INBC, Jammu City (2025)

13/08/2024

Security tightened in Kashmir for Independence Day celebrations

Srinagar : Adequate security arrangements have been made in Kashmir to ensure incident-free Independence Day celebrations, with a multi-tier security set put in place at the venue of the main function here.

A full dress rehearsal was held on Tuesday at the Bakshi Stadium where Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Zone, V K Birdi took the salute at the march past.

Contingents of police, security forces and school children took part in the parade, “We have made foolproof security arrangements for Independence Day celebrations. We keep all possibilities in mind while drafting a security plan to ensure that everything remains peaceful,” Birdi told reporters here after the full dress rehearsal.

The IGP said a multi-tier security set has been put in place at Bakshi stadium, the venue of main Independence Day function in Jammu and Kashmir, while regulatory barricades have been established at several places as part of the security drill.

Birdi said the adversary will try to carry out subversive activity but the security grid also prepares a calibrated plan to ensure that inimical elements do not succeed.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, V K Bhiduri said the enthusiasm among the general populace was high ahead of the Independence Day celebrations.

“There is no need for special permission to witness the Independence Day function at Bakshi Stadium. Everyone is welcome and the entry is free,” Bhiduri said.

After the parade, artists and school kids performed at a cultural programme highlighting the diversity of Jammu and Kashmir.

13/08/2024

Army commander reviews anti-terror operations in Chenab valley

Jammu : Northern Army Commander Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar on Tuesday reviewed the ongoing anti-terrorist operations in the Chenab valley region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Lt Gen Kumar visited the forward locations of counter-insurgency Delta force in Doda and Kishtwar and exhorted all ranks to maintain a high tempo of operations, ensuring security and safety for ongoing and upcoming events, the Army’s Northern Command posted on X.

The Army shared four pictures of the General Officer Commanding-in-chief, northern command’s interaction with the troops on the ground.

“He (Lt Gen Kumar) assessed the options for deployment of additional forces being inducted into the area and emphasised on synergy with Jammu and Kashmir police and paramilitary forces,” the post read.

While higher reaches of Doda district of Jammu region have witnessed over half-a-dozen encounters at different places since June 12 that left four soldiers, including a captain and three foreign terrorists dead and some security personnel injured, a brief gunfight between terrorists and security forces took place during search operations in Nownatta and Naagseni Peyaas in Kishtwar district on August 11.

Security forces are engaged in a massive search operation in the upper reaches of both the districts to track down and neutralise the terrorists who are believed to have infiltrated from across the border and managed to reach the dense forests in their effort to revive terrorism in the peaceful Jammu region.

13/08/2024

GST Council to meet on Sept 9, to start discussion on rate rationalisation

New Delhi : The GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will meet on September 9.

“The 54th Meeting of GST Council will be held on 9th September, 2024 at New Delhi,” the Council said in a post on X.

The GST Council, comprising finance ministers of Centre and states, is the apex decision making body with regard to Goods and Services Tax (GST), which was rolled out on July 1, 2017.

The meeting is expected to start discussion on rate rationalisation, reducing tax slabs, besides removing duty inversion under GST.

After the previous Council meeting on June 23, Sitharaman had said the next meeting of the GST Council the Group of Ministers (GoM) on rate rationalisation under Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sumant Chaudhary, will give a presentation on the status of the work and aspects covered by the panel and work pending before the panel.

“There will be a presentation by the GoM irrespective of whether the report is draft… and then Council will start the discussion on rate rationalisation in the next meeting,” Sitharaman had said.

13/08/2024

J&K GSDP expected to grow at 7.5 pc during 2024-25 fiscal, says LG Manoj Sinha

SRINAGAR : Jammu and Kashmir’s GSDP is expected to grow at 7.5 per cent during the current fiscal, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said on Monday.

“The GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) for 2024-25 has been projected at Rs 2,63,399 crore (Rs 2.63 lakh crore), showing a growth of 7.5 per cent over the GSDP of 2023-24,” Sinha told reporters.

Highlighting the budget’s salient features, he said the size of provisions this fiscal was Rs 30,889 crore higher than the previous year.

“The size of the budget for 2024-25 is Rs 1,18,390 crore (Rs 1.18 lakh crore). It is Rs 30,889 crore higher than the expenditure of 2023-24,” he added.

Giving details, the lieutenant governor said the revenue receipt estimate for 2024-25 was Rs 98,719 crore and capital receipt estimate Rs 19,671 crore.

Revenue expenditure for 2024-25 is pegged at Rs 81,486 crore.

The administrative sector has got Rs 9,881.68 crore, social sector Rs 24,870.50 crore, infrastructure sector Rs 15,719.40 crore and the economic sector Rs 5,555.48 crore, Sinha said.

