Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], August 31 (ANI): In the tourism industry, houseboats and Shikaras have their own importance and identity as domestic and foreign tourists spend a few moments of leisure in these houseboats in Dal Lake after visiting the Kashmir Valley and then freshen up and return to the Shikara's.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 31 (ANI): Parameswaran Iyer, CEO, NITI Aayog today met the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar.

Jammu Feb 21 PTI Jammu andKashmir government on Monday said that 2250 square kilometres of forest area has been degraded in the Union Territory till date However the forest department on an average restores 100-200 square kilometres of the degraded forest area in an year Principal Chief Conservator of Forests PCCF Mohit Gera said here Out of total of 20194 square kilometres of the forest area in JK around 2250 square kilometres forest area has degraded Gera said He informed that the forest department has set a target of planting 13 crore plants this year and it is on course to meeting the target Gera said that out of 3700 traditional village ponds requiring repair and reconstruction 57 ponds have been taken up under UT capex for repair during this financial year and so far 37 ponds have been reconstructed The Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta who chaired a meeting to review the working of forest department directed the department to restore 1000 square kilometres forest area during the next year in convergence with the funds available under labour component Gera informed that the campaign-Har Gaon Hariyali has been well received by the people at large and the panchayats in the UT are locked in a healthy competition of outdoing one another on the issue of plantation The Chief Secretary directed the department to repair all 3700 ponds within next six months He said repair and rejuvenation of these ponds will recharge the ground water and improve the whole ecosystem of lives and livelihood in the villages Saying that the practice of the people feeding monkeys on the national highways and tourist places has to be stopped the chief secretary said the department needs to improve enforcement thorough heightened vigil and imposition of fines to deter people from doing so as it causes unnecessary accidental deaths of monkeys Dr Mehta said the forest department needs to put a high premium on climate mitigation and ensure that vehicular pollution is effectively checked and the violators are suitably penalized He asked the department to ensure that visibly polluting vehicles from outside the UT are not allowed entry at Lakhanpur border The Chief Secretary directed the forest department to erect hoardings and billboards at Lakhanpur border carrying unequivocal directions from the department for the interstate commuters that the vehicles not conforming to the pollution norms will not be let into JK Holding plastic littered on the roadsides and in and around forest areas as the terrible pollutant and eye sore he asked the department to mount a campaign titled- Say No to Plastics in the media advising the people against the use of the plastics Dr Mehta also asked the department to spearhead a plastic cleanliness campaign on war footing across JK Appreciating the conservation works carried out in the surroundings of the Wullar lake the chief secretary said the unrivalled beauty of the lake needs to be celebrated and asked the department to hold Wullar lake festivals thrice- during spring summer and autumn- in a year PTI AB RCJ RCJ

Jammu Dec 16 PTI The Administrative Council AC has approved the change of land use from agricultural to non-agricultural purposes in Jammu and Kashmir an official spokesman said on Thursday The AC which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha approved the regulations framed by the board of revenue for conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes he said These regulations were necessitated after the legislative changes in the land revenue act post reorganisation of the erstwhile state the spokesman said Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar advisors to the Lt Governor Dr Arun Kumar Mehta Chief Secretary J-K and Nitishwar Kumar Principal Secretary to LG attended the meeting he said The new guidelines have been issued to regulate the uncontrolled conversion of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes on the one hand and keep the developmental aspirations of the UT and the people on the other hand the spokesman said Under the new regulations the district collector has been empowered to grant permission to the change in land use from agricultural to non-agricultural purposes in accordance with the procedure as to be notified by the board of revenue he said The powers have been delegated to the district collector to grant permission for land up to 12 standard acres against a fee of five percent of the market value of the land notified under the stamps act he added However the regulations provide an exemption from seeking permission in cases of conversion of land for construction of residential houses or farm-related buildings and storages with a ceiling of 400 square metres the spokesman said The decision is aimed at ensuring production of sufficient quantity of food grains besides promoting orderly growth of industrial and services sector in the Union territory and creation of employment he said PTI AB AQS AQS

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 29 (ANI): The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday approved the renaming of public infrastructures like schools, roads and buildings after eminent persons under the "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations, informed the Department of Infomation and Public relation, Jammu and Kashmir.

Jaipur Sep 25 PTISamco Mutual Fund on Saturday announced plans to expand its business in Rajasthan by opening five new offices and increasing the number of distributors in the state Umesh kumar Mehta the CEO of Samco Asset Management Pvt Ltd said that the new offices will be opened in Jaipur Jodhpur and Udaipur and the number of distributors will be increased from present 250 to more than 1000 by the end of 2025 financial year Rajasthan is a huge investor market and there is an immense potential of newer investment avenues and productsMehtasaid PTI SDA MR