Page 31 - Jammu And Kashmir

J-K CM presents Rs 1.12 trn budget with focus on inclusive growth

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday presented a zero-deficit budget in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, announcing an outlay of Rs 1.12 lakh crore for 2025-2026 and emphasising multi-sector welfare and development of the Union Territory. Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio in the National Conference-led government, presented his maiden budget in the legislative assembly. Jammu and Kashmir, which was accorded the Union Territory status after Ladakh was carved out as a separate UT in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370, has witnessed its first annual budget since 2018 when the erstwhile PDP-BJP government tabled the then state's document of annual finances. Amid thunderous applause, Abdullah began his speech with a Persian couplet and said, "I stand before you today to present my first budget as Finance Minister, marking the first budget of a collective government in seven years. While it is an honour, I am acutely aware of the weight of responsibility that comes

'Also get back part of Kashmir that is with China': Omar Abdullah reacts to Jaishankar's statement

Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on Thursday said while the government has spoken of getting back PoK from Pakistan, it should also see that part of Kashmir with China is also returned to India. >

Watch: S Jaishankar speaks on Kashmir, Trump and more at Chatham House

Watch: S Jaishankar speaks on Kashmir, Trump and more at Chatham House

IWAI inks pact with J&K government to enhance river cruise tourism

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) on Thursday signed an agreement with the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government to boost river cruise tourism on three national waterways in the Union Territory, according to an official statement. The agreement aims to further bolster tourism, generate employment, boost economic growth and provide a new mode of leisure/budget tourism on local rivers. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on the sidelines of Chintan Shivir being held in Srinagar in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. Of the 111 national waterways in the country, the Union Territory has three declared national waterways, i.e., River Chenab (NW-26), River Jhelum (NW-49) and River Ravi (NW-84). As part of the pact, IWAI, which is under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, will provide waterside infrastructure, i.e., ten floating jetties and landside infrastructure comprising of waiting hall and other .

PDP holds protest march over BJP leader's remarks on 1931 'martyrs'

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday held a protest march here against Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma over his remarks on the 1931 "martyrs" and sought an apology from the BJP legislator. Led by PDP leader Iltija Mufti, party leaders and activists marched from the party head office here towards the Lal Chowk City centre but were stopped by police near Polo View. The protesters, carrying placards reading "Martyrs of July 13, 1931 are our heroes" and "July 13, 1931 sacrifices will never die", raised slogans against Sharma and the BJP. Those martyrs sacrificed their lives to end the "autocratic" rule in Jammu and Kashmir, Iltija told reporters. "We will not accept the disrespect of the martyrs. Had they not sacrificed their lives, democracy would not have been established here," she said. She said the PDP would not allow the BJP to erase "our collective memory". "We will foil all such plans of the BJP. Those 22 martyrs are our heroes an

Watch: Avalanche strikes J&K's Sonamarg

An avalanche occurred in Jammu and Kashmir's Sonamarg tourist resort on Wednesday, officials said.

BJP walks out of J-K Assembly after Speaker expunges oppn leader's remarks

All 28 BJP members on Wednesday walked out from the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather announced expunging of "derogatory remarks" of the Leader of Opposition on the July 13, 1931 "martyrs". Leader of the Opposition Sunil Sharma made the remarks against the "martyrs" in response to the speech of PDP legislator Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, who demanded restoration of the public holidays on July 13 and the December 5 in honour of National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. CPI(M) member M Y Tarigami and Congress leader Nizamuddin Bhat also joined the chorus and demanded expunging of the remarks against the 1931 "martyrs" and an apology from the Leader of the Opposition. Later, the Speaker announced expunging of the "derogatory remarks" following which the entire 28 members of the BJP staged a walkout. July 13 was observed as a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir to commemorate the 22 men who fell to the bullets of Dogra Maharaja's soldiers outside Srinaga

Situation across border very bad despite Chinese help: J-K CM Omar Abdullah

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, even though he ensured a smooth house proceeding, later decried Mir's remarks and sought a clarification from party leader Abdullah

