Facebook Instagram Twitter
Facebook Instagram Twitter
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Home Blog Page 626

Strike of sanitation workers of Jammu ULBs ends

By
JKN Author
-
0
Teenager girl’s mysterious death sparks protest in Rajouri’s Budhal

Srinagar, Jul 26: Nearly 300 daily wagers and casual labourers from the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Jammu undertook a five-day foot march from Jammu to Srinagar to demand regularisation of their services and resolution of long-standing employment grievances.

A statement of the daily wagers and casual labourers from the ULBs of Jammu issued here said that they met Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, and Commissioner Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur, and presented their demands for regularisation of their casual and daily rated workers.

The statement said that during a detailed interaction, Kaur acknowledged the legitimacy of their demands and urged the employees to call off their strike, assuring them of the government’s commitment to addressing their issues of regularisation, their provident funds issues, issues of their wages and legal cases during the strike period, payment of relief to the workers who met with accident during performance of their legitimate duties.

It said that she told them that the proposal of reorganisation of the Directorate of Jammu and Kashmir, including all ULBs, was under active consideration of the department and would soon be concluded to the benefit of these workers.

The statement said that she also assured them that the Director Finance, Housing and Urban Development Department, had been directed to initiate reconciliation of PF contributions, ensuring transparency and rectification of discrepancies reported by the workers.

It said that the cases of workers who had met with accidents while on duty would be sent for financial assistance from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or any other fund, offering relief to families often left unprotected by the absence of formal insurance.

The statement said that while the workers welcomed the government’s outreach, they strongly appealed for a time-bound and monitored implementation of the promised measures.

It said that they urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally oversee the progress to ensure credible follow-through.

The statement said that the foot march concluded in Srinagar after both meetings of the sanitation workers’ union, with the union formally announcing a suspension of the strike in light of the government’s assurances.

It said that the workers remain hopeful but affirmed that their peaceful and democratic struggle would continue until all their demands are met in full.

Greater Kashmir

India monitoring situation

By
JKN Author
-
0
"We maintain constant watch": MEA on China-Pakistan-Bangladesh trilateral meeting

New Delhi, Jul 26: India is closely monitoring the escalating situation along the Thailand-Cambodia border, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. Responding to media queries, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reaffirmed India’s friendly ties with both nations and expressed hope that tensions would de-escalate peacefully.

Indian nationals currently in the region have been advised to remain vigilant and reach out to Indian embassies in Bangkok and Phnom Penh for assistance.

Helplines have been made available, including WhatsApp-enabled numbers.

 Embassy of India, Bangkok: +66 61 881 9218

  Embassy of India, Phnom Penh: +855 92 881 676

Greater Kashmir

New tax slabs, rules to keep in mind before submitting returns

By
JKN Author
-
0
IT Deptt introduces ‘e-Pay Tax’ feature on portal

New Delhi, July 26: Taxpayers filing tax returns for FY25 should be aware of the new income tax slabs and capital gains tax structure brought in by the Union Budget 2024, according to experts.

As per new tax slabs, individuals with taxable income up to Rs 12 lakh get full tax rebate under the new regime. Your entire income will be taxed slab wise, if your taxable income exceeds Rs 12 lakh.

The slabs are zero tax for the initial Rs 4 lakh, 5 per cent tax on Rs 4 lakh and Rs 8 lakh, 10 per cent on Rs 8 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, and 15 per cent on Rs 12 lakh to Rs 16 lakh, and so forth.

Following this revision, the old tax regime will only be advantageous to taxpayers who are eligible to claim Rs 2 lakh deduction for home loan interest under Section 24(b) or a large house rent allowance (HRA). Most other deductions are unlikely to justify remaining with the old regime, said experts.

Long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax on all financial and non-financial assets has been revised to 12.5 per cent (up from 10 per cent for equities). Short-term capital gains (STCG) tax on some assets, like equities, is now 20 per cent (up from 15 per cent). All listed financial assets held for more than a year would be classified now as long-term assets.

Further, the exemption limit for computing LTCG tax on stocks and equity mutual funds was increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.25 lakh.

The LTCG tax rate on the sale of real estate assets was cut from 12.5 per cent to 20 per cent, but the indexation benefit for properties purchased after April 1, 2001, was removed.

From FY 2024–25, even private sector employees who opt for the new tax regime and sign up for the corporate National Pension Scheme (NPS) stand to gain because employers’ contribution to employees’ basic salaries of up to 14 percent will be eligible for deduction. Earlier, this limit was only 10 per cent.

