DELHI
Finally, something very obvious has been formalised by a Delhi newspaper in a survey of India’s most powerful people. Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has got the 24 rank in being powerful with Prime Minister at No 1 slot. Interestingly Mehbooba Mufti and Dr Farooq Abdullah have got No 88 and No 89. Why the newspaper gave LG Sinha the status in first 25 most powerful? “It is not easy to run Jammu and Kashmir, especially after the abrogation of its special status in 2019. While it saw his predecessor being transferred in just a year after revocation of special status, Manoj Sinha has managed to cling on to power for almost three years now. Also, at the Centre, the belief is that the dynasty reigns of the Abdullahs and Muftis are passe and Jammu and Kashmir needs new faces. Sinha has been brought in to identify younger politicians, who can bridge the gap with seniors of the region as well as bring disparate sections of the society together”. He has been credited for managing the first FDI to Kashmir and 2-screen cinema multiplexes and a big shopping mall.
Jammu and Kashmir has nearly completed the process of appointing around 10,000 young and educated people from different villages to grassroots-level posts of lambardars and chowkidars. Against sanctioned posts of 7,056 lambardars and 2,718 chowkidars, only 2,220 lambardars and 1,165 chowkidars were found eligible to continue doing their work after verification of their character and antecedents and a balance of 4832 lambardars and 1553 chowkidars were found worth replaceable.
SRINAGAR
Within the abode of Hangul, the threatened Kashmir stag, the wildlife department has started the hospital at Dachigam National Park. It provides top amenities and medical help to rescued and seriously injured animals. The facilities that Kashmir’s first wildlife hospital offers include surgery, genetic testing and all kind of diagnosis. The department has procured the latest equipment for the molecular laboratory where the DNA of the animals is extracted. It is basically a research centre that caters to the research aspect by serving as a DNA bank, which is expected to help in forensics and conservation projects. The facility is equipped with high-end facilities like microscopes, incubators, minus-40 refrigeration and other facilities. Last fortnight a leopard underwent a USG.
The Network Planning Group (NPG), a body under PM Gati Shakti, has given nod to the construction of 500-GW Solar Park in Ladakh with an investment of Rs 20,700 crore including the Central support of Rs 8300 crore.
PAHALGAM
Mahira Shah holds the world record for making the smallest mandala shikara. An ancient Indian art pattern, Mandala involves the drawing of circles in intricate designs. Mahira entered the Indian Books of Records for making the world’s smallest shikara in size of an A3 sheet. She credits her husband, Inamul Haq for locating her passion and encouraging her. She is basically from Tral and married in Pahalgam. “She worked with the intention of breaking the world record or to set a new record,” Haq told reporters. “She created several mandala art pieces such as shikara, spinning wheel and kangri. The India Book of Records accepted her entry and also nominated her for the Gold medal.”
The Registrar of Companies has cancelled the registration of 424 non-existing companies in Jammu and Kashmir.
AHMADABAD
An embarrassed administration in Jammu and Kashmir has announced a probe after a Gujarat conman took it for a ride for months. Kiran Bhai Patel was given protocol befitting a top PMO official and now Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Vijay Kumar Bidhuri will probe the goof-up. “The inquiry officer shall identify the lapses on the part of the officers/officials concerned and submit a detailed report within one week,” the order reads. Patel was arrested on March 3, and his bail has been rejected by the court. Since October 2022, he has been fleecing the protocol system of the Jammu and Kashmir administration. Though the police has been saying that Z-plus security cover was extended to him on the recommendation of a Deputy Commissioner, former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah said the decision “whether to provide security (to anyone) is taken at the Police Headquarters.”
In Gujarat, Malini, Mrs conman, has been arrested and the Congress is protesting to seek answers over how a person abused PMO’s name for so many months. They claim that conman has BJP connections and in order to prevent the Congress MLAs from talking about this, they have been suspended for the entire session.
In Srinagar, however, the issue is different. “This man was caught, we don’t know how many other such people are out there,” Omar said. His successor, Ms Mehbooba Mufti said lot of “thugs” with “full authority” have been unleashed on media. The most interesting and telling comment came from an insider, Junaid Matoo, who is the Mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation. “There is one Kiran Patel per every square kilometre of Kashmir today,” he tweeted. “And the blame doesn’t rest with an officer or two. Blame lies with the new political ecosystem… ”
More than 1400 people have pledged organ donation in the last four years, GMC Jammu says.