44 mn tourists visited J-K in past 2 years: Omar Abdullah to J-K Assembly

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday that the government will develop pilgrim tourism circuits in Jammu to encourage pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishnodevi shrine to tour various other tourist destinations in the region. Noting that one crore pilgrims visit the Vaishnodevi shrine annually, Abdullah said if the government could divert 10 to 15 percent of these pilgrims to various destinations in the region, it would benefit the people. "As for the pilgrim tourism circuit in Jammu, we will create three, four and seven day packages. We will promote these destinations to ensure pilgrims visit all such places," Abdullah said in the assembly. Responding to a query from BJP MLA Yudhvir Sethi during the Question Hour, he said many pilgrims are unaware of the pilgrimage tourism destinations in the region. The chief minister emphasised the need to encourage pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishnodevi temple to also tour other places in the region. "It is our challenge to di

'Baseless': India slams UN human rights chief's remarks on J&K, Manipur

India slammed the unfounded and baseless comments made by the UN's human rights chief, who mentioned Kashmir and Manipur in his global update, with Delhi voicing concern over the update's generalised remarks and cherry picking of situations. As India was mentioned by name, let me begin by emphasising that the world's largest democracy continues to be a healthy, vibrant and pluralistic society. Unfounded and baseless comments in the update contrast jarringly with ground realities, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva Ambassador Arindam Bagchi said Monday. India's strong retort came after UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, in his global update to the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, mentioned India and referred to the situation in Manipur and Kashmir. Bagchi said the people of India have "repeatedly proven wrong such misplaced concerns about us and we would urge a better understanding

Khelo India Winter Games 2025 to commence from March 9 in Gulmarg

The Khelo India Winter Games 2025 will begin on March 9 in the world-renowned health resort of Gulmarg, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launching its official website here on Monday. With fresh snowfall, Jammu and Kashmir is set to host the second leg of Khelo India Winter Games 2025 in Gulmarg from March 9 to 12, ensuring a world-class winter sports experience in one of India's premier snow destinations. "The event, initially scheduled for February 22-25, was postponed due to insufficient snowfall," an official said. The chief minister launched the official website for Khelo India Winter Games 2025 (kwig2025.com) at the Civil Secretariat here. Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah extended his best wishes to the organizers and inquired about the arrangements and the finalization of dates for the event. Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul in her presentation said that event will now take place from March 9-12 in Gulmarg. She provided details of the schedule, incl

Omar rules out alliance with BJP, citing 'different vision' for J-K

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah clarified that there are currently no plans for an alliance with the BJP, emphasizing the party's commitment to its own political vision."We are not talking about any alliance (with the BJP); neither is there any scope nor the need. Our thoughts also do not align. If we talk about J & K, our thoughts are vastly different... We will hold discussions on everything (during the session)," he said.Meanwhile, today, the Chief Minister addressed the first Budget session in the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly.While addressing the assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah praised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, highlighting his contributions to India's economic growth and key welfare initiatives."Manmohan Singh ji was born in undivided India. He went to Oxford and Cambridge and started as an officer and finance minister and then PM. When he became finance minister, our country was going through an economic crisis. Today we are the ...

After firing on Army vehicle, anti-terrorist op continues in J&K's Rajouri

Security forces on Thursday extended the cordon and search operation to new areas near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district to flush out terrorists who opened fire on an Army vehicle the previous day, officials said. A fresh operation was also launched in Dayalachak near the International Border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district after security forces intercepted a suspicious frequency wireless set, the officials said. An Army vehicle came under fire from suspected terrorists hiding in a forest area near Phal village in the Sunderbani sector on Wednesday, prompting a massive search operation by the Army and police. The search operation continues in Phal and was extended to new areas this morning to flush out the hiding terrorists, the officials said, adding there was no contact with the terrorists so far. They said the security forces are using latest technology, drones and sniffer dogs to hunt down the terrorists in the

Best of BS Opinion: The many hats a government wears in citizens' lives

The undeniable thing is that government can shape the very nature of the nation, for better or for worse. From finances to health to labour to communication to awareness, it wields great power.

