Page 16 - Jammu And Kashmir

Pahalgam attack wrecks Kashmir tourism; hotels, airlines demand action

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, tourism in Kashmir collapsed, prompting airlines and hotels to urge the Centre for immediate relief to revive the sector

'Don't make me unnecessarily famous', says Chenab bridge project engineer

'I'm just one among thousands who built the Chenab Bridge', says G Madhavi Latha, engineer behind the world's tallest rail arch. Her role involved slope stabilisation and foundation design

Train to J&K boon to tourists, as well as locals, says Farooq Abdullah

National Conference President Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said the new train service to Kashmir launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will benefit the locals as well as tourists. "I am very happy that I am traveling by this train to Katra today. It has been the biggest benefit for us," Abdullah, who was accompanied by several party colleagues, told reporters before boarding the train. The former J-K chief minister said the train that connects Kashmir with the rest of India will be a reliable transport link for the people of the valley. "The road (between Srinagar and Jammu) gets closed sometimes and the airlines start fleecing the people by jacking up the prices. With this train, people will be saved from that," he said. Abdullah said the railway link will also prove to be beneficial to the horticulture sector in Kashmir as the produce will reach the markets faster. "It will also benefit tourists visiting Kashmir," he added.

Centre approves ₹25 cr additional aid for homes hit by Pak shelling in J&K

The Centre on Monday approved an additional amount of Rs 25 crore as compensation for houses damaged in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir due to Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently announced the additional compensation amount for the houses damaged by Pakistani shelling. As a special case, Modi said an additional compensation amount of Rs 2 lakh will be given for each fully-damaged house and Rs 1 lakh for each partially-damaged house. Following the prime minister's announcement, Union Home Minister Amit Shah ensured swift action by facilitating an additional provision of Rs 25 crore from the Ministry of Home Affairs for 2,060 houses, an official statement said. A similar compensation amount will also be provided in the border areas of Punjab, it added. The home minister visited the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir on May 29-30. During the visit, he handed over appointment letters on compassionate grounds to the fami

Icra projects 6-8% growth for hospitality, downgrades outlook to 'stable'

Growth of India's hospitality sector is expected to "normalise" at 6-8 per cent in the current financial year, rating agency Icra said on Monday while downgrading the sectoral outlook to "stable" from positive. The rating agency also stated that foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) to India are expected to remain muted in the next few months in the aftermath of the terror attack at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, but are estimated to witness a gradual recovery thereafter. However, domestic tourism has been the prime demand driver so far and is likely to remain the same in the near term. Factors, including improvement in infrastructure and air connectivity, favourable demographics, and anticipated growth in large-scale MICE events, with the opening of multiple new convention centres in the last few years, will support the growth over the medium term, Icra said. According to the rating agency, the domestic hospitality sector's earnings and credit metrics are expected to remain stable in ..

LG disburses pension to 12,660 beneficiaries under ISSS in J&K

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday disbursed the pension arrears of Rs. 6.14 crore to 12,660 beneficiaries under the Integrated Social Security Scheme (ISSS). Sinha said the ISSS is aimed at ensuring financial inclusion and supporting senior citizens, widows and differently-abled individuals. He, however, added that the arrears were pending due to Aadhaar non-seeding. On the occasion, the Lieutenant Governor informed that the Social Welfare Department is coming up with a revolutionary app for the integration of eligible senior citizens into the pension beneficiaries. The LG also inaugurated a 50-bedded halfway home for psycho-social rehabilitation of treated and controlled people with mental illness in Jammu and 'Parisha', a childcare institution for girls in Samba district. The facility was established at Rs 4.39 crore at Lower Chowadi Jammu under Deendayal Divyangjan Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS). "The halfway home will offer a structured environment to help individuals wi

Amarnath yatra success will show there is peace in Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said a successful Amarnath Yatra will help send a message to the rest of the country that there is peace in Kashmir. The annual Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to commence on July 3. "It is a good thing that Amarnath pilgrims will come. The maximum number should come so that a message goes out that there is peace here (in Kashmir)," Abdullah told reporters at Baba Nagri in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the damage that Kashmir suffered in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack can be mitigated by a peaceful Amarnath Yatra. Abdullah, who was at Baba Nagri to attend the annual urs, said he prayed for peace on the country. "I prayed for peace in the country, a better future for our youth and an end to the atmosphere of hatred that we are going through," he added.

