REGIONAL

181 children went missing from Jammu and Kashmir between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, official data from the Ministry of Women and Child Development reveals. According to the data, during the same time period, 58,546 children across India went missing. Prior to this, data from the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) showed that by 2020, 627 children, including 350 boys and 277 girls, had disappeared in J&K. In Jammu and Kashmir, 230 children, including 167 girls and 63 boys, went missing in just 2020. According to NCRB data, only 29.2 percent of the missing children in J&K were ever found. Child Welfare Committees in J&K have saved and rehabilitated 817 children, including child labourers, as part of the Mission Vatsalya Scheme. The government reported tha...

A total of 880 flats have been constructed in the valley in the last three years for Kashmiri migrant employees who wish to return home, Union Minister Nityanand Rai informed Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question, Rai, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that 5,248 two-room tenements were constructed in the Purkhu, Muthi, Nagrota, and Jagti areas of the Jammu region to accommodate the “people who had migrated due to terrorism in 1989-1990 from their ancestral places of residence in Kashmir”. "These tenements were constructed in two phases till 2011," he said, adding that no new tenements for the above purpose have been built in the last three years. "However, due to improved security scenario in the Kashmir Valley, the government has taken...

Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), has completed the construction of 6,912 Km of roads in Jammu Kashmir over the past three years. "In a fiscal year with 92,560 works completed in 2022-23 in comparison to 9,229 in 2018-19. Government of India’s unstinted support in accelerating the pace of development in Jammu & Kashmir has resulted in the transformation of the UT on all fronts," he said in a written reply as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). The Year wise number of projects completed he said are 2018-19 9,229, 2019-20 12,637, 2020-21 21,943, 2021-22 50,726, and 2022-23 92,560. "Under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 6,912 Km road length stands constructed ...

The first round of immunization under the Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 5.0 will commence in Jammu & Kashmir from August 07 and will continue till the 12th of the month, officials said. Director Family Welfare, MCH and Immunization, J&K Dr Tabasum Jabeen told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the Mission Indradhanush 5.0 is a vaccination program which is aimed to cover the left out children as many children remain unvaccinated and partially vaccinated. She said that under this program, all children and pregnant women will be covered and we will make sure they are vaccinated. “IMI 5.0 will focus on reaching zero-dose children aged between 0-5 years, ensuring that every child receives life-saving vaccines,” she said, adding, “The initiative is also in...

Around 40 percent of sanctioned posts in health block Zainapora in South Kashmir's Shopian district are lying vacant, thereby affecting patient care in the block. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reveals that out of 95 sanctioned posts in health block Zainapora, only 56 posts are filled while 39 are lying vacant for years. He said five gazetted posts are lying vacant in the block including one consultant and four medical officers, which include two deputation-reserved posts of medical officers. The official added that 28 non-gazetted posts are lying vacant in the block including one head pharmacist, one senior pharmacist, four lab technicians, one junior dental technician, one x-ray technician, one theatre technician, six staff nurses, two community hea...

The residents of Rajouri Kadal and Chattabal areas of Srinagar on Wednesday staged a protest against the installation of smart meters by the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL). As per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the residents of Rajouri Kadal and Chattabal Srinagar staged today to press for their demands. The people from both areas hit the streets and raised slogans against the power department in order to register their protest. “We belong to a poor and middle-class family, we cannot afford these hectic meters in our areas as we will not be able to pay a hefty sum as the monthly tariff,” the locals said. “We have patients on oxygen concentrators in our homes as well, we have to pay a lot of money in their medication, please tell us how we c...

On day two, Senior lawyer Kapil Sibal is scheduled to continue his arguments on the petitions challenging the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 by the central Government. On Day 1, Sibal presented his arguments for over eight hours against the alloted time of ten hours and said that the abrogation was completely unconstitutional. 17 more petitions are scheduled to be heard by the five bench judge headed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Chandrachud. Several lawyers of the Supreme court have said that the people of Jammu Kashmir have high expectations from the court and the court can play a historic role like the old times and be a part of glory. Live updates 1030 AM: Kapil Sibal There is a nuanced interpretation of Article 370.  There were substantive provisio...

Suhail Dar The residents of Bona-Dialgam, Wani Hama, Watrigam area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district have expressed resentment against the authorities for failing to provide their regular drinking water supply in their locality from last week. As per the employees of the jal shakti department water tanky got some damages after the flood water enters the tanky premises last month, we are working continuously to repair that but yet we didn't get any success as we are getting dirty muddy water from the pump... Locals said that the area has been without water for the last week while the authorities, despite repeated pleas to restore the water supply, have failed to take any concrete steps in this regard. We are being deprived of water facilities and despite repeated requests, the c...

Police have registered an FIR against several unidentified persons for allegedly raising “anti-national” slogans during a rally in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday. The slogans were incidentally raised at a rally by Gujjars and Bakerwals, held on Tuesday in the border district against a bill introduced in the parliament last week for the grant of Scheduled Tribe status to the Pahari community. “An FIR under section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of Indian Penal Code was registered at police station Poonch for raising anti-national slogans during the rally,” a police officer said. Protests by Gujjars and Bak...

A Data Entry Operator at the Zonal Education Office Sumbal, has been attached to the office of Tehsildar Sumbal in Bandipora with immediate effect. The action comes after a report from field agencies regarding an alleged offensive social media post made by the official, potentially impacting communal harmony. Officials in the knowhow of things told GNS that the post in-question is said to be in violation of Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution, and the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules 1971. Meanwhile, a committee, headed by the Tehsildar Sumbal, has been formed to investigate the matter and asked to submit its recommendations within a week. Moreover, the attachment & subsequent inquiry order issued by Sub Divisional Magistrate, Sumbal, Aamir Choudhary...