Category: General News

General News

Get ready for power pangs this summer

Editor

Low discharge of water hits electricity generation, eight small hydropower projects still shut Scanty rain and less snowfall are set to compound electricity woes of Jammu and Kashmir this summer as the state continues to generate only 50 per cent of its total power generation capacity due to low discharge of water into all major rivers. “The generation capacity of the state is 770 MW. Generation has come down drastically to around 400 MW due to low discharge into rivers. We have been running only two turbines of 150 MW…

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Guv approves supplementary budget for three months

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Jammu and Kashmir’s State Administrative Council (SAC) which met here on Monday under the chairmanship of Governor N.N. Vohra, approved supplementary budget for three months for the state. “The SAC approved the ‘On Account Appropriation’ for a period of three months beginning April, 2016,” said an official statement here. The ‘on account appropriation’ by the governor’s administration was necessitated because a regular budget could not be passed in Jammu and Kashmir as the state legislature has been put under suspended animation following imposition of governor’s rule here on January 8.…

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Haj Committee must increase general category quota for J&K : Mir

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The decision of the Haj Committee of India not to increase the quota for Haj aspirants of Jammu and Kashmir under the general category has not gone down well with people of the state. Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Party Nationalist president Ghulam Hassan Mir has asked the Haj Committee to reconsider its decision and increase the quota under the general category. Mir said J&K being the only Muslim-majority state had high expectations from the Haj Committee in giving preference in the Haj quota. “The decision has disappointed Haj aspirants who…

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Madhav to visit Jammu to tackle infighting over portfolios

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Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Ram Madhav will be reaching Jammu on March 30, his second visit here in a week since the process of government formation began in the state. Sources say Madhav’s visit is aimed at overcoming the infighting in the BJP cadre over distribution of portfolios and inclusion of fresh faces in the Cabinet. It was apparent that all was not well with the BJP when former Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh went to give the letter of support to Governor NN Vohra on March 25 while…

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New National Highway leaves people jobless

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Tourists and pilgrims deprived of picnic spots on Jammu-Srinagar stretch The newly constructed Jammu-Srinagar highway that opened for vehicular movement in March 2015 has brought a new dimension to commuting with four-laned traffic movement making it fast and quick. This left behind certain important spots bypassed in the process that used to be tourists’ delight while commuting on the old highway. Nandini and Jhajhharkotli, the two important sojourn spots for the tourists moving from Jammu to Srinagar, had been important stopovers for tourists for many reasons. Nandini, 28 km from…

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In JK, New Delhi’s key infrastructure, energy projects hit by delays

Editor

The Government of India’s key infrastructure projects in J&K have been hit by delays, raising questions on the central government’s promises to bring about socio- economic development in the State, according to officials. A cursory look at the mega central-sector projects being executed in the State reveals that all of them have failed to meet deadlines fixed for their commissioning. The projects—which could have been of immense benefit to over 1. 25 crore souls of the State—are being executed at a snail’s pace, with interventions from top offices including the…

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Centre may add to PM Modi’s J&K package: Jaitley

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Pledging full support to the new PDP-BJP government to be formed in Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday said the Centre may add to the Prime Minister’s Rs. 80,000 cr package announced in November last if resources permit. “There are two guiding factors. One is the agenda for governance and one is the Prime Minister’s package. There is so much in the Prime Minister’s package that even if our resources permit us year to year, we will add to it,” he told PTI in an interaction. “Therefore,…

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MLA Rashid slams entry of non-state subjects in valley

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Awami Itehad Party chief and MLA Langate, Abdul Rashid Sheikh has demanded an end to flow of non-state subjects into Kashmir valley, arguing that their credentials and whereabouts are not known. Addressing public meetings at Malaknag Anantnag, Kelam Kulgam and Hawal Srinagar today Rashid said from Qazigund to Karnah thousands of non-state subject and homeless families have occupied thousands of kanals of land and started constructing temporary huts. “While Kashmiris need to prove their identity not only in other states but in their own hamlets to security agencies, this uninvited…

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RSS stitches alliance back into shape

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With Mehbooba Mufti set to head the PDP-BJP government in the state, it has become clear that the Sangh Parivar has played a very crucial role in restitching the alliance, which virtually looked impossible at one point of time. The presence of RSS ‘prant karyawah’ (state general secretary) Parshotam Dedechi in today’s crucial meeting of BJP legislators to elect the Legislature Party leader was an indication that the Sangh Parivar had stepped in to give its seal on the PDP-BJP coalition in the only Muslim-majority state of the country. Dedechi…

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Indian Intelligence Agencies feed some Separatists: Dr Farooq

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Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah has said that some separatist leaders have close links with Indian intelligence agencies which feed them. Farooq also alleged New Delhi of “dividing Kashmiris”. In an interview to The Economic Times, Farooq said that separatist leaders change their stand on daily basis. “I don’t know what Hurriyat stands for. Every day they make changes in their stand. Some of them also have links with intelligence agencies of India. They are fed by them as well,” Farooq said. He alleged both India…

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