Month: June 2023

Hailstorm and heavy rains on Friday afternoon caused extensive damage to orchards and crop in several areas of Bandipora district. According to residents of Ashtangoo, Aloosa, Benlipora, Mangnipora and the surrounding areas, heavy rainfall and hail storms resulted in significant damage to crops. They told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the hailstorm lasted for about 15 minutes wreaking havoc on orchards and standing crops, including maize and apples. “Our hard work has been destroyed within minutes by this devastating hailstorm. It's heartbreaking to see our orchards and crops in ruins,” Abdul Salam, a distraught farmer from Ashtangoo. “We urge the authorities to understand our plight and provide us with the necessary support,” he added. Farmers appealed to th...

Seeking peoples’ support to make the annual pilgrimage of Amarnath Yatra a success this year, Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday said that record number of pilgrims will help boost the UT’s economy further. “Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) along with the UT administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage this year. I urge people of Kashmir to cooperate in making the Yatra a success,” LG told reporters at Rajbhawan here. He said that the highest number of pilgrims will open more opportunities of livelihood to people including ponywallas etc. “The Yatra will help boost the UT’s economy further,” LG said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). The pilgrims, he said, will go with a good message after perfo...

Demolition of a building in Kathua’s Shaheedi Chowk area triggered massive protest which also disturbed the traffic on Jammu-Pathankot highway for several hours besides officers from civil administration and local elected representative lock horns with each other and blamed later for unilateral decisions without consulting the governing council. Eyewitness told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Municipal Council Kathua has ordered a building, which reportedly flaunts usage norm, as the owner got permission for a residential complex but opened a commercial mart. “The team of municipal council led by its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Santosh Kotwal launched the demolition in the early hours of the morning. However, on the spot, the owners of the build...

Citing the new laws being governed in Jammu and Kashmir after the re-organization of the State of J&K into Union Territory, Government has disengaged 93 Paramedical staff who had been engaged on an academic arrangement basis at Government College Srinagar. Principal, Government Medical College, Srinagar has issued an order which states that 93 Paramedical staffers who have completed 6 years term on an academic arrangement basis and do not have any interim relief or direction from any court of law for their continuation in this Institution are hereby disengaged with immediate effect. The disengaged staff had earlier filed several writ petitions and they even got relief from the court that directed the authorities to allow them to continue in the department, however, with the imple...

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Friday said that the government is all set to make 129 health and wellness centers operational by March 24 in Jammu Kashmir. Speaking during an inaugural function at the Kashmir University, Sinha as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that by March next year, 129 health and wellness centers will be made operational. He also said that under the centrally sponsored scheme, 17 new Ayush dispensaries have been made operational and from the ongoing fiscal 17 more dispensaries will be made functional." "In five districts of Jammu and Kashmir including Kulgam, Kuthua, Kupwara, Kishtiwar, and Samba, we are establishing 50 bedded integrated Ayush hospitals each. From 2020 after the outbreak of COVID-19, at least half of the population of Ja...