MUMBAI
The Maharashtra government is buying land in Ayodhya and Kashmir to set up tourist facilities for its people. In Kashmir, the government will be constructing Maharashtra Bhawan in Budgam. The government has sanctioned 2.5 acres of land in Ichgam, near the Srinagar airport, for the project. The Jammu and Kashmir administration has approved transferring land to the Maharashtra government for Rs 8.16 crore. The property purchase process began in June 2023, when Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited Lt Governor Manoj Sinha. This makes Maharashtra the first state to have its facility in Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Displaced families from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) expressed discontent over the laying of the foundation stone for a PoJK Bhawan on the outskirts of Jammu on March 12. The controversy arose as a significant portion of displaced persons questioned the necessity of the Bhawan, stating that no request or proposal was submitted to the administration for its construction. Prominent PoJK refugee organisations criticised the administration for trivialising their suffering and ignoring genuine issues. They argued against the wasteful expenditure on a Bhawan located far from refugee habitation areas
The gender ratio of the electorate in Jammu and Kashmir has improved from 945 women voters per 1,000 men in 2019 to 954 in 2024 and in 16 assembly constituencies, the ratio has reached an equal level between the two in the same five-year period.
KASHMIR
The Muslim fasting month of Ramzaan came at a time when the temperature indicated a sort of winter. Normally the month witnesses massive consumption of watermelons which is dictated by the quantum of the faithful’s thirst. Market players have historically used reopeners to seize the season. This year, when the demand was at an all-time low, an oncologist’s public post brought the fruit into the news. He warned people against consuming artificially ripened watermelons. Now two lobbies are battling it out – the traders who have purchased early crops from Gujarat but are not able to sell and the government agencies who are insisting that the reopeners have not been used. The consumption of the fruit is down but nobody understands that it is dictated by temperature and not by a doctor. The watermelon consumption is expected to improve later this month. It is currently selling only half of last year when it would trigger a turnover of more than Rs 5 crore daily.
The Administrative Council approved the installation of a vertical lift from Peerkho Station to the Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex as part of the Jammu Ropeway Project. Estimated at Rs 25.07 crore, the project involves two lifts, each accommodating 13 passengers, facilitating efficient transportation.
KISHTWAR
In a heartbreaking event, four members of a family – a man, a wife and their two children, lost their lives after their car fell into a gorge, leaving only one survivor who is battling for life. The family was in a car travelling to Jammu when it skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in the periphery of Kishtwar town near the Bhandarkot area.
The Jammu and Kashmir government extended financial help to 350 youth from Kashmiri Pandit and erstwhile residents of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoJK) and former West Pakistan refugees, to start their startups.
DELHI
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable properties valued at Rs 2.45 crore linked to Mohammad Shafi Dar and Abdul Hamid Hajam in the Jammu and Kashmir State Cooperative Bank (JKSTCB) loan fraud case of 2019. The case involves the fraudulent sanction and disbursement of a loan amounting to Rs 223 crore to a fictitious cooperative society named River Jehlum Cooperative House Building Society in Srinagar. This marks the second provisional attachment in the case, following an earlier attachment of properties worth Rs 193.46 crore in December 2023. Additionally, prosecution under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been initiated against six individuals, including the aforementioned accused, before a PMLA court in Srinagar. The accused, including Hilal Ahmad Mir, Abdul Hamid Hajam, Mohammad Mujeeb Ur Rehman Ghassi, Syed Ashiq Hussain, and Mohammad Shafi Dar, are accused of conspiring to fraudulently secure a loan from the JKSTCB in the name of a non-existent society, diverting funds for land purchases without collateral security, and bypassing regulatory procedures.
In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections Jammu and Kashmir will have 3.4 lakh first-time voters.
KUPWARA
In a rather filmy event, a restaurant owner was arrested along with an accomplice for setting a building on fire to claim the insurance money. The incident took place in Batergam where a non-local Mohammad Feroz Alam, lost his life. The Kupwara Police Station commenced proceedings under Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Two people identified as Abrar Ahmad Bhat, son of Ghulam Hassan Bhat, a resident of Battergam, and Zakir Ahmad Bhat, son of Mohammad Afzal Bhat, a resident of Gulgam, intentionally started the fire. As a result, a case (FIR No. 54/2024) was filed under sections 302, 436, 420, and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Both accused had then fled Jammu and Kashmir, seeking refuge in Punjab. They were captured and returned to Kupwara to face legal charges. During interrogation, the accused admitted to setting fire to the structure to get money from the insurance company.
