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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday praised the armed forces for safeguarding the country and assured them of his government's complete support in mitigating their problems. He was addressing a function organised by the Army at Tanda Artillery Brigade in the Akhnoor sector near Jammu to celebrate the ninth Armed Forces Veterans' Day celebrations. The defence minister was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan. You have given everything for this nation without caring for yourself you have rendered your duties and it is now our duty to take care of your needs and address your problems, the chief minister said. He assured the armed forces of his government's support to address their issues. You have done a great favour to us in safeguarding our borders and I assure you the J-K government will always be available for you. If there has been any shortcoming, we will set it right and will reach out to you and ensure that you get reservation and an
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he will keep the promises he made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and right things will happen at the right time. Modi was addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the strategically important Z-Morh tunnel here. His remarks shortly came after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sought restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during his speech at the event. "You have to believe that this is Modi and he keeps his promises. There is a right time for everything and right things will happen at the right time," Modi said without mentioning the demand for restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. The prime minister further said that Jammu and Kashmir is the crown of the country and he wants it to be beautiful and prosperous. "There is an atmosphere of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and we have seen its effect on tourism. Kashmir is writing a new saga of development today," he said. He said the Kashmir valley will soon be connected by tra
PM Modi inaugurated the Z-morh tunnel in Central Kashmir's Ganderbal district in the presence of Abdullah and Lt Governor Manoj Sinha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the strategically important Z-Morh tunnel in the Sonamarg area of Jammu and Kashmir which will make the tourist resort accessible round the year. After inaugurating the Rs 2,700 crore project, the prime minister went inside the tunnel and interacted with the project officials. He also met the construction workers who worked meticulously amid harsh conditions to complete the tunnel. Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were also present at the inauguration. The PM landed in Srinagar at 10.45 am and then flew to Sonamarg for the inauguration. He will also address a public meeting. This is his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the assembly elections in September-October last year. The 6.5 km-long two-lane bi-directional road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district is equipped with a parallel 7.5-metre escape passage f
Raut's remarks came after Communist Party of India General Secretary D Raja admitted that the INDIA bloc 'stands divided' post-Lok Sabha election 2024
The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister acknowledged that terrorism and stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir have declined, attributing the improvement to changing circumstances
Built at an altitude of 8,652 feet, the Z-Morh tunnel connects Gagangir and Sonmarg, a popular tourist destination
Abdullah said that his party seeks collaboration with the central government to resolve Jammu and Kashmir's challenges rather than engaging in confrontations
Delhi elections: AAP and Congress leaders clash in Delhi campaigns; Congress accuses AAP of corruption, poor governance, while AAP alleges Congress is aligning with BJP
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday allayed fears of any negative fallout on Jammu after the launch of direct rail service between Kashmir and the rest of the country anytime soon, saying his government will ensure that the region benefits immensely by the completion of the long-pending project. Abdullah was speaking at a function organised here in connection with the virtual inauguration of the Jammu railway division by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the start of direct train service to Kashmir from Katra, with the final trial run scheduled for Tuesday. "Two days ago, we got this good news through media that the trial train reached Katra from Srinagar. It is expected that very soon, the prime minister will inaugurate this section which will complete the railway line and immensely benefit the people of the region," the chief minister said. However, he said there are some concerns among the people related to the rail service, especially in Jammu. "It is .
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced that the state government will be able to provide 200 units of electricity for free to consumers only if meters are installed.He added that the scheme would likely be rolled out from March- April this year.The Chief Minister noted that the consumption of electricity in the state is more than the supply and J-K's Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT & C) losses are already high, nearly 50 per cent.CM Abdullah asserted that the power supply can be increased after under construction power projects in the territory gets completed.Addressing a press conference, CM Abdullah said, "200 units free will be rolled out only after the areas are metered. How else would you measure the units? When we roll out this scheme in March-April, all can benefit from this scheme.""The electricity load that we have is much more than what we are supplying. The sooner our power projects which are being constructed here finish, would be ..
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday expressed hope that Jammu and Kashmir's Union Territory status is a temporary phase and that the central government fulfils its promise of restoring its statehood. "It has been a little over two months since we came to power. It took us time to understand how the UT government works. We have been associated with the government earlier, but there is a vast difference between that form and the present form," Abdullah said at a media interaction at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here. The chief minister said the start of the new government has been "decent" and that they "did not find much difficulty" in it. "We are bound by our election promises. We have started the process of implementing some of the promises and for other promises, we need change in the system. I hope J-K being a UT is a temporary phase," Abdullah said. "We the people are now expecting that the promises made with us will be fulfilled. The biggest ...
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah have expressed deep sorrow over the death of five soldiers in a road accident in Poonch distrcit.The JK CM has also assured full support to the families of the soldiers who died near a forward post along the Line of Control (LoC) during this 'difficult time'."The President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, and the Vice President and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have expressed their profound sorrow and heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of five soldiers in a road accident near a forward post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district. The leaders have extended their deepest sympathies to the families of the fallen soldiers, assuring them of the government's support in this difficult time. They also prayed for the quick and complete recovery of the injured soldiers, wishing them strength in their recovery process," JKNC posted on X.Five soldiers ..