J-K LG inaugurates control centre in Katra to oversee tourists activities

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday launched a control centre to boost real-time surveillance on pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi to ensure their safety. The Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) has been set up at the cave shrine in Reasi district. "The security forces had conducted a joint review of the route and all aspects related to security, safety, and smooth yatra. Based on the joint suggestions made by the Police, Army, and CRPF, an Integrated Command and Control Centre has been set up here from a security perspective," Sinha told reporters in Katra. Built at a cost of Rs 20 crore, the centre will unravel "a new era of safe and seamless pilgrimage begins," he added. The ICCC has been housed at the Spiritual Growth Centre in Katra, Chief Executive Officer of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, Anshul Garg said. The centre has a network of 700 CCTVs, with features like gesture recognition, facial recognition, and PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom),

Indo-Pak conflict: FMCG sales soar, auto sector hit in border areas in May

Border tensions in May triggered panic FMCG buying and a dip in vehicle, fuel and cinema sales in Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat and J&K, with uneven recovery across sectors

Massive J-K infra development stimulates rapid economic growth: L-G Sinha

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a mega industrial unit in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, saying that massive infrastructure development is stimulating rapid economic growth of the region. He said that the union territory will soon become a manufacturing hub, a principal market of north, and a competitive provider of services. The LG reiterated his commitment to decentralising the industrial infrastructure and creating opportunities in underdeveloped regions of Jammu and Kashmir. "Massive infrastructure development is stimulating rapid economic growth of Jammu and Kashmir, which will soon become principal market of north, a manufacturing hub and a competitive provider of services", he said during his address at the event here. He laid the foundation stone of Dhunseri Polyfilm Limited Industrial Unit in Dohlian Jattan village of Kathuaand said that the project will create thousands of jobs for locals, foster domestic economic upliftment an

Life returning to normal, says Poonch resident as Op Sindoor marks 1 month

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in response to a ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam

AMNS India supplied 70% steel for Chenab bridge, 100% for Anji Khad project

AMNS India has said it supplied 70 per cent steel for Chenab Bridge and 100 per cent steel for Anji Khad Bridge projects, which were inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. AMNS India supplied 25,000 metric tonnes of high-strength structural steel, accounting for 70 per cent of the total steel used in the Chenab Bridge, the company said in a statement. This included specialised steel grades for different components, high-strength steel for the arch and tailored grades for the pillars, it said. For the Anji Khad Bridge, AMNS India said it has supplied about 7,000 metric tonnes of customised fabricated steel structures, meeting 100 per cent of the bridge's steel requirement. The steel for both projects was produced at its Hazira facility in Gujarat. Ranjan Dhar, Director and Vice President, Sales & Marketing, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), said, "The Chenab and Anji Khad Bridge is not just an engineering marvel but a symbol of India's advancing ...

JK Cement acquires 60% stake in J&K-based Saifco Cements for Rs 150 cr

JK Cement has completed the acquisition of a majority 60 per cent stake in Jammu & Kashmir-based Saifco Cements for Rs 150 crore, formalising a joint venture with the company. This makes the JK Organisation group firm as the first major cement manufacturer to set up manufacturing operations in Srinagar, signalling a step towards regional economic empowerment, according to a joint statement. As per the shareholders' agreement between the company and its promoters, JK Cement will acquire management control and hold 60 per cent of the paid-up capital of Saifco. "The investment of Rs 149.81 crore would be paid to the existing promoters of Saifco and also to Saifco for acquisition of 60 per cent equity capital of Saifco," it said. Following this, Saifco Cements has become a subsidiary of JK Cement with immediate effect. Moreover, the "board of the Saifco shall be re-constituted and three persons nominated by the company will be appointed as additional directors on the board of Saifco .

PM Modi ends India's wait for rail link between Delhi and Kashmir

Says Pak engineered Pahalgam attack on Kashmiriyat to spark riots in the country

Jammu and Kashmir: Schedule released for Vande Bharat trains; Check details

The Railway Ministry has released the schedule for the newly launched Vande Bharat Express trains between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar. Check timings here

People of J-K stood against Pakistan's conspiracy: PM Modi in Katra

PM Modi inaugurates Chenab and Anji Bridges, flags off Vande Bharat trains, and praises J-K people for resisting terrorism and safeguarding tourism in the region

India's travel and hospitality industry gears up for Kashmir's comeback

Industry executives said 100-150 tour operators and agents from across India have been identified to visit the state over the next few weeks

PM Modi to inaugurate multiple projects in J-K today: Check full schedule

PM Modi will also inaugurate India's first cable-stayed rail bridge at Anji, completing a decades-long effort to connect the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country by rail

PM Modi to inaugurate world's highest railway arch Chenab Bridge: 10 points

The 359-metre-high Chenab Bridge, part of the USBRL project, will boost Jammu-Srinagar rail connectivity as PM Modi inaugurates major infrastructure projects worth ₹46,000 crore in Katra

Amarnath Yatra duration reduced to 38 days in 2025, security beefed up

This year's yatra will run from July 3 to August 9 with 581 CAPF units deployed, as authorities ramp up security after the Pahalgam attack and ahead of Eid-Ul-Adha