Category: Jammu

Jammu

Encroachers out to grab Tawi river banks again

Editor

Months after the government claimed to have retrieved 900 kanals from encroachers along the Tawi, the land is being reoccupied with the active support of some influential persons using the Gujjar community and people from the erstwhile Doda district as a “mask”. Most of the land belongs to the Jammu Development Authority, Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Forest Department. The PDP-BJP government had launched a major drive to retrieve land from encroachers around the Jammu city. Sources said the encroachment was taking place in a planned manner with the…

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Jammu must get to lead state for 3 yrs: Hari Om

Editor

Former political adviser to state BJP president Prof Hari Om today termed as unfortunate the decision of the BJP to continue alliance with the pro-self-rule and Valley-centric Peoples Democratic Party. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah to ensure that Jammu also led the state for at least three years and obtained an equal share in the Council of Ministers and the state Cabinet. “The BJP-plus and the PDP have the equal number of legislators in the Legislative Assembly. The people of Jammu had voted…

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PDP, BJP on collision course over anti-encroachment drive

Editor

BJP leader hits out at CAPD Minister for ‘encouraging encroachments’ on state land The Peoples Democratic Party and the BJP appear to be on a collision course as both parties have taken divergent stands on removing encroachments from state as well as the forest land. Senior BJP leader and state vice-president of the party Chander Mohan Sharma has taken on Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister Choudhary Zulfikar Ali of the PDP for “encouraging encroachments” on state land. “It is very unfortunate that a Cabinet minister of the government has…

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Ramban residents resent opening of liquor shop

Editor

Residents of ward 4 and 5 of Ramban town are up in arms against the opening of a liquor shop in the area by a local contractor. In this connection a delegation comprising prominent citizens, members of religious and social organizations today submitted a written memorandum to DDC Ramban in which he has been requested not to grant permission for opening of the liquor shop in their locality “as it would disturb peace and tranquillity in the area”. It has been also stated that the site where the licences holder…

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Hoteliers boycott pre-budget meet with Finance Minister

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Say govt not serious about promoting Jammu The All Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association (AJHLA) boycotted today’s pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, blaming the BJP-PDP Government of step motherly treatment. The association said despite assurances, not even a single benefit had been given to Jammu hotels since they was declared an industry under the Industrial Policy 1995. Inderjeet Khajuria, president of AJHLA, said the hotel industry was fed up of the hollow promises made by the government, which allegedly had no intentions to bring Jammu region on the…

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Govt approves Rs 27 cr for repair of Pandit township

Editor

The government has sanctioned Rs 27 crore for the renovation of camp townships in Jammu, inhabited by displaced Kashmiri Pandits, which are in a dilapidated condition. The work will start in the next few months. Relief Commissioner RK Pandita announced this during a grievance redress meeting organised at Jagti township, which houses 4,000 Pandits. The meeting was organised by MLC Surinder Ambardar, the lone Kashmiri Hindu member in the Legislature. Pandita said the process of recruitment for the additional 3,000 posts announced by the government for the displaced community will…

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Army owes rent of 37 years to a Jammu village

Editor

Army has not paid rent for around 224 kanals of land it occupies in village Chatha of Satwari tehsil in Jammu district for the past 37 years. The agricultural land at Chatha village, located 6 kms south of the district headquarters Jammu, was occupied by army in 1978. According to the government, army has never been paid the rent for the land despite repeated reminders. Officials said the matter has been taken up with army “and they have been asked to pay the dues as soon as possible”. “The army…

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New Year rush at Vaishno Devi shrine

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A large number of pilgrims converged at Katra town on their way to the Vaishno Devi shrine on the New Year today. Over 52,000 devotees paid obeisance at the cave in the last two days, said Chief Executive Officer, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Ajit Kumar Sahu. “Every year we go to clubs or discos to celebrate the New Year. This year, we thought of doing something different. We generally visit the Vaishno Devi shrine during September or October, but this year, we decided celebrate December 31 at the…

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Over 77 lakh pilgrims visited Vaishno Devi shrine so far this year

Editor

Ahead of the New Year eve, Vaishno Devi shrine has started witnessing a heavy rush of pilgrims and it is expected to last at least till the first week of January. So far, the number of pilgrims who have visited the shrine this year has crossed 7.71 million-mark. Over 25,000 pilgrims today left Katra for the shrine. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) is expecting at least 50,000 to 60,000 yatris on December 31. They will be released in batches to ensure that there was no congestion at…

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In absence of natural picnic spots, schools turn to pvt resorts

Editor

In the absence of picnic spots in Jammu, schools are moving towards private resorts in and around Jammu. Gone are the days when schoolchildren went for picnic to Jhajjar Kotli and Mansar, where they enjoyed a natural lush green environment and learnt many things about nature. Now the meaning of picnic for them is to go to Country Inn on the Jammu-Katra road or Coral Resort at Madhopur in Punjab, where loud DJ and continental food are the only source of entertainment for them after paying a hefty amount to…

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