Shaharbeen News Service Kashmir is a news service which covers, gathers, writes, and distributes news to newspapers, periodicals, radio and television broadcasters, government agencies, and other users. We at SNS Kashmir believe in fair and independent journalism to inform our masses or subscribers and readers about the happenings around the world. The prime focus of the news gathering and reporting is focused on Jammu and Kashmir state.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) would complete setting of Bailey bridge near Kela Morh in next three days along the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway to restore connectivity between the twin capital cities.
A portion of the highway sank near Kela Morh in Ramban district after a concrete retaining wall of a bridge collapsed on Sunday evening.
The bailey bridge is being launched by BRO, as an interim measure, to restore connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu.
Speaking to KNS Correspondent Ajmal Ahmad on spot amid the the construction was going on, Commanding Officer 99 RCC Vinyak Project Beacon said, “ It will take two to three days more to setup Bailey bridge. Heavy vehicles carrying essential supplies can also be allowed to cross over the bridge. ”
He added that it will provide relief to the hundreds of vehicles carrying essentials to cross into the valley.
Officials of National Highway Authority of India, the road construction and maintaining agency had earlier said that the “Repairing by concrete filling and settling of the concrete for making it (highway) motorable may take approximately 10 days,” (KNS)
Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday extended by four more days the ban on import of poultry as bird flu spreads in neighoring states.
“In continuation of the government order no. 09-ASH of 20121 dated 07-01-2021 and in exercise of the powers conferred under contagious Disease Act, 2009, the ban imposed on import of live birds including poultry and unprocessed poultry meat for any purpose into J&K shall continue to remain operative till January 18,” reads a Government order, a copy of which lies with GNS.
“The decision will be reviewed based on the evolving situation,” the order by Navin K Choudhary, Principal Secretary to Government, added.
The order comes as the administration continues to maintain that there is no cases of bird flu or avian influenza in the J&K so far even as urged people not to panic or stop using poultry products.
The administration has already issued an advisory to poultry owners and dealers for the prevention of the spread of the disease.
The advisory, issued by the Animal/Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Department to stakeholders, directed the poultry farmers to improve bio-security measures in the farms and not allow any artificial ponds, small water bodies inside and around the farm premises which may attract wild birds and is a risk to the poultry.
Keep the farm premises and shed surroundings vegetation-free. Regularly clean the areas. Keep feed supplies and water for poultry protected as they attract wild birds and rodents, it said.( GNS)
Over four years after the demonetisation exercise, the CBI has booked the executive manager of a bank, three firm proprietors and two persons for depositing Rs 12.84 crore in banned currency which was later transferred to different accounts through net banking as legitimate money, officials said.
Based on “source information” received on December 10 last year, the CBI has filed an FIR saying Rahul Chaudhary and Dushyant Chaudhary were operating accounts of Shiva Trading Company, Divyanshi Sales Corporation and Shyama Trading company in the Jammu and Kashmir Bank’s Ghaziabad branch.
Taking advantage of their rapport with executive manager Netar Sabharwar, the Chaudhary duo were allegedly operating the accounts instead of their proprietors, also named accused in the FIR, officials said.
The CBI has alleged that the accused duo in connivance with proprietors — Pankaj Kumar of Shiva Trading, Vikas Rathi of Divyanshi Sales and Ghanshyam Patel of Shyama Trading — and Sabharwar changed registered phone numbers in the companies’ accounts for SMS alert service to be able to use them for fund transfers, they said.
After the government declared Rs 1,000 and old Rs 500 notes as illegal tender on November 8, 2016, Sabharwar allegedly allowed Rahul and Dushyant Chaudhary to make Rs 12.84 crore cash deposit in the three companies’ accounts in violation of bank norms and RBI instructions related to cash deposits, they said.
Using the changed phones numbers, the duo transferred this amount to various bank accounts through Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), they said.(CNS Desk )
Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Dr G N Itoo chaired District Road Safety Committee (DRSC) cum Regional Transport Authority (RTA) meeting with the concerned functionaries in order to discuss various road safety measures and other vital issues pertaining to transport mechanism.
Meeting was attended by SSP Baramulla Abdul Quyoom, ADDC Aijaz Abdullah Saraaf, CEO, district and sectoral officers among other concerned functionaries.
