Jammu, Apr 02: Secretary, Legislative Assembly, Manoj Kumar Pandit today informed the House that the Lieutenant Governor has given his assent to three Bills passed by Legislative Assembly (LA).

Informing the House, the Secretary read, The Jammu and Kashmir Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2026 (L.A. Bill No. 1 of 2026); The Jammu and Kashmir Eliminating Discrimination Against Persons Affected by Leprosy Bill, 2026 (L.A. Bill No. 2 of 2026) and Jammu and Kashmir State Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (L.A. Bill No. 03 of 2026) passed by Legislative Assembly have been assented to by the Lieutenant Governor on 31 of March 2026”.

Srinagar, Apr 02: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that LPG and other essential fuel supplies in the Union Territory are currently sufficient but cautioned that a prolonged international conflict could affect availability.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir, like the rest of the country, has no direct control over international developments. He assured that the current stock of essential supplies, including fuel, is adequate for at least the next 10-15 days.

He added that in case the war continues for an extended period and shortages begin across the country, the Union Territory may also be affected. However, he emphasized that there is no immediate cause for concern for the people.

Referring to a recent meeting called by the Prime Minister, Omar Abdullah said that the Centre has assured uninterrupted supply of essentials through multiple channels. He further promised that any changes in the situation will be promptly communicated to the public. (KNC)

Jammu, Apr 02: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday handed over a government job letter to the wife of a police sub-inspector, who was killed in a gunfight with gangsters two years ago.

The appointment letter under the J-K Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme 2022 was given to Alka Sharma, wife of martyr Sub-Inspector Deepak Sharma, at the Lok Bhavan here, an official said.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Bhim Sen Tuti was also present on the occasion.

The Lt Governor also assured all possible assistance and support to the bereaved family.

Sharma made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in April 2024 while fighting and neutralising a most-wanted gangster in Kathua district.

Srinagar, Apr 2: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Thursday ordered a major bureaucratic reshuffle in the police department, transferring 82 Indian Police Service (IPS) and Jammu and Kashmir Police Service (JKPS) officers.

As per an order issued by the Home Department, senior IPS officer Tejinder Singh, DIG of Rajouri-Poonch Range, has been transferred and posted as IGP CID. Sarah Rizvi, DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range, moves as IGP Crime, while Shahid Mehraj Rather, DIG Armed Kashmir, has been appointed Director of Police Telecommunication.

Shridhar Patil Daulu, DIG Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range, will now serve as DIG Jammu-Samba-Kathua. Haseeb-Ur-Rehman, DIG Railways, has been posted as DIG Traffic Kashmir, the order said.

Nisha Nathyal, DIG (Headquarters) PHQ, has been posted as DIG IR Jammu, while Vinod Kumar from the same post moves as DIG North Kashmir Range. Maqsood-ul-Zaman has been transferred as DIG Armed Kashmir, and Shiv Kumar Sharma as DIG Udhampur-Reasi Range.

Among other IPS officers, Sargun has been promoted as DIG Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range, Sandeep Wazir as DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range, and Anita Sharma as DIG CD & SDRF Jammu. Jatinder Singh Johar takes over as DIG Headquarters, while Swarn Singh Kotwal continues as Director SSF with DIG-equivalent rank.

At the SSP level, Amod Nagpure Ashok moves from Udhampur to Anantnag, swapping places with Amritpal Singh. Rajesh Kumar Sharma has been posted as Deputy Director of SKPA Udhampur, and Rajesh Bali as SO to IG Armed Jammu. Mohd Aslam has been appointed Commandant of SDRF’s 2nd Battalion.

Anuj Kumar has been posted as SSP Samba, Sudhanshu Dhama as SSP Ganderbal, and Bisma Qazi as SSP Tech CID Headquarters. Deepika has been posted as SSP CTFD CID Headquarters, while Sukant Shalija Ballabh takes over as SSP Security Jammu.

Kamal Pal Singh Malhotra has been appointed SSP Finger Print Bureau, and Sunny Gupta as Additional SP Anantnag. Kartik Shrotriya has been promoted as SSP Doda, Mukund Tibrewal as SSP Reasi, and Hariprasad K.K. as SSP Budgam.

Among the 2022 batch IPS officers, Vaibhav Meena has been posted as SP South Jammu, Anna Sinha as SP Headquarters Jammu, Harshal Rajesh Mahajan as Additional SP Baramulla, and Neha Jain as SP East Srinagar.

