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J-K: 36 Passengers Dead, As Bus Plunges Into Gorge In Doda

By LokMarg 15th November 2023

Thirty-six people died and 19 others were injured after a bus fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda on Wednesday

Union Minister Jitendra Singh confirmed in a post on X about the 36 deaths and said that out those injured six people were said to be in a critical condition.

Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his condolences and in a statement on ‘X’ said that the local administration is actively engaged in the rescue operation at the site of the accident.

The mishap took place as the bus carrying 55 passengers and on its way from Kishtwar to Jammu veered off the road and rolled down the steep slope near Trungal in the Assar area on the highway.

“Saddened to share the update from DC Doda Harvinder Singh from the spot of the accident. Unfortunately, 36 persons have died and 19 injured, out of whom 6 injured are serious,” Minister Singh posted on X.

The Union Minister said that he had spoken to the Doda District Commissioner, Harvinder Singh and that the injured are being shifted to Government Medical College Doda.

Singh said, “Helicopter service to be arranged for shifting the more injured ones. All possible help, as required being provided. I am in constant touch”.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives.

“Extremely pained by the loss of lives in a tragic bus accident in Assar, Doda. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families & wishing for a speedy recovery of those injured in the accident. Directed Div Com & Dist Admin to provide all necessary assistance to affected persons,” Sinha tweeted.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti condoled the loss of lives in a post on X.

“Deeply shocked & saddened about the tragic road accident at Assar in Doda. Deepest condolences to the families of those feared dead & hope the administration expedites rescue operations,” Muft posted on X. (ANI)

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Kashmiri Female Activist Busts Pak Propaganda At UNHRC

By LokMarg 27th September 2023

A female activist from Kashmir valley has shown the mirror to Pakistan and busted its malicious propaganda at the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Session in Geneva on Wednesday

Tasleema Akhtar, a socio-political activist, said in her intervention that being a native, she would like to bring forth the stark developmental differences of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is JK UT and Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK).

“While JK UT is bringing transformational changes for the betterment of the region, people of PoJK are living at the mercy of the Pakistan government having utter disregard for people over there and their basic human rights and amenities”, she told the Council.

She said while the Union government was investing in infrastructure and developmental projects in J&K besides bringing peace and prosperity to the region, Pakistan is struggling to meet its basic financial obligations and is shielding terrorist outfits to wage a proxy war against India.

“PoJK lacks even basic infrastructure and amenities, with negligible investment and blatant misappropriation of its resources by Pakistan”, she added.

Tasleema said in terms of education and literacy rate, JK UT is far ahead of PoJK. The government of India spends 9 times more on the education sphere in JK UT compared to its counterpart. PoJK is facing a major crisis in its education sector, lacking basic infrastructure including buildings and roofs, clean water, toilets, etc. causing acute hardships to students, resulting in a severe dropout ratio.

Change is also perceptible in the health sector. People of JK UT are availing health benefits in even the remote areas with national health schemes, which is a distant dream for the people of PoJK. GoI provides the people of Jammu and Kashmir with universal health insurance coverage for up to USD 6,000 per family. However, health facilities in PoJK are abysmal with a lack of even primary hospitals.

Tasleema told the UNHRC that the poverty rate in JK UT is also quite low compared to PoJK. The per capita income of JK UT at around USD 2,500 is also higher when compared to PoJK, where per capita income is around USD 1,000 and USD 250 in Gilgit-Baltistan.

“Tourism influx is also an all-time record high in JK UT with around 20 million tourists arrival so far in 2023 besides successful completion of G-20 Summit meeting in Srinagar on May 22-24, 2024, on the other hand, tourists inflow in PoJK has severely low,” she said.

“Therefore, I would urge the honourable council to take appropriate measures in setting up accountability for the Pakistan government for protecting the basic human rights of the people of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” Tasleema told the UN Human Rights Council.

Later, in an interview with ANI, Tasleema also lambasted Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and “playing” with the innocent lives of the Kashmiri people. (ANI)

Rajnath To Dedicate 90 Infra Projects Of BRO To Jammu Today

By LokMarg 12th September 2023

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate and dedicate 90 Infrastructure Projects to the country constructed by Border Road Organisation (BRO) with a cost of Rs 2941 cr at a ceremony to be organised at Devak Bridge in Jammu on Tuesday.

As per a official statment, the projects have been constructed in 10 border States and UTs of the Northern and North-Eastern regions.

