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Srinagar: Police in its recent action against drug dealings in Budgam have arrested two drug peddlers and recovered contraband substance from their possession.
A police spokesperson in a statement to news agency KINS says that officers from Police Station Khanshab at a checkpoint established at Parnewa Bugroo intercepted two persons identified as Zahid Ahmed Tantray resident of Wagar Khanshab and Nisar Ahmed Gojri resident of Pazaan Chadoora. “During checking, officers were able to recover 200 grams of charas like substance from their possession. They have been arrested and shifted to PS where they remain in custody,” the statement said.
Accordingly, a case vide FIR No.05/2021 under relevant sections of law have been registered at Police Station Khanshab and investigation has been taken up.
“Community members are requested to come forward with any information regarding drug peddlers in their neighbourhood. Persons found indulging in drug peddling will be dealt as per law,” it reads.
 “Our consistent actions against drug peddlers should reassure the community members that we are making efforts to keep our society free from the scourge of drug menace as reiterated in our community meetings,” the statement reads. (KINS)

Srinagar: Minimum temperatures plummetted further across the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh on Thursday, with the weather office forecasting another spell of snow and rain from tomorrow.

Minimum temperatures across Kashmir valley and Ladakh dropped further on Thursday due to clear night sky. Another spell of moderate snow is expected in Kashmiri hills and plains, and the higher reaches of Jammu, whereas rain is likely to drench the plains of Jammu starting Friday.
“Maximum activity is likely on 23rd and 24th of January,” an official of the weather office said.
The 40-day long of harsh winter cold ‘Chillai Kalan’ will end on January 31.

Meanwhile, Srinagar recorded -7°C on early Thursday, Pahalgam registered -9.3°C and Gulmarg -7.8°C as the night’s lowest temperature.

Leh town of Ladakh had -16.2°C, Kargil -18.4°C, and Drass -27.1°C as the minimum temperature.

Jammu had 5.7°C, Katra 7.5°C, Batote 4.3°C, Bannihal 4.8°C, and Bhaderwah -0.5°C as the minimum mercury levels. (KINS)

Srinagar: The Women Development Cell (WDC) at Gujarat University is planning to hold a video conference with the two female nursing students from Jammu & Kashmir who complained of being harassed by a university clerk.

“The students have gone to their native place as their studies have been completed. The WDC is yet to question them in connection to their complaint,” said a GU official. The WDC usually records statements of the victims in a day or two after the issue is reported to them. (Agencies)

Srinagar: The parliamentary standing committee on transport, tourism and culture arrived in Kashmir on Wednesday on a three-day visit to make an assessment of road, travel and hospitality sectors.

According to a statement, the committee which is headed by Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament from Madhya Pradesh T G Venkatesh, scheduled to meet various stakeholders to have an appraisal of the issues pertaining to these sectors. It will hold a meeting with concerned stakeholders on issues related to road, travel and hospitality sectors on the day of visit.

They will also hold a meeting with the officials of Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, NHAI along with representatives of the Union Territory government on ‘Role of highways in Nation building’ with reference to the status of National highways/ State highways in the Valley.

The members of the committee will also hold a meeting with the officials of the Department of Culture and Tourism and Archaeological Survey of India, along with representatives of the UT government, with focus on, ‘promotion and preservation of archaeological sites and arte facts here.

The delegation will also have an on the spot assessment of the tourism facilities or amenities available at Gulmarg. They will hold a meeting with the officials of the Ministry of Tourism, along with representatives of the UT and its Police, Institute of Hotel Management Srinagar, Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering, Gulmarg and various stakeholders of Tourism.

The visiting committee members shall hold a meeting with the officials of Ministries of Civil Aviation, Home affairs, Railways, Tourism, Road Transport and Highways and NHAI on safety and connectivity aspects in the respective sectors. (KINS)

Night temperature to go up, weather conditions will improve from Jan 24 afternoon: Weatherman

Srinagar: As minimum temperature plummeted again in Kashmir, the weatherman on Thursday predicted snowfall again across J&K from tomorrow (Friday) evening, saying that the night temperature will start increasing from tomorrow.

According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Deputy Director Meteorological department (MeT), Mukhtar Ahmad said that the light to moderate snowfall would occur in plains of Kashmir from Friday evening.

He said that there is a possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of Shopian, Doda and other adjacent districts.

“As per the forecast, the plains in Kashmir would receive light to moderate snowfall from Friday evening while the rains with thunderstorm would occur in Jammu region from tomorrow evening as well,” he said.

Ahmad further informed that from Jan 23 (Saturday) evening, the weather would start gradually improving, adding that the weather conditions would improve on Jan 24 (Sunday) afternoon.

