Month: October 2024

The Congress party has criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) attempt to nominate five leaders to the Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly through the Lieutenant Governor before a new government is formed. The Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) argued that the power to nominate these members should be left to the newly established government, Kashmir News Observer reported. Ravinder Sharma, JKPCC Senior Vice President and Chief Spokesperson, stated that bypassing this process would undermine democratic principles and the will of the people. The Congress party acknowledged the idea of reserving seats in the Assembly for refugees from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), Kashmiri Pandits, and other minorities. However, it warned against misusing these nomin...

Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly staff, currently assigned to various departments by the General Administration Department, have been directed to return to the Secretary of the Assembly in Jammu or Srinagar without delay. An official order from the administration mandates that all employees belonging to the JK Legislative Assembly, who were temporarily deployed in different departments, must immediately report back to the office of the Secretary in either Jammu or Srinagar. The Secretary is required to submit details of any non-compliance to the General Administration Department within a week of the order’s issuance. All affected employees will be considered relieved from their current posts upon returning to the Assembly.

Scores of contractors protested against Block Development Officer (BDO) Kellar in South Kashmir’s Shopian, alleging rampant corruption. Despite completed work, the demonstrators claimed that the BDO demands a 30% commission to release pending bills. "We have done our work, but the BDO refuses to clear our payments unless we pay bribes," said a contractor. "Those who cave into his demands get their bills cleared instantly, regardless of work quality," the protesters said.. Another contractor, who worked under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), said: "I refused to pay a bribe, and now my bills are stuck. It's unfair to expect us to pay for doing our job. The protesters appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, seeking his intervention to add...

Panchayat and urban body elections are expected to be held in Jammu Kashmir by the end of this year, officials confirmed today. Following the conclusion of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, preparations for these local elections are already underway, with security forces set to remain in place to ensure a peaceful process. The decision to retain these forces was made to avoid the high costs of redeploying them. The terms of the municipal corporations in Jammu Srinagar expired last November, making these elections overdue. Legal requirements mandate that elections be held either before or shortly after the end of the corporation's term. The government is now prioritizing the completion of these polls. Security forces were initially deployed for the Amarnath Yatra and have ...

An exchange of fire occurred between militants and security forces in the Chatroo area of Kishtwar district on Thursday. Officials told news agency GNS that contact with the militants was established after security forces received specific intelligence about their presence in the area. Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the spot. More details are awaited. (GNS)

Sonamarg, a scenic destination in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir, has seen a remarkable surge in tourism over the past five years, with visitor numbers reaching six lakhs by this year. According to locals news agency, Kashmir News Observer, Tourism at Sonamarg has grown by 11% in terms of footfall and by an impressive 1800% in revenue. In 2019, the number of tourists stood at 58,309, and by 2024, it soared to 6,61,539. Revenue from tourism has also seen significant growth. In 2020, earnings were recorded at Rs 1.63 lakhs, which increased to Rs 3.51 lakhs in 2021. By 2022, it had climbed to Rs 9.7 lakhs, further rising to Rs 25.8 lakhs in 2023. This year, revenues reached Rs 30.68 lakhs. A Solid Waste Management Plant was set up in Sarbal, Sonamarg, in 2020 to manage the inc...