BUSINESS

In a ground-breaking development at the Agriculture Extension Office in Kishtwar, Deputy Commissioner Dr Devansh Yadav unveiled the state-of-the-art Indoor Saffron Cultivation Technology. This significant leap forward holds promise for transforming saffron cultivation practices in the region, presenting a noteworthy milestone in the agricultural sector. The event also witnessed the presence of Chief Agriculture Officer, Amjad Hussain Malik, and DAO, Sanjay Sharma, along with beneficiary farmers who stand to benefit immensely from this technological advancement. Under the Skill Development program , the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, District Kishtwar has realised the project with an estimated cost of Rs 1.35 lakh, under the SANKALP Scheme. Each of the 9 benefici...

The Union Cabinet on Tuesday decided to cut LPG domestic gas cylinder prices by Rs 200 for all users. Briefing reporters on the decision of the union cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur said the decision is a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to the women of the country on Onam and Raksha Bandhan. “PM Modi has decided Rs 200 reduction in the price of domestic LPG cylinders, for all users…this is a gift from PM Narendra Modi, to the women of the country, during the occasion of Raksha Bandhan,” he said. The meeting of the Cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Thakur also said that the central government has decided to add another 75 lakh Ujjwala gas beneficiaries. At present, there are 9.6 crore beneficiaries of the scheme. Indi...

With brick prices soaring in the valley, many people in central Kashmir’s Budgam district have started building houses using traditional bricks known as Koand Seer. Some of them even want to start making these bricks to earn livelihood and ease other people’s “burdens”. Many people in Budgam who made houses using Koan Seer told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the centuries-old brick-making process is a promising solution in the wake of “exorbitant” brick rates. These people living in the upper villages of the Budgam said they have taken it upon themselves to maintain the traditional practice of brick-making. But for that to happen, the government needs to provide the necessary firewood resources, which are necessary for the revival of these kilns on a larger scale, t...

In a significant development, Rajouri Chikri Wood Craft from Rajouri district and Mushqbudji Rice of Anantnag district of have received the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. The process for GI Tagging of nine products was started by NABARD in consultation with Department of Handicrafts & Handloom and Department of Agriculture in December 2020, during the difficult times of COVID. The GI tags have now finally been granted to these two products after a long legal process. In total, four products have been granted GI tag with NABARD support. Chikri is a pale, honey colored, fine grained soft wood found in hill ranges of Rajouri district of Jammu province. The Chikri woodcraft of Rajouri is characterized by intricate carving and detailing. Similarly, Mushqbudji Rice is a premium v...

Jammu Kashmir administration has issued an invitation for online tenders, calling on qualified bidders to participate in the oversight of Solar Power and Renewable Energy (RE) Projects/Schemes within the region. The procurement process will adhere to a Two-Cover system and will be conducted through an e-tendering platform. The Request for Selection (RFS) provides detailed information regarding the necessary criteria and technical specifications for the projects. Parties interested in participating can access the comprehensive bidding document, including qualifying information, eligibility requirements, technical specifications, the bill of quantities (BOQ), contract terms and conditions, and other pertinent details, via the official website here. The bidding document will be avail...

Authorities have "relocated" street vendors from the busiest market of Sopore town. Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore, SA Raina said the move has been taken in order to decongest the town. "The street vendors have been relocated to other places in order to decongest the town. Especially Iqbal Market was often gridlocked due to the congestion as vendors had occupied roads,” he said. Identified locations will be utilized to rehabilitate the street vendors in an organized manner allowing them to continue their livelihood, he added—(KNO)

Special Search Teams from the State Taxes Department on Tuesday in Kashmir conducted a series of raids on numerous brick kilns in central Kashmir's Budgam district. This operation led by Shakeel Maqbool, the Additional Commissioner of the State Taxes Department, responsible for Administration and Enforcement in Kashmir found a troubling pattern: these brick kilns, despite surpassing the stipulated threshold, were operating without proper registration with the Goods and Service Tax (GST) department. Consequently, they were effectively evading substantial tax liabilities. Further compounding the issue, many of these kilns were found to be operating without the licences issued by the District Administration. During the operation, the Additional Commissioner issued clear directives to...

Retail inflation jumped to a 15-month high of 7.44 per cent in July as prices of vegetables and other food items spiked, according to official data released on Monday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation was at 4.87 in June and 6.71 per cent in July 2022. Previously, high inflation was recorded at 7.79 per cent in April 2022. The inflation in the food basket was 11.51 per cent in July compared to 4.55 per cent in June and 6.69 per cent in July 2022, as per the data. The retail inflation in vegetables year-on-year was 37.43 per cent while the rate of price rise in ‘cereals and products’ was 13 per cent, showing the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO). (Agencies)

For the very first time, plums are being kept in cold storage units in Kashmir even as growers demand more cold storage units in the valley. Growers from different areas of Kashmir told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that due to floods in different parts of India, they were unable to send their produce outside J&K. They said that plum has very little shelf life and gets damaged in just a week or two so there was no option for growers other than to keep them in cold storage units. Shahid Ahmad, a plum grower from Shopian told KNO that he had around 1000 crates of plum and bought more than 2000 crates more but due to continuous rains in North India, he wasn't in position to send his produce outside. “If there wouldn't have been cold storage units available, I would ...

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri on Saturday said there won't be any restrictions on the eve of Independence Day in Kashmir while the internet and facilities will also function smoothly. Addressing a news conference here at his office chamber, Bidhuri, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that all the arrangements have been finalized to ensure smooth conduct of Independence Day. He added that the venue for the main event in Srinagar has been changed from Sk Stadium to Bakshi Stadium in wake of the space crunch as this year the administration is expecting a huge participation of people in the event. Bidhuri also invited people to attend the Tiranga rally tomorrow from Botanical garden at 6 AM in the morning and also appealed them to attend th...