The government also transferred several JKPS officers. Shamsher Hussain has been posted as SSP PCR Jammu, Randhir Singh as SO to IG Railways, and Virinder Singh Manhas as Commandant of 4th JKAP. Sandeep Kumar Mehta will command 24th IR, while Sheikh Zulfikar Azad has been posted as Commandant of 6th JKAP.

Amit Gupta becomes SSP CID SB Jammu, Mohd Majid Malik as Commandant of 10th IR, and Mohd Yousif as SSP Security Civil Secretariat. Ravinder Paul Singh has been appointed Commandant of 4th IR, and Khalil Ahmad Poswal will take over Commandant of 12th IR after April 30.

Other JKPS transfers include Liaqat Ali as SSP Traffic Rural Kashmir, Girdhari Lal as SSP Headquarters CID, Vinay Kumar as AIG Provisions, and Suneel Raj as SSP APCR Jammu. Rajinder Kumar Katoch becomes Commandant of 1st IR, Paramvir Singh as Commandant of 1st Border Battalion, and Dushyant Sharma as Commandant of 15th IR.

Sajad Khaliq Bhat has been posted as SSP Security Kashmir, Dawood Ayoub as SSP CID CI Kashmir, Perbeet Singh as SSP CID CI Jammu, and Tahir Ashraf Bhatti as SSP SIA Kashmir. Aftab Ahmed Sheikh has been directed to await further postings.

Among junior officers, Tariq Ahmad Wani has been posted as SP APCR Kashmir, Rahul Charak as Dy CO of 22nd IR, and Feroz Ahmad as SP TMG CID Headquarters. Irshad Hussain Rather moves as Additional SP Ops Baramulla, while Zoheb Tanveer becomes Dy CO of 2nd Women Battalion.

Brijesh Kumar Sharma has been posted as Additional SP Ops Border Kathua, Kameshwar Puri as Additional SP Katra, and Furqaan Qadir as Dy CO of 6th IR. Ajay Sharma becomes Additional SP Ops Poonch, Ruhail Mircha as Dy CO of 11th IR, and Farhan Jahanzeb Naqash as Additional SP CID CI Kashmir.

The order, issued by Principal Secretary (Home) Chandraker Bharti, has been made with immediate effect on the directions of the Lieutenant Governor, it added. (KNS)

Jammu, Apr 02: PDP MLA from Tral, Rafiq Ahmad Naik, on Thursday praised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for addressing public grievances, while urging political parties to rise above differences on important legislation.

Speaking during the proceedings, Naik said the Chief Minister has taken the lead in resolving several issues faced by the public.

He expressed gratitude for the government’s responsiveness, saying such efforts deserve acknowledgment irrespective of political affiliations.

He said he would continue to raise the concerns of his constituents to ensure timely redressal, adding that appreciation should not come at the cost of accountability.

Referring to a bill moved by Minister Sakina Itoo, the legislator termed it significant and called on members across party lines to support it. He stressed that crucial legislation should not fall victim to political rivalry.

“Opposing meaningful bills sends a negative signal and weakens democratic functioning,” he added. —(KNO)

Jammu, April 02: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Chowdhary on Thursday called for the return of hydropower projects from NHPC Ltd to Jammu and Kashmir, stating that control over local water resources should rest with the people of the Union Territory.

Chowdhary while talking to reporters, said Jammu and Kashmir continues to bear a financial burden by purchasing electricity despite having significant hydropower potential.

“Water resources are ours, everything is ours, and still we are forced to buy power,” he said, emphasizing the need for greater control over local projects.

The remarks come amid a growing political debate over ownership and benefits of hydropower assets in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly as new projects continue to be developed under central agencies.

Chowdhary said that while there is a general consensus that Jammu and Kashmir should become self-sufficient in power generation, the current model has not achieved that goal.

“Everyone says J&K should be self-sufficient. Unfortunately, despite our projects, we still have to buy power. If you see how much we spend on purchasing electricity, you will be surprised,” he added.

Earlier, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) legislator Waheed Ur Rehman Parra criticized the government for handing over two hydropower projects to NHPC Ltd.

Parra said the 240 MW Uri-I Stage-II and 260 MW Dulhasti Stage-II projects, with a combined capacity of 500 MW, had been transferred to NHPC, raising concerns over limited local benefits and long-term control.

He had questioned the power-sharing arrangement and the broader implications for Jammu and Kashmir’s energy autonomy. [KNT]