News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • Jammu Airport tightens COVID norms, RT-PCR test mandatory for unvaccinated travellers

    By ANI

    JAMMU: The Jammu Airport officials have intensified testing of the unvaccinated travellers including the Vaishno Devi pilgrims in the wake of rising COVID-19 cases in the state.

    “Travellers are allowed to leave the airport only if they’re fully vaccinated, otherwise, everyone, including the Vaishno Devi pilgrims have to get tested,” says Sanjeev Kumar Garg, Jammu Airport Director on Saturday. Besides this, all the international travellers are going through RT-PCR, informed the Jammu Airport Director.

    Dr Sanjeev Kumar Garg said that the vaccination certificates of all travellers are being checked.

    Dr Mohit Kapoor Nodal Officer for COVID-19 testing at the Airport said that regular testing is done following the Government Guidelines.” In cases, passenger tests positive on arrival we are sending them to DRDO hospital”, added Kapoor. He further informed that at present there is 50 per RTPCR and 50 per cent Rapid Antigen Test (RAT). “In case of a person without a vaccination certificate, we are doing RTPCR and RAT both. Approximately 200 to 250 tests are done every day”, Dr Kapoor added.

    Stanzin, a passenger who lauded the effort taken by the airport authority, said, “This is a good step as testing is important to control the spread of COVID-19.”

    Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday reviewed COVID-19 pandemic preparedness in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and advised the setting up of a Dashboard as well as a public helpline in order to build up the confidence of the common masses.

    The high-level online meeting connected different districts ranging from Jammu to Srinagar as well as the two divisional headquarters of Kashmir and Jammu respectively.

    Jitendra Singh advised setting up of at least one Dashboard each in the office of Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir respectively for real-time information, which could be shared and could also offer regular inputs for follow up.

  • J&K: One terrorist killed in encounter in Kupwara’s Jumagund area

    By ANI

    KUPWARA: An unidentified terrorist has been neutralised in an encounter with the security forces in the Jumagund area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district, police informed on Saturday.

    The Jammu and Kashmir Police in a tweet said, “One unidentified terrorist killed in an encounter at Jumagund area of Kupwara. Army and Police are on the job. Further details shall follow.”

    Further details are awaited.

    A total of 171 terrorists were killed in the year 2021 of which 19 were Pakistani terrorists, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Friday.

    Addressing a press conference here, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that all those who were involved in the Zewan terror attack, in which three police personnel were killed and 11 injured on December 13, have been neutralized.

    “An encounter broke out last night at the Pantha Chowk area of Srinagar as we got info that three terrorists involved in the Zewan terror attack are hiding. Security forces cordoned the area, during the initial firing three Police and two CRPF personnel got injured. All injured personnel are stable,” he said.(ANI)

  • Congress for more compensation to Vaishno Devi shrine stampede victims 

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Attributing the death of 12 pilgrims in a stampede at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine to the ‘grave negligence’ of the administration, the Congress party on Saturday demanded a Rs 50 lakh compensation to families of those killed and Rs 10 lakh to the injured in the ‘tragic’ incident.

    The J&K unit of Congress demanded the enhanced compensation over and above Rs 10 lakh announced for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to the injured.

    Senior party leaders including AICC Seva Dal chief Lal Ji Desai, J&K Congress president G A Mir and working president Raman Bhalla observed a two-minute silence to pay tributes to the deceased and pray for early recovery of the injured.

    At least 12 pilgrims were killed and over a dozen others injured in a stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir in the early hours of the day.

    Lt Governor Manoj Sinha ordered a probe into the incident and also announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased person and Rs two lakh to each injured.

    “The incident is the result of the grave negligence on the part of the administration and management. We demand a high-level probe into the tragedy and adequate ex gratia relief of Rs 50 Lakh for fatalities and Rs 10 Lakh to each injured,” Mir told reporters here.

    The Congress leaders present at the press conference including Desai expressed shock over the tragedy at the holy shrine and sympathies for families of those killed.

    The AICC Seva Dal chief said the increase in GST rates on items of common use by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is a New Year gift to the people of the country, who are already reeling under high inflation and rising unemployment.

    “On every New Year day, we used to wish each other happiness and prosperity, like for the last seven years, this year also the gift given to the people of the country by the Modi government is price rise and inflation,” the Congress leader said.

    “The Modi government gave a New Year gift to all of us in the form of Inflation. This new inflation is coupled with a consistently high unemployment rate above 7.5 per cent during most of the year 2021,” he said.

    He said the inflationary pressure is mounting, with November 2021 WPI at 14.23 per cent, which is at over a 10-year high, and its impact is likely to be felt more acutely in the year ahead.

    “As we usher in the New Year, be prepared to spend more on basic items of daily use — what to say about luxury goods. From buying clothes and footwear to withdrawing our own money from ATMs is going to be expensive,” he said.

    Meanwhile, CPI(M) regional secretary Hari Singh also expressed grief over the stampede at the Vaishno Devi shrine.

    In a statement issued here, Singh urged the administration to provide free of cost treatment to the injured and adequate ex gratia to the families of the deceased.

