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Kashmir shutdown on 1,562 days in 20 years While losing Rs 100 Cr on each day of shutdown, J&K has suffered loss of Rs 150,000 Cr 6/24/2010 10:49:02 AM Ahmed Ali Fayyaz SRINAGAR, Jun 23: Thanks to the Valley’s militant outfits and separatist organizations, who have enforced 1,562 days of shutdown in the last 20 years of the secessionist movement, Jammu & Kashmir state has suffered loss of over Rs 150,000 Crore. Government’s contribution is also substantial as the state has additionally suffered loss of Rs 15,000 Crore on account of curfew on 150 days during same period of the political turmoil. J&K state’s economy is estimated to have suffered loss of around Rs 200,000 Crore during 20 years of the separatist movement. This includes infrastructure destroyed by militants and security forces besides illegal felling of conifer trees and timber smuggling. Shutdown enforced by Hurriyat Conference, its constituents and militant outfits for 1,562 days till date, besides nearly 150 days of declared and undeclared curfew by the government, though mostly restricted to downtown Srinagar, have been the largest contributing factors. Loss suffered by the state’s economy on account of shutdown and curfew accounts for about 80% of the cumulati...   READ MORE

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Information Department at 'beck and call' of Union ministries? Farooq gets publicity of Manila visit for his ministry 6/24/2010 10:48:02 AM Early Times Report Jammu, June 23: J&K government's Information Department is at beck and call of all in the heirarchy of coalition government,giving them wide publicity, invariably unwarranted and uncalled for. For the events they cover with cabinet ministers and their juniors are at times too insignificant to give gala coverage.As if this tendency was not enough, the Department has been toned up, rather has become subservient for coverage of even Union ministers belonging to two alliance partners, all thanks to the high ranked officials of the Department who are doing this job quite 'obediently'. There have been instances galore to substantiate this, whether it is the Union Health Min...   READ MORE   Colonel Killed in Encounter 6/24/2010 10:46:43 AM SRINAGAR: An Army Colonel, hailing from Delhi, was killed in an encounter with terrorists while carrying out counter- insurgency operations in Kuligam area in Kupwara district in Kashmir. Colonel Neeraj Sood was the commanding officer of the 18 Rashtriya Rifles battalion there.The unit had laid two ambushes in the area in early hours of Tuesday night and one of them made contact with militants, an Army statement said. "On getting information about the encounter, Col Sood, along with his Quick Reaction Team, being closest at the Company Operating Base, rushed to the site. In the ensuing firefight, the officer sustained a gun shot wound on his head and succumbed to his injuries," it said....   READ MORE   RDD JE caught accepting bribe 6/24/2010 10:45:56 AM JAMMU: A junior engineer (JE) of rural development department (RDD) was today caught by state vigilance organisation (SV) while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000. The JE, whom SVO sources identified as Ishpal Singh of Beerwah, Kashmir, was at present posted at Budgam. At present, he was putting up at Alochabagh. A written complaint was made against Ishpal with SVO by Mohammad Yousaf Wani, a contractor, of Piamus, Budgam, in which he alleged that the JE was demanding a bribe of Rs 1,000 from him for finalising a bill on account of construction of Siakokber Kol done by him under NREGS. Acting on the complaint, SVO sleuths laid a trap and held the JE while demanding and acceptin...   READ MORE   Students find hard to fill Shalin’s loss 6/24/2010 10:45:41 AM EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, June 23: Unlike the moments of happiness and reunion excitement after vacations the students of Air Force School Satwari today met on a solemn and somber note. The School reopened today after summer vacation only to mourn on the first day the sad and brutal killing of its student Shaleen Gupta of Class 5th. Shocked and awe-struck, both students as well as the teachers felt frightened even to discuss the horrifying incident that snatched one of the students of this school recently. Perturbed and aghast in particular were the students of the fifth standard who felt a vacuum of Shaleen in the class. "I can't believe this that my friend Shaleen is no more...   READ MORE   Police accused of trying to hush up case 6/24/2010 10:45:22 AM EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, June 23: Already under severe criticism for mishandling the June 11 Shalin abduction and murder case, police were today accused of trying to hush up the case to shield the accused. The apprehensions in this regard were made by none else than Shalin's father Naresh Gupta in an interaction with scribes who visited his residence at Nai Basti today. He alleged that the civil and police administration was trying to hush up the case under political influencne. Naresh said the government had ordered the transfer of DSP (Gandhinagar) Kulwant Jasrotia at a time when he was close to unravel the mystery behind his son's abduction and murder for a ransom of Rs 10 lakh. ...   