In a ceremony that will be organised by the Border Roads Organisation at Devak Bridge on Bishnah-Kaulpur-Phulpur Road in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnah Singh will inaugurate 22 roads, 63 bridges, Nechiphu Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, two airfields in West Bengal and two helipads.

The BRO completed the construction of these critical strategic projects in a record time frame and many of these Projects have been constructed in a single working season using state-of-the-art technology.

Out of these projects, 11 have been constructed in Jammu and Kashmir, 26 in Ladakh, 36 in Arunachal Pradesh, 5 in Mizoram, 3 in Himachal Pradesh, 2 each in Sikkim, Uttarakhand and West Bengal and 1 each in Nagaland, Rajasthan and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

In, 2021, 102 BRO infrastructure projects were dedicated to the Nation at a cost of Rs 2229 cr.

The Defence Minister will also participate in the North Tech Symposium being organised by Northern Command jointly with IIT Jammu.

A senior official from BRO said another important infrastructure to be inaugurated will be the 500 m long Nechiphu Tunnel on Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh.

This tunnel, along with under construction Sela Tunnel will provide an all-weather connectivity to the strategic Tawang region and will be beneficial to both the armed forces deployed in the region and the tourists visiting pristine Tawang.

Reconstructed and revamped Bagdogra and Barrackpore Airfields in West Bengal will also be inaugurated on Tuesday. These airfields have been successfully reconstructed by BRO at a cost of Rs 529 cr.

These airfields will not only improve the defensive and offensive architecture of the Indian Airforce along Northern Borders but will also facilitate commercial flight operations in the region.

The union minister will also carry out e-Shilanyash of Nyoma Airfield in Ladakh. Nyoma Airfield in Eastern Ladakh will be developed at a cost of Rs 218 cr for wide-ranging strategic air assets.

“The construction of this airfield will tremendously boost the air infrastructure in Ladakh and augment the IAF capability along our Northern Borders,” the official said. (ANI)

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Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Mughal Road Blocked Due To Landslides

By LokMarg 8th July 2023

Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) has been blocked due to landslides and people are advised not to use it, police said here on Saturday.

“NH-44, Mughal road and SSG road are blocked due to 2 landslides. People are advised not to travel till clearance,” Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police said in a tweet.
The 250-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, and Mughal Road connects Bufliaz town in the Jammu region’s Poonch district to the Shopian district of Kashmir. The 84-kilometre road traces a historic route used in the Mughal period over the Pir Panjal Pass.

While the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri (SSG) double-lane road connects the Ladakh region with Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month also the NH-44 was blocked due to multiple landslides and shooting stones from the hillock at Cafeteria Morh and Mehar in Ramban town. (ANI)

Amarnath Yatra Halted For Second Consecutive Day

By LokMarg 8th July 2023

The annual Amarnath Yatra has been suspended for the second consecutive day on the twin routes of Baltal and Pahalgam due to bad weather conditions in the state, officials said on Saturday.

According to the officials, inclement weather conditions in the union territory caused a delay to the annual Amarnath Yatra and suspended the yatra from both the Pahalgam and the Baltal routes.
Fresh batches of pilgrims were not permitted to depart Jammu to begin their yatra due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway as a result of weather advisory and heavy rains in Kashmir valley, they said.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police also issued an advisory and urged the general public not to travel on the NH-44, Mughal Road, and the SSG Roads that were blocked due to the occurrence of two landslides.

“Traffic update at 6:25 am. NH-44, Mughal Road and SSG Road are blocked due to 2 landslides. People are advised not to travel till clearance,” tweeted J&K Traffic Police.

A total of 67,566 pilgrims visited the Amarnath cave shrine since the beginning of the Yatra on July 1.

About 18,354 pilgrims on July 5 left for the Amarnath cave shrine both from the Baltal base camp and Nunwan base camp performed the darshan.

“These include 12483 males, 5146 females, 457 children, 266 sadhus, and 2 sadhvis,” an official statement said.

“The total number of yatris who performed Darshan since the beginning is 67566. More yatris will visit the shrine in the coming days,” it added.

According to the official spokesperson, pilgrims are being assisted during their entire journey by state agencies and civil departments by making all the essentials and facilities available to devotees.

“All the departments including Police, SDRF, Army, paramilitary, Health, PDD, PHE, ULB, Information, Labour, Fire and Emergency, Education, and Animal Husbandry have saturated the overall requirements and arrangements of SANJY by the deployment of their men and machinery,” it mentioned.

Under the supervision of Camp directors, the entire facilities are extended to yatris including Langers, health facilities, assistance by service providers including poniwallaa, pithuwalas, dandiwalas, sanitation, and many other assistance, the statement said.

