Monday, December 23News and updates from Kashmir

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Fake CBI officer arrested by police in Kunzer Tangmarg

Fake CBI officer arrested by police in Kunzer Tangmarg

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A fake CBI officer was arrested by police in Kunzer Tangmarg area of North Kashmir Baramulla district. Reliable sources told News Agency Kashmir Scroll that he complaint was lodged by Farooq Ah Wani, a resident of Wassun Bangil, revealing a complex web of deceit involving several individuals – Javeed Ahmed Rather, Anjuman Afreen, Aaqib Ah Wani, and Rafeeq Ah Wani. They said that Javeed Ahmed Rather, who purportedly presented himself as a CBI officer, displaying what was later discovered to be a falsified CBI identification card. Leveraging this deceitful persona, Javeed allegedly claimed high-ranking connections within esteemed organizations such as the NDA (National Defence Academy) and Bharat Petroleum. Assurances were made to the complainant, promising a secure placement for their...
Srinagar’s new E-Buses: Routes, timings and everything you need to know

Srinagar’s new E-Buses: Routes, timings and everything you need to know

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LG Manoj Sinha recently introduced a fleet of e-buses in Srinagar, aiming to revolutionize the city's public transportation. These electric buses will initially operate on 14 predefined routes with a fixed schedule until the charging infrastructure is fully established. At present, 49 out of 75 e-buses are operational, relying on the existing charging station in Batwara, which can accommodate 32 buses. Additional charging facilities are in the works at Batamaloo and Humhama, and more may follow through outsourced implementation. The e-bus fleet is set to transform the long-neglected mass transport system in Srinagar, connecting the city with Budgam, with potential future expansion to Ganderbal. These state-of-the-art red e-buses, part of the Smart City project, come equipped with ...
Relocation of Budgam Court Complex: Civil Society urges Govt to reconsider decision

Relocation of Budgam Court Complex: Civil Society urges Govt to reconsider decision

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People from different walks of life have expressed displeasure over the government’s proposal to shift the Budgam Court Complex to the Ichgam area of the district. Ichgam is over 11 kilometers away from the district headquarters. A meeting in this regard was held under the aegis of Anjuman Shari Shian President Aga Syed Hasan Almosvi Alsafvi at his Budgam based residence in which members from civil society, minority community and Auqaf Committees participated. An fervent appeal was made to LG Manoj Sinha and Chief Justice of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh to reconsider their decision. The participants as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust the proposed relocation of the Budgam Court Complex will not only hit the lawyers' community but the litigants as well. It was agreed upon t...
SKIMS to offer free HIV viral load testing

SKIMS to offer free HIV viral load testing

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Jammu Kashmir AIDS Control Society (JKACS) and the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) in Soura, Srinagar, have recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU establishes the provision of free HIV viral load testing for People Living with HIV (PLHIV) at SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar, using the available testing capacity of COBAS RT-PCR equipment in the Department of Microbiology. Previously, PLHIV samples had to be sent to Chandigarh for viral load testing. The in-house testing at SKIMS, Soura, Srinagar will significantly reduce the time it takes to report results, enabling clinicians to offer timely treatment to PLHIV. A similar MoU had been signed between JKACS and GMC, Jammu a few days earlier. With this new agreement with SKIMS, the people of Jam...
Drastic decline in water level of rivers causes huge power deficit in J-K this year: Principal Secretary PDD

Drastic decline in water level of rivers causes huge power deficit in J-K this year: Principal Secretary PDD

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Jammu Kashmir administration Thursday said there has been a drastic decline in water in rivers and streams in the UT this year which has caused a huge power deficit while the department still supplies 2200 MWs of power against the availability of 1400 MWs and the remaining 700 MWs is being procured through power exchange.” The administration said that the Power Development Department (PDD), despite facing a huge power shortage, is supplying 1200 MWs of power to Kashmir division and 1000 MWs to the Jammu region. Addressing a press conference at Rajbhawan here, Principal Secretary PDD, H Rajesh Prasad said that this year, there has been a drastic decline in the water level of rivers and streams in J&K. “This resulted in a huge dip in the local power generation in the UT. “In Jun...
Kashmiri Doctor awarded prestigious FAAI gold medal