READ MORE   Bandh, Bandh, Bandh: Kashmiris fed up with the bandh culture 6/24/2010 10:45:01 AM RUSTAM EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, June 23: The immediate fallout of the shutdown always is the closure of business establishments and educational institutions, disruption in all the economic activities and transport service and a very thin attendance in the government and semi-government establishments. The government activities also come to a grinding halt. The common people suffer in the process. They face the difficulties. And, if the disgruntled and frustrated separatists give a shutdown call when the tourist season is on, the immediate result - apart from what has been referred to above - is harassment and inconvenience to the tourists. The hoteliers; the restaurant, tea stall and...   READ MORE   High percentage charged in canteens Soliders get raw deal from J&K on VAT 6/24/2010 10:44:36 AM Kunal Shrivatsa EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, June 23: It may sound strange but it is true that the state, from where a very high percentage of aspirants including men and women every year vie to don the colours of olive green, seems to have no regard for their passion to serve the motherland. Going by the Value Added Tax (VAT) regime in the state it holds true that serving as well as retired soldiers here are being treated just as any other ordinary citizen. Though the Canteen Stores Department (CSD) of Indian Army are exempted from VAT in several states of the country and in others a nominal 4 percent is imposed but here in J&K it is charged at the rate of staggering 13.5 ...   READ MORE   BOSE extends ‘flexibility’ to Kashmir ETT candidates 6/24/2010 10:44:15 AM EARLY TIMES REPORT JAMMU, June 23: In a display of blatant favouritism, Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) gave approval to admissions of 670 Elementary Teachers Training (ETT) candidates belonging to 11 colleges from Kashmir division, just 13 days before the commencement of their examination. Astonishingly, the candidates also appeared in the examination held on June 21 which was completely in violation of norms. Sources said that there should be at least 188 days teaching academic calendar for every candidate to appear in exams. As per the notification issued by the Board authorities on June 8, the candidates of eleven ETT colleges from Kashmir division were asked...   READ MORE   New Delhi takes to out of box diplomacy 6/24/2010 10:43:26 AM ABID SHAH NEW DELHI, June 23: Faced with increased US involvement in affairs nearer home, India has of late started asserting for its rights more resolutely before the West. Indications to this have not only been coming through the Government moves after an American corporation got virtually scot-free after 25 years of litigation starting off with Bhopal gas tragedy but also by certain other gestures emanating from New Delhi. he most significant among these is the homage that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has paid to 329 victims of the crash of Air India Flight No.182 who lost their lives in the tragedy that occurred 25 years ago on this day -- June 23 -- in 1985 and is famously known aft...   READ MORE   Fate on Guru's mercy petition to be decided shortly 6/24/2010 10:41:47 AM Early Times Report Jammu, June 23 : Will the President of India reject or accept the mercy petition filed by Tabusum,wife of Afzal Guru,who has been sentenced to death by the Supreme Court on charge of his involvement in the terrorist attack on the Parliament house on December 13,2001 in which over four security personnel were killed ?This is a million dollar question because of pressure being mounted on the Congress led Government in the centre, one demanding immediate execution of the death sentence and the others favouring life imprisonment.Since the President of India has not yet received any recommendation from the central Government the mercy petition has been hanging fire in the ...   READ MORE

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Supply ration as per fixed scale: Akhoon Farooq calls for increased push to renewable financing Valleyites pay tributes to Shyama Prasad Bone Mass Density Camp organised DO, JK WDC transferred Guv visiting Amarnath Cave Shrine this week Pandits demand reconstruction of Hindu temples Indian Red Cross Society meet convened at Doda PDP lashes out at NC Sex Racket: Challan presented Child murder: Statements of witnesses recorded Mendhar villages reeling under water shortage Harsh for adequate, prompt supply of ration, k-oil 11 JEs of PDD draw salary without attending duty Minister's 'influence' diverted flight Amarnath Yatra arrangements in full swing NSF ridicules JU authorities, alleges mismanagement Dismal functioning of BSNL adds to woes of consumers Madan Lal's utterances embarrass J&K coalition   READ MORE THIS SECTION

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