The 62-day-long Shri Amarnath Yatra will culminate on August 31, 2023. (ANI)

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Jammu: Rahul Offers Prayers At Raghunath Temple

By LokMarg 23rd January 2023

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday visited and offered prayers at the famous Raghunath Temple in Jammu.

The official Twitter handle of the Congress party informed about it, saying, “Today during #BharatJodoYatra @RahulGandhiji visited the famous Raghunath Temple in Jammu and received the blessings of the Lord.”

The Twitter handle of ‘Bharat Jodo’ also tweeted on it saying, “Faith and belief. Received the blessings of Shri Raghunath ji. In this journey of public welfare, Rahul Gandhi visited Raghunath Temple in Jammu and received blessings from all. #BharatJodoYatra.”

Notably, Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ is currently in Jammu. It resumed from Vijaypur in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir amid heightened security, in wake of the twin blasts in the outskirts of the city.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started in Kanyakumari on September 7, will conclude on January 30 in Srinagar after having covered 3,970 km, 12 states and two Union territories. (ANI)

Amid Attacks On Civilians, Centre To Deploy 18 Additional CRPF Companies In J-K

By LokMarg 4th January 2023

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will send additional 18 companies to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of recent killings of civilians in two fresh terror attacks in the Rajouri district, sources familiar with the development said.

The 18 CRPF companies – approximately 1,800 personnel – will be rushed to the Jammu region for deployment mainly in Poonch and Rajouri districts.
As per inputs, eight CRPF companies will be deployed very soon from nearby locations of deployment in Jammu and Kashmir while 10 CRPF companies are being rushed from Delhi.

The move followed a recent order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs amidst intelligence input about the terror attack in the Jammu region, said the source.

Six persons, including two children, were killed and many more injured in two separate terror attacks in Upper Dangri village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Sunday evening and Monday morning.

In the latest terror attack, two children were killed and several others injured after a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast took place in Rajouri’s Upper Dangri village on Monday morning.

ADGP Mukesh Singh cautioned people as another suspected IED was spotted in the area near Upper Dangri village, which is about eight kilometers from Rajouri town.

Officials said that the explosion took place near the house where four civilians were killed and many more injured by terrorists in a shooting incident on Sunday evening.

Nearly a dozen people were reportedly injured in the two terror attacks by the terrorists since Sunday evening. The injured were being treated in Jammu hospital.

In the first attack, two armed terrorists barged into three homes separated by a distance of around 50 meters from each other on Sunday evening and opened indiscriminate fire. The attack led to the killing of four civilians and injuries to six others.

These separate attacks are the third such incidents of civilian killings in the Rajouri district in the past two weeks after two people were killed outside an Army camp on December 16.

The attack has sparked panic in the district. Several organizations have called for a strike today to protest against the incident and demand swift action.

Army and the CRPF have launched a massive search operation to nab the two “armed men” behind the attack at Upper Dangri village.

The office of LG Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job to the kin of those killed in the firing incident.

“An ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh and a government job would be given to the next of kin of each of those civilians martyred in the dastardly attack. Seriously injured would be given Rs.1 lakh. Officials have been directed to ensure the best treatment to injured,” the Office of LG J-K said in a statement.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) has also visited the village where security has been enhanced. (ANI)

Shift Kashmiri Pandits To Safer Jammu Till Situation Improves: Ghulam Nabi Azad

By LokMarg 26th December 2022

Democratic Azad Party Chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said that the Kashmiri Pandit employees of the Jammu and Kashmir government should be temporarily shifted to Jammu till the situation improves in Kashmir.

Questioning the safety of the Kashmiri Pandits, he said that life is more important than employment and that the government should transfer Kashmiri Pandits to Jammu.
“The Government should transfer Kashmiri Pandit employees to Jammu and transfer them back only when the situation improves,” said Azad.

“If our government comes to power, we will transfer the Kashmiri Pandits to Jammu until the situation improves,” he said.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha had last week said that Kashmiri Pandits serving in the Valley will not be paid their salaries if they do not attend their duties.

Migrant Kashmiri Pandits have been protesting against the decision of the government claiming that they are being threatened by the terrorists and can’t go back to work.

“We are receiving death threats repeatedly, the latest being on Wednesday night. We were told that a policeman would be posted outside the place of our posting. But we do not trust the security policy of the administration,” said a Kashmiri Pandit.

