Page 9 - Jammu And Kashmir

2 terrorists killed as Army foils infiltration bid in J&K's Gurez sector

A joint operation by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched following intelligence reports of a likely infiltration attempt

Rain likely in Delhi as Punjab battles floods, J&K hit by record showers

IMD predicts cloudy skies with rain in Delhi till Sept 1 as Yamuna crosses danger mark, Punjab villages inundated, and J&K records heaviest rainfall in 52 years

Jammu & Kashmir death toll rises to 41 as Jhelum floods Srinagar, Anantnag

After record rains wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir over the past two days, the death toll in related incidents rose to 41, most of them victims of the landslide on a Vaishno Devi pilgrimage route, while there was some let-up in the showers on Wednesday, allowing relief efforts to pick up pace. The water level in the swollen rivers across Jammu showed signs of receding from 11 AM, but the flood alert mark was breached by the Jhelum in Anantnag and Srinagar and water entered several residential and commercial areas. Massive damage has been reported to public infrastructure, including several key bridges, private houses and commercial establishments, due to overflowing of water bodies and flash floods across the Union Territory, officials said, adding more than 10,000 people have been evacuated from low-lying flooded areas. As torrential rains disrupted normal life, Education Minister Sakina Itoo announced that all educational institutes will remain closed across Jammu and Kashmir o

J&K Bank names veteran banker S Krishnan as non-executive chairman

J&K Bank on Wednesday said its board has approved the appointment of S Krishnan as non-executive chairman of the bank for a period up to March 26, 2028. His appointment would be effective from the date of approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), J&K Bank said in a regulatory filing. The bank's board, in its meeting held on August 25, took the decision in this respect, it said. Krishnan, currently an independent director on the board of Srinagar-headquartered bank, served as MD & CEO of state-owned Punjab & Sind Bank. Subsequent to superannuation and pursuant to the approval of the appointment by the RBI, Krishnan took charge as MD & CEO of Tamilnad Mercantile Bank in September 2022. Krishnan, a veteran banker with more than four decades of experience, is a postgraduate in Commerce and a qualified Cost Accountant.

PM Modi condoles loss of lives in Vaishno Devi landslide, toll hits 32

The death toll in the Vaishno Devi landslide has gone up to 32, officials said on Wednesday, a day after disaster struck the route on the hilltop shrine in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. At least 20 people were injured in the landslide triggered by heavy, relentless rain, the officials said. The pilgrimage to the shrine was suspended when the mountainside literally gave way and stones, boulders and rocks came hurtling down around 3 pm on Tuesday, catching people unawares. The landslide struck at a point about halfway along the winding 12-km trek from Katra to the shrine. There are two routes up to the shrine -- while the yatra had been suspended on the Himkoti trek route since morning, it was going on on the old route till 1.30 pm when authorities decided to suspend it till further orders in view of the torrential rain.

Centre asks all telcos to activate intra-circle roaming in J&K till Sept 2

The Centre has asked all the telecom service providers to immediately activate the intra-circle roaming (ICR) facility in Jammu and Kashmir till September 2, an official communication said. The directive has been passed to the regulatory heads of Bharti Airtel, BSNL, Reliance-Jio and Vodafone-ldea amid a collapse of telecom services in large parts of J-K, leading to a large number of people being cut off as relentless rain for the fourth day caused flood-like situation in the Jammu division. "In view of the prevailing situations due to heavy rainfall and multiple landslides in Jammu and Kashmir, and in accordance with Clause 29.6 of the unified licence and as per the provisions of SOP 2020 for responding to disasters, all telecom service providers are hereby instructed to activate the intra-circle roaming facility for the J-K Union Territory with immediate effect till 23:59 hours of September 2, or till further instructions, whichever is earlier," the disaster management unit of the

Train services restored from Jammu after suspension due to heavy rain

Train services were restored from Jammu on Wednesday after a day-long suspension, with six trains scheduled to leave for their destinations, officials said. Northern Railway on Tuesday night announced the cancellation of 22 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu and Katra railway stations, while 27 trains were short-terminated at various stations in the division due to heavy rain that lashed the region. Train services have been restored from Jammu. Six trains, which were either cancelled or short-terminated, will leave for their destinations today, a railway official said. According to the PRO of Jammu Division, the six restored trains include three that were earlier cancelled and three that were short-terminated at different stations. The trains scheduled to depart from Jammu are Jammu Tawi-Kamakhya Express, Jammu-Sambalpur, Jammu-Ambedkar Nagar, Jammu-Varanasi, Jammu-Bandra, and Jammu-Chhapra. On Tuesday, Northern Railway cancelled 18 trains to and from Katra, Udhampur and ...

