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‘Manali-Leh highway to be reopened by or before May’

Leh: Amid the India-China standoff, Tourism department in Ladakh union territory has reopened Pangong Lake for tourists from January 10 in this month after nearly a year of closure.

Tourism department officials informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the prime tourist attraction in Ladakh UT, Pangong Lake has been reopened for tourists.

Notably, the Pangong Lake in Ladakh was closed for tourists post border tensions with the neighboring country, China.

Meanwhile, in a tweet, the Ladakh tourism department of informed; “The Majestic Pangong Lake Has Been Reopened for tourists starting from January 10. So get the inner line permit (ILP) at lahdclehpermit.in, and visit this spellbinding lake.”

Top administrative officials informed KNO that the Manali-Leh Highway will also be reopened by or before May this year—(KNO)

Authorities on Tuesday said that the vehicular traffic will remain suspended on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in the wake of the bridge collapse at Kela Morh, Ramban. However, the National High Authority of India (NHAI) has proposed the Bailey bridge as an interim measure so that one-way traffic is allowed for vehicles carrying essential vehicles.

Talking exclusively to a local news agency, Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Traffic T. Namgyal “the bridge at Kela Morh in Ramban has damaged, there has to be concrete filling on one side of the bridge.”

“Till the concrete is settled down fully the movement of traffic is very bleak, it will at least take 10 days to restore the Highway for the traffic movement.”

Meanwhile, Highway Authorities are planning to install the Bailey Bridge as an interim measure and have roped in Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

“The Bailey Bridge can help in restoring the one-way traffic on Srinagar Jammu National Highway”, said an official.

A fresh communiqué by Traffic Police Headquarters Jammu and Kashmir read, “Jammu-Srinagar NHW shall remain closed due to sudden collapse of retaining wall of a bridge near Kela Morh, Ramban on 10.01.2021 at 6:20 pm. Repairing by concrete filling and settling of the concrete for making it motorable may take approximately 10 days as per P.D NHAI (Road construction and maintaining Agency).In the interim, to restore connectivity a Bailey bridge is being launched by BRO.”

Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole said that stocks including food grains are available for two and a half months in Kashmir while other essentials are available for 15 days. “There is no need to panic,” he said—(KNO)

Srinagar: Deputy Mayor Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Parvez Quadri on Tuesday said that the institution was fully prepared to deal the post snowfall situation across Srinagar district but due to Mayor’s “mismanagement” the SMC could not take required measures.

Quadri who was speaking to KNS said that the recent snow spell across valley was massive which led to disconnect of roads across. He said Srinagar Municipal Corporation was fully geared up to deal with the situation but it was SMC Mayor’s “mismanagement” who stopped us to take required measures.

“When snowfall happened SMC was on toes. We were ready to deal with any eventuality but what could we do when mismanagement of SMC Mayor disrupts the entire mechanism”, Quadri told KNS.

To a query, he said SMC did not run away from duties. “You know the city centre was abuzz with traffic jams. People were stranded in vehicles for hours which means SMC had cleared snow from lanes and bylanes due to which vehicles reached Lal Chowk and adjoining area”, he said.

About snow clearance work in Srinagar, the Dy Mayor said that in few places our corporators hired JCBs from their pocket money to provide relief to people. “SMC has few JCBs who cannot cater the entire Srinagar areas. We have 74 municipal wards in Srinagar, so we hired extra JCBs in order to clear roads from the snow”, he said.

When asked about State Election Commissioner’s action against 10 corporators, the Dy Mayor Qaudri said “Yesterday SEC listened first hearing of those 10 corporators who voted against party decision during Mayor elections”, he said.

“These corporators belongs to Congress party who had sought intervention of SEC into the matter and requested him to disqualify all ten corporators”, he added.

Quadri said the case is pending before SEC who right now heard it only once. The next hearing of the case is on February 11.

He further said that we request SEC to take strong cognizance of horse trading in SMC and put efforts to curb this illegal method. (KNS)

Srinagar Jan 11: After suffering post August 5, 2019 and then due to COVID-19, things are coming back on track as Kashmir is witnessing a palpable change on ground.
The centre has now framed “vision 2021” to bring development in J&K by setting up new hospitals, educational institutions and provide employment to the youth.
In the last one year, Kashmir has witnessed many positive changes to improve the lives of people. This all has been possible due to joint endeavor made together by Lieutenant Governor, security forces, police.
One such positive change has happened by holding of District Development Council and Panchayat elections in J&K.
A senior bureaucrat told news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that these elements are a vital component of local government under the three-tier governance model in India.
“The voter turnout for these elections has loudly reiterated the faith local Kashmiris are having in the system of democracy. The impressive voter turnout of 51% in recently concluded DDC elections is strong indicator of the fact that people of J&K want normalcy to set in as early as possible,” the bureaucrat said.
The polling percentage during the DDC polls witnessed a considerable increase in comparison to the previous elections. The 34% turnout in Kashmir region was 15% points more than it was in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
This new phase commonly referred by many as “Naya Kashmir” has seen noticeable changes which has given a ray of hope to all segments of Valley. The panchayats, which represent the lowest level of local government in India, have been strengthened through the devolution of functions and funds of more than $200 million in the past year.
This strengthening of grassroots governance has led to the union territory of J&K receiving three national awards for socio-economic development. Ahead of a planned Global Investors’ Summit, the government of J&K organized a first-of-its-kind pre-summit investors’ meeting in January, 2020 in New Delhi.
In agriculture, a unique market intervention scheme was introduced for the famed Kashmiri apples, which led to more than 15,000 tons of the fruit being directly procured from farmers with the money directly transferred to their bank accounts without the need for any intermediaries.
In addition, the world-famous Kashmiri saffron, which is the only saffron in the world that grows at an altitude of 1,600 to 1,800 meters, has been given a geographical indication tag to protect its reputation and guarantee its point of origin.
In keeping with the promise of quick and transparent recruitment of workers for government jobs, the J&K administration has advertised 10,000 posts at all levels under an accelerated recruitment process for young people, with 25,000 additional jobs to be filled in subsequent phases.
In the field of education, 50 new educational institutions, offering 25,000 places for students, have been established, representing the largest expansion in J&K in 70 years. More than 500,000 students have also taken advantage of a number of government scholarship schemes — a four-fold increase over the number during the previous year. The J&K administration has also approved the establishment of two centers for invention, innovation, incubation and training, which will strengthen the partnerships between industry and academia in technical fields.
Sharing upcoming plans of the government, another senior bureaucrat said in the medical field, two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, seven new medical colleges, five new nursing colleges and a State Cancer Institute are planned.

