Month: March 2024

Residents doctors at GMC Srinagar have faced prolonged salary delays and unresolved arrears, prompting impending protests as repeated appeals to officials have yielded little results. According to a press statement issued to The Kashmiriyat, Resident Doctors Association GMC Srinagar has denounced the delay in disbursement of salaries for senior residents and stipends for Postgraduate residents. "Over the past year, resident doctors at GMC Srinagar have encountered prolonged delays exceeding five months in salary payments," the senior residents said. According to the statement, Despite diligent efforts to seek clarification on these delays, the administration attributes them to a purported shortage of funds stemming from the institution's increased seat capacity. It is evident that...

Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has been on a hunger strike for nearly two weeks in Leh, Ladakh's capital, where disillusionment and anger are evident among the resident. Wangchuk, as per NDTV, expressed concerns that Ladakh's status as a Union Territory might have been a strategy to facilitate the interests of industrial and mining companies, rather than protecting the region's identity, as promised by the BJP. "People are asking whether declaring Ladakh a Union Territory was a ploy to sell off our mountains to industrial lobby and mining companies," he told NDTV. He highlighted the broken promises regarding Ladakh's democratic representation and the neglect of assurances made during elections. According to Wangchuk, the morale of Ladakhi soldiers is suffering due to the absen...

National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Monday accused the Jammu Kashmir administration of “sabotaging” the conduct of assembly polls. Addressing a public gathering in Kulgam,bhe said, that the current dispensation wants to continue to rule like uncrowned kings. “We wanted simultaneous elections along with Lok Sabha elections. But, it did not happen. The current government of Jammu and Kashmir sabotaged that because they do not want to handover the power to the people again. They are ruling like uncrowned kings,” Abdullah told reporters here after kicking-off the party’s election campaign for Anantnag-Rajouri Parliamentary constituency. Earlier addressing party workers at Damhal Hanjipora in the south Kashmir district here, the NC leader said bureaucrats put hurdles in...

Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain Sunday said that police are in touch with the Centre over the exact security forces requirement and that it will ensure “optimum utilisation of forces” to provide safe and secure environment for peaceful elections. “There are clear cut directions from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls inJ&K. We have to give a secure atmosphere and level playing field for the candidates and people who are eager to cast votes. We are in touch with the Centre over the requirement of forces. More forces will come and those already here will be deployed,” the DGP told reporters on the sidelines of a public darbar at Doda district of Jammu, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). He said ...

Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today attended the ET Women Conclave-2024 organized by The Times Group, at Gurugram. On the occasion, the Lt Governor saluted the Nari Shakti and lauded their significant contribution in growth journey of Naya Jammu Kashmir. Highlighting women-led development in Jammu Kashmir, the Lt Governor said the women entrepreneurship in rural and far-flung areas of the Union Territory is enabling Nari Shakti to foster change at the grassroots. “Women entrepreneurs are shaping the future of J&K. We are witnessing extraordinary accomplishments in ITeS, MSMEs, Service Sector, agro-based industry and Handicrafts because of women entrepreneurs’ single-minded pursuit of excellence and hard work,” the Lt Governor said. The Lt Governor reiterated the comm...

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has sanctioned a 10 per cent reservation for four newly included tribes. According to an official spokesman, the administration has sanctioned an increase in reservation quotas for both Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Specifically, 10% reservation has been allocated for four newly recognized tribes, namely the Pahari Ethnic Group, Paddari Tribe, Kolis, and Gadda Brahmins. This elevates the overall reservation for STs to 20%, marking a substantial enhancement in their representation. In parallel, the administration has responded to the demands of the OBC category by incorporating 15 additional castes into the OBCs list. This expansion is coupled with an increase in reservation for OBCs to 8 per cent. Previously...

The political parties in Jammu Kashmir have expressed resentment over the Election Commission of India’s decision not to hold the concurrent parliamentary and assembly polls in the region. National Conference (NC) President and incumbent Member of Parliament from Srinagar constituency, Dr Farooq Abdullah has termed the decision has disheartening, saying that the time was apt to implement the Government of India’s vision of One Nation and One Election. “We are very disheartened that the assembly polls have not been announced. Four states are slated to go for the simultaneous assembly polls, but in J&K, we have been denied the elections since 2014,” he said. He added that there could be some suspicious reasons for being out behind the curtains by delaying the assembly polls in Jam...

A mother's quick reflexes saved her two children when a leopard unexpectedly entered their home on Saturday morning in Doda. According to news reports, tense situation unfolded in Kilhotran village, Doda district, when the mother and her children were indoors, and the leopard breached their home. Acting swiftly, the mother successfully evacuated her children to safety, preventing a potential tragedy. Word of the leopard's intrusion quickly spread, attracting a crowd of spectators from nearby villages to witness the unfolding rescue efforts. Rapid response teams, comprising wildlife officials from Kishtwar and personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir police, launched a challenging rescue operation to capture the elusive leopard. The task proved difficult as the agile animal evade...

Commenting on the ongoing power crisis in the valley, the former chief minister of Jammu Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti has expressed great anguish. From north to south Kashmir, people across the valley are aghast with frequent power cuts, especially during the time of Sehri and Iftari in the ongoing holy month of Ramadhan. "It is unfortunate that during this holy month we have to offer prayers in dark, thanks to PDD department, which has failed to provide electricity despite smart meters and charging huge bills from customers," said, Ghulam Hassan Dar, a local resident of Kulgam. Several videos have gone viral on social media that show people praying on dark inside the mosques. One of the worst hit districts has been Kulgam district where electricity has been playing hide and seek in ...

An outbreak of jaundice in Dargund Bellow area of in south Kashmir's Pulwama district has raised concerns as nine persons have tested positive, while many others are having symptoms of the disease. A health official informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the screening process is underway, and nine cases have been confirmed positive for jaundice. Residents allege that contaminated water is the main reason behind the outbreak of the disease. According to locals, they are receiving water from a water supply sourced from a tubewell, but the water is highly contaminated. “Authorities had earlier promised a new water supply scheme for the village, but no action has been taken,” they claimed. They also said the tank of their water supply scheme has not been cleaned ...