Rain mayhem in J&K: 13 dead, including 9 in landslide on Vaishno Devi route

Rivers overflowed, the raging waters flattening everything in their way, and boulders, trees and rocks hurtled down slopes across Jammu region on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people, including nine pilgrims struck by a landslide on the Vaishno Devi route. Relentless heavy rain led to havoc not just in Jammu, which saw flashfloods, landslides and the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine being suspended, but also in Kashmir Valley. Infrastructure was severely damaged with bridges collapsing and mobile towers and electricity poles breaking like virtual twigs. Telecom services collapsed in large parts of the union territory, leading to millions being cut off from communication and escalating problems, officials said. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended and dozens of hill roads were blocked or damaged by landslides or flashfloods, they said. Many trains to and from Jammu were cancelled. The winding route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop

Rain mayhem in J&K: 11 dead, including 7 in landslide on Vaishno Devi route

Rivers overflowed, the raging waters flattening everything in their way, and boulders, trees and rocks hurtled down slopes across Jammu region on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people, including seven pilgrims struck by a landslide on the Vaishno Devi route. Relentless heavy rain led to havoc not just in Jammu, which saw flashfloods, landslides and the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine being suspended, but also in Kashmir Valley. Infrastructure was severely damaged with bridges collapsing and mobile towers and electricity poles breaking like virtual twigs. Telecom services collapsed in large parts of the union territory, leading to millions being cut off from communication and escalating problems, officials said. Traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended and dozens of hill roads were blocked or damaged by landslides or flashfloods, they said. Many trains to and from Jammu were cancelled. The winding route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop

J&K CM reviews flood mitigation measures, says situation in Jammu serious

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the situation in various parts of Jammu is quite serious following heavy rain and directed the administration to maintain high alert. The chief minister gave the instructions at a meeting held here to take stock of flood control measures in Jammu, his office said in a post on X. Moderate to heavy rain lashed Jammu division for the third consecutive day on Tuesday. Almost all rivers and streams are flowing above or close to the danger mark, submerging a number of low-lying areas and roads in the city and elsewhere. Vehicular movement on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway has been suspended. "Chief Minister held a meeting today in the morning to review flood mitigation measures at Jammu in view of incessant rains. He directed the officers to maintain high alert and take all necessary measures," the chief minister's office said. In a separate post on his personal handle on X, Abdullah said the situation in many parts of Jammu is quite ...

Hope SC sets deadline for restoration of statehood to J-K: CM Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday expressed hope that the Supreme Court will set a deadline on the restoration of statehood to the Union territory after it hears the case in October. The apex court on Monday refused to advance the date of hearing on pleas seeking restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the matter is already listed on October 10. "I do not know who went to the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing. We also want there should be no delay in this decision," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here. He said his government has been after the restoration of statehood for the last ten months since the it took over. "Our first decision in the first cabinet meeting was to pass a resolution on statehood. In my first meeting with the prime minister, the first thing I did was to handover the cabinet resolution on statehood to him," he said. "We have been waiting, but we have not had any benefit. Unfortunately, the SC is no

SC refuses to advance hearing on pleas seeking J-K statehood restoration

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to advance the date of hearing on pleas seeking the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying the matter is already listed on October 10. On August 14, a bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai had sought within eight weeks the Centre's response on a separate plea seeking restoration of statehood to the union territory. I am seeking early listing of a contempt petition relating to abrogation of Article 370. Statehood was to be granted to Jammu and Kashmir, a lawyer told the bench also comprising Justice N V Anjaria. It is listed already on October 10, the CJI said on Monday while refusing to advance the date of hearing. We are in the midst of a constitutional bench hearing (the bench is hearing a presidential reference on fixing timelines for governors and the president), Justice Gavai said. While seeking the Centre's response, the bench had earlier said, "You also have to take into consideration the ground realities you cannot igno

Search operation underway after drone sightings near LoC in J&K's Poonch

Security forces have launched a search operation after around half-a-dozen drones from Pakistan were sighted hovering over several forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday. The movement of the drones from across the border was picked up over Balakote, Langote and Gursai nallah in Mendhar sector at 9.15 pm on Sunday, the officials said. They said the drones, believed to be launched for surveillance, were seen flying very high and returned to the Pakistani side within five minutes. However, the area was cordoned off and a search was launched with the first light of the day in several areas where the movement of the drones was picked up to ensure that there was no air dropping of weapons or narcotics, the officials said. The use of drones by Pakistan to drop weapons and narcotics has emerged as a major challenge for the security agencies over the past couple of years and accordingly, police have announced a reward