 

 

Greater Kashmir

Stokes joins elite all-rounders club with century at Old Trafford

By
JKN Author
-
0
Stokes joins elite all-rounders club with century at Old Trafford

Manchester, Jul 26: Ben Stokes produced an all-round performance for the ages at Old Trafford, Manchester, becoming only the third all-rounder in Test history—after Sir Garfield Sobers and Jacques Kallis—to achieve the double of 7,000 runs and 200 wickets.

The England captain reached the milestone in signature fashion, launching a splendid six early on Day 4 before crafting a gritty 141 that ended his two-year wait for a Test century, his last coming during the Ashes in July 2023.

Battling cramps on day 3, the 34-year-old briefly left the field but returned after Jamie Smith’s dismissal to finish with a flourish, scoring his last 41 runs off just 34 balls with three towering sixes. As he walked off, the crowd rose to give him a standing ovation.

Stokes’ knock, along with Joe Root’s majestic 150 and fifties from openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley, powered England to a monumental 669 all out—their fifth-highest total in Tests and the second-highest against India after their 710/7 declared in Birmingham in 2011.

This was also England’s highest innings total ever recorded at Old Trafford, surpassing the previous record of 627/9 declared against Australia in 1934.

The innings spanned 157 overs, leaving India’s bowlers exhausted, with Jasprit Bumrah sending down 33 overs—his second-most in a single innings. Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the bowlers with 4/143, while Mohammed Siraj’s sharp catch to dismiss Brydon Carse for 47 finally ended the onslaught.

Day 3 was rich with milestones for England. Joe Root climbed to second on the all-time Test run-scorers list, surpassing Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), and Ricky Ponting (13,378). With 13,409 runs, he now trails only Sachin Tendulkar’s monumental record of 15,921 runs.

Greater Kashmir

Union minister Jitendra Singh reviews security situation in J&K’s Kathua

By
JKN Author
-
0
BJP believes in proactive governance that works at grassroots level: Jitendra Singh

Jammu, July 26: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday discussed the security situation with officers in Bani tehsil of Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district amid requests by people for deployment of more forces in vulnerable points to counter terror threats.

Singh, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s office, was in a far-flung hilly town as part of his continued outreach efforts to engage directly with citizens and local representatives, not only at the district level but also at the tehsil, block and panchayat level.

The minister held an over two-hour-long “public durbar” besides chairing a separate meeting to discuss the security situation in the region with district administrative and police officers, an official said.

He said Singh, who represents Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency spread over Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda districts since 2014, was briefed about measures taken for higher vigil and surveillance following incidents of recent encounters and killings.

The minister said he had received requests from the public for the deployment of security forces at certain vulnerable points and expressed the view that an immediate call should be taken because it also builds confidence in the locals and raises their morale.

In turn, the minister was assured by the concerned officers that they would arrange for the deployment of paramilitary forces in these areas, the official said.

At the “public durbar” attended by senior officers to facilitate grievance redressal on the spot, the minister issued directions for replacing the decades-old “Jhoola” bridge in the heart of the Bani town, which was in popular use despite having become “unsafe” with time.

He directed the administration to prepare a detailed project report and the funds can accordingly be arranged, partly from his MPLADS fund.

On the status of the Chattergala tunnel in Doda, Singh said efforts are being made to get the project included in the current plan so that work on it starts sooner than later.

He said the 6.8-km Chattergala tunnel will connect Lakhanpur with Doda via Bani and provide all-weather alternate road connectivity between the two distant regions.

“It will also reduce travel time from Doda to Lakhanpur to about four hours and boost tourism as well as employment in the region,” the minister said.

Singh expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving priority to the project, saying that after he assumed office, work on the project plan was expedited.

He said earlier the project was given to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), but was handed over to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) at a later stage as the estimated cost of the tunnel is nearly Rs 4,000 crore.

Singh listened patiently to the grievances and demands raised by individual citizens and public delegations.

Several issues were resolved on-the-spot, while in other cases, the minister issued directions to the concerned district officials in a swift and time-bound manner, the official said.

Addressing the gathering, the minister emphasised that elected representatives have a responsibility not only to solve the genuine issues of the people but also to make them feel available, heard and cared for.

“The ‘public durbar’ initiative is one of the most effective means of strengthening the bridge between the people and their government,” he said.

Reiterating the commitment of the NDA government under Modi, Singh said the aim is to deliver transparent and efficient governance to the doorstep of every citizen, transcending the barriers of region, caste, or political affiliation.

He said these public outreach programmes are driven by the mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’.

The minister has been consistently touring his home constituency in recent months, taking the governance model closer to the people by interacting with them in such forums.

Greater Kashmir

Lieutenant Governor addresses North Zone Regional Conference of Legal Services Authorities at Srinagar

By
JKN Author
-
0
Lieutenant Governor addresses North Zone Regional Conference of Legal Services Authorities at Srinagar

Srinagar, July 26: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed the North Zone Regional Conference on “Reaffirming the Constitutional Vision of Justice for Defence Personnel and Tribals: Bridging the Gaps” organised by National Legal Services Authority, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and J&K Legal Services Authority, at Srinagar.

