Srinagar, June 14
Kashmir is reaping the benefits of the ongoing peace in the region as a large number of domestic and foreign tourists have been thronging the Valley these days.

According to tourism officials, about 1,86,670 tourists visited Kashmir in the first five months of this year, compared with 98,613 in the same period last year.

As hotels, houseboats and other places in the Valley get packed with tourists and everyone, from taxi drivers to eateries and handicraft sellers, reporting good business, the tourism industry is praying that there will be no repeat of the violence that singed the last summer.

“Collective efforts of the government and civil society in maintaining normalcy are yielding good results with the state set to witness tourism boom,” Minister for Tourism and Culture Nawang Rigzin Jora said during a meeting with the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Owners Federation here recently. “Better hospitality is imperative for boosting tourism in the state,” he added.

Jora said the exploitation of tourism potential always remained a priority of the government. The development of new tourism spots, besides upgrading infrastructure facilities received attention of the government during the past over two years.

The government was encouraging the private sector for setting up their ventures under tourism trade, he said, adding that incentives, soft loans and other logical support was being provided to the unit holders for the promotion of their ventures within the sector.

The minister said the government was outsourcing its assets to generate employment at tourist spots. He said increase in flights from Srinagar International Airport and air connectivity from Leh to Srinagar would be taken up with the Centre on priority so that the tourists visiting Leh would also be diverted towards the Valley.

Jora said cheating and bargaining with tourists from any person should not be allowed at any cost and the enforcement wing of the Tourism Department had been activated to check the menace.

“This will be strengthened further. The tourism trade stakeholders should comply the rules and regulations in letter and spirit so that no tourist feels cheated and inconvenience while going back to his native land”.

The minister said the authorities had been directed to ensure displaying of rates on each item be it handicrafts, handloom or boarding and lodging charges of hotels etc for the facilitation of tourists

Responding to the demands of the Hotel and Restaurant Federation, the minister said the government endeavoured to provide all possible and genuine support to them for flourishing the tourism trade in the state.

Jora said matters like issuance of pollution certificates for the renewal of registration of hotels, exemption of water taxes, entry of tourist bus during evening in city hotels would be taken with the concerned ministries.

He said the development of a park at near Boulevard, convenience facilities at Nehru Park and Mughal Gardens, besides permission for the renovation of hotels at Pahalgam and boulevard areas would be redressed on priority.

Jammu, June 14
Despite being into June and summer at its peak, barring stray incidents, there has been no big spurt in militancy related violence, including intrusion bids, across the Jammu region so far this year.

However, going by intelligence inputs, the Army and the BSF are anticipating a spurt in infiltration attempts in the coming days.

Till the last couple of years, militants used to attempt major intrusion bids from LoC in border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, besides trying “forced infiltration” from the 198-km-long international border to flare up violence in the state.

“So far, the last five months this year remained peaceful along the LoC because there are instructions from the other side to the militants and their handlers to put the issue on hold for sometime, especially after Abbottabad incident,” said sources in the Army.

“But at a meeting of the United Jehad Council at Muzzaffarabad on May 25, a decision to restart the process had been taken and against this development, we are anticipating a spurt in intrusion bids in the days ahead,” they added

Intelligence inputs also revealed that terror outfits have been asked to revive their network and recruit guides afresh, said an officer, who wished anonymity, adding that the movement of ultras had been observed across the LoC.

After Osama’s killing in Abbottabad, revelations by David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, besides home-grown terror in Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan’s ISI was under pressure to put on hold for sometime aiding and abetting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

“Further, existing militants in the state are not finding any support system. So we can attribute the lull to these factors but at the same time we can’t afford to remain complacent,” he added.

On May 5, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt Gen KT Parnaik had stated that infiltration bids were likely to commence from traditional routes. As far as the 198-km-long border, which starts from Lakhanpur and goes up to Akhnoor, is concerned, the BSF has already recorded four incidents from January to May 30.

After barbed fence came up at the IB, guides of the ultras have dried up but of course, movement of terrorists has been observed on the other side of the border, a senior BSF officer said, adding that accordingly, surveillance had been increased all along the 198-km-long border.

Jammu, June 14
The 15th phase of the ongoing panchayat poll has been completed successfully and it has set an example on many fields. While the turnout of voters remained unprecedented, the authorities have for the first time conducted some experiments, which proved 
successful.

The district administration of Samba district deployed women staff for conducting the elections. Although women cops are usually deployed to provide security outside the polling stations, women were first time assigned the job to conduct elections inside the polling booths.

Before the beginning of the elections, women were trained all over the state for their deployment in polling stations. But they were only deployed in Samba where this experiment proved successful.

“Initially, we were hesitating to deploy women staff in conduct polling inside the booths. But at the end of the day, we decided to conduct this experiment because women were confident and they were fully trained,” said KK Sidha, assistant commissioner, Samba. He said 90 women were deployed on the day of the polling and they conducted their duties successfully.

This was for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that women were deployed inside the booths to conduct polling.

Sidha, who was instrumental in deploying women in election duty, said there was no reason to debar women from conducting this important task. He said women were deployed in some polling stations, which were considered as sensitive, to boost their morale.

