the government’s “failure” to suitably rehabilitate victims of last year’s floods, but there were other reasons that had led to resentment among the business community. “We expressed our disappointment by boycotting the meeting. The government is only playing politics and fooling us through false promises.…

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Poor power makes Kashmir’s manufacturing industry poorer

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Stating that the industrial output in Kashmir has sharply declined by over 50 per cent due to erratic power supply, premier industrial body, Federation Chamber of Industry Kashmir, Monday threatened to close down their units “if the state government did not provide uninterrupted power supply”. Senior Vice President, FCIK Afaq Qadri while talking to us he said the government is “indifferent” towards the manufacturing industry in Kashmir which is facing huge problems due to wrong policies of the government. “Our production has dipped by over 50 per cent in last few…

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Demand for dried vegetables soars during winter in Kashmir

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The demand for dried vegetables increased in Jammu and Kashmir as the minimum temperatures across the Valley were recorded below the freezing point. The residents witnessed intense cold wave as 40-day long Chillai Kalan, believed to be the harshest winter period, began in the state. The demand and sale for dried vegetables increase as people in the valley relish dry vegetables, smoked fish and wild herbs to survive during the extreme winter. On Sunday, people thronged local markets to purchase vegetables like bottle gourd, brinjal, beetroot, pumpkin, tomatoes, turnips, and…

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‘Despite floods Kashmir had good tourism season last year’

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Gearing up for promotional campaigns, various Kashmir-based travel associations with the support of Government will organize massive marketing shows across many Indian cities during this winter.   The marketing campaigns to be held at Indore, Raipur, Nagpur, Surat, Mumbai, Chandigrah, Ludhiana, Cochin, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi and other places shall include road shows and seminars. Director Tourism Kashmir, Mahmood Shah confirmed that the department will be organizing such campaigns in several cities of India. He said the department is also now focusing on the states in which people have little knowledge…

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Kashmiri artist bags national award in Papier Mache craft

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Minister for Public Works, Floriculture and Gardens & Parks, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari has congratulated Syed Maqbool Hussain Rizvi on his bagging the national award for excellence in Papier Mache craft.   Wishing Hussain a continuing successes, Bukhari assured the artisans pursuing various crafts like Papier Machie, Khatamband, Pashmina shawls, Copper works, Wood works, and all other skills “who were left to live in an atmosphere of despondency and scarcity of resources” that the present dispensation shall explore all possibilities to address their grievances.   “The state government is conscious…

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Valley slopes to host heli-skiers from Jan

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Jammu fest to make a comeback, Patnitop carnival will be bigger The slopes of Kashmir will see adventures of heli-skiers from January as a promotional campaign launched by the Jammu and Kashmir Government has attracted several high-end tourists from across India and western countries who will explore the beauty of the Himalayas. The Tourism Department has decided to revive the concept of a Jammu festival while the winter carnival at Patnitop will be organised in much bigger way this year. Officials said the next two months were packed with skiers…

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Tourism slump costs 50000 jobs in Kashmir

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The hoteliers across Kashmir valley have cut down the staff due to slump in tourism industry with over 50,000 people losing jobs after the occupancy fell down to 15 percent. The drastic decline in number of tourists visiting the State has resulted in job losses even in the high-end hotels. Officials said the occupancy has declined across the different hotel ranges and is even less than 15 percent in some low-end segments. “Kashmir has witnessed near 2 lakh decrease in the tourist numbers against last year’s arrival of 11 lakh…

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LoC traders pitch for increasing tradable items at Dubai meet

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The traders of divided Jammu and Kashmir concluded the two-day meet in Dubai where they pitched for opening more trade routes on Line of Control, inclusion of more tradable items in the list and easing travel and banking facilities for the trade. The trade leaders met in Dubai for two days on December 16 and December 17 to discuss the problems being faced in the trade. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Mushtaq Wani who attended the meeting said that the business leaders from both the sides welcomed the…

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