Landslide crushes petrol pump under its debris on Udhampur highway in J&K

The owner of the petrol pump, Jai Pal Singh Jamwal, claimed that this incident happened around 6:30-7 pm

CM Omar Abdullah puts all departments on high alert amid heavy rains in J-K

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday directed all departments concerned to remain on high alert amid heavy rains which lashed wide parts of the Union Territory. He has also advised people to remain cautious amid a weather forecast predicting moderate to intense rainfall with possibility of cloudbursts, flash floods and landslides in high altitude areas till August 27. In a post on X, the office of the chief minister said Abdullah has directed all departments to remain on high alert, as heavy rains have caused waterlogging in several residential areas, with rivers and nallahs flowing above danger mark. Control rooms are active and CM Office is in touch with departments. Priority is being given to drainage in affected areas and restoration of essential services like water supply and power. People are advised to remain cautious, the chief minister said. Heavy rains battered most parts of Jammu and Kashmir overnight, triggering flood-like situation in several low-ly

Over ₹6.43 crore collected in fee for 75 naib-tehsildar posts in J-K

The recruitment for just 75 naib tehsildar posts has turned into a windfall for Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) which has collected over Rs 6.43 crore from aspirants in application fees, according to information obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) query. With each form priced at Rs 600 for general and Rs 500 for reserved category, the money collected shows that over one lakh aspirants had applied for the posts but the deferment of the recruitment process last month has now left these candidates in limbo, RTI activist Raman Kumar Sharma said. "The sheer scale of the response over one lakh candidates vying for a meagre 75 posts speaks volumes about the deepening unemployment crisis. It reflects the desperation of educated youth who, despite degrees and qualifications, are left with few opportunities," Sharma, who filed the RTI application, told PTI. The JKSSB in its response to the query said that an amount of Rs 6,43,28,400 was collected as fees from th

J&K begins taking over 215 schools linked to banned 'Jamaat-e-Islami'

Jammu and Kashmir government on Saturday began the process of taking over the management of 215 schools affiliated with the banned Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), officials said. On Saturday morning, teams from the district administration and police visited these schools across the valley and took over their management, the officials said. They said principals of the respective nearest higher secondary schools also accompanied the administration teams to take over the management of these schools. The process follows after the School Education Department on Friday ordered the takeover of the schools affiliated with JeI and its Falah-e-Aam Trust. "The Managing Committee of the 215 schools shall be taken over by the District Magistrate/ Deputy Commissioner concerned who shall propose a fresh Managing Committee in due course for the concerned schools after getting these duly verified," the order said. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs, on February 28, 2019, and again on February 27, 2024, ...

J-K LG orders dismissal of 2 govt employees over alleged terror links

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday terminated the services of two government employees in the Union Territory over their alleged involvement in terror activities, officials said. The decision was taken under Article 311 (2)(c) of the Constitution, the officials said. The employees were identified as Siyad Ahmad Khan, Assistant Stockman in Sheep Husbandry Department, and a resident of Keran area, and Khurshid Ahmad Rather, a school teacher, and a resident of Karnah area -- both in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. The officials said the Lieutenant Governor was satisfied after considering the facts and circumstances of the cases. "On the basis of the information available, the activities of the two are such as to warrant their dismissal from service," they said.

Kishtwar cloudburst: Multi-agency search intensifies to trace 33 missing

The multi-agency search operation to trace 33 missing persons in cloudburst-hit Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir entered the eighth day on Thursday, officials said. The death toll in the natural calamity that struck the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple on August 14 during the yatra stands at 65, including three CISF personnel and one Special Police Officer (SPO) of J-K Police. Over 100 people were injured. "The search operation by multiple agencies has been intensified to trace 33 missing persons. Operations are underway at the most affected sites by separate teams," a senior official told PTI. The focus of the operation has been laid at three locations -- the major impact site near a langar (community kitchen), the area where houses were washed away, and the Bhuat nallah in Gulabgarh-Paddar areas. Joint teams of police, Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), CISF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil .

One dead, 39 injured as bus carrying pilgrims falls into gorge in J&K

A bus carrying pilgrims to the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi skidded off the Jammu-Pathankot highway and fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Thursday, leaving one person dead and 39 others injured, officials said. The accident took place at Jatwal, when the bus carrying pilgrims to Katra from Uttar Pradesh, suffered a tyre burst and skidded off the highway near a small bridge, they said. The deceased was identified as 45-year-old Iqbal Singh of Amroha, they added. A rescue operation was launched and the injured were shifted to the hospital in Samba. Seven of them were later admitted to AIIMS Vijaypur.