On the occasion, Assistant Regional Transport Officer Baramulla presented a detailed presentation wherein he described the present scenario of the public transport system along with road safety action plan reflecting targets assigned to allied departments. He also gave a detailed account of the implementation of Greater Baramulla Master Plan.
Speaking on the occasion, DC emphasized upon the concerned authorities to work in proper coordination and cohesion so that real objectives, as envisaged in the plan are realized. He also deliberated for adopting the requisite safety measures so that the accidental ratio is minimized. Moreover, DC exhorted upon the concerned stakeholders to mobilize all the available resources in order to provide safe road infrastructure and sustainable transport services to the masses with best emergency care.
Meanwhile, a detailed list of activities to be done in the upcoming road safety month starting from 18th of January to 17th of February was also presented during the meeting.
An Indian Army officer has indigenously developed a ‘microcopter’ which can be used by the Army to carry out surveillance inside a building or room in which militants are hiding.
The microcopter has been developed by Lieutenant Colonel GYK Reddy.
The trials of the microcomputer have been successfully carried out by a Para Special Forces battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and further improvements are being carried out on the micro drone.
Indian Army has signed a contract for acquiring the Switch drone for surveillance along the borders. The vertical take-off and landing drone has the capability to fly for two hours at a maximum altitude of 4,500 metres, according to Mohit Bansal, Idea Forge. The firm had also developed the Netra drone a few years ago with DRDO.
These were displayed at an event to showcase the internal innovation by the Indian army in Delhi. (ANI)
India has expressed its dismay at some of the parliamentarians who participated in a debate on Kashmir in the Houses of Parliament complex in London relying on “false assertions” and unsubstantiated allegations propagated by a “third country” an apparent reference to Pakistan.
The debate, organised by backbench British MPs at Westminster Hall in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening, was entitled Political situation in Kashmir terminology the Indian High Commission in London pointed out as problematic in itself.
Regarding the reference to Kashmir’ in the title: the need is felt to differentiate between the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral part of India, and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (when the erstwhile princely state of Kashmir legally acceded to India in October 1947, this part was forcibly and illegally occupied by Pakistan), the High Commission said in a statement.
It was also noted that references to the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, despite the volumes of authentic information available in the public domain based on up to date and visible facts on the ground ignored current ground reality and, instead chose to reflect false assertions of the kind promoted by a third country, such as unsubstantiated allegations of genocide’, rampant violence’ and torture’, it noted.
Responding to the debate on behalf of the UK government, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) minister Nigel Adams had reiterated the official stance that it is not for Britain to play any mediatory role in a bilateral India-Pakistan matter, even as he accepted there were human rights concerns on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC).
The government’s policy [on Kashmir] remains stable, it’s unchanged. We continue to believe that this is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution to the situation that takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people as laid out in the Simla Agreement, said Adams, in his capacity as Minister for Asia.
It’s not appropriate for the UK government to prescribe a solution or act as a mediator in this regard but it would be wrong to not acknowledge there are serious human rights concerns in both India-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. This has been confirmed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in his reports, he said.
The minister also made a reference to the District Development Council (DDC) democratic elections held in the region in December last year, which Labour Party MP Barry Gardiner pointed out attracted the free and fair participation of over 50 per cent of the local electorate.
The people of Kashmir deserve the opportunity to thrive and succeed, so more broadly we welcome the commitment that the Indian government has made to the economic and social development of India-administered Kashmir and we continue to seek further details of their plans, added Adams.
The debate, organised by Labour’s Sarah Owen, included the participation of cross-party British MPs, many of whom have a large Kashmiri diaspora constituency base.
They raised concerns of alleged human rights violations and called on the UK government to seek access to the region for direct reports from Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to be presented in the UK Parliament in future.
The Indian High Commission in London sought to highlight that since last year, a smart wi-fi project has enabled high-speed internet access in the region and that despite threats of terror attacks, challenging weather conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, landmark DDC elections were concluded in December 2020.
Since the administrative reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, it is well on the path of good governance and accelerated development. All administrative measures taken by the Government of India in Jammu and Kashmir are entirely an internal matter of India, the Indian High Commission statement said.