“Our experiment gave us encouraging results and in the days to come, we will deploy women in the coming elections,” he said.

Sidha said the decision to deploy women at polling stations was taken only to encourage female voters.

Female voters also appreciated the decision of the authorities to deploy women inside the polling stations. “This step has helped women a lot because they usually hesitate to take assistance from men,” said Kavita Sambyal, a resident of Samba who demanded that separate polling stations should be set up exclusively for women in all elections, be it local bodies, panchayat, Assembly or Parliament.

Srinagar, June 14
After a long harsh winter marked with heavy rains and snowfall, resulting in damage to roads all across the Kashmir Valley, the R&B Department has been on a drive to repair and upgrade the roads for the past two months.

This exercise, according to officials, has already been completed in nine out of 10 districts in the Valley. Only the newly created Bandipore district in north Kashmir is yet to be covered under the drive. It has been revealed that on the opening of offices in Srinagar after Darbar Move, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had given strict directions to the R&B Department for repairing, upgrading and macadamisation of roads in Kashmir to relieve the people from inconvenience and make the flow of transport smooth.

He had directed the principal secretary, R&B, to personally monitor the works and report the progress regularly to the Chief Minister’s secretariat for the information of the Chief Minister.

In sequel to these directions, the department geared up men and machinery and launched a comprehensive drive for macadamisation in nine districts of the Valley, including Srinagar city, an official spokesperson said.

The details given out here recently revealed that the R&B Department, Kashmir, has completed 43 works, while 52 works are under implementation in Srinagar, Budgam, Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara and Ganderbal districts. Of these, 30 works are in progress in Srinagar district while 20 have been completed so far.

The works completed in Srinagar district include 1.30-km Boulevard Road from SKICC to Hotel Grand Palace Junction, 1.3-km link road to Chinar Bagh connecting Eastern Foreshore Road with MA Road, 0.37-km Baba Demb to Eastern Foreshore Road, KZP Road from Islamia College to Hawal, Naid Kadal Lali Masjid Road, Malaratta to Ziarat Wahab Sahib, road behind SDA complex Noorbagh, Islamia College to Firdous Cinema on KZP both tracks, Hawal to Sazgaripora, Ali Masjid to Sazgaripora one track, Bohri Kadal to Nawhatta, Islamia College to Maqdoom Sahib Shrine, Bohri Kadal to Rajouri Kadal, Namchabal to Khanyar, Kawoosa Complex Road, Sheshgari Mohalla, Chattabal to Bemina, Akhoon Sahib and Bagh-i-Ali Mardan Khan Road.

Macadamisation work for 30 roads in Srinagar is under progress and these include Noorbagh to Tengpora, Parimpora to Mujgund Road, inner roads at Zainakote, Northern Foreshore road in stretches, Rajouri Kadal to Ali Masjid Road, Ali Masjid to Sazgaripora Road 2nd track. Nawakadal to Sazgaripora Road, Mujgund Bund Road, road behind Fateh Kadal, Gupkar Road, Bagh-i-Hassan Mughal, Batmalloo Qamarwari, MA Raod, Mahjoor Nagar Natipora, Sangeen Darwaza, Baghwanpora via Amda Kadal, Abu Bakar colony Bemina, Zoonimar, Dr. Ali Jan Road, Abi Navpora, roads around Jamia Masjid, Tigore Hall to Gogjibagh and various other roads. In Budgam district, alternate road from Humhama to Old Airport Road and SK Pora Lahoripora Chak have been completed, while Bogru Khan Sahib, Badran Kanihama, approach road to Railway Station, Lahoripora Check, Narwara Lawaypora, Budgam town and Gundipora Narwara roads are in progress. Similarly, two roads of Wasuhallan Hajipora and Ramnagri Sadu Road have been completed and two roads Nagbal Turkuwan Gam and Zainapora Sofipora Hidergund are in progress. In Pulwama, four works are undergoing, while in Baramulla, eight works have been completed and three are in progress. In Anantnag, two works have been completed and two are in progress. In Kulgam, six have been completed and one is in progress. In Kupwara, one work has been completed and one is in progress, while in Ganderbal three works are in progress.

If there were a dubious national award for poorest power supply infrastructure, Jammu and Kashmir would have been a clear winner. The moment black clouds hover above the horizon or wind picks up speed, the power supply is switched off.

The official explanation is that this is done to prevent collateral damage. One wonders is the infrastructure so fickle that a small storm can force the authorities to go overcautious? This does not happen in other parts of the country. Power goes off only when there is a major storm.

Srinagar, June 14
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that horticulture and handicrafts are thrust areas of economy and measures are afoot to provide strong edifice to these to help enhance avenues of employment and give fillip to the state’s progress.

Speaking to the representatives of various associations in these sectors who called on him here at Awami Mulakat, Omar said both these industries offer wide-ranging economic activities for youth.

The Chief Minister said the state’s economy was primarily rural and agriculture, horticulture and handicraft were the major areas providing livelihood to people.