Kashmiri Doctor awarded prestigious FAAI gold medal

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Dr. Taha Ashraf Qureshi, a Kashmiri medical professional, has attained the highest recognition in the inaugural Fellowship in Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (FAAI) program. He has been bestowed with the prestigious "Dr. Pudupakkam K. Vedanthan Gold Medal" for his exceptional performance in the 2023 FAAI course. This pioneering FAAI initiative was a collaborative endeavor between AIIMS Rishikesh, PGI Chandigarh, and International Asthma Services in Denver, USA. It marked a significant milestone as the first fellowship of its kind, bringing together candidates from India and around the world in June 2023. The certificates of completion for the FAAI course will be officially awarded during the upcoming graduation ceremony in December 2023 at AIIMS, Rishikesh. During this event, Dr. Tah...
Road caves in Srinagar’s Rainawari, residents worried

Road caves in Srinagar’s Rainawari, residents worried

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A portion of the road in the General Bagh near Khati Darwaza area of Rainawari in Srinagar has caved in, worrying residents who fear for their lives and property. "The unexpected road collapse, which occurred in this historic neighborhood, has left us worried about its potential consequences. The cave-in has created a significant depression in the road's surface, endangering the safety of pedestrians and motorists, as well as posing a threat to residential houses in the vicinity," the locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). "We are calling for swift action from the authorities to address the issue and ensure the safety of the neighborhood. If this road is left unattended, its instability could lead to more extensive damage," said Muneer, a local from Rainawari. "This ...
Minor girl charred to death, house gutted in Karnah

Minor girl charred to death, house gutted in Karnah

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A minor physically challenged girl was charred to death and a residential house was also gutted in a fire incident in the Badherkote area of Karnah in north Kashmir's Kupwara district. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a fire broke out in a residential house in Bhaderkote, resulting in complete damage to it. He said that in the incident a 7-year-old girl was also charred to death. “The cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained,” he said—(KNO)
Court orders release of Kashmiri man lodged at Agra Jail

Court orders release of Kashmiri man lodged at Agra Jail

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The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has quashed the detention of a North Kashmir shopkeeper under the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA). Senior Advocate Bashir Ahmed Tak representing the incarcerated shopkeeper told news agency Kashmir News Trust that the detention of Javaid Iqbal Khan, a resident of Nusu village of Bandipora was quashed by the court nearly over a year after he was arrested on charges of allegedly providing logistics to militants in May 2022 and simultaneously booked under the PSA by district administration Bandipora. The accused was put behind bars in previous FIRs for which he had been already released. He is a shopkeeper and is currently lodged at Agra Jail of Uttar Pradesh. The court of Justice Sreedharan after hearing the arguments of Advocate Bashir Ahmed T...
LG Manoj Sinha dedicates specialized snow clearance equipment’s to public

LG Manoj Sinha dedicates specialized snow clearance equipment’s to public

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Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today dedicated the specialized snow clearance equipment and vehicles to the public. The types of equipment procured by J&K Disaster Management Authority were handed over to the Mechanical and Hospital Engineering Directorate of the PW (R&B) Department to carry out safe and effective snow clearing and maintain accessibility for the citizens. The 170 number of Disaster Response and Snow Clearance equipments under SDRF I, II & III includes Snow cutters, Backhoe Loaders, Tractors with Snow Plough; Light Recovery Vehicle Crane, Wheel Mounted Front End Loaders, Variable Snow Plough, Wheel & Chain Mounted Excavators. Sh Shailender Kumar, Principal Secretary Public Works (R&B) Department; Prof. Nilofer Khan, Vice Chancellor of Kashmir U...