National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah accused the BJP of deliberately postponing Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in fear of an anticipated defeat. Addressing a workers convention in north Kashmir’s Pattan town, Omar said the delay in the ULB elections, considered a precursor to the upcoming Parliament elections, exposes the BJP’s apprehension about the prevailing sentiment against it. “The ULB elections, considered as a bellwether for forthcoming Parliament elections, will reveal that the sentiment on the ground is against the BJP and its A, B, C and D teams,” Omar…
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General News
Improperly Attached Employees Removed from Kashmir Health Institutions
Kashmir Health Department Removes Improperly Attached Employees The Health Department in Kashmir has taken decisive action to address the issue of improperly attached employees in various health institutions across the division. In a recent directive, the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department has instructed the directors of Health Services of Kashmir and Jammu, along with the Director Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization, to immediately detach all staff members who were informally attached by Heads of Departments (HoDs). This move comes in response to concerns about the practice of HoDs attaching…
Read MoreArmy Captain’s Life Term Suspended in South Kashmir Fake Encounter Case, Granted Conditional Bail
The armed forces tribunal here has suspended the life sentence of an Army captain who was found guilty of killing three men in a “staged” encounter in south Kashmir’s Amshipora village in July 2020. The tribunal also granted conditional bail to Captain Bhoopendra Singh and directed him to appear before its principal registrar at a regular interval starting from January next year. The three men hailing from Rajouri district of Jammu region — Imtiyaz Ahmed, Abrar Ahmed and Mohammed Ibrar — were killed in a remote hilly village in Shopian…
Read MoreMehbooba Mufti Accuses ED of Being BJP’s ‘Right Hand’
Former chief minister and People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had become an instrument of current dispensation to target the opponents. “ED conducts raids on individuals who raise their voice against the Bhartiya Janta Party,” Mehbooba told reporters in Pulwama while referring to the recent arrest of former minister and head of Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party, Coudhary Lal Singh. The PDP president said that she was not advocating for Lal Singh, but using ED against the opponents had become a policy of BJP. She said…
Read MoreBRO Denies Plans to Construct Motorable Road to Amarnath Shrine
Only pedestrian routes being widened The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) issued a clarification on Friday regarding recent reports suggesting the construction of a vehicular road leading up to the Amarnath Yatra Cave. The BRO refuted these claims, asserting that the road widening efforts were exclusively aimed at enhancing pedestrian access. A spokesperson for the BRO responded to the media coverage, emphasising the inaccuracy of reports that suggested the creation of a vehicular road for pilgrims visiting the revered Amarnath cave. The organisation underscored that such assertions were factually incorrect. The…
Read MoreDevastating Fire on Dal Lake Claims Three Lives, Damages Five Houseboats
Three tourists from Bangladesh were charred to death in a major blaze in a houseboat on the famous Dal Lake on Saturday, officials here said. The tourists’ bodies were retrieved from the debris of the gutted houseboats near ‘Ghat 9’ on the lake, a popular attraction for people visiting Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital, the officials said. A police spokesman said the three tourists who lost their lives are Anindaya Kowshal, Mohammad Moinud and a third person identified as one Das Gupta—all from Bangladesh. They were staying on the houseboat Safeena,…
Read MoreCounter-Terror Agency Raids Multiple Locations in Jammu and Kashmir
A total of 10 locations were raided across the districts of Srinagar, Pulwama and Anantnag, officials said The state investigation agency on Friday conducted raids in three districts in a terror-funding case involving laundering of ₹85 crore through covert channels, officials said. A total of 10 locations were raided across Srinagar, Pulwama and Anantnag, they added. “In continuation to searches conducted on November 8, the SIA, Kashmir, conducted searches at multiple locations, including in two locations in Srinagar, one in Anantnag and seven in Pulwama,” the SIA said. On Wednesday, SIA…
Read MoreKashmir Braces for Travel Disruptions as Heavy Snowfall Triggers Highway Shutdowns
Heavy snowfall closes Mughal Road and the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road. Landslides and shooting stones make the Jammu-Srinagar highway non-motorable, say officials. Fresh snowfall at Zoji La triggers road closure. Police urge commuters to confirm roads’ status before beginning journey. Hill stations, including the ski resort of Gulmarg and the Sonamarg hill station, witness a fresh layer of snowfall. Heavy snow on higher reaches and rain in plains of J&K and Ladakh resulted in the closure of the all major roads and highways. Power outage was witnessed in many parts of Jammu…
Read MoreEx-PDP Leader Baig’s Meeting with Mehbooba Mufti Ignites Comeback Rumors
Accompanied by his wife, Baramulla district development council (DDC) chairperson Safeena Baig, he visited Mehbooba’s residence at Nowgam and stayed there for around three hours In what is being seen as a “big political development” in Kashmir politics, former J&K deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig visited Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s house on Wednesday, setting off speculations that he might be looking to return to the party fold. Accompanied by his wife, Baramulla district development council (DDC) chairperson Safeena Baig, he visited Mehbooba’s residence at Nowgam and…
Read MoreSrinagar Grapples with Uncontrolled Stray Dog Problem
Srinagar Faces Mounting Pressure to Address Uncontrolled Stray Dog Population Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, is grappling with a growing stray dog menace that has cast a shadow over the city’s livability and safety. The unchecked proliferation of stray dogs has become a major source of concern for residents, particularly pedestrians, who face constant threats of dog bites and attacks. The failure of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to effectively manage the stray dog population has exacerbated the situation. The SMC’s…
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