Page 4 - Jammu And Kashmir

J&K L-G lays foundation for 320 houses damaged by floods in Reasi district

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday laid the foundation stone to build 320 houses completely damaged during flash-floods and landslides in Reasi district. Funded entirely by High-range Rural Development Society (HRDS India) at an estimated cost of Rs 32 crore, the initiative will provide affected families in Reasi with modern, prefabricated 'smart houses' without any burden on the government exchequer. Earlier, the governor had laid the foundation stones for 1,869 houses for families affected due to Pakistani shelling during Operation Sindoor and recent natural calamities in eight districts, including Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Ramban, Jammu, Kathua, and Samba. "With the help of HRDS India, our vision is to ensure that no family affected by a natural calamity remains weak and disadvantaged. I see this movement as a new revolution and a new model for the country where needy families are being taken care of without involving government money, Sinha

Mehbooba urges Centre to shield Kashmir apple growers from FTAs abroad

PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday opposed any free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union and the US, saying a similar deal with New Zealand had hurt the apple growers of Kashmir by exposing them to "unfair imports". Expressing concern that apple import duties may be diluted, she said flooding markets with imported apples risks destroying Jammu and Kashmir's horticulture backbone. She called upon Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the issue with the Centre to protect the fruit growers of the Valley. "Deeply concerned that apple import duties may be diluted in FTAs with Europe, the US and Chile, repeating the damage done by the India-New Zealand FTA. A 25 per cent duty cut has already hurt Kashmir's apple growers, exposing them to unfair imports," Mehbooba said in a post on X. The PDP president said that flooding the markets with imports "risks destroying Jammu and Kashmir's horticulture backbone that sustains 15 lakh families". "This is not just about fruit but

Protesters burn effigy of J&K LG over MBBS college admission list in Reasi

Dozens of protesters on Saturday gathered outside Lok Bhavan here and set ablaze an effigy of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, demanding revocation of the MBBS admission list of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi. Raising slogans such as LG go back, the protest was organised by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti, a recently-formed conglomeration of various right-wing organizations. JK BJP's women activists and several trade leaders including president of Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industries Arun Gupta also joined the protest. The protest led to the blocking of the main road outside Lok Bhavan, resulting in traffic snarls on adjoining roads and causing hardship to commuters for more than one-and-a-half hours. Police personnel were deployed in strength outside the Lok Bhavan to maintain law and order and regulate traffic, and a tough time to push back protesters who tried to move inside the complex. We will continue our protest till

Govt's green panel clears Dulhasti hydel power project on Chenab river

A panel under the Ministry of Environment has approved the 260-megawatt Dulhasti Stage-II hydropower project on Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said on Saturday. The clearance comes in the backdrop of India suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack in April this year. The Expert Appraisal Committee on hydel projects accorded the approval during its 45th meeting earlier this month, paving the way for floating construction tenders for the run-of-the-river project, estimated to cost over Rs 3,200 crore. According to the minutes of the meeting, the panel noted that the water of Chenab basin is shared between India and Pakistan in accordance with provisions of the Indus Water Treaty, 1960, and the project's parameters were planned in accordance with the treaty. "However, the Indus Water Treaty stands suspended effective from April 23, 2025," the panel noted. When the Indus Water Treaty was in force, ...

Vande Bharat train easing winter travel in valley, says Farooq Abdullah

Highlighting improvements in connectivity, the NC chief also lauded the introduction of the Vande Bharat train service in the Kashmir Valley, calling it a major relief for people

NIA court issues non-bailable warrant against Hizbul Mujahideen chief

An NIA special court in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam district on Saturday issued a non-bailable warrant against Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen chief Mohammad Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salah-ud-din, directing the police to arrest him. The Court of Special Judge designated under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act issued the direction after hearing a case registered under various provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and Section 506 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) -- specific criminal law for Jammu and Kashmir until 2019, analogous to the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The court said the investigating officer has collected sufficient evidence which prima facie implicates Shah in various offences under sections 13, 18, 20, and 39 of the UAPA, pertaining to threat to sovereignty, terror conspiracy, and involvement in terrorist activities. The accused has been evading arrest, the court held, thus issuing a non-bailable warrant against Shah and directing the Jammu and

Udhampur encounter: Operation continues to track holed-up terrorists in J&K

Security forces searched for terrorists in Udhampur on Tuesday, a day after a policeman was killed in a gunfight there, a police officer said. During the encounter on Monday, one terrorist was believed to have been injured, while two policemen suffered minor bullet wounds. "The operation has been resumed in the area to track down the holed-up terrorists. The cordon has been further strengthened," the officer told PTI. A joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of police, along with the army and the CRPF, is on the job with sniffer dogs, the officer said. On Monday, forces got locked in a gunfight with terrorists in Soan village of the Majalta area in Udhampur. The village was raided by the police on a tip-off about the presence of three terrorists, believed to be affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit. The encounter took place in the besieged village around 6 pm and continued for some time, resulting in injuries to one SOG jawan, Amjad Pathan, so

