Srinagar (J&K) [India], August 23 (ANI): Kashmir's tourism players are quite satisfied with business after the huge influx of tourists this year as the valley has received a huge footfall of tourists from the whole country.

Jammu Feb 28 PTI The Indian Air Force on Monday airlifted a total of 123 passengers stranded at various places in Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh owing to the closure of 434-km Srinagar-Leh National Highway owing to heavy snowfall an official said An AN-32 IAF aircraft also known as Kargil Courier transported 44 stranded people from Jammu to Kargil and 15 from Kargil to Jammu chief coordinator Aamir Ali of the IAFs Courier Service said Similarly 38 passengers stranded in Srinagar were flown to Kargil and 26 from Kargil to Srinagar Ali said The IAF operates C-17 C-130 and AN-32 aircraft regularly to airlift stranded passengers between JK and Ladakh during the closure of the Srinagar-Leh National Highway owing to snowfall PTI TAS AB RAX RAX

Srinagar Nov 29 PTI NC leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said people of Jammu and Kashmir are being punished due to the collective failure of the Centre and local administration by withholding the regions statehoodReacting to a statement of BJP leader Ashok Koul the former chief minister said the Centre and the UT administration failed to protect the people and manage the security situationSo the people of JK will be punished by having our statehood withheld because of the collective failure of the Union Government the JK administration They fail to protect people they fail to manage the security situation the rest of us are punished What an idea sir ji Omar tweetedKoul on Monday said Jammu and Kashmirs statehood will be restored when the situation becomes better and the common people are able to move freelyWhen the situation in J-K becomes better when it situation will be normal the selective killings will end and common people will be able to move freely the statehood will then be restored the BJP state general secretary organisation told reporters in north Kashmirs BandiporaPTI MIJ SRY

Jammu Oct 24 PTI Asserting that the government is aiming to wipe out terrorism from Jammu and Kashmir and put an end to civilian killings Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said nobody would be allowed to disrupt peace and development in the union territory which has a place in Prime Minister Narendra Modis heart He said Rs 12000 crore worth of investment has already come to the union territory and the government aims at a total of Rs 51000 crore by the end of 2022 to provide five lakh jobs to the local youth Shah is on a three-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir his first after the Centre revoked the erstwhile states special status and bifurcated it into two union territories of JK and Ladakh on August 5 2019 Addressing a public rally at Bhagwati Nagar here Shah without naming the Congress National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP said the three families are answerable to the people for their failure to develop Jammu and Kashmir over the past seven decades The new phase of development under the leadership of Modi has started in JK but attempts are being made by inimical elements to create a hurdle I have come here to assure you that nobody will be able to create a hurdle and disrupt peace and development Shah who arrived at the well-attended rally amid thunderous applause and sloganeering by people said In an apparent reference to the killing of 11 civilians by terrorists in targeted attacks across Kashmir this month he said some people are raising questions about the prevailing security situation in the UT but I want to answer them with facts and figures Between 2004 and 2014 a total of 2081 civilians were killed with average deaths of 239 annually From 2014 till September this year 239 civilians unfortunately lost their lives which accounted 30 deaths per year The figures are down but we are not satisfied the home minister said adding We want to build such an atmosphere that not a single person loses his life and the terrorism is wiped out He said a new phase of development has started which cannot be stopped by anyone Jammu and Kashmir is placed in the heart of the prime minister and under his government there will be no injustice discrimination or appeasement he said Shah said the time for sidelining the people of Jammu has come to an end and now both Kashmir and Jammu will be developed together Jammu has borne the brunt of discrimination for years together Now there will be no injustice with anyone and both Kashmir and Jammu will be developed together and the developed JK will strengthen India he said Listing various steps taken by the government since the formation of the BJP government at the Centre he said five lakh jobs are being created in Jammu and Kashmir while 25000 people have been provided government jobs in the past two years through service selection board The three families used to say who will come and invest in JK Till date we have got an investment of Rs 7000 crore in Jammu and Rs 5000 crore in Kashmir And when we came out with a new industrial policy the three families who have deprived the people of JK of various benefits started raising questions We have had Rs 12000 crore investment due to the efforts of the prime minister and are looking forward to an investment of Rs 51000 crore by the end of 2022 he said Targeting the three families he said they were asking what the government is going to give to JK We have a long list of what we have given to JK and the people know it very well but the people of JK are demanding an answer from them as to what they have given to JK despite ruling the erstwhile state for the past seven decades Have you thought of anyone else other than your own family members He said soon after Modi became the prime minister he released a Rs 55000-crore financial package of which Rs 33000 crore has already been spent on various developmental projects Today I have laid the foundation of various projects worth Rs 15000 crore These three families together have not done so much development during their entire rule he said PTI TAS SKL SMN SMN