Regarding the reference to peace and stability of our region, it is reiterated that India stands ready to engage with Pakistan on all outstanding issues including on Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the Shimla Agreement (1972) and the Lahore Declaration (1999) in an atmosphere free from terror, hostility and violence, it noted.
The statement asserted that while it was not the policy of India to take undue interest in the internal discussions within a foreign Parliament, the High Commission of India continues to engage with all concerned including the UK government and parliamentarians to avoid misperceptions and misinformation by making authentic information about India available to all. (PTI)
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officer was critically injured in a collision here in South Kashmir.
The incident occurred late Wednesday night at Lower Munda area of Qazigund.
Police sources told Kashmir based news agency KNT that there was a collision between a private truck (JK06A-4580) and CRPF Gypsy (HR55C-3665) resulting critical injuries to one CRPF Inspector namely Joshi Sharma of 163 Battalion.
The officer was evacuated to Emergency Hospital Qazigund for treatment from where he has been referred to SKIMS Srinagar for advanced treatment. The condition of the CRPF officer is stated to be critical.
Muhammad Saleem Bhat, a resident of Batot Jammu, who was driving the truck, has been detained while a formal case was registered by police in this regard. (KNT)
The authorities in Srinagar on Thursday advised people not to walk on the frozen surface of water bodies, especially the Dal Lake, underlining that it could be dangerous.
Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said that SDRF teams have been deployed to dissuade locals from taking to such risky adventures. “Walking on frozen #DalLake could be dangerous. Pl avoid it. (SDRF teams deployed for safety),” he said in a tweet.
Replying to him, a renowned doctor said that almost 50 per cent of drowning victims are children less than nine years old playing on the ice. “The majority of victims drowning while in vehicles, such as snowmobiles, are young adults less than 24 years old,” the doctor added.
Last night in Srinagar was coldest after more than 25 years as mercury settled to minus 8.4°C in the summer capital. It follows minus 7.8°C on the night earlier as a result of which parts of the Dal Lake and other water bodies have frozen.
The freezing of the Dal Lake also refreshes memories of times when the former prime minister of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir Bakshi Ghulam Muhammad drove his jeep on the frozen lake almost six decades ago. It is said that Bakshi drove the jeep for about 20 minutes near the Hazratbal coast of the Lake, the flagship of Kashmir’s tourism.
As per locals, the Dal Lake wore a festive look then as people from all corners of the Valley cherished walking over the frozen crest which some people say was very think.
In 2018, videos emerged that some boys were playing cricket on the fringes of the water body following which the then deputy commissioner Srinagar issued an advisory, asking people, especially youth, not to resort to such dangerous adventure. The police had underscored that it was not bravery to walk over the frozen parts of the lake as it could be fatal. (GNS)
Night temperatures plummeted further across Kashmir Valley with mercury settling at minus 8.4°C in Srinagar, the lowest temperature of the season so far and the coldest January night in the past 25 years, the officials said on Thursday.
Director Meteorological Department Sonam Lotus told GNS it was after 25 years that the mercury has settled as low minus 8.4°C in Srinagar. “As per our record minimum temperature of minus 8.3°C was recorded in 1995,” he added.
The plunge in the mercury comes a day after the summer capital of J&K recorded a low of minus 7.8°C, which was same as recorded eight years ago on 14 January 2012. In 1991, the Srinagar had recorded low of minus 11.8°C while the lowest ever was endured on 31 January 1893. There are reports that Dal Lake and other water bodies here have frozen. Similarly, the minimum temperatures continued far below than the normal in other parts of the Valley, settling at minus 11.1°C in Pahalgam against minus 11.3°C on the previous night in the world-famous health resort.
Qazigund, the gateway town of J&K, recorded a low of minus 10.0°C against 9.3°C on the previous night. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 10.3°C against minus 9.9°C on the earlier night.
Against minus 5.6°C on the previous night in Kupwara, the mercury settled at minus 6.7°C in the north Kashmir district, the official said.
Gulmarg, the world-famous skiing resort, recorded a low of minus 7.0°C against minus 10.0°C on the earlier night, the official said. Leh recorded a low of minus 14.0°C, Kargil minus 19.6°C while Drass was coldest at minus 28.3°C.
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 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 18”. (GNS)
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