“Capital expenditure (or developmental expenditure) for 2024-25 is Rs 36,904 crore,” the lieutenant governor added.

While the capital expenditure contribution towards GDP is 14.01 per cent, the tax-GDP ratio is projected at 7.92 per cent, which is higher than last year’s 5.68 per cent, he told reporters.

Sinha said Jammu and Kashmir had left behind the era of fiscal mismanagement due to externally-sponsored terrorism and added that the high levels of committed expenditure and ATC (aggregate technical and commercial) losses in the power sector had accentuated the challenge of managing the Union Territory’s finances.

“Over the past year, the Union Territory government stressed on revenue augmentation, improving project ex*****on, reducing ATC losses, and improving quality of governance,” he added.

The Union Territory government improved GST return compliance, initiated an e-Stamping system, expanded dealer registration and conducted transparent excise auctions as part of efforts to augment revenue, he further said.

“Tax revenue increased from Rs 12,753 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 13,900 crore in 2023-24. GST collection rose 12 per cent and excise collection increased 39 per cent in the 2023-24 fiscal against 2022-23,” the lieutenant governor added.

The Union Territory government’s efforts to undertake metering and improve billing and collection efficiency resulted in non-tax revenue increasing from Rs 5,148 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 6,500 crore in 2023-24, Sinha said.

The administration has effectively leveraged centrally-sponsored schemes and intensified efforts to harness central funds through faster ex*****on of works, he said.

“This led to a sharp increase in receipts of funds under centrally-sponsored schemes from Rs 6,400 crore in 2022-23 to Rs 10,300 crore in 2023-24,” according to the lieutenant governor.

During the past few years, the Union Territory government improved budgetary transparency. It also repaid power sector dues of about Rs 28,000 crore, which was pending and rising for several years, he said.

For the first time in 77 years, the Union Territory contributed to the contingency funds created by the Reserve Bank of India such as the Consolidated Sinking Fund and the Guarantee Redemption Fund, he added.

Sinha said the administration had stopped borrowings and significantly paid off previous dues.

“These initiatives, coupled with the judicious welfare measures and infrastructure development, helped the state GDP double from Rs 1.17 lakh crore in 2015-16 to Rs 2.45 lakh crore in 2023-24. The state GDP is expected to touch Rs 2.63 lakh crore in 2024-25,” he said.

The Centre has acknowledged these financial management improvements as well, he claimed.

“Accordingly, in the financial year 2024-25, the Union Government has approved a special assistance package of Rs 17,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir,” Sinha said.

13/08/2024

Div Com Jammu inaugurates Yatri Sarai at Machail to facilitate Yatri's accommodation during ongoing Pilgrimage

KISHTWAR : In a significant step towards enhancing the infrastructure and services for pilgrims, the Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar visited the revered Shree Machail Mata Shrine in Paddar, Kishtwar and paid obeisance at the shrine and inaugurated the Yatri Sarai.

The Yatri Sarai comprises 7 halls capable of accommodating over 175 pilgrims at a time. The addition of the Yatri Sarai is expected to provide pilgrims with a more comfortable and spiritual experience, complementing the existing tent city and local stay houses that currently cater to the influx of devotees.

The Divisional Commissioner expressed confidence that this facility would play a pivotal role in making the pilgrimage experience more fulfilling for the devotees ensuring their comfort and convenience.

During the visit, the Div Com also undertook a comprehensive review of the logistical arrangements in place for the ongoing Shree Machail Mata Yatra. He assessed the facilities related to power, water supply, healthcare, langar services, mobile connectivity, sanitation, and security, both at the Bhawan and along the route to the shrine.

The Divisional Commissioner interacted with concerned officers, emphasizing the need to ensure that all necessary arrangements are in place to prevent any inconvenience to the pilgrims.

He reiterated the importance of seamless coordination among the various departments involved in managing the yatra, particularly in maintaining essential services such as healthcare and sanitation.

He also interacted with Yatris and enquired about the facilities being provided. The pilgrims shared their experience while appreciating the facilities being provided to them which has made their spiritual journey comforting.

The pilgrims also expressed happiness for the online registration and online donation facilities started by administration through the official website of www.shrimachailmatayatra.com

Speaking on the occasion, the Div Com pointed out that the newly inaugurated Yatri Sarai in addition to the unprecedented completion of road upto Chashoti Village would significantly bolster the accommodation capacity and comfortable Journey during the pilgrimage, alongside the existing Yatri Bhawan at Gulabgarh and other lodging facilities.

The Divisional Commissioner also underscored the need for round-the-clock monitoring to address any issues that may arise during the pilgrimage.

