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State Budget to give priority to rehab of flood victims

March 7, 2016 Editor

Governor likely to release full budgetary proposals on Tuesday The Jammu and Kashmir Government has finalised the budgetary proposals for 2016-17. Governor NN Vohra may release the full budgetary proposals on Tuesday as the state is currently under Governor’s rule. The budget’s primary focus is expected to be on relief and rehabilitation of flood victims and disbursement of relief among the flood-hit traders. According to the highly placed sources, Director General, Budget, Ishaq Wani has completed all official procedures for the state Budget, which will be sent for printing on…

Mehbooba Mufti hints at continuing alliance with BJP

March 5, 2016March 5, 2016 Editor

PDP Chief and Mufti Sayeed’s daughter Mehbooba today met with Governor NN Vohra to discuss political situation in Jammu and Kashmir. After suspense of two months, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Friday hinted at going ahead with forming government with BJP, saying she was “not afraid” of criticism over it but wanted the Centre to send out a “signal” that it will do “everything” for the welfare of people of the state. Hours later, she met Governor N N Vohra for an hour and discussed “political issues” and “various challenges”…

No concrete assurance from Centre to PDP as yet

March 4, 2016 Editor

The chances of government formation in the state look bleak as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not received any concrete assurance on the implementation of the confidence-building measures and the ‘Agenda of Alliance’ from the Centre. This was given out when PDP president Mehbooba Mufti met party legislators here this evening. Mehbooba Mufti, after landing in Jammu this afternoon, drove to Government Guest House on the Canal road and held one-on-one meeting with party legislators. “Mehbooba clearly said that she will not compromise on the confidence-building measures and the…

Despite protests, govt implements food Act

March 3, 2016March 3, 2016 Editor

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) has been implemented across all 22 districts of the state from March 1 after missing two deadlines. Of the ration allocated for February, 75 per cent has been distributed in Kashmir and nearly 50 per cent in the Jammu division. Under the new law, 29 lakh ration card holders — 9 lakh higher than the previous system, and 1.25 crore individuals — 22 lakh more than the previously registered number, will benefit from availability of ration at highly subsidised rates. However, some residents of…

Budget a damp squib, PDP hopes dashed

March 1, 2016 Editor

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley makes Mehbooba’s task of forming government with BJP tough The Union Budget presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has turned to be a damp squib for Jammu and Kashmir as it has nothing to offer to the state, making it tough for the PDP to re-stitch an alliance with the BJP and form a government. It has brought huge disappointment for the PDP, which had sought new confidence-building measures (CBMs), including economic concessions, from the Centre before realigning with the saffron party. It was being…

World watching us, great responsibility: Mehbooba

February 29, 2016 Editor

Keeps the guessing game going on government formation People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today said that not only “our country, but also Pakistan and the rest of the world” is watching how PDP would steer the state through these difficult times. “It is because we are a responsible political party having faith in the democratic process and are committed to the undiluted conviction to realise the aspirations of the people as well,” she said. Mehbooba Mufti was addressing a largely attended meeting of her party workers in this south…

Mehbooba in India’s Most Powerful persons list

February 26, 2016 Editor

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Ms Mehbooba Mufti has been listed among the 100 most powerful persons in India. According to the list of “The Most Powerful Indians in 2016” released by Indian Express today, Ms Mehbooba Mufti figures at serial number 14 ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N Chandra Babu Naidu, BSP chief Mayawati and Priyanka Gandhi. According to the newspaper, Ms Mehbooba has played a pivotal role in shaping PDP which emerged as the single…

Accession to India is conditional: Omar

February 25, 2016 Editor

Ex-CM accuses Delhi of failing to uphold commitment Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the state’s accession to India was conditional and accused New Delhi of failing to uphold its commitment. He criticised Mehbooba Mufti and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of doublespeak on government formation and blamed her party’s 10-month rule for pushing the state into renewed turmoil. The National Conference working president was speaking at a commemorative event for party leader Sheikh Nazir at the party’s headquarters. His speech, which was critical of New Delhi, came at…

Pampore gunfight ends taking toll to nine, including 3 militants

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 Editor

The nearly 48-hour-long encounter ended today as security forces gunned down all three highly trained foreign militants who were holed up inside a multi-storey government building on the outskirts of the city. The militants, suspected to from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, were killed by special forces of the Army after an intense gunfight on the third floor of the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) building at Sempora, 15 km from here, on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. The General Officer Commanding of Victor Force, Maj Gen Arvind Dutta, said all three slain…

Six dead in Kashmir standoff between forces and rebels

February 22, 2016 Editor

Another Army officer has been killed in the ongoing encounter in Kashmir’s Pampore, taking the number of lives lost in the encounter so far to six. The encounter has been on for more than 36 hours now. Three to five terrorists are still holed up in the complex, say security officers. Captain Tushar Mahajan, 26, a resident of Jammu’s Udhampur, was hit by a volley of bullets while mop-up operations were being conducted at the third floor of the house the terrorists have been holed up in since yesterday. On…