“A student health card scheme has also been launched to ensure better healthcare for schoolchildren. To boost the infrastructure in J&K, more than 500 projects worth in excess of $80 million have been completed, and more than 2,000 projects worth nearly $800 million have been approved. Bottlenecks that had delayed projects in a number of sectors have been removed and many of those projects are now nearing completion,” the bureaucrat said.
The UT J&K is one of the best-performing union territories/states in India in the management of COVID-19. It has a testing rate of 44,744 per million people, which is four times the national average. Seventeen dedicated COVID-19 hospitals have been set up. They provide 60,000 beds, including 20,000 in intensive care and 25,000 in isolation units with oxygen facilities. Srinagar is one of 16 districts in the country recognized for best practices in the management of the pandemic.
Additionally, $46 million of assistance has been approved for groups adversely affected by the pandemic, including houseboat owners, female entrepreneurs and self-help groups involved in the handloom and handicrafts sectors.
“In the recent times, COVID-19 has also had a major impact. But now development has gained momentum here. Lt Governor’s vision is clear about the policy of zero tolerance against corruption. It appears from the point of view of development, Jammu and Kashmir can finally stand at par or above other states.  We have also managed to curb on militant activities in the Valley to a greater extent,” a senior police official added. (KINS)
 

Srinagar: PDP youth wing president Waheed Ur Rehman Para, a Jammu court on Monday, sent him to 7-day custody of the Counter Intelligence Wing (Kashmir) in connection to his alleged Hizbul Mujahideen links. The Criminal Investigation (Kashmir) CIK had arrested Para, minutes after he received bail from the special NIA court in the same matter. The CIK has filed an open FIR into the case, in which many other aides of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti have already been questioned, report sources.

The case was registered by the Criminal Investigation (Kashmir) range which has been probing terror cases and has filed over two dozen FIRs. Para was produced before a court in Jammu which remanded him to police custody till January 18, the officials said, adding he would be brought to Srinagar for questioning.

After being in NIA custody for one-and-half months, PDP youth president Waheed-ur-Rehman Para was granted bail by Special NIA court on Saturday. Slapped with a surety amount of 1 lakh rupees, Para was arrested by NIA on November 25 for alleged links with Hizbul Mujahideen in the ex-J&K police DSP Davinder Singh case. Waheed has been asked to submit his passport to NIA and not to leave J&K without prior permission, as per sources.

Previously, the NIA court had granted permission to the NIA to conduct a lie detection test on Para. NIA Sources report that NIA that Para was allegedly aiding Hizbul activities in South Kashmir in 2019. Para was allegedly in touch with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Naveed Babu and advocate Irfan Shafi Mir, state NIA sources. (PTK)

Srinagar: The meterological department on Monday said there are chances of snowfall in the Kashmir region next week on 19 January but the intensity of the spell is not clear yet.

Mukhtar Ahmad, the deputy director of Meteorological Centre Srinagar, said the weather is expected to remain dry this week and there will be no significant change till 17 January.

Ahmad said that a clear forecast will be announced in the coming days.

Srinagar: Barring Gulmarg, night temperatures increased across Kashmir Valley amid cloud cover, the weatherman said on Monday.

A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.2°C against minus 2.6°C on the previous night.

Similarly, the mercury settled at minus 4.6°C in Pahalgam against minus 5.9 °C on the previous night in the world-famous skiing resort. Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and was the only place where mercury settled above sub-zero level. Against minus 1.5°C on the previous night in Kupwara, the mercury settled at minus 1.0 °C in the north Kashmir district, the official said.

Gulmarg, the world-famous skiing resort, recorded a low of minus 9.6°C against minus 7.8 °C on the earlier night, the official said.

Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.

The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). Already, Kashmir Valley has received heavy snowfall earlier this month, disrupting normal life.

The Weatherman has forecast “mainly dry weather” in the next 24 hours and “no significant change till January 17”. (GNS)

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday that no talks is possible with India until New Delhi restores the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan said this while responding to a question about any possibility of a dialogue with New Delhi during his interactions with the representatives of the digital media in Islamabad.

No talks possible with India until they restore the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, he said We don’t have adversarial relations with any country except India which is trying to destabilise Pakistan, he claimed. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in Pakistan. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Sunday that no talks is possible with India until New Delhi restores the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir. Khan said this while responding to a question about any possibility of a dialogue with New Delhi during his interactions with the representatives of the digital media in Islamabad.

No talks possible with India until they restore the autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, he said We don’t have adversarial relations with any country except India which is trying to destabilise Pakistan, he claimed. Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in Pakistan. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.

The relationship further dipped after India’s war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terorrist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed Withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special powers and bifurcating the state into two union territories in August last year also evoked a strong reaction from Pakistan, which has been unsuccessfully trying to rally international support against India on the Kashmir issue India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. (PTI)