Omar-led NC govt committed to empowering Sikhs in J-K: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday assured the Sikhs of Jammu and Kashmir that the Omar Abdullah-led government is committed to empowering the community with a specific focus on job opportunities and education. He made the remarks at Gurdwara Singh Sabha in Jammu's Nanak Nagar where he participated in a Gurmat Samagam' organised by the Sikh Youth Welfare Association to commemorate the Prakash Ustav' of Guru Gobind Singh -- the 10th guru of the Sikhs. "The Omar government is dedicated to empowering the Sikh community with a specific focus on enhancing employment opportunities for them and their education," the former chief minister said. Emphasising the role of Sikhs in the cultural tapestry of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the community has been neglected for far too long. "Since 2014, both the central and state governments have failed to address the needs of the Sikh community, leaving them marginalised, he said, adding Sikhs have a deep-rooted history in the ...

Mehbooba slams Assembly speaker for imposing a form of 'martial law'

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said the role of the assembly speaker is to safeguard the rights of members of the legislature and not to act as a censor. Her remarks came after Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather took a serious note of publicity of the House business notices ahead of the Budget session. The Speaker has asked the members to desist from the breach of privilege. The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister accused Rather of imposing a form of "martial law" while occupying a constitutional position. "While Rathar Sahab may be concerned with preserving the sanctity of legislative proceedings, as Speaker, his primary role is to safeguard the rights of members, not to act as a censor," she said in a post on X. She said transparency and public awareness of legislative activities should not be seen as an infringement on parliamentary practices. "On the contrary, informing the public about notices, questions, and resolutions in advance promotes ...

J-K CM Omar Abdullah expresses grief over tragic bus accident in Manda

The incident, which occurred when the bus was en route from Katra to Delhi, resulted in 17 pilgrims sustaining injuries after the vehicle fell into a gorge near the Manda area

PDP launches signature campaign for complete ban on liquor in J&K

People's Democratic Party (PDP) Saturday launched a signature campaign here to garner support for a complete ban on liquor in Jammu and Kashmir. The signature campaign, aimed to garner support for a bill proposed by the party MLA Mir Mohammad Fayaz that seeks a complete ban on liquor in the union territory, was launched by party leader Iltija Mufti at the PDP head office here. Mufti was scheduled to kick-start the party's campaign at Sher-e-Kashmir Park, however, the police did not allow them to reach the venue and the campaign was launched at the party office instead. "We are here for a serious issue. Drugs and alcohol are spreading like wildfire. PDP MLA from Kupwara has introduced a bill in the J-K assembly seeking a ban on alcohol. We have started the signature campaign from the PDP office," Mufti told reporters after launching the campaign. She said the consumption of drugs and liquor is affecting the moral fabric of society. "Our aim is to create an awareness against drugs.

SC orders Yasin Malik to appear virtually before Jammu court from Tihar

The Supreme Court on Friday directed jailed JKLF chief Yasin Malik to appear in a Jammu court from Tihar Jail through video-conferencing on March 27. A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan noted that the Jammu sessions court was "well-equipped" with the video-conferencing system enabling the virtual examination. The CBI sought the transfer of the trials in the 1989 case of the kidnapping of Rubaiya Sayeed, daughter of former union minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and the 1990 Srinagar shootout case, from Jammu to New Delhi. During the hearing, solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, informed the court that as per the report filed by the registrar general of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, the video-conferencing system was working properly in the Jammu court. Mehta said it appeared all the accused were working in tandem to delay the trial while pointing out that Malik refused to engage a lawyer and others were opposing the transfer of trial. The top court

India, Pak hold flag meeting along LoC in J&K's Poonch to ease tensions

India and Pakistan on Friday held a flag meeting along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district in an effort to ease tension after several recent incidents of cross-border firing and an IED attack, official sources said. The sources said the brigade-commander level flag meeting took place in the Chakkan-Da-Bagh crossing point area with both sides highlighting the need to maintain peace along the borders. The 75-minute long meeting started around 11 am, they said. The meeting took place in a congenial atmosphere and both sides agreed to honour the ceasefire agreement in the larger interest of peace on the borders, the sources said. The ceasefire violations along the borders of Jammu and Kashmir have been rare since the two countries renewed an agreement on February 25, 2021. Two Indian Army personnel, including a captain, were killed and another injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack carried out by suspected terrorists in the Akhnoor sector o