SOPORE
Yet again, a son killed a mother. In Ramazan, the Muslim month of fasting, a son was arrested by police for hanging to death his own mother in Dangerpora village of Sopore. The son is said to be a drug addict. Police said the son was living with his mother and he was under the influence of drugs when he killed his mother. He has confirmed the killing, police said. Meanwhile, the government told the Lok Sabha that there are nearly 10 lakh drug addicts in Jammu and Kashmir.
KULGAM
In the digital era when printing technologies are advanced, the passion in certain families is leading youngsters to handwrite the Quran, one of the most read books on earth. In Nageenpora (Kund), Shabir Ahmad Bakerwal hand-wrote the Quran in two months. The 17-year-old boy is an underprivileged orphan raised by his mother Jana Begum. Two teachers of a local seminary, Maulana Sabzar Ahmad Koka and Maulana Riyaz, helped him get the basics to realise his childhood dream of handwriting the Quran. Interestingly, Shabir dropped out of school in sixth class after his father died and is the sole breadwinner of the six-member family. “Writing the Quran has helped me find solace in this poverty-battered life,” Shabir has told reporters.
The orphan’s success came within days after the Ganderbal girl, Salima Jagal hand wrote the Quran within four months while memorising it at the same time. A resident of remote Anderwan village in Ganderbal, the Gujjar girl is pursuing her BA.
In the last five years, Rs 239 crore was spent on the conservation of the Dal Lake.
DELHI
Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mann Ki Baat has located Nadru, the Kashmir Lotus Stem, to talk about. He talked about it while referring to the reconstruction of the Sharda temple at Teetwal on LoC. “When there is talk of Kashmir, lotus, flowers, and fragrance, it is natural to think of Maa Sharda, who is seated on a lotus flower. The Great Temple of Maa Sharda was inaugurated in Kupwara a few days ago. This temple is built along the same path that one would take to visit Sharda Peeth,” Modi said in his radio talk. “The first image that springs to mind when we think of Kashmir or Srinagar is of her valleys and Dal Lake. We’d all like to appreciate the beauty of Dal Lake…But, Dal Lake has one more unique feature. Dal Lake is also famous for its delectable Lotus Stems, commonly known as Kamal Kakdi. Lotus stems are called by several names in different parts of the country. In Kashmir, they are known as Nadru. The demand for Kashmiri Nadru is constantly increasing.” This led the administration to rush to the media with the details of how they sent two Nadru
consignments to the UAE, “triggering a hope that the international marketing of this vegetable could give its growers a fresh lease of life”. Kashmir produces less than Kashmir’s Nadru requirement as a result of which portion of the supply is being managed from outside Kashmir.
As many as six hundred street children have been identified and registered with the Directorate of Mission Vatsalya of the Social Welfare Department in Jammu and Kashmir.
JAMMU
For 2023, Jammu has chosen the finalists for its beauty pageant. Of the 15 contestants, Akriti Panotra won the title of Miss North Jammu and Meenakshi Gupta won the title of Mrs North Jammu. Panotra is a trained architect, a model and a volleyball player. Even the special guests were an interesting lot. It included Waqf Board member Sohail Kazmi, who was also the chief guest, former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta besides Pooja Gupta and Meenu Mahajan.
REASI
India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge is nearing completion. Almost 80 km from Jammu, the bridge will help rail mend the banks of Anji river located in Katra and Raesi.
Officials said the last deck portion of the bridge, designed to withstand wind speeds of 213 kilometres per hour, is expected to be completed in May 2023 as six more segments of the bridge are yet to be launched. So far 41 out of 47 segments of the bridge have been completed. The cable-stayed bridge has a central span of 290 metres and only a 52.5-metre portion remains to be completed. The bridge is designed to withstand the chugging of trains at 100 kmph. However, if the wind is blowing beyond 80 kmph, the train will not be permitted to use the bridge. Interestingly, the bridge is an “asymmetrical” bridge erected on a single pylon and it has tunnels on both ends. A tunnel on the Katra end is 5 km in length while another on the Kashmir end is 3 km in length. The cable-stayed portion of the Anji bridge is 472.25 metres while the total length of the bridge is 725.5 metres, which is divided into four parts including an embankment. The deck level of the 193-metre tall bridge from the foundation is 51 meters, while the invested Y-shaped pylon above the deck level is 142 meters.
SRINAGAR
Jammu and Kashmir LG has conferred a wildlife conservation award on Aliya Mir. Kashmir’s first woman who works for Wildlife SOS, a Wildlife Rescue Team, she has been in news for a long time for catching snakes and managing bears within and around Srinagar. She has rescued many wild animals and prevented various conflicts between humans and wildlife through quick intervention.