“These are contributing in the development and growth of economy to a large extend,” he said and flagged the significance of these sectors in the overall development of the state.

“My government is concentrating on encouraging medium, small and micro entrepreneurship (SMSE) and has underlined the development of horticulture and revival of handicrafts as priority sectors,” he told the deputations.

Omar said in the holistic development of the state, the sectors of economic importance required added attention that would open new vistas in the job market for the locals.

The Fruit Association and Horticulture Society, Baramulla, in their memoranda listed issues of market intervention scheme (MIS), crop insurance, quality control on fungicides, pesticides and fertilisers, bank advances, cardboard cartons, Baramulla Fruit Mandi, cross-LoC trade and establishment of juice plants.

The Chief Minister said the government would encourage the local as well as outside investment in the establishment of food processing units, including juice plants and other horticulture produce processing units. He said: “This field provides encouraging promise to the investors. The government will provide every possible facility to the investors in this regard”.

In the Mulakat, as many as 53 deputations and hundreds of individuals presented collective and individual problems to the Chief Minister who gave patient hearing to them and disposed of most of the urgent-nature grievances by giving on-the-spot directions while the rest were referred to the concerned quarters for early necessary action.

The Chief Minister said his public rapport through these Mulakats was proving fruitful to get first-hand appraisal of ongoing works in various areas and of grievances requiring prompt response by the administration.

He said the overwhelming response of general people to ventilate their grievances and narrate the facts about the pace of progress on schemes in these meetings was an important feedback to initiate actions wherever necessary.

A deputation of the Coordination Committee, Tral, requested for the release of funds for the ongoing construction of the heritage site of Khankah-i-Fazpanah of Shah Hamdaan at Tral.

The deputation also requested for posting of additional deputy commissioner and SP at Tral and a deputation of the Kashmir Art Traders talked about their welfare and development.

Srinagar, June 14
State’s premier profit earning PSU - J&K Cements Limited - is on the threshold of most modern Pet Coke technology which would make its cement production cost effective by reducing heavy inputs on coal raw material.

The total technology upgradation system involving a cost of Rs 5.30 crore, including Rs. 3.67 crore as equipment cost, would be put in place within 3 months.

Announcing this while reviewing the performance of J&K Cements Limited here recently, Minister for Industries and Commerce SS Salathia asked the company to devise a realistic working schedule to achieve the production targets in full.

“The company should tap all resources viz-a-viz modernisations and modifications to exploit the full plant capacity,” Salathia said, adding that all possibilities needed to be explored to put in place some kind of power backup system at the cement factory to overcome periodic plant closures due to power shut downs and tripping.

The Minister asked the management of the company to adopt all available modern technology to enhance the market acceptability of its cement production as have done by some private players in the field, including Tramboo Cement Industries (TCI) Cements and TCI Max.

asked the management to explore the possibility for installing a mega diesel generator at the cement plant as a standby arrangement to run its factory without any interruption. He also directed for completing the renovation of the old Rotary Kiln within a shortest minimum period but not more than a month to enhance cement production. The old Rotary Kiln is in the final stage of renovation at a cost of Rs 1.50 crore.

The company should revisit its financial management and business plan in tandem with the present day requirement, Salathia added.

The managing director of the company, Mushtaq Ahmad, informed that the company had fixed an ambitious cement sale target of 1.97 lakh MTs during the current financial year and eyes on fetching a net profit of about Rs 11 crore, whereas the target for clinker production had been fixed at 1.80 lakh MTs.

The company had sold about 1.37 lakh MTs of cement during the last fiscal, generating revenue to the tune of over Rs 81.87 crore, he said.

He said all related section of the cement factory had been brought under Pollution control by installing electro-static precipitators (EPSs), gas conditioning towers (GCTs) and reveres pulse jet (RPJ) system of anti-pollution devices, adding that these systems had reduced the emission level below 50 mg/Nmz which was below the permissible level.

Srinagar, June 14
The State Forest Corporation (SFC) has earned Rs 74.45-crore revenue during last financial year while setting extraction target of 25 lakh cft timber for this year for smooth distribution among the needy consumers.

This information came to fore at the 63rd board meeting of the corporation held under the chairmanship of Minister for Forests and Environment Mian Altaf Ahmad here recently, an official spokesperson said.

The board decided to revise rate schedule for labourers working in the interior forests for lumbering, loading and un-loading logs. The revision of rates would pave the way for enhanced charges for labourers.

The meeting discussed the performance of the corporation threadbare and matters pertaining to COLA, operation plan and budget proposals for 2011-12, timber extraction, allotment of contracts, delegation of powers to managing director, payment of gratuity, etc, came up for the discussion.

It was given out in the meeting that the corporation paid over Rs 811.54 lakh in VAT to the government during the last financial year. As much as 2.544 lakh cft has been supplied to the forest sale depots in the C-zone areas during the period also.

Speaking on the occasion, the Forest Minister highlighted the need to broad base the resources of the corporation to evolve it into a highly profitable organisation.

He asked the management to expeditiously extract timber so that the targets set for its distribution were achieved in a timely manner.