Page 9 - Jammu And Kashmir

AAP to contest upcoming bypolls in J&K's Budgam, Nagrota Assembly seats

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday announced that it will contest the upcoming assembly byelections in Budgam and Nagrota constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir. Bypolls to both Budgam and Nagrota assembly constituencies will be held on November 11 while counting of votes will be undertaken on November 14. Budgam fell vacant immediately after the 2024 assembly elections when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chose to retain the Ganderbal constituency. The seat has been vacant since October 21, 2024. Nagrota, on the other hand, fell vacant on October 31, 2024, after the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana. After meeting AAP J-K unit president and sitting MLA Mehraj Malik in Kathua jail, party spokesperson Appu Singh Slathia conveyed several messages, including the decision to fight the upcoming bypolls in the two assembly segments. Quoting Malik, she said the election will be contested on both seats with "truth and commitment". Malik was detained on September 8 under the stringent Publi

ECI announces bypolls in 8 Assembly seats across 7 states, UTs: Check dates

The by-elections in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram, and Odisha will be held on November 11. The results will be announced on November 14

Tourism in J&K, Ladakh struggling to recover after Pahalgam terror attack

Passenger traffic at Srinagar, Jammu, and Leh airports remains below last year's levels as terror attacks, floods, and bans hit the tourist season

Pakistani drone sighted along IB in J&K; security forces launch search op

Security forces have launched a search operation after a Pakistani drone was sighted hovering over a forward village along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district, officials said on Saturday. The drone-like object was seen coming from the Pakistani side and hovered over Nanga village in the Ramgarh sector late Friday, triggering alarm in the border belt, they said. According to officials, security forces and police teams were immediately deployed to scour the area and ensure that there is no airdropping of any payload like narcotics and weapons from across the border. The search operation was underway when last reports were received, officials said, adding that security has been heightened in adjoining villages as a precautionary measure.

J&K rolls out GST 2.0 reforms, adopts 7-step consumer benefit protocol

Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday rolled out GST 2.0 reforms in the Union territory, bringing in major changes to rationalise the tax structure and ensure consumer welfare in line with the national reforms drive. Effective September 22, GST has adopted a two-tier structure, with rates of 5 per cent and 18 per cent. The earlier tax slabs of 5, 12, 18, and 28 per cent have now been clubbed into the two rates mentioned above, resulting in a reduced price of 99 per cent of daily use items. "The Government has commenced the implementation of next-generation GST reforms 2.0, effective from September 22, aligning with the national tax rationalisation drive and reinforcing its commitment to consumer welfare," an official spokesperson said. For smooth and transparent implementation of the new GST regime, the administration has put in place Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) for the State Taxes, Legal Metrology, Health & Medical Education, and Industries & Commerce ...

L-G Sinha lays foundation stone for projects worth ₹700 cr in Jammu

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday laid the foundation stone of 60 projects worth nearly Rs 700 crore and called for sustainable urban planning and its execution on the ground as a bold roadmap for future cities to mitigate environmental challenges. The governor asked the Housing and Urban Development Department to replicate the Swachhata Internship Programme and Green Colony initiative of Jammu Municipal Corporation in other cities across Jammu and Kashmir. Sinha attended the Sewa Parv celebrations organised by the Housing and Urban Development Department here and laid the foundation stone for 60 projects under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 worth Rs 699.79 crore. In his address, Sinha lauded the efforts of the department and Jammu Municipal Corporation for fostering inclusive growth and improving infrastructure and services for the city's residents. He said sustainable urban planning and execution on the ground is a bold roadmap for

Centre failed to honour its promises on statehood to J&K, Ladakh: Omar

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused the Centre of betraying both Ladakh and J-K by failing to fulfil its promises and deepening mistrust through delays in restoring statehood. Speaking at the launch of senior journalist and author Harinder Baweja's latest book, "They Will Shoot You, Madam: My life through conflict" on Sunday, Abdullah said the government had failed to follow through on its own roadmap, first for Jammu and Kashmir and now for Ladakh, alleging that the latter was misled with "impossible" assurances. "When you wanted them (Ladakh) to participate in Hill Council elections, you promised them the Sixth Schedule. Everyone knew that giving the Sixth Schedule to Ladakh was nearly impossible. A region that shares frontiers with China on one side and Pakistan on the other requires a sizeable defence presence, which the Sixth Schedule makes impossible. Yet, you made promises to get electoral participation, he stated. The 55-year-old also criticised the ..