Pak's 'unique way' of respecting people's will is jailing PM: India at UNSC

In a sharp retort, India ripped through Pakistan's "divisive agenda" at the UN Security Council, calling out Islamabad's unique way of respecting the will of its people by jailing a prime minister and giving lifetime immunity to its army chief. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, delivered a strong response in the Security Council on Monday after Pakistan's Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad raised the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty during an open debate on 'Leadership for Peace'. "Pakistan's unwarranted reference to Jammu and Kashmir in today's open debate attests to its obsessive focus on harming India and its people. A serving non-permanent Security Council Member that chooses to further this obsession in all meetings and platforms of the UN in pursuit of its divisive agenda cannot be expected to fulfil its designated responsibilities and obligations. Let me be clear -- India will counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in

India slams Pakistan, calls it 'global epicentre of terror' at UNSC

India on Monday (local time) delivered a stinging rebuttal to Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on "Leadership for Peace", firmly rejecting Islamabad's claims over Jammu and Kashmir's "unresolved disputes" as "unwarranted", reiterating that the Union Territory along with Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India, and emphasising that they "were, are, and will always remain so."Referring to Pakistan's comments during the debate, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, labelled Pakistan as the "global epicentre of terror" while calling it out for using the UN platform to further its "obsessive focus on harming India and its people."He added that Pakistan, pursuing a divisive agenda, undermines its international responsibilities as a non-permanent UNSC member."I refer to the statement made by the representative of Pakistan today. India would like to reiterate that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and ..

Action should be taken against those hindering power projects in J-K: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the power projects under execution in the Union territory are construction works of national importance and law enforcement agencies should take action against anyone obstructing those. His remarks came a couple of days after a senior officer associated with the construction of the 850-MW Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district accused a local BJP MLA of interfering in the works, and warned that continued disruptions could force the company to pull out of the project. "There should be no (political) interference and (if there is any) it should be viewed very seriously," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of an event here. On December 4, Joint Chief Operating Officer of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), Harpal Singh, claimed that certain politicians and their local supporters, who are neither employees nor workers of the project, attempted to pressure and threaten

Vote chori issue raised by Cong, INDIA bloc has nothing to do with it: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday distanced himself from the "vote chori" issue raised by the Congress and said the "INDIA bloc has got nothing to do with it". His remarks came a day after top Congress leaders attacked the BJP and the election commissioners at a 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' rally in the national capital, alleging that "vote chori" is in the ruling party's DNA and its leaders were "gaddar" who were conspiring to take away voting rights of people and should be removed from power. Abdullah's National Conference is a constituent of the opposition INDIA bloc. The Congress is the largest party in the coalition in terms of the number of opposition MPs in the Lok Sabha. Asked to comment on the issue of "vote chori" and alleged electoral irregularities being highlighted by the Congress, Abdullah said, "The INDIA bloc has got nothing to do with it. Every political party is at liberty to set its own agenda. The Congress has made 'vote chori' and SIR as its ma

Light snowfall likely in higher reaches of Kashmir from Dec 13 to 17: IMD

There was a slight respite from cold conditions across Kashmir as the minimum temperatures increased a bit owing to overcast skies, even as the meteorological department forecast light snowfall at isolated places in the higher reaches of the valley, officials said on Saturday. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 2.9 degrees Celsius on Friday night, up from the previous night's minus 3.6 degrees Celsius. The night temperature was 1.7 degrees below the normal for this time of the season, they said. A thick layer of fog engulfed the city and most other parts of the valley, especially the areas around the water bodies, the Met said. Qazigund in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum in north Kashmir's Kupwara settled at minus 2.4 degrees Celsius. Kokernag in south Kashmir registered a low of 0.1 degrees Celsius, it added. Kokernag, and Gulmarg -- the popular ski resort in north Kashmir -- were the only recorde

Temperature falls to zero in Srinagar, further drop expected in December

Meanwhile, amid the biting cold, a fire broke out in several shops and a furniture godown in the Munwarabad area of Srinagar on Sunday

Show me the money, ma'am: Omar after FM praises efforts to restore economy

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday appreciated Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his "focused" approach to restore the Union territory's economy, to which he responded by thanking her and quipping, "Please show me the money ma'am." The finance minister's commendation, delivered at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, came while reflecting on the national economy's journey, and highlighting the specific efforts in Jammu and Kashmir. She recalled how the UT's economy had been picking up under the Central rule, citing the successful "restoration of the J-K Bank", and the Centre's efforts to go into the "granular details" to boost the local economy. However, she noted that the revival took a "major hit" when the crucial tourism sector "came to a standstill" following external factors, in a veiled reference to border troubles and attacks, including the April 22 incident in Pahalgam. "I must appreciate the chief minister of J-K who met me twice, focu

Katra residents protest against proposed Vaishno Devi ropeway project

Scores of protesters took to the streets in Jammu and Kashmir's Katra town on Tuesday against the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, demanding an immediate rollback of the proposed ropeway project, officials said. Locals of Katra, the base camp for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, have been opposing the Rs 250-crore ropeway project, which is proposed to connect Tarakote Marg with Sanji Chhat along the 12-kilometre steep track to the cave shrine in Reasi district. They claim the ropeway would adversely impact the livelihoods of over 60,000 families, particularly hoteliers, shopkeepers, pony operators, pithus and labourers who depend on the pilgrimage for daily income. Carrying placards, scores of men, women and children staged a protest march in Katra under the banner of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Sangharsh Samiti. They raised slogans against the shrine board, demanding the rollback of the project. Leaders of the agitation claimed the project would severely affect local ponywalas, ..

