Category: General News

General News

Ration cards procurement, bill payments to get easier

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The government has decided to outsource the services like payment of electricity bills and procurement of ration cards to private-run IT centres. According to top government officials, it has been decided that the services delivered by the different departments including the Social Welfare department, Power Development department and Public Health Engineering department would be outsourced. State’s Information Technology department would help in the creation of infrastructure to set up the IT-enabled kiosks in the State and would also use the existing Khidmat centres for this purpose. “We have decided that…

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Police puts more check-posts on Kashmir highways

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In the wake of a militant attack in Udhampur area of Jammu yesterday, security agencies have stepped up surveillance on two key highways in Kashmir, official sources said Thursday. Following the attack yesterday in which two constables and a militant were killed, the police top brass has passed directions to its lower-rung officials that they must step up vigil on highways to prevent “occurrence of such attacks.” More check points are now being established on highways to ensure safety and security of commuters, a police official said. Inspector General of…

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Mufti stripped of all powers: Omar

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The National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said PDP stood formally and publicly exposed as an opportunistic subsidiary of the BJP in J&K and it was now impossible for the party to cover its tracks. The NC Working President, while addressing party workers at the launch of NC Membership Drive 2015 in Pulwama and Budgam districts today, said those in the Valley who had never participated in the electoral process came out to vote in 2014 to keep BJP out of power in the State. “Sadly they were…

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Omar dismisses Nirmal’s allegation over ISIS flags

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Says issue being raked up to hide failures, incompetence Dismissing the allegations of Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh that the National Conference (NC) activists were hoisting ISIS flags in Srinagar, NC working President and former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah said the coalition government was raking useless issue to hide their failure and incompetence. “They (BJP) have government at Centre and the state. If they arrest any flag hoisting youth and prove that he belongs to NC, they are free to take him to court of law. When have I…

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J&K reeling under political uncertainty: Omar Abdullah

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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today lashed out at the PDP-BJP coalition, alleging the state was reeling under an “atmosphere of political uncertainty and chaos” as there was no sign of basic governance and stability. “The state is reeling under an atmosphere of political uncertainty and chaos as there is no sign of basic governance and stability. Local youth are yet again choosing the path of militancy thanks to PDP’s brazen sell-out to the BJP. The same young men who were promised that PDP would keep BJP…

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Open to dialogue with Jammu & Kashmir groups that eschew violence

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Government is open to a dialogue with those groups in Jammu and Kashmir which eschew the path of violence and are “willing to work within the framework of the Constitution of India”. Minister of State for Home Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on being asked whether government has any plans to initiate talks with separatists organisations of J-K to help restore peace in the militancy-hit state. “The government remains open to dialogue with those who eschew the path of violence and are…

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Farooq Abdullah warns against flaring up regional passions in J&K

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National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday cautioned PDP-BJP combine against inciting regional passions, saying Jammu and Kashmir has to grow and flourish as a single entity and any attempt to trample this peculiar character would be fought tooth and nail. “By engineering regional divide, the coalition cannot divert the attention of people from governance failure,” Abdullah said while addressing gatherings enroute Rajouri. Accompanied by NC’s provincial president Devender Singh Rana, he interacted with people at Sunderbani, Lambedi, Nowshehra, Narian, Chingus, Moradpur and Badoon during the first leg of his…

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Haj pilgrims to leave for Medina from Aug 17

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The first batch of Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir will leave from here directly to the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia from August 17, officials said on Wednesday. The flights for Hajj pilgrims from Srinagar to Saudi Arabia will operate from August 17. All arrangements have been finalized, an official spokesman said here after Hajj and?Auqaf Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri chaired a meeting to take stock of the arrangements. The minister was informed that while two daily flights will operate between Srinagar and Medina from August 17 to…

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Three dozen teachers detained during protest in Srinagar

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Over three dozen government teachers were on Wednesday detained here as police used force to scuttle their protest march against Jammu and Kashmir government’s decision to conduct a screening test for in-service teachers. Hundreds of teachers assembled outside Directorate of Education office at Samandar Bagh in the close vicinity of Lal Chowk and started marching towards the city centre to lodge their protest against the government’s decision, officials said. As soon as they reached near Press Colony, police personnel deployed in strength asked them to disperse. However, the teachers led…

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J&K to get only one AIIMS

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Putting all speculations to rest, Government of India today reiterated that only one All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will be established in Jammu and Kashmir. “Government has decided to establish AIIMS-like institutes in every state in a phased manner. Setting up of four more AIIMS-like institutes one each in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidharbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh during the financial year 2014-15 and six more AIIMS-like Institutes one each in Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar during the financial…

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