J&K may not get statehood as BJP did not win Assembly polls: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that an impression was developing in the Union Territory that its statehood will not be restored as the BJP could not win assembly elections last year. He said BJP was the only party that opposed statehood restoration. "Sometimes it looks like people of Jammu and Kashmir will not get statehood because the BJP lost the elections. This is an injustice because nowhere was it said that statehood will be restored only if the BJP wins," Abdullah told media outside his private office here. "If there is opposition to the restoration of statehood, it is coming only from the BJP," he said. Abdullah said the biggest challenge before his 11-month-old government is that Jammu and Kashmir is not a state. "The way the people were promised and the Supreme Court was informed, we expected it to be a three-step process: first delimitation, then elections, followed by restoration of statehood," the chief minister said. "The delimitatio

PM should've talked about J-K's statehood in address to nation: Farooq

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have talked about restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood in his address to the nation. Modi explained the benefits of the GST reforms to the people in his address to the nation on Sunday evening. The revised GST rates came into effect on Monday. "You are talking about GST, it would have been better had you (Modi) talked about our statehood in the speech," Abdullah told reporters here. Asked if the NC is hopeful of getting a favourable judgement from the Supreme Court -- where a petition on the matter is listed for hearing in the second week of October -- Abdullah said every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir is hoping that statehood would be restored. "Not just the National Conference, but everyone has hopes that we will get our statehood back," he said. Asked about JKLF chairman Yasin Malik's case, the former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said it wa

J&K Police conduct terror-related searches at 8 locations across valley

Jammu and Kashmir Police's Counter Intelligence Wing on Saturday conducted searches at multiple locations in the valley in a terror-related case, officials said. Searches were being conducted by the Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) at eight locations across the valley as part of its investigations in the case, the officials said. They said the searches were being conducted in the districts of Srinagar, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kupwara, Pulwama, and Shopian. "The searches are in pursuance of a search warrant obtained from the competent court in case FIR number 3/2023 of P/S CIK," the officials added.

Soldier killed as Army, police resume hunt for terrorists in J&K's Udhampur

One Army soldier was injured in an encounter that broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district on Friday, officials said. Acting on specific information, the Army, Special Operations Group (SOG), and police launched an operation in the Dudu police station limits bordering the Seoj Dhar high-altitude area, resulting in the encounter, they said. "Encounter is in progress. Joint teams of SOG, police and Indian Army on ground," Jammu IGP said in a post on X. One Army jawan suffered injuries in the exchange of fire, reports said. Earlier, the White Knight Corps had said on X that "in an intelligence-based operation in the general area of Kishtwar, alert troops of the White Knight Corps established contact with terrorists at around 8 pm". Several encounters have taken place in the area during past one year. Haider, a terrorist eliminated in an encounter in the Dudu-Basantgarh forest on June 26, was a top commander of Pakistan-based ...

Former Hurriyat Conference chief Abdul Gani Bhat dies at 90 in Sopore

Former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat died at his Sopore residence in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday at the age of 90, his family said. Bhat, who was largely confined to his residence at Sopore in Baramulla district due to ill health over the past few years, breathed his last this evening, Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said. "I just received a call from Bhat Sahib's son confirming the sad news about the demise of the veteran leader," the Mirwaiz told PTI. Born in 1935, Bhat graduated from Sri Pratap College in Srinagar in Persian studies. He went on to obtain post graduate degrees in Persian and a Law degree from Aligarh Muslim University. Bhat is likely to be buried in his ancestral graveyard in Sopore, sources close to the family said.