ADC Kishtwar Pawan Kotwal, SDM Paddar, Dr. Amit Kumar; Tehsildar Tejinder Sharma, BDO Sumit Singh ,I/C Machail Yatra Cell Lovemeet Kotwal, and other officials from the Rural Development Department (RDD) and REW and the local administration were present.

13/08/2024

Security Tightened On Jammu-Srinagar Highway Ahead Of Independence Day

Udhampur : Authorities have tightened security, including checking of vehicles on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway, ahead of the 78th Independence Day.

Security personnel were seen carrying out security checks for the safe and smooth conduct of the celebrations.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Udhampur Prehlad Kumar appealed to the public to report any suspicious activity to the police.

“The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other security forces are conducting the security checks apart from the normal security checks conducted by the Jammu and Kashmir police,” DSP Kumar said.

He added, “We are checking different vehicles commuting on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. We advise everyone to inform the police if they witness anything suspicious….”

Meanwhile, the Head Post Office in Udhampur took out a ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign on Tuesday. The post office staff and its customers participated in the campaign.

Assistant Superintendent of Post, Udhampur Postal Division, Mahesh Singh Jasrotia, said, “The postal department has participated in the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. The national flag, ‘Tiranga’, is available at all the post offices. Anyone who wishes to put up a ‘Tiranga’ at their house can get it from our counters… I request everyone to be a part of this campaign…”

Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a campaign that forms part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. It was started in 2021 to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence. The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and promote awareness about the Indian National Flag.

On August 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also urged the citizens to make the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign a mass movement by hoisting the national flag at their homes. Changing his profile picture on social media to ‘Tricolour’, PM Modi further urged everyone to change their profile picture to the same.

13/08/2024

CS reviews pace & progress of different urban development works including SCM

SRINAGAR : Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, held a meeting of Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) to take stock of the progress made on different development projects including Smart City Mission (SCM), e-Buses and waste management.

Those present includes Principal Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir/Jammu; Commissioner, SMC/JMC; VC, LCMA; DG Budget; other concerned officers.

During this meeting the Chief Secretary impressed upon the concerned to make concerted efforts for making expected progress on the ongoing Smart City projects in both the cities. He asked them to enhance the monitoring on ground and push the contractors to complete these projects on time.

Regarding the e-Bus services at both Srinagar and Jammu, the Chief Secretary urged the concerned to ensure that these buses ferry at least 350 passengers a day covering a minimum of 200 kms. He advised them to switch to digital mode of fare collection for it is more secure and free from any chances of pilferage.

Dulloo also enjoined upon the concerned to make urban development a hallmark of our cities. He asked them to be coherent with the changing times thereby working towards developing assets especially that of sanitation and sewage treatment for cities that fulfil its requirements for the next several decades.

On this occasion, the Commissioner Secretary H&UDD, Mandeep Kaur, gave detailed presentation on the status of all the ongoing and completed projects under SCM in both the cities.

She also detailed out the model and performance of the 100 e-Buses put in service in each of the two cities of the UT. The intercity/intracity routes and the passengers ferried on each of them. It was added that these buses are ferrying more than 21000 passengers daily in Jammu and about 6,53,697 passengers here in Srinagar during the month of July this year.

She gave out the current scenario of waste management at Srinagar and Jammu with the plans of the Department to augment these further under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 (SBM) and City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS 2.0) program of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), GoI.

It was given out that the Department through Municipal bodies is going to initiate an integrated solid waste management for making the process scientific and sustainable. It was also revealed that the plan includes the steps like segregation of waste, its biomethanation, establishment of sanitary landfill sites, waste to energy plants, Leachate treatment with bioremediation or bio-mining of legacy waste on modern lines.

10/08/2024

Admin gears up for readying Assembly Complexes; accommodating its members

SRINAGAR : A meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo was held to draw a plan for making Legislative Assembly complexes at both Srinagar and Jammu ready for holding its sessions after holding of elections here in the UT.

Those present includes Principal Secretary, Estates; Principal Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, IT; JK Resident Commissioner, Delhi; Secretary, R&B; Secretary, Transport; Secretary, Law; Secretary, Legislative Assembly; Director, Estates, Kashmir and other concerned officers.

During this meeting the Chief Secretary impressed upon the concerned to taking immediate steps for renovation/refurbishing of these Assembly complexes at both Srinagar and Jammu in a time-bound manner.

He reiterated that the facilities like functionality of Sound System, Internet Connectivity, fire Safety, functionality of lifts, giving facelift to the buildings and provisioning of allied amenities should also be taken in hand and completed at an earliest.