Asked about the dip in minimum temperature, the Deputy Director MeT said that the night temperature would start increasing from tomorrow as well, adding that it will go up to four degrees.

He, however, added that the maximum temperature would go down and would settle close to 4 degree Celsius.

Pertinently, the MeT had informed that another Western Disturbance (WD) would affect J&K and Kargil district from Jan 22 evening to Jan 25 afternoon.

“Another WD most likely to affect J&K and Kargil district during 22nd (Eve.) to 25th (F/N). This will give Fairly widespread to Widespread light to moderate snowfall /rain in plains of Jmu with main activity on 24th. This system is weaker than the previous one,” Meteorological Centre Srinagar had tweeted.

Meanwhile, the night chill continued across Kashmir with Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir recording temperature of minus 7.0 degree Celsius last night, which recorded minus 6.0 degree Celsius on previous night.

The cold wave conditions persisted in Kashmir from last over two weeks. Srinagar during the period surpassed the three-decade old record when the mercury settled at minus 8.4 degree Celsius last week.

The ongoing 40-day harshest winter period called Chilla-i-Kalaan is all set to end on January 31 following which 20 day winter period called Chilla-i-Khurd will commence—(KNO)

Srinagar: The school education department has forgotten to run a school in a building at Kamad in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, whose construction was completed in 1992.
In 1992, the school education department through block development office Achabal constructed a building at Kamad Anantnag to house girls primary school.
Government primary school for girls was supposed to shift in the new building, which functions from the high school.
Twenty-eight years down the line, authorities have failed to shift girls primary school Kamad in this new building, which instead function at high school Kamad.
“This shows the callousness of school education department which has forgotten the new building. We brought this issue number of times to concerned authorities but to no avail. We fail to understand why school education department is not making girls primary school functional in this new building,” locals told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS). 
The one storey building has been built on 1 kanal 17 malras of land of the Revenue Department.
At present, a local contractor who built this building is using it for personal purposes.
“For some time, he rented this building to a private school, then gym. Presently, this building is used by the contractor for storing cattle fodder,” locals said.
The contractor according to locals claims that government has failed to clear his payment.
“The land of the school has been encroached by locals. Nobody is concerned to clear the land from encroachers. The primary school should be immediately made functional from this building,” they said.
Chief Education Officer (CEO) Anantnag Abdul Rub Shah said he was unaware about this school building.
“As you brought this thing into my notice, I will seek report from concerned ZEO immediately,” he told news agency KINS.
Concerned Tehsildar Abdul Wasi Dev said they won’t allow anybody to encroach the government land.
“I will raise this issue with Naib Tehsildar so that all illegal encroachments are removed,” he said. (KINS)

Srinagar: After decrease in production and price over the years, saffron growers in Kashmir have achieved desired results this season. 
From selling each kilogram of saffron to Rs 1.5 lakh in previous years, it went up above Rs 1.8 lakh this season.
In May this year, Kashmiri saffron was given a Geographical Indication (GI) tag with the aim to make it illegal for someone outside the valley to make and sell a similar product under the ‘Kashmiri saffron’ name.
GI tags are indications which identify a product as originating in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic of the product is essentially attributable to its geographic origin.
While Kashmiri farmers say that GI tag has immensely benefitted them in this season.
Bashir Ahmad, a saffron grower from Pampore in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district said last season he sold each kilogram of saffron Rs 1.40 lakh.
 “But this time, we sold each kilogram for Rs 1.80 lakh and earned around Rs 5.5 lakh through saffron. This all is because of GI tagging as it has increased the value of Kashmiri saffron in world markets,” he told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS).
The Kashmiri saffron is considered the best in the world due to its flavor, colour and aroma.
But the high grade Kashmiri saffron has been hit by adulteration, mixed with the cheaper Iranian variety and being sold across the world. For an ordinary person, it becomes difficult to recognize Kashmiri saffron resulting, its value has degraded.
In Kashmir, three districts – Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar grow saffron. Among them, Pulwama district’s Pampore has earned the title of Kashmir’s ‘saffron town’ for growing the highest and best quality saffron.
Similarly, the saffron production has increased to 13 metric tonnes this season.
As per the official figures, Kashmiri saffron’s production increased to 13 metric tonnes this season, which is highest in last one decade. Its production would otherwise remain less than 10 metric tonnes.
Saffron flowers are sensitive to vagaries of the weather. The harvest season of saffron begins from ending October.
A senior officer said GI tagging would help farmers to get better returns.
“Everything is being regulated now to stop low quality Iranian saffron which was being sold under the name of Kashmiri saffron,” he said. (KINS)

By: Akash Banerjee

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