Category: General News

General News

Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) today

Editor

Eid-i-Milad-un-Nabi (SAW) is being celebrated with full reverence, devotion and religious fervour across Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The day marks the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Religious processions, special prayer meetings and Seerat conferences are being organized across the State to mark the occasion. Special functions will be organized at various shrines and Masjids across Kashmir. The biggest congregation will be held at Hazratbal Shrine here, where the devotees in large numbers would offer special prayers and have glimpse of the holy relic of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Meanwhile,…

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Power thieves to be booked from Jan 1

Editor

Amid public outcry over long and frequent power cuts, Power Development Department (PDD) has decided to book people found guilty of power theft from January 1. Officials confirmed that government has decided to book the offenders under the J&K State Electricity Regulatory Act (JKSERA) of 2010, which provides provision of legal action against those who misuse the electricity and resort to theft. The offenders can face imprisonment of upto five years and fine. In August, the State Vigilance Commission (SVC) had directed the government to register criminal cases against those…

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NC’s youth wing joins protest against food Act

Editor

The youth wing of the National Conference on Wednesday joined the protest against the new food Act, which has drawn criticism from separatists and residents of the region. The protesters led by NC youth wing president Salman Sagar marched from the party headquarters to Regal Chowk in the heart of the city’s busy commercial centre, where they were stopped by the police. The protesters shouted slogans against the state government and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed over the new food Act. Several demonstrators, including Sagar, were detained by the police…

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MLA Rashid seeks disbanding of VDCs, tries to gherao CM residence

Editor

Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid and some of his supporters were detained by the police when they tried to gherao Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed’s residence to protest the killing of a man allegedly by a Village Defence Committee (VDC) member in Rajouri, here today. Rashid was also demanding disbanding of the VDC and constitution of a commission to investigate the “crimes committed by VDC members”. Rashid was taken into custody by the police at Gupkar as he was trying to march towards the CM’s residence along with his Awami…

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7800 youths went on educational trips in three years under Operation Sadbhavana

Editor

Over 7,800 youths of Jammu and Kashmir have embarked on educational and national integration tours sponsored by the army under its ‘Operation Sadbhavana’ in the past three years. “In the past three years, army has conducted a total of 264 educational and national integration tours and in each tour, a group usually comprises approximately 30 members,” a defence spokesman said. He said that the army’s Northern Command has been organising trips for students and youths from Jammu and Kashmir to the rest of the country from time to time. “These…

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Srinagar highway widening misses another deadline

Editor

Company executing project to suffer loss of Rs 74.38 lakh per day Work on the Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund stretch of the national highway has missed yet another deadline, due to which RAMKY, the agency executing the project, will incur a loss of Rs 74.38 lakh per day. The Hyderabad-based firm RAMKY was entrusted widening of the national highway this side of the Jawahar Tunnel, with the work on the project starting in June 2011. The company was expected to complete the project in three years, after which the National Highways Authority of…

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Beigh, Karra abstain from PDP meet

Editor

Signalling differences, two senior MPs of ruling PDP stayed away from the party’s review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed with one of them accusing the leadership of “muzzling” the voice of dissent within the party. Lok Sabha MP from prestigious Srinagar Constituency Tariq Hameed Karra and member Parliament from Baramulla seat Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, both former state finance ministers, abstained from the PDP meeting convened yesterday to review the performance of the party ministers in the state’s coalition government. “What is the point of attending a meeting…

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Govt asks PDD to reduce AT&C losses by 50%

Editor

The state government has taken a strong note over the continuing Aggregate Transmission and Commercial Losses (AT&C) and has directed the Power Development Department (PDD) to bring it down to 50 percent by March 2016. Deputy Chief Minister and Power Minister, Nirmal Singh said though the AT&C losses have been brought down “but we have asked the officials that it should be further reduced to 50 percent by March 2016”. “The losses have been contained and reduced from 61 to 55 percent. We have been able to ensure stabilization in…

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Who’s the boss: CM or security agencies?

Editor

Despite Omar, Mufti’s go ahead, judicial exam topper Altaf’s clearance stonewalled The appointment of Altaf Ahmad Khan, who topped a judicial exam, was stonewalled by police and intelligence agencies despite the go ahead of two chief ministers. Khan, a lawyer and peace activist from Srinagar, topped the District and Sessions Judge examination of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 2012, but his appointment was stalled as he was not given a clearance certificate by Police and intelligence agencies. Police arrested Khan in April 1998 after framing him on charges…

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Six ministers allegedly haven’t filed Tax Returns from J&K

Editor

Six of the 11 ministers, who are second time legislators, in the PDP-BJP coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir allegedly have not filed income tax returns before contesting the state assembly polls last year. According to the affidavits submitted by the these ministers to the Election Commission, they had not filed income tax returns for the assessment year 2013-14 ahead of the assembly elections last year. While 11 ministers, including Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, had prior legislative experience before the 2014 elections, 14 ministers in the coalition government are…

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