General News Archives | Page 85 of 367

Will J&K See Simultaneous Polls? Parties Make Strong Case to Election Commission

March 13, 2024 Editor

Chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and other officials of the poll panel, who arrived in Srinagar on Monday for a three-day visit to J&K, held interactions with delegations from the National Conference (NC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), BJP, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Congress, and the Apni Party, officials said Leader of various Jammu and Kashmir political parties on Tuesday urged the Election Commission of India to hold assembly elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls as the panel started two-day consultations with stakeholders to review preparedness for the upcoming…

Stranded Travelers, Essential Supplies Delayed: Jammu-Srinagar Highway Remains Shut for Second Consecutive Day

March 12, 2024 Editor

Kashmir Cut Off: Major Roads Remain Impassable Due to Snow and Landslides Travelers headed to Kashmir Valley face continued disruption as all major access routes remain blocked, a frustrating situation now stretching into its second day [or “since Sunday evening” if the specific timeframe is important]. The critical Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, a vital artery connecting the valley to the rest of the country, remains non-operational due to poor road conditions at Dalwas in the Ramban district. A landslide in this already congested area on Sunday evening further complicated matters, leaving…

Congress, NC Allege CAA Used for Voter Polarization Before Lok Sabha Polls

March 12, 2024 Editor

With the Centre notifying the rules of CAA on Monday, the demand of relocation of Rohingya refugees settled in Jammu has come to the fore with some political parties and social organisations batting for fulfillment of their demand, while the opposition is calling it a move to polarise the electorate. According to government data, over 13,700 foreigners, including Rohingya Muslims and Bangladeshi nationals, are settled in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir, where their population increased by over 6,000 between 2008 and 2016. “The decision of the government…

Travel Delays Expected: Traffic Affected on Jammu-Srinagar Highway

March 11, 2024 Editor

Despite closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH) in Ramban for repair work from Saturday to Sunday, the vital road link was partially repaired and the traffic movement, even after restoration, remained disrupted. The traffic movement on the highway was suspended on Sunday morning as authorities were carrying out road widening work on several points in Ramban district. It was restored in the afternoon. However, the movement of light motor vehicles (LMVs) was suspended on the highway after 5.30 pm. The vehicular movement on the highway, linking Kashmir with the…

Unveiling the Truth: J&K Administration Refutes Mirwaiz’s House Arrest Allegations

March 11, 2024 Editor

The six-page response by the administration was filed early this week but the case could not be heard on March 6 and is expected to be heard on March 13, additional advocate general Mohsin S Qadri said on Sunday The Jammu and Kashmir administration has denied the “house arrest allegations” in its response to Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairperson Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s petition in the high court . Last month, the HC had given the administration the “final” opportunity to file a response. The six-page response by the administration was…

Ramadan Feasts Won’t Be Fried: KPDCL Promises Less Power Cuts for Sehri & Iftar

March 10, 2024 Editor

The Power Development Department is mulling to improve the power curtailment schedule in holy month of Ramadhan. Besides, the department said that it will improve and reduce the power curtailment especially at Suhoor and fast breaking time (Iftar). Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Chief Engineer KPDCL (Distribution) Sandeep Seth said that it was charting out the plan and mechanism to resolve the power curtailment issues for the month of Ramadhan. “We are working on it and most likely, the new curtailment schedule will be implemented from the first day…

Jammu-Srinagar Highway Closed for 14 Hours This Saturday

March 9, 2024 Editor

Traffic on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway was allowed one-way on Saturday due to bad road condition and narrowing of the highway at a number of places due to landslide debris, an official said. Traffic department officials said that traffic will move one-way from Srinagar to Jammu on Saturday and no vehicle will be allowed to move in the opposite direction. “Till 1 p.m. only light motor vehicles will be allowed to move followed by heavy motor vehicles traffic will be allowed on the highway,” officials added. On Friday, traffic moved…

Allegations Arise: Government Staff ‘Forced’ to Attend PM’s Rally, Claim Opposition Leaders

March 8, 2024 Editor

A municipal council employee from frontier district of Kupwara said that they left at 3 am in the wee hours and were transported in buses As Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a public rally in Srinagar, former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti alleged that government employees were “forced to attend” the event to project a false image of normalcy and provide a good crowd. Thousands of people, mostly Bharatiya Janata Party workers and government employees, thronged Bakshi Stadium amid tight security. Some of the employees…

Mehbooba Mufti Alleges Forced Mobilization in PM Modi’s Srinagar Rally

March 7, 2024March 7, 2024 Editor

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had also accused the J&K administration of “pulling out all stops” to ensure a crowd for PM Modi’s rally in Srinagar. As scores of people from across Jammu and Kashmir thronged Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday alleged that the government employees were being coerced into attending the event to project a false image of normalcy in the valley. In a post on X, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister claimed…

Srinagar-Jammu Highway Remains Closed on Second Day Following Landslides

March 3, 2024 Editor

Landslides Shut Down Srinagar-Jammu Highway for Second Day Srinagar, March 3: The critical Srinagar-Jammu national highway, a vital artery connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country, remained closed for a second consecutive day on Sunday due to multiple landslides triggered by incessant rain. Heavy Downpours Trigger Disruptions: Traffic department officials stated that incessant rain in the Ramban district caused several landslides, blocking the highway at various points. Due to these disruptions, commuters are advised to refrain from undertaking any journeys on this route without first contacting the control…