  • Infiltration attempts by Pakistan in J-K declined in 2021: Lt Gen DP Pandey

    By ANI

    Anantnag (Jammu and Kashmir): General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, Lt General DP Pandey on Friday claimed that the infiltration attempts from the other side of the border into Jammu and Kashmir have gone down this year, adding that terror groups are trying to recruit young children aged 15-16 years.

    “The infiltration attempts are not serious as of now. The numbers have gone down this year. We are vigilant and totally prepared to ensure that no one is able to sneak in,” said Pandey while talking to ANI.

    Pandey also claimed that the violence has also reduced in the Union Territory this year, adding that terrorists are finding it hard to recruit people into the ranks of terrorists.

    Terror groups are finding it hard to recruit well-educated youth between 22-25 years of age. So now they are turning to young children aged 15-16 years old to join the ranks of terrorists. I am sure that these parameters are going in a direction which will ensure a better and safe environment for the people of Kashmir,” he added.

    Regarding the Army’s activities to strengthen its relationship with the common citizens, Pandey said that the Army’s relations with the people are already pretty good and it is reflected in how they are allowed to carry out their operations.

    “We are engaging at various levels with the civil population. We are looking for support from civil society to end this cycle of violence,” he added.

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that around 86 local terrorists are currently active in Jammu and Kashmir.

    Notably, Vijay Kumar on Thursday said that the number of active terrorists in the valley has come down to less than 200 while the number of active local terrorists have reduced to less than 100, for the first time in history.

    “We have been able to breach the mark of 200 terrorists in Kashmir, as it has come down to 180. For the first time in history, local terrorists have reduced to less than 100. The count is 85-86 after yesterday’s encounter. So, terrorism is reducing,” said IGP Kashmir said while addressing a joint press conference on the two encounters in Kulgam and Anantnag district.

    He further said that out of 128 local militants who joined militancy this year, 73 were killed while 17 were arrested.

    The encounter which broke out on Wednesday evening in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag and Kulgam districts, ended this morning with the killing of six JeM terrorists including two Pakistani nationals and an army soldier. 

  • Twin encounters in J&K; six militants, Army jawan killed

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Six Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants, including two Pakistani nationals involved in the December 13 attack on a police bus on the outskirts of the city, were killed in twin encounters in south Kashmir that also left an Army jawan dead, officials said on Thursday.

    While three militants were killed in an overnight encounter in Anantnag, three others were killed in the gunfight which took place in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday evening, the officials said.

    Two jawans and a police personnel were injured during the Anantnag operation, they said.

    The encounters took place after the forces launched cordon and search operations in Nowgam Shahabad area in Anantnag district, and Mirhama area of Kulgam – both in south Kashmir – after specific inputs about the presence of militants in these areas on Wednesday evening.

    In the last about five days, security forces have carried out multiple operations across the valley resulting in 11 hardcore terrorists being neutralised, killed.

    On Wednesday night, in two separate operations, six terrorists, including two Pakistani terrorists, of JeM cadre have been neutralised in Kulgam and Anantnag, General officer Commanding of the Army’s 15 Corps, Lt Gen D P Pandey said.

    He was addressing a joint press conference along with Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, at Qazigund in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

    The GoC said during the operation, Sepoy Jasbir Singh lost his life.

    “As the operation was being conducted in very heavily built up area, while evacuating civilians from harm’s way, we had two Army personnel and one JKP personnel suffering gunshot wounds. They are all stable as of now,” he said.

    The IGP Kashmir said the JeM group was involved in the December 13 attack on a police bus in Zewan area on the outskirts of the city here in which three policemen were killed.

    “After the Zewan attack, I had shared with you that JeM carried out the attack. Security forces personnel will be happy to know that this is the same group which carried out the attack in which three policemen were martyred,” he said.

    Kumar identified the three militants behind the attack as Suhail Ahmad Rather, resident of Zaffran Colony, Peer Altaf Hussain alias Mufti Altaf, resident of Nathipora Dooru, and a Pakistani national Sultan, alias Rayees.

    “Rayees was active in south Kashmir since 2017. His aim was to inflict heavy casualty on the forces. Although, our forces had retaliated heavily (in Zewan), but still three were martyred. We had promised to neutralise this group before the end of the year,” Kumar said.

    He said so far this month, 24 terrorists, including five Pakistani nationals, have been killed.

    “Two US-made M-4 Carbine rifles, 15 AK-47, two dozen pistols and some grenade and IEDs have been recovered. This proves that Pakistan wants to foment trouble here,” he said.

    The IGP said security forces have delivered a huge setback to JeM this year by killing its number one and number two.

    However, he said, the outfit is still planning attacks on forces and “there is a danger of IED blasts”. “But, police and security forces are on alert. Our intelligence network is fully alert and we will give a befitting reply to it,” he added.

    He said if Pakistan claims the bodies of the foreign JeM militants, police is “ready to give back the bodies”.

  • Terrorists hurl grenade towards security bunker in J-K’s Anantnag

    By ANI

    ANANTNAG: Terrorists lobbed a grenade towards a security bunker in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Monday.