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has stressed the importance of using south Indian cinema to promote the natural beauty of Jammu and Kashmir as part of a broader strategy to boost tourism in the region. The chief minister also expressed a desire to engage more with filmmakers from the south Indian industry, which he believes has been overlooked so far. "The places we should be focusing on where the money is there, the budgets are big are actually the south Indian film industry. That, for reasons of arrogance or ignorance, we have consciously ignored up until now. So they are the ones with movie budgets of Rs 300-400 crore," Abdullah told PTI during a recent interview. The chief minister observed the tourism sector would benefit greatly if films depicted the scenic beauty of Jammu and Kashmir, as he highlighted the historical connection with Bollywood that, he said, had played an important role in establishing the valley as a favourite honeymoon destination for generations of Indians. T
People's Democratic Party (PPD) leader Iltija Mufti accused the chief minister Omar Abdullah-led Jammu and Kasmir of cancelling at least 1.5 lakh ration cards.The PDP leader who is a vocal critic of the National Conference government also complained about the power curtailments durin the ongoing winter months.Speaking to reporters here on the "Cancellation of BPL rations cards", Iltija Mufti said, " The new government had in their election manifesto promised to provide 10 kilograms floor and rice for free for every month".The PDP leader asked the ruling National Conference government: "If you cannot provide anything to people, then do not snatch either. You have at least cancelled 1.5 lakh ration cards. Each ration card has at least 6 family members. You are witnessing the number of families getting affected".Iltija Mufti asked the people around, "This is the first day of 'Chillai Kalan' (40-day period of harsh winter in J & K). Is there electricity around?"To which the crowd ...
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reiterated his government's commitment to "unbiased governance", emphasising that the decisions would not be influenced by political affiliations or party lines. He urged officers to address public issues brought forth by elected representatives with seriousness and urgency. Chairing a district review meeting in Samba, the chief minister was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, ministers Sakeena Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma. The meeting was also attended by District Development Council (DDC) chairperson Samba, Members of Legislative Assembly S S Slathia (Samba), Chander Prakash Ganga (Vijaypur) and Devinder Kumar Manyal (Ramgarh) all from BJP. Besides, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, administrative secretaries, departmental heads and other senior officers also attended the meeting. Highlighting the importance of ...
Opening another point of friction with an important ally, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has dismissed the Congress party's vehement objection to Electronic Voting Machines, and echoed the BJP's defence -- you can't accept election results when you win, and blame EVMs when you lose. "When you get a hundred plus members of Parliament using the same EVMs, and you celebrate that as sort of a victory for your party, you can't then a few months later turn around and say... we don't like these EVMs because now the election results aren't going the way we would like them to," Abdullah told PTI in an exclusive interview on Friday. Told that he sounded suspiciously like a BJP spokesman, Abdullah reacted with God forbid! He then added: "No, it's just that... what's right is right." He said he speaks based on principles rather than with partisan loyalty and cited his support for infrastructure projects like the Central Vista as an example of his independent thinking. "Contrary
Pooh-poohing the BJP's criticism of dynasty politics, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that political lineage is not a lifelong ticket to success and questioned why the ruling party doesn't raise the issue with its allied parties which can also be accused of perpetuating dynasties. Abdullah was responding to a question during an exclusive interview on Friday with PTI whether his family's fourth generation will go into politics, and if that would expose him to fresh criticism of perpetuating dynastic politics the way the Congress party and other opposition parties have been. Abdullah's two lawyer sons have recently made forceful political commentaries, especially on the issue of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that took away Kashmir's special status, an emotive issue among Kashmiris. They also campaigned extensively with their father during the September Assembly elections. "Whatever space they choose to carve out, they will have to make for .
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has bluntly termed the dual governance model in the Union Territory -- where he shares power with the lieutenant governor -- a "recipe for disaster, as he urged the Centre to keep its promise and restore statehood to the region at the earliest. In his first sit-down interview since assuming office in October, Abdullah expressed cautious optimism over the Centre's commitment to restoring J-K's statehood, citing repeated promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah during election campaigns. The chief minister's candid remarks underscore the complex political landscape in Jammu and Kashmir, and the difficulties in pushing for a more defined and unified administrative leadership by virtue of getting statehood. Abdullah drew parallels with corporate leadership, challenging anyone to name a successful business with multiple leaders. "Let me just say this, having two power centres anywhere is a recipe for ...
Acknowledging the persistent challenges faced by the industrial sector in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reaffirmed his government's commitment to supporting local industries in overcoming these difficulties. Abdullah also highlighted the positive impact of the now-defunct 'Darbar Move' on Jammu's vibrancy, assuring people that the government will resume the practice in the future. Darbar Move is the bi-annual practice of shifting the seat of power between Jammu and Srinagar during winters and summers, respectively. Speaking at an event organised by the Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) here, where he was felicitated for assuming office as chief minister, Abdullah underscored his administration's dedication to reviving the industrial sector. "There is no shortage of issues. If I were to claim that these problems have only emerged in the past decade, it would be misleading. These challenges are not new, nor are they solely the result of Jammu a