Category: General News

General News

NHPC rubbishes reports on return of projects to state

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The National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) today claimed that the reports regarding the issue of return of power projects to J&K had been misinterpreted. Saying that an RTI activist had raked up the issue, stating the NHPC had earned Rs 19,000 crore in the past 14 years, the NHPC said the reports had forgot to mention that the corporation had spent Rs 18,215 crore for the development of its projects in J&K. In a statement issued today, the NHPC said newspapers had tried to misguide the local public who were…

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Chenani-Nashri tunnel deadline extended yet again

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Likely to be completed by December 10 Chief Secretary takes stock of the ongoing construction work After missing several deadlines, the much-awaited Chenani-Nashri tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway is likely to be thrown open to public by December 10 this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate it. The fresh deadline is four months later than the time limit set initially for the completion of the project, which was earlier scheduled to be finished by May 21 and then extended to September 25. The fresh deadline was decided…

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No Healing, No Touch: Why Modi govt needs to rethink its Kashmir Policy

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Kashmir is mourning its children, those killed, maimed and blinded. Daily life is thrown completely out of gear by unpredictable violence, a persistent sense of grief and hopelessness. There is no sign of normalcy returning any time soon. Yet the ruling elite in Delhi believes that the situation is under control and that things are improving. This clearly obviates the need for a dialogue with anyone in Kashmir. THE NEW “STATE DOCTRINE” There is an expectation that the government’s new found hard-line on Kashmir – of conceding no political ground…

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Separatists out to destroy student’s careers: Akhter

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Minister for Education and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Naeem Akhter today said the government was only trying to safeguard the career of lakhs of students whereas separatists with their shut-down calls were trying to destroy their academic career. He also strongly condemned the allegations levelled by Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik, who has indirectly blamed students for burning of schools in Kashmir. In a statement, Akhter said those saying the government decision to hold exams had forced students to torch educational institutes should go…

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Have clearer idea of Kashmir Unrest now – Sinha

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BJP leader to convey his perspective to Home Minister Former Foreign Minister and senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha on Friday said his recently concluded meeting with separatist leaders in Srinagar helped him get a clearer idea of the untoward happenings in the Kashmir valley and he would be conveying his perspective to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. “I met a large number of people not just separatists. In our individual capacity, we decided to go to Srinagar and meet as many people who are ready to meet us. We listened…

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Durbar Move: In Kashmir, governance a ‘Casualty’ for over 3 months now

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The Civil Secretariat in J&K’s summer capital Srinagar is set to close and shift to Jammu for next six months. This time however, the highest seat of governance functioned in the Valley only for a “brief time” and continued to remain ‘paralyzed’ in the wake of massive protests and clashes triggered by the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8. On Thursday, there were no long queues of people outside the highly-fortified Secretariat here, nor were its corridors bustling with any activity. This may be a usual…

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As Kashmir uprising continues, CM to interact with SSPs, DCs on Nov 5

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With uprising in Kashmir continuing for the past more than 100 days, J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is going to address Senior Superintendents of Police and District Development Commissioners during a conference here on November 5. This will be second such conference to be addressed by Mehbooba after she assumed the office of Chief Minister in March this year. On Thursday, a circular was issued by the Police department to SSPs asking them to attend the conference at SKICC here on November 5. Official sources said before addressing the SSPs…

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At last J&K’s Document of Accession in Public Domain

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For decades, crucial documents relating to accession of princely states to join India had been locked away in government files. But no longer. For months, RTI campaigner and programme coordinator with the Commonwealth human rights initiative, Venkatesh Nayak, had been trying to obtain the documents of accession of 540 princely states. He had even filed an RTI with the home Ministry, which finally transferred his petition to the National archives. Recently, the national archives gave him permission to take copies of these documents. “The accession of J&K is a fact…

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BJP again rakes up Article 370 on Accession Day

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But Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh maintains silence on issue In the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh, the BJP today again raked up the contentious issue of Article 370 and asserted that its revocation was on the party’s top agenda. As October 26 is observed as Accession Day throughout the state, the BJP seized the opportunity to give a message to its coalition partner — PDP — that despite sharing power in the state, the party was committed to its ideological issues like revocation of Article 370, abrogation…

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Sinha’s delegation on second day reach out to more stakeholders

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Former Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha, who arrived in the Valley yesterday with a delegation and met separatist leaders, today said the Kashmir issue would have been resolved had Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led National Democratic Alliance not lost the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. “Had the NDA not lost the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the Kashmir issue would have been resolved to the satisfaction of all the stakeholders,” Sinha said during a meeting with a delegation of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The five-member group dubbed as “Track-II” by various quarters…

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