Srinagar Diary

Express News Service

Feather in the cap of city of crafts and folk artsSrinagar has been chosen under the Unesco’s prestigious creative city network in the Crafts and Folk Arts category. This paves a way for the city to present its rich heritage of handicrafts on the global stage. The UNESCO creative city network involves seven creative fields — crafts and folk arts, media, film, literature, design, gastronomy and media arts. The nomination for Srinagar was first filed in 2019 and then again this year. Preparations had started under the Jhelum TawiFlood Recovery Project in 2018 and a consultancy firm called Intach- Drona JV was hired after consultating all the stakeholders.

Warning for private schools fleecing parentsAmid complaints that private schools in Kashmir are compelling parents to buy books and uniforms from their premises, the government has warned the schools of de-recognition and cancellation of NoCs if they are found to be indulging in such unethical practices. “All Chief Education Officers shall constitute special morning teams to verify the complaints received on account of sale of books/uniforms by the private schools, pressing parents for purchase from particular shop or school premises and replacing existing books with the new one, thus adding more burden on the parents. This practice is against the instructions that have been issued already earlier,”  said a circular from the Directorate of School Education Kashmir. It warned that deviation from these instructions shall be viewed seriously.

Court says no to token tax on vehicle ownersThe High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has asked the Union Territory government not to demand 9%  token tax from vehicle owners for re-registration of vehicles purchased outside J&K. A division bench barred the government from demanding this tax. It also gave three weeks to the Commissioner Secretary to Transport Department, Transport Commissioner and RTO Kashmir for filing a response to a plea filed against the circular ordering 9%  token tax.  The officials have been asked to appear in person before the court on the next date of hearing.

Food safety violations strictly dealt withThe Srinagar administration has gone tough on erring Food Business Operators (FBO) for not maintaining the standards laid under the Food Safety and Standards Act. Teams of Food Safety Department conducted a special drive in various markets to check the quality of milk, milk products, fruits and vegetables. Over 20 milk samples were collected for tests and around 3 quintals of substandard milk was destroyed. The administration is preparing complaints against over two dozen outlets which were found to be violating sanitary and hygienic requirements.

Fayaz waniOur correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir [email protected]