Rubaiyya Sayeed kidnapping: Court frees Shangloo, rejects custody to CBI

In a major setback to the CBI, a special court on Tuesday set free Shafat Ahmed Shangloo who was arrested by the agency a day before in connection with the 1989 kidnapping of Rubaiyya Sayeed, the daughter of the then home minister Mufi Mohammed Sayeed. The court refused to grant Shangloo's custody to the CBI for questioning in connection with the kidnapping that occurred on December 8, 1989, and ended after five days with the release of five dreaded JKLF terrorists by authorities. Rejecting the CBI plea for his custody, the special court noted that there was no mention of him in the charge sheet filed by the agency. The agency had sought the custody of Shangloo, arrested in the 35-year-old case, in the TADA court in Jammu, claiming that he had been absconding all these years. Arrested on Monday by the CBI for allegedly being part of a conspiracy hatched by members of the banned Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) to kidnap Rubaiyya, Shangloo carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on

Court sends Al Falah university founder Siddiqui to 14-day judicial custody

A Delhi court on Monday sent Al Falah University founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui to 14-day judicial custody in a terror-linked money laundering case. Siddiqui had been sent to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody for 13 days on November 19. On Monday, he was produced before Additional Sessions Judge Sheetal Chaudhary Pradhan, who sent him to judicial custody till December 15. During the hearing, the ED counsel briefly argued that it was premature to produce him before the court since the 13-day custody would end at 1 am on Tuesday, technically making Monday the 12th day of his custody. Meanwhile, an application was moved by Siddiqui's counsel seeking access to prescribed medication and spectacles during the custody period. The judge allowed the request. ED officials handed over Siddiqui's medical prescription to the court, which directed jail authorities to ensure that he continued to receive the prescribed treatment. The agency had earlier alleged that Al Falah University false

'White-collar terror' module case: NIA raids 8 locations in Kashmir

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out raids at eight locations in Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts of Kashmir in connection with a "white-collar" terror module that was behind a car blast near Delhi's Red Fort, officials said here. The NIA teams conducted searches at the residence of Moulvi Irfan Ahmad Wagay in Shopian, officials said. Wagay has emerged as the mastermind of the radicalisation and recruitment of the 'white-collar' terror module busted early last month. He was arrested by police in October, and the NIA took him into custody last month after taking over the probe into the car blast that left 15 people dead and several others injured. Raids were also carried out at Koil, Chandgam, Malangpora and Samboora areas of Pulwama district, officials said, adding these locations were linked to people associated with the Delhi car blast case. Additionally, the agency searched the residence of Dr Adeel Ahmad Rather, who was arrested from Uttar Pradesh'

Over 1 mn beneficiaries in J&K get credit worth ₹43,000 cr in H1 FY26

Over 10.07 lakh beneficiaries in Jammu and Kashmir received credit assistance during the first half of the financial year 2025-26, with banks disbursing loans worth over Rs 43,000 crore, an official said on Sunday. The information was given at the 17th meeting of the UT-Level Bankers' Committee (UTLBC) chaired by chief secretary Atal Dulloo here on Saturday to review the performance of banks and financial institutions in providing credit and other banking services during the first quarter and first half of the current financial year 202526, the official said. The official said the meeting was informed that the banks in J&K have disbursed credit of Rs 43,017 crore to 10.07 lakh beneficiaries during the first half of the current financial year 202526. Dulloo said despite the ups and downs caused by the Pahalgam terror attack followed by cross-border tensions and floods that engulfed J&K between April and September, lending to the priority sector has remained ...

Cold wave conditions intensify in Kashmir as night temperatures dip

The cold wave conditions in Kashmir intensified as the night temperatures fell at most places in the valley owing to open skies, meteorological department officials said on Sunday. A layer of fog engulfed most parts of the valley, especially areas around water bodies. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, down from minus 3.1 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature last night was slightly above the season's coldest night recorded in the city when mercury had plunged to minus 4.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday night. The Shopian town in south Kashmir was the coldest place in the valley on Saturday night with a minimum temperature of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius. Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded a low of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius. The mercury settled at minus 5.0 degrees Celsius in north Kashmir's Kupwara. South Kashmir's Kokernag recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, the officials said. Pahalgam