Category: Community

Only 4 of 117 traffic violations catch eye of police

Editor

The Indian road rules, titled “Rules of the Road Regulation”, brought into effect in 1989, cover seven major traffic offences related to documents, driving, towing, pollution, motor vehicles, commercial vehicles and parking. In Jammu and Kashmir, wrong parking, non-possession of driving licence or registration certificate of the vehicle and driving without a helmet are the only cognisable offences while many in the list of 117 other offences either go unnoticed or do not catch the attention of the Traffic Department. Most of the offences are penalised through cash payment or…

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Govt imposes ban on sale of loose cigarettes, beedies, tobacco in J&K

Editor

With a view to discourage the consumption of cigarettes and tobacco by the people, especially the younger generation, the Government has put a complete ban on the sale of loose cigarettes, loose beedies and loose tobacco in the State with immediate effect. As per a notification issued by the Department of Health and Medical Education which reads “ in the interest of public health and in consonance with the section 7 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and…

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VHP demands sacking of director tourism for renaming of Hari Parvat as Koh-e-Maran

Editor

Condemning the renaming of Hari Parvat as Koh-e-Maran in the advertisement of Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Department, VHP today demanded the state government immediately sack the Director Tourism. “We condemn the action of Director Tourism, Srinagar for changing the ancient Sanskrit name Hari Parvat as Koh-e-Maran in its advertisement”, State VHP President Leela Karan Sharma told reporters here today. He condemned the recent advertisement of J-K Tourism in newspapers in which it referred to Hari Parvat as Koh-e-Maran which triggered the controversy. “Even there have been attempts to rename Shankaracharya…

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Mehbooba reviews development projects

Editor

Asking J&K Economic Reconstruction Agency to strictly adhere to fixed timeline, CM Mehbooba Mufti today passed instructions to the Planning Department to monitor the pace of work on a fortnightly basis. She also called for devising an effective mechanism which binds contractors to delivering the projects on time, as the state government cannot afford any spillover of Asian Development Bank-aided projects if they stretch beyond March 31, 2017. Some of the prestigious projects reviewed by the CM included Jahangir Chowk-Rambagh Expressway Corridor in Srinagar, Bikram Chowk Flyover at Jammu, Landfill…

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Rambagh flyover likely to miss deadline

Editor

Srinagar is likely to witness traffic congestion for some longer period as the prestigious Rs 369 crore Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh Expressway Corridor (flyover) project is unlikely to be completed by March 2017; the reason being the delay in execution work followed by loss of time during 2014 floods. The flyover, which was announced in July 2009 in its initial phase, hit many roadblocks including litigations by traders and hurdles in land acquisition. Work on the project began in 2013 and was scheduled to be completed by September 2016. However the deadline…

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SHO framed Kashmiri youth in drug case to extort money

Editor

On March 7 this year, Jammu Police claimed to have arrested “two drug peddlers”, namely Rajbeer Singh and Sameer Ahmad Mir, residents of Baramulla at a Naka at Narwal Chowk on Jammu-Delhi national highway. It claimed to have recovered from their Wagon R, JK02AL-2298, 6500 intoxicating capsules and 65 bottles of banned syrup. It said that the Naka was laid on “specific information” and FIR No: 51/2016 under sections 8, 21 and 22 of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was registered against the two detainees at Bahu Fort…

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Smokers spend more on cigarettes in JK than rest of India

Editor

Smokers in Jammu and Kashmir spend Rs 514 on cigarettes per month against rest of India average of Rs 399, a study has revealed. The increased use of tobacco puts children and women at greater risk of lung cancer, warns Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI). “The state’s monthly spending on smoking tobacco as far outstrips the national monthly expenditure averages. While nationally, smokers aged 15 and above spend Rs 399.20 a month on cigarettes and Rs 93.40 on bidis, those in J-K spend Rs 513.60 and Rs 134.20, respectively,…

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Liquor sale goes up in JK despite a ban by militant groups

Editor

Liquor consumption has gone up in Jammu and Kashmir as 10.16 lakh more bottles were sold in the state in 2015 than the previous year. As many as 556.67 lakh bottles of liquor, including IMFL, Desi Whiskey, beer and ready to drink were sold in 2015 as compared to 546.51 lakh bottles in 2014 thereby registering an increase of 10.16 lakh bottles, liquor consumption data released by the state Excise Department has revealed. Similarly, 520.75 lakh bottles of all types of liquor were sold in 2013-14 as compared to 500.37…

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From Kashmir to Cannes

Editor

Having grown up in a place where not many pursue a career in films, Rahat Kazmi, the Poonch-based film producer and director, literally blazed a trail with his passion for filmmaking. The going, though, has been tough for him. Frequent curbs on the screening of his earlier film, ‘Identity Card-guilty unless proven’ has dented his confidence at times but it has not stopped him from choosing even more controversial subjects.For nearly two years he worked on his new film “Mantostaan” that will be screened on May 14 and 16 at…

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To escape traffic, GMC staff opt for cycling

Editor

In an attempt to minimise traffic congestion in the city, students and management of the Government Medical College (GMC), Srinagar, has decided to use bicycles and carpooling. The decision to use bicycles and opt for carpooling was taken on Saturday at a joint meeting of the college faculty and students which was chaired by GMC Principal Kaiser Ahmad, a government spokesman said. “The meeting decided that the students of the college will start using bicycles voluntarily for coming to college and similarly possibility of area-wise carpooling will be explored with…

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