“The main reason behind the protests is an insecure environment prevailing in Kashmir. We have been protesting since the day targeted killings started against the minority community in the Valley. We appeal to the government to post us at safe and secure places,” said Rohit, a Kashmiri Pandit who is participating in the protests.

Kashmir has been witnessing a series of targeted killings since October last year.

Targeted killings in Kashmir Valley were part of a larger conspiracy by terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen and other proscribed terrorist outfits to disturb the peace and democratic process established by the Panchayati Raj System in Kashmir Valley and also to create terror among the politically elected representatives, an NIA charge sheet said earlier.

The revelation came when the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in September filed the charge sheet against six accused in the targeted killing of a Sarpanch of Adoora village in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kulgam.

The counter-terror agency filed the chargesheet in a special NIA court in Jammu in the case of the targeted killing of Sarpanch Shabir Ahmad Mir by the terrorists of the proscribed terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen.

The case was initially registered on March 11 at Kulgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir and re-registered by the NIA on April 8.

Investigations have revealed that the handlers of the proscribed terrorist organization Hizbul Mujahideen operating from Pakistan, hatched a criminal conspiracy in collusion with terrorist associates and Over Ground Workers and terrorists of Hizbul Mujahideen active in Kashmir Valley to carry out the targeted killing of Sarpanch Shabir Ahmad Mir, said the NIA. (ANI)

Home Secretary To Chair High-Security Meet On Kashmir

By LokMarg 6th December 2022

Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla will chair a high-level security review meeting on Jammu and Kashmir, here this afternoon, sources said on Tuesday.

The meeting is being held in the Ministry of Home Affairs in a hybrid mode around 12.30 pm with senior officials in the ministry joining it in the presence of Director Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka and National Investigation Agency Director General Dinkar Gupta among others present physically.
Officials in the Ministry told ANI that the meeting is a “regular affair to review internal security across the country”.

“Officials in Jammu and Kashmir will also join the meeting, which is being held in a hybrid mode,” said the officials requesting anonymity.

The meeting was held after The Resistance Front (TRF)– an offshoot of Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba– recently issued a threat letter to 56 employees of the Education Department from the Srinagar district.

Meanwhile, as per government sources, various Kashmiri Pandit organisations while terming it a serious matter have demanded a high-level probe into the matter as to how the names of the employees working under the PM package in the Education Department with their names and place of posting were leaked to a terror outfit.

They have urged the government to ensure the safety of employees appointed under the PM’s package in Kashmir Valley. (ANI)

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Number Of Pilgrims To Vaishno Devi Shrine To Cross 1 Cr In 2022

By LokMarg 5th December 2022

The number of pilgrims at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine this year, is set to cross the magical number of one crore, after nearly two years of closure due to Covid-19.

According to official statistics, 86 lakh pilgrims have visited the shrine, located on Trikota mountain in the Reasi district of Jammu province. Also, the number may cross one crore by the end of December as more people used to visit this Gupha in the month of December.

In 2013, 93.24 lakh pilgrims visited ‘Gupha’. In the year, 85,86,541 pilgrims have come, while 85,63,138 pilgrims have done darshan so far.

In 2020, the Yatra was hit the hardest due to the restrictions imposed in view of the Covid pandemic, leading to the number of visitors dropping to 1987 levels.

Thousands of people have been coming daily from Union Territories and other parts of the country. The increase in pilgrimage has been possible due to the effective and pilgrim-oriented management of the Shri Vaishnava Devi Shrine Board.

During this year, an average of about 25-30 thousand devotees visited the cave on a daily basis. At present, the footfall has decreased due to winter and the wedding season, but the footfall is expected to increase in the second half of December.

In the year 2012, a maximum of one crore of four lakh five thousand devotees visited the shrine of Mata Vishnu Devi.

Till November last year, 49,49,967 devotees had performed puja while this year till the end of November 36,13,171 more pilgrims have visited the cave. Around 15 lakh people are expected to visit the shrine by the end of the year.

Since the establishment of the Shri Mata Vaishnava Devi Shrine Board in 1986, the shrine has seen a steady increase in the number of devotees.

The board has taken various initiatives over the years for the convenience of pilgrims including a mobile app, home delivery of pooja prasad, round-the-clock call centre for the convenience of pilgrims, installation of hi-tech video walls, and construction of Durga Bhavan.

On its foundation in August, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha launched the new RFID system for passenger convenience. This system will ensure seamless access control with minimum hassle to the devotees. For better crowd management and tracking of pilgrims, 29 counters and control rooms have been set up at Katra and verification counters have been set up at 7 locations on the track. (ANI)

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