Vaishno Devi yatra resumes after 22-day halt due to heavy rainfall

The reopening of the pilgrimage has brought relief and joy to devotees, many of whom had been waiting in Katra for the shrine to reopen

J&K landslides: Around 2,200 fruit-laden trucks evacuated via Mughal Road

More than 2,200 fruit-laden trucks were evacuated via the Mughal Road, the alternative road link between the valley and Jammu, during the past 24 hours, an official said on Tuesday. The trucks were stranded along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway due to its closure following landslides in the wake of incessant rains. The 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, suffered extensive damage at several places, especially between Nashri and Udhampur, in the aftermath of record rainfall on August 26 and 27, leading to its closure for vehicular movement. The traffic on the highway was partially restored last week, but hundreds of trucks, including those carrying apples to different markets within and outside Jammu and Kashmir, remained stranded for days, causing extensive damage to the produce. In a major relief to fruit growers and traders of the valley, Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Anshul Garg, informe

Dapaan: Kashmir's stories of conflict, resilience and remembrance

After 35 years of armed conflict, Kashmir abounds with stories-heard and unheard-of loss, laughter, haunting, and place-making, but also of defiance against the state

J&K CM rules out electricity privatisation, pledges reforms in sector

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has dismissed speculation about privatisation of electricity in the Union territory, and said his vision is to strengthen and reform the power sector. "We are not talking about privatisation. If we reduce our losses, improve billing efficiency and enhance revenue generation, there will be no need for it. My vision is to strengthen and reform the power sector in J-K," Abdullah said. The CM addressed the gathering at the 58th Engineers' Day at SKICC here on late Monday evening. The event was held to honour the legacy of Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya for his pioneering contribution to engineering in India. The chief minister said electricity generation and efficient distribution hold the key to economic prosperity in J-K. Emphasising the critical role of the power sector, Abdullah underscored the need for J-K to reduce its power losses and then focus on harnessing its vast hydropower potential to strengthen its economy. "This is the o

Delhi sees cloudy skies, high humidity while heavy rain lashes North India

Heavy rain and thunderstorms lash north, east, and central India, causing floods, landslides, road closures, and displacement in several states

J&K L-G flags off first cargo parcel train from Kashmir valley to Delhi

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday flagged off the first cargo parcel train from the valley to Delhi which will provide a cheaper and reliable mode of transportation for perishable goods like fruits to terminal markets of the country. The cargo parcel train was flagged off from Nowgam railway station here and is scheduled to reach Delhi on Tuesday "I am thankful to the prime minister as cargo service has been started. Every day 23 to 24 tonnes of apples and other perishable goods will be transported from here which will reach Delhi the next day," Sinha told reporters after flagging off the train. The LG said the cargo train service will boost the local economy by providing an alternative mode of transportation. "This train will contribute a lot to the economic upliftment.We know due to topographic conditions and heavy rainfall, the national highway gets closed sometimes and it used to cause losses to the fruit growers. The railways has started a very good

Vaishno Devi yatra postponed till further orders due to heavy rainfall

Due to heavy rainfall in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhawan, the commencement of the temporarily suspended Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra stands postponed till further orders, as per the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board.The pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi was suspended for 14 days in a row due to adverse weather conditions and multiple landslides in the region.In a post on social media X, the Board requested devotes to stay updated through official communication channels."Due to incessant rain at Bhawan & the track, commencement of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra scheduled from 14th September stands postponed till further order. Devotees are requested to stay updated through official communication channels," the post read.Earlier, the Shrine Board expressed gratitude to the devotees for their patience and understanding during the temporary suspension of the Yatra."The resumption of the Yatra marks a reaffirmation of our collective faith and resilience, and the Board remains .

Operation Gudder in J&K's Kulgam ends, two LeT terrorists neutralised

Earlier in the day, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah paid tributes to two fallen soldiers, who were killed in action during an encounter between the security forces and terrorists