Coronavirus scare: Clerics to decide on holding or suspending congregational prayers

Srinagar: Kashmir’s Grand Mufti Nasir-ul Islam on Wednesday said that he has invited heads of all the religious bodies and organizations of Kashmir for a crucial meeting scheduled to be held on Saturday for evolving a consensus whether congregational prayers need to be banned in Valley in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. Islam said that […]

Saudi Arabia halts prayers in mosques

Srinagar: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday suspended prayers inside all but the holiest two mosques in Islam as the kingdom steps up efforts to contain the new coronavirus, state media reported. Mosques will be temporarily shut for the five daily Islamic prayers as well as the weekly Friday prayers, the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing […]

Corona scare: Court tells litigants to stay away from hearings

BARAMULLA: In consonance with the advisories on COVID-19, Principal District and Sessions Judge (PD&SJ) Baramulla, Sanjay Parihar Wednesday said that the litigants need not to come to the courts till March 31, except in the matters of bail, succession and other related matters, instead the lawyers shall remain present on behalf of the litigants. He […]

JK was never as peaceful as it is now: Union Minister

New Delhi: Union minister Jitendra Singh said in Lok Sabha on Wednesday that there has not been a more peaceful eight-month period in the militancy-hit region than the one since August last when Article 370 was nullified. Intervening during a discussion on the budget for Jammu and Kashmir, he cited development figures to assert that […]

Ground situation in JK different: NC

New Delhi: National Conference MP Hasnain Masoodi on Wednesday said the picture that was being presented of Jammu and Kashmir was quite different from the ground reality and made a plea to the government that the situation in the union territory should be examined afresh. “The picture that is being presented of this place (Jammu […]

PSA against Omar: Inform if you are releasing NC leader, SC asks Centre, JK admin

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir administration to inform by next week if it is releasing former chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has been detained since the abrogation of Article 370 in August last year. A bench of Justices Arun Mishra and M R Shah told the […]

JK residents to get free Health Insurance like Ayushman Bharat

All govt employees, pensioners to be covered

JAMMU: The Administrative Council which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chander Murmu accorded sanction to rolling out the Jammu & Kashmir Health Scheme to provide free of cost Universal Health Coverage to all residents of the Union Territory in convergence with Ayushman Bharat-PMJAY. Now, around 1.25 crore residents of JK will be […]

Non-development expenditure acts spoilsport

62 % allocations for salary, pension, interest and other components

Nasir Azam Srinagar: The non-development budget continues to overshoot the development expenditure in Jammu & Kashmir, budgetary documents reveal. According to the documents, a whopping 62 percent funds of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory’s budget for 2020-21 would be utilized for non-development expenditure like salaries, pension, interest payment and other components. The remaining 38 percent […]

Another tests positive in JK, toll touches 3

Jammu: Another person has tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, taking the number of such patients to three, officials said. “One more case confirmed positive. Travel history to Saudi Arabia. Had reported high viral load earlier. Total 3 positive cases now,” official spokesperson Rohit Kansal tweeted. Earlier, Kansal said […]