Category: General News

General News

Govt launches state-sponsored scheme for girl child

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Jammu and Kashmir government today approved a state-sponsored social assistance scheme for girl child ‘Ladli Beti’ which will be implemented in six districts with low child sex ratio. “The state Cabinet, which met here today under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, gave its nod to the adoption of ‘Ladli Beti’ for its implementation in six selected districts – Kathua, Jammu, Samba, Budgam, Pulwama and Anantnag – exhibiting low and declining child sex ratio,” an official spokesman said. He said the scheme has been launched to create a…

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Bravehearts felicitated for saving lives

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The bravehearts of Kashmir who showed resilience and courage during the September 7, 2014, floods were felicitated today by the Centre for Research and Development Policy (CRDP), a Srinagar-based organisation. Aiming to discuss the impact of the September 7 floods and look for a way forward, CRDP organised a two-day event at University of Kashmir. On the first day of the event, a series of discussions were held on five different themes, which include “Impact of floods on J&K’s economy: Reconstruction and revival a year after”, “Government’s response: Rescue, relief…

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Flood rehabilitation a priority, says new Chief Secy

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The Jammu and Kashmir Government today appointed Braj Raj Sharma as the state’s Chief Secretary. Sharma succeeded Mohammad Iqbal Khanday, who opted for voluntary retirement last month. Sharma is a 1984 batch IAS officer of the J&K cadre. He was currently serving as the Principal Secretary in Planning and Development Department. He assumed the office of the Chief Secretary within hours of his appointment. The newly appointed Chief Secretary said the rehabilitation of the last year’s flood victims would remain his priority. “I will be tackling the situation arising out…

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Brij Raj Sharma appointed as J&K Chief Secretary

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Jammu and Kashmir government today appointed Brij Raj Sharma, a 1984 batch IAS officer, as the Chief Secretary, superseding four senior officers. “The Cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today approved the appointment of B R Sharma as the Chief Secretary,” an official spokesperson said. Born on April 27, 1960, Sharma will have one of the longest tenures as the Chief Secretary of the state if he continues in the office till his superannuation. The appointment of a new Chief Secretary was required…

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Long road to recovery agonisingly slow

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Floods: A Year Later Long road to recovery agonisingly slow People picking up the pieces as rehab yet to gather pace In the first week of September last year, Jammu and Kashmir recorded an unusually high amount of rain, ending with a devastating deluge that submerged residential and commercial neighbourhoods and struck a damaging blow to the region’s economy. The south Kashmir districts of Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama were the first to get affected by the floods in early September as heavy rain wrecked the region and swelled the…

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Time, funds must to save Srinagar from another disaster, says govt

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After a year that witnessed change of guard in the state, the Irrigation and Flood Control Department headed by Sukhnandan Choudhary is confronted with the challenge to save Srinagar from any possible disaster. In Jammu, where the Tawi, Ujj and Chenab breached its banks last year, the government has been posed with the task of strengthening flood protection works. Sukhnandan Choudhary elaborated the long-term flood management plan which includes regular dredging, removal of encroachment along the banks of the rivers and creating alternate flood channels as the only solution, which…

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Ex-CM Omar decries Modi Govt’s ‘step-motherly treatment to Kashmir’

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Former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Sunday accused the BJP-led NDA Government of giving “step-motherly” treatment to Kashmir. He was referring to New Delhi’s non-commitment to sanction rehabilitation package for flood victims. Omar equally blamed ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for “letting the Centre go away” and not “taking firm commitment from BJP on the package before joining hands with it.” “This non-commitment on flood rehabilitation package is more of NDA and BJP’s step-motherly treatment (towards Kashmir),” Omar said, in an exclusive interview to us. He was responding to a…

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PDP has no role in govt affairs: Geelani

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The hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani today hosted a seminar on the Indo-Pak hostilities, its causes and solution. Speakers at the seminar expressed their viewpoint. Geelani also spoke at the seminar and alleged that the state was being ruled by the RSS. Syed Ali Geelani said Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was being used for implementing New Delhi’s policy and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had no role in the affairs of the government.

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80% roads restored, bridges to be fully repaired by 2017: Bukhari

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Jammu and Kashmir has been struggling to restore the damaged infrastructure since the floods last year left a trail of destruction. About 500 bridges and 6,000 km of roads were fully or partially damaged, snapping connectivity to thousands of villages. The large-scale devastation pushed the state’s development planning back to several decades. The Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department is racing against time to rebuild basic infrastructure lost to the nature’s fury. Talking to us on the first anniversary of the floods, Minister for Public Works Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari said: “Nearly…

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World peace linked to Kashmir settlement

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The veteran Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani has said that peace in South Asia will remain a far-fetched dream unless the Kashmir dispute is resolved as per aspirations of the Kashmiri people. Syed Ali Gilani was addressing a seminar on “Factors behind Pak-India Tension”, held under his chair at Hyderpora in Srinagar, today. He urged the world community to intervene for settlement of the Kashmir dispute, saying that eruption of a war between nuclear-armed Pakistan and India this time could engulf peace of the entire world. The relations between the…

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