Four drug peddlers were arrested from Budgam, Kulgam and Baramulla districts on separate occasions.
JAMMU
The Jammu and Kashmir administration recently approved a distinct 10 per cent job quota for newly incorporated Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities. This quota encompasses various groups such as the Paharis, ethnic tribes, Paddari tribes, Kolis, and Gadda Brahmins. Notably, the existing 10 per cent quota allocated to communities like Gujjars, Bakerwals, and others under the ST category remains intact. Additionally, the administration sanctioned the inclusion of 15 new castes in the Other Backward Category (OBC), augmenting their quota to 8 per cent. Changes in the nomenclature and synonymy of certain castes, as advised by the Socially and Economically Backward Classes Commission, were also endorsed. Previously, a 10 per cent quota for Gurjars and the Bakerwal communities had been sanctioned, bringing the overall ST quota in Jammu and Kashmir to 20 per cent.
Forester Mansoor Ahmad and officer Mushtaq Ahmad were arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, in north Kashmir for allegedly asking and taking a bribe of Rs 12,500 for processing and issuing a travel permit.
KULGAM
The Jammu and Kashmir Government dismissed Manzoor Ahmed Laway, a Teacher in the Education Department, under Article 311 of the Constitution of India due to his involvement in “anti-national activities”, including instigating mobs and participating in terror-related incidents. This dismissal aligns with the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards such elements, with Laway being one of 56 officials dismissed under Article 311 for similar reasons.
Administrative Council (AC) has sanctioned the transfer of 22 kanals and two marlas of land located in Estate Devipora, Tulmulla, Ganderbal, to the Animal Husbandry Department.
CANADA
The tragic deaths of aKashmir-origin couple, Rajiv Warikoo (51) and Shilpa Kotha (47), along with their 16-year-old daughter, Mahek Warikoo, in a suspicious fire in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, has shocked the community. Peel Police confirmed the identities of the victims after human remains were found in the burnt home. Constable Taryn Young labelled the fire as suspicious, leading to a homicide investigation. Despite living peacefully for 15 years, neighbours were stunned by the incident, emphasising the urgency of the ongoing investigation. Authorities are urging anyone with relevant information or footage to assist in unravelling the circumstances surrounding this devastating event.
A charge sheet has been filed by JK Police against 12 in a Rs 300 crore drug haul case.
SHOPIAN
The railway ministry’s decision to extend its network into more Kashmiri districts encounters resistance from farmers concerned about the potential loss of their orchards. The proposed expansion includes final location surveys for five lines, sparking protests among fruit growers, particularly in the Shopian area. Officials faced opposition while surveying orchards for the Awantipora-Shopian line, with villagers adamantly refusing to allow the railway through their lands. Residents emphasise the significance of their orchards, highlighting their decades-long cultivation and vital role in sustaining livelihoods. The sanctioned railway lines include the doubling of the Baramulla-Banihal section (135.5 km), Baramulla-Uri (50 km), Sopore-Kupwara (33.7 km), Awantipora-Shopian (27.6 km) and Anantnag-Bijbehara-Pahalgam (77.5 km). Political parties, including the National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party, echo concerns about the potential loss of orchards and stress the importance of addressing local apprehensions in development initiatives.
Rs 224.44 crore was sanctioned by the Central Government for the construction of Shopian Bypass.
LADAKH
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed solidarity with Ladakh’s demand for full Statehood, urging the government to heed the people’s voices. Gandhi shared a video of Ladakhi residents fasting for eight days to support this cause. Criticizing the BJP for unfulfilled promises, she highlighted the growing Chinese presence and accused the government of betrayal. Environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk and others endure harsh conditions in their eight-day fast, demanding Statehood and security under the 6th Schedule. Gandhi emphasised the government’s obligation to fulfil these demands and called for an end to its stubbornness, advocating for the rights and concerns of Ladakhi citizens.
DELHI
The Centre has enacted a ban on two Jammu and Kashmir-based groups, the Muslim Conference (Sumji faction) and the Muslim Conference (Bhat faction), employing the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for five years. The banned organisations have been implicated in activities fostering discord and posing threats to the nation’s security. Additionally, the ban on other parties like the Jammu Kashmir National Front and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF-Y) has been extended, citing their involvement in activities deemed prejudicial to national security and unity. Meanwhile, the Government has set up a panel, headed by Justice Navin Chawla of the Delhi High Court, which will adjudicate on whether there is sufficient ground for declaring the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir, a banned organisation. The organisation was initially banned on February 28, 2019, and on February 27, the ban has been extended by five years.