    According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, the incident took place in the Arwani area of Bijbehara in Anantnag.

    Further details are awaited. 

  • Grassroots democracy strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said grassroots democracy has been strengthened in Jammu and Kashmir since holding of the District Development Council (DDC) elections, overdue for decades, was given top priority.

    A big change in terms of inclusive development was now evident at the ground level that reiterates the government’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’ and in the principle of ‘justice for all, appeasement to none’, he said.

    Elections to 280 DDC seats, 14 in each of the 20 districts, were held in eight phases in Jammu and Kashmir from November 28 to December 19 last year.

    This was proof of the importance that the Narendra Modi government gave to strengthening the pillars of grassroots democracy in the Union Territory, Singh said at a convention on ‘Good Governance Week’ organised by the Kathua district administration.

    He said a new political culture has been set in the country that is based on “equality for all” without discrimination of any kind.

    With this new political culture, all constitutional values and principles are being followed at every level, especially in governance, the Union minister said.

    He said Prime Minister Modi took a personal interest in Shahpur Kandi Dam Project and it is only with his intervention that the work on this project resumed after 45 years.

    Asserting that India has “more than 70 per cent of the youth population of the world”, Singh said their dynamism and exuberance is required for making of the ‘New India’ in governance and civil services.

    The prime minister has emphasised that development should not be restricted to a few places.

    It should be taken to far-flung areas where the development was earlier only talked about but never done, he said.

    Singh said the Shahpur-Kandi project, north India’s first cable-stayed bridge Atal Setu, Jammu and Kashmir’s first interstate bridge at Keerian-Gandyal, the new national highway from Lakhanpur-Bani-Basohli-Doda via Chattargala Tunnel, centrally funded Government Medical College, engineering colleges among others have placed Kathua as one of the most enviable districts of India.

    On the occasion, he also virtually laid the foundation of a 100-bed girls hostel under RMSA to be built at Government High School, Basoli, development projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, long vented causeways at Stoora and Badala and span type steel bridges at Mashka and Ghatti.

    He also distributed cheques to the beneficiaries under the Ladli Beti Scheme and State Marriage Assistance Scheme.

  • Six terrorists killed in 48 hours in Kashmir security operations

    By IANS

    SRINAGAR: The killer of a police official was among the six terrorists neutralised in the last 48 hours in four anti-terrorist operations in Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

    Police said based on specific information generated by them regarding the presence of a terrorist in the village Kalan Sirgufwara area of Anantnag, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police and army’s 3 RR on Saturday.

    “During the search operation, as the presence of terrorist got ascertained, he was given ample opportunities to surrender. However, he denied the surrender opportunities and instead fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which retaliated leading to an encounter,” police said.

    In the ensuing encounter, the trapped terrorist was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of encounter.

    “He has been identified as Faheem Bhat, a resident of Kandipora, Anantnag affiliated with proscribed terror outfit ISJK. It is pertinent to mention that the killed terrorist had recently joined terror outfit ISJK and was the main accused behind the killing of ASI Mohammad Ashraf near Police Station Bijbehara,” police said

    Incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from his possession.

    Pertinently, in the last 48 hours, joint teams of police and the security forces neutralised six terrorists in four successful anti-terrorist operations without any collateral damage.

  • Wheels of justice collapsed: Mehbooba Mufti after 1 convict in Kathua rape case gets bail

    By PTI

    JAMMU: The wheels of justice have “completely collapsed”, said PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday after one of the convicts in the 2018 Kathua rape case was granted bail by a court in Punjab.

    On December 21, the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended the remaining sentence and jail term of dismissed police sub-inspector Anand Dutta and ordered that he be released upon furnishing surety bonds.

    “Perturbed that the policeman convicted for destroying evidence in Kathua rape case was granted bail and his jail term suspended. When a child raped and bludgeoned to death is deprived of justice, it becomes obvious that the wheels of justice have completely collapsed,” Mufti tweeted.

    The eight-year-old girl was raped and murdered in the Kathua district in January 2018 and the verdict in the case was pronounced on June 10, 2019, by a court in Pathankot, Punjab, where the case was shifted on the directions of the Supreme Court.

    The court convicted six people, including the main accused Sanji Ram, dismissed Special Police Officers Deepak Khajuria and Parvesh Kumar who were sentenced to life imprisonment.

    Three dismissed policemen Anand Dutta, Tilak Raj, and Surender Verma were sentenced to five years in jail for hampering material evidence.

    Dutta has already undergone more than half of the sentence awarded to him, while the sentence of co-accused Tilak Raj was also suspended on December 16 by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

  • Two arrested on espionage charges in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Two persons were arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan in a village in border district of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday.

    A man working as a porter with the Army and his relative, both residents of Nowshera, were picked up by a joint team of the Army and police on a specific information late Saturday night, they said.

    They said the duo is accused of taking videos of vital and sensitive security installations and sharing these with their handlers outside the country in lieu of money.

    A case under relevant sections of law was registered and further investigation is going on, the officials added.