New Delhi Oct 21 PTI Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has claimed that he was told he would get Rs 300-crore bribe if he cleared two files belonging to Ambani and an RSS-affiliated man during his tenure but he cancelled the deals and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting his decision by saying there is no need to compromise on corruption Malik who currently holds the gubernatorial post in Meghalaya also supported the ongoing farmer agitation against the Centres farm laws and said he is ready to leave his post and stand with them if their protest continues After going to Kashmir two files came to me for clearance one belonging to Ambani and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP coalition government and claimed to be very close to the prime minister I was informed by secretaries in both the departments that there is a scandal involved and I accordingly cancelled both the deals The secretaries told me that you will get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files but I told them that I have come with five kurta-pajamas and will leave with that only Malik told a gathering at an event in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan A video of his speech has gone viral Malik did not elaborate on the two files but he was apparently referring to a file related to the roll-out of a group health insurance policy for government employees pensioners and accredited journalists for which the government had tied up with Reliance General Insurance part of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group In October 2018 Malik who was then the governor of JK had cancelled the tie-up with Reliance General Insurance Company for providing the group health insurance to employees as there was some bungling in it Two days later the governor approved foreclosure of the contract with Reliance General Insurance and referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for examining the entire process to see whether it was conducted in a transparent and fair manner As a precaution I took time from the prime minister and briefed him about the two files and the scandal as the people involved were taking his name I straightaway told him PM that I am ready to leave the post but if I stay back I am not going to clear the files he claimed and praised Modi for saying that there is no need to compromise on corruption Malik also alleged that Kashmir is the most corrupt place in the country In the whole country four to five per cent commission is sought but in Kashmir 15 per cent commission is demanded he said without explaining but added that under his leadership there was no big case of corruption reported in JK and that he even declined a favour to his relatives in the valley He said after his return from Kashmir he made a statement in favour of the agitating farmers He said that he being poor is his strength and he can fight any powerful man in the country If the farmer agitation continues I will leave my post and stand with them without caring for anyone It is possible when I have done no wrong and do not have any wrong item in my wardrobe I am satisfied that I have not done anything wrong he said Advising newly recruited officers not to budge under pressure and work honestly for the betterment of society he asked them to remain alert against their wives who spoil everything by demanding more and prompting their husbands to indulge in corrupt practices The pressure will come and you will also feel good by taking bribe In Jaipur there are officers who did not even have thatched houses in their native places have built palatial houses But if you remain steadfast and honest you can fight anyone Malik said The former JK governor said he does not have a house to live in after his retirement but I do not have any worry that I have no house Malik said he had been an MLA an MP a union minister but the people from Rajasthan who have a lot of money would come to his place and be surprised on seeing his small accommodation PTI TAS SKL SMN SMN

Jammu Sep 27 PTI Batting strongly for holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir without further delay and restore its statehood Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Monday said a feeling of helplessness and disappointment has increased among people in the absence of an elected government Bukhari was speaking at a function where several prominent persons including a retired bureaucrat joined Apni Party here A feeling of helplessness and disappointment among the people has increased in the absence of an elected government in JK Therefore it is imperative to hold assembly elections without further delay and restore the statehood the Apni party president said Prominent among those who joined the party were Congress leader Khushboo Bhagat BJP leaders C D Sharma and Sunita Kundal as well as retired financial advisor of the health department Mohan Lal Koul a party spokesman said Welcoming the new entrants into the party fold Bukhari hoped that their inclusion will strengthen the party at the grassroots level in Kathua and Samba districts He directed party leaders and workers to work for social educational and political upliftment of the people especially the neglected section of society Bukhari criticised the companies engaged in the execution of power projects and construction of national highway for not providing employment to local youth even as they exploit natural resources of Jammu and Kashmir My party believes in telling the truth to the people as well as to the government JK has rich natural resources but unfortunately they are being given to the outsiders which has no benefit to the locals especially youth Bukhari said He alleged that the youth are not being given employment in these projects by the companies The money which they earned from these resources should be utilised for the welfare of local people of the respective areas However the same is not being done he claimed PTI TAS AB HDA

Excelsior CorrespondentJAMMU Aug 22 Yudhvir Sethi BJP vice president JK today asserted that Government should not take lightly the remark made by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti threatening country of possible Afghanistan like situation as the antecedents of her party allegedly show links with terrorist outfits based in other countries and therefore a thorough probe is a must to unveil the intentions behind this statement indicating insurgenceYudhvir Sethi said this during ration distribution event organized by Kartar Mahajan president Lakhdata Bazaar Traders OrganizationIt is pertinent to mention that PM Narendra Modi has announced to provide free ration to needy people till Diwali festivalTaking a tough stand against Mehbooba Sethi demanded that Government should take note of threatening tone adopted by PDP leader as her party has a dubious background and its youth leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra is already behind bars for his alleged involvement in anti-India activities though the matter is subjudiceHe demanded that Government should hold inquiry to know whether she was in contact with organizations like Taliban because her remark is indicative of a dangerous plan against India which the country should not take lightly

During meeting with the visiting PSC delegation the Congress leaders demanded immediate restoration of statehood with constitutional guarantee for land and jobs for permanent residents of JK and thereafter holding of Assembly elections at the earliestThey also demanded implementation of the full relief and rehabilitation package for the displaced persons refugees of 1947 1965 and 1971 of JKThis is due to allotment of contracts to the outsiders by the UT GovtThe UT Govt may be advised accordinglyThere is a need for special package for the unemployed youth and regularisation of need based and daily wagers