He asked for looking into the steps to renovate the Chambers of Speaker, Dy Speaker, Leader of Opposition as well besides making provisions for their official vehicles and residential accommodations.

Dulloo also called upon the concerned to carry out repairing works of the MLA Hostels in both the cities. He made out that all the amenities required should be installed within the available time window till culmination of assembly elections, as and when announced by the Election Commission of India.

He observed that pre-emptive steps should be initiated on part of administration to make preparations ahead of the elections so that there are no hindrances in smooth functioning of this pillar of democracy once it gets formed after conduct of elections here in J&K.

10/08/2024

President Droupadi Murmu conferred with Timor-Leste’s highest civilian award

Dili : President Droupadi Murmu was conferred the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country’s highest civilian award, by her counterpart José Ramos-Horta on Saturday.

Murmu, 66, received the award for her achievements in public service and dedication to education, social welfare and women empowerment, her office said in a post on X.

President Murmu said that the honour is a reflection of the ties of friendship between India and Timor-Leste.

Murmu arrived in Dili on the last leg of her three-nation visit on Saturday after concluding her trip to New Zealand and Fiji.

Murmu’s trip is the first-ever presidential visit from India to the Southeast Asian nation.

She was warmly received by President Ramos-Horta at the airport, her office said. Cheerful children greeted her on the way from the airport.

She was also accorded a ceremonial reception and guard of honour in the Presidential Palace, Dili.

President Murmu held extensive discussions with her counterpart Ramos-Horta on enhancing bilateral cooperation in diverse fields.

“India and Timor-Leste share warm and friendly relations based on our shared commitment to the values of democracy and pluralism. I am confident that this will further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries,” she said.

“I had extensive discussions with President Ramos-Horta. today on enhancing the bilateral cooperation between India and Timor-Leste in the fields of IT, digital technology, health and pharmaceuticals, agriculture, capacity building and more,” she said.

The two leaders also discussed the possibility of Timor-Leste joining the International Solar Alliance.

10/08/2024

Police bust illegal liquor operation in J&K’s Anantnag; 8 nabbed

Anantnag : Police in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district busted an alleged illicit liquor manufacturing unit and arrested eight persons.

Police said they seized a substantial quantity of country-made liquor, along with the equipment used for its production, during a routine inspection at brick kiln Jan Thajiwara, owned by Tanveer Ahmad.

“Eight individuals were arrested at the scene, and ₹13,600 in cash, believed to be the proceeds from liquor sales, was also confiscated,” police statement said.

The relevant legal sections have registered a case, and an investigation is currently underway.

“This operation highlights Anantnag Police’s dedication to upholding the law and safeguarding the community from the harmful effects of the illegal liquor trade,” the statement added.

10/08/2024

Lt Governor hands over appointment letter to wife of Civilian Bus Driver martyred in Reasi Terror attack

JAMMU : Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today handed over the appointment letter, on compassionate ground, to Renu Sharma, wife of Vijay Kumar, who was killed in Reasi Terror attack.

Vijay Kumar, a resident of Reasi, was driving the bus carrying pilgrims which was attacked by the Terrorists on June 09.

The Lt Governor assured all possible assistance and support from the J&K Administration to the family of the martyred civilian.

Vishesh Paul Mahajan, Deputy Commissioner Reasi, and the family members of Vijay Kumar were also present at the Raj Bhawan.

10/08/2024

Police release sketches of 4 terrorists seen in high altitude ‘dhoks’ in J&K’s Kathua

Kathua : Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday released sketches of four terrorists who were seen in ‘dhoks’ (mud-houses) in the higher reaches of Kathua district and announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakhs for credible information on them.

Kathua district witnessed a deadly ambush by terrorists on an army patrol in remote forest belt of Machedi on July 8, resulting in the killing of five soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).

Despite a massive search operation, terrorists affiliated with Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, who have recently infiltrated into the country remain untraced.

In a post on X, J-K Police released sketches of four terrorists who were last seen in ‘dhoks’ of Malhar, Bani and Seojdhar forests in the upper reaches of the district.

“…A reward of 5 lakhs on each terrorist for an actionable information. Anyone with credible information of terrorists will also be suitably rewarded,” Kathua police said in its post.

The ambush in Kathua was followed by another attack by a separate group of terrorists in Desa forest in Doda district on July 15, resulting in the killing of four army personnel including a captain.

Police in Doda district had also released the sketches and cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each on four terrorists involved in the attack as efforts are continuing to hunt them down.

Earlier on June 9, nine passengers, including seven pilgrims returning from Shiv Khori temple, were killed by terrorists in Reasi district. The terrorists involved in the attack are also at large and are on the run despite a cash reward on their heads.

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