The event was graced by Judge Supreme Court of India and Executive Chairman National Legal Services Authority, Justice Surya Kant; Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, Arjun Ram Meghwal; Chief Justice High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, Justice Arun Palli; Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah; Judge High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairman J&K Legal Services Authority, Justice Sanjeev Kumar; Judge High Court J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairperson Ladakh Legal Services Authority, Justice Sindhu Sharma; General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, Lt. General Pratik Sharma; Hon’ble Judges of Supreme Court of India and Chief Justice of various States and UTs.

In his address, the Lieutenant Governor extended his felicitations to the legal luminaries, officials of National Legal Services Authority, High Court of J&K and Ladakh, J&K Legal Services Authority and everyone associated with the conference. He also paid tributes to the bravehearts of Kargil War.

“Constitution of India guarantees Justice, social, economic and political and one of the facets of providing Justice is access to justice to all the citizens and it is to be ensured that Justice reaches to the poorest of poor, who deserves it the most.

The justice system has been deeply rooted in the soul of India and played a pivotal to nation’s progress. In our culture, the court is not merely an office of justice but a sacred temple of justice, dedicated to ensuring equal justice and access to the legal system for all, without discrimination,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor called upon the State Legal Services Authorities to ensure that all possible legal aid reaches the army personnel, tribal community, deprived and vulnerable sections of society on time so that their lives become easier and their rights granted by the Constitution are protected.

The Lieutenant Governor highlighted key structural reforms taken in the past few years to establish social and economic justice in Jammu Kashmir.

The Lieutenant Governor observed that before 2019 various central laws including two important central legislations namely the Scheduled Tribes and other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 were not applicable to J&K.

Now, these laws have become applicable and tribal community has been empowered. We are extending all constitutional guarantees and protections to the members of Tribal population including access to justice by providing free and competent legal aid to them, he said.

The Lieutenant Governor, in his address, spoke on the major initiatives taken by the J&K administration to ensure ease of justice to the members of Armed Forces and reiterated its commitment to provide legal aid to the tribal community.

“Amendment has been made in J&K Legal Services Authority, Rules 2020 to include Secretary, Zila Sainik Board as member of District Legal Services Authority to provide legal aid to soldiers.

Furthermore, Lieutenant Governor’s Sainik Sahayta Kendra has been established and it is a dedicated institutional mechanism for facilitating the redressal of civilian grievances faced by soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces, who are posted in the J&K, or who belong to the UT and are presently serving in other parts of the country”, the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor emphasised that delay in justice means defeat of moral duties of legal services authorities at the grassroots level involved in helping the deprived and vulnerable sections.

“I am confident that in this important conference, along with solutions to the challenges being faced at the district level, the necessary interventions to make the common citizens aware of their rights under the Constitution will also be discussed,” the Lieutenant Governor further said,

On the occasion, NALSA Veer Parivar Sahayata Yojana 2025, a dedicated legal services scheme for defence personnel, ex-servicemen and their families, was launched. The scheme provides for establishing legal services clinics within Rajya and Zila Sainik Boards for rendering legal services and assistance to Veer Parivar.

The event also witnessed the launch of various initiatives including Defence Personnel Case Management System; Special Samvad Legal Units for tribal communities; Legal Services support centres at Rajya Sainik Boards of all states and UTs and Zila Sainik Welfare Boards across the Districts of UT of J&K and Ladakh; Unveiling of Logo and Tribal kiosks at Leh airport; Mobile medical camp for tribal population of Ladakh.

Certificates of engagement as Para legal volunteers by Legal Services Authorities of J&K and Ladakh were also handed over to Veer Naris and ex-servicemen.

Former Chief Justices, serving and retired Judges, senior officials of Legal Services Authorities, Security Forces, Police and Civil Administration, Veer Naris, ex-Servicemen, members from Legal fraternity, and prominent citizens from different walks of life were also present.

Greater Kashmir

At least 25 people killed by Israeli gunshots, strikes in Gaza, some while seeking aid

By
JKN Author
-
0
UK, Canada and 26 other countries say the war in Gaza ‘must end now'

Deir al-Balah (Gaza Strip), July 26: At least 25 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes and gunshots overnight, according to health officials and the ambulance service on Saturday, as ceasefire talks appear to have stalled and Palestinians in Gaza face famine.

The majority of victims were killed by gunfire as they waited for aid trucks close to the Zikim crossing with Israel, said staff at Shifa hospital, where the bodies were brought.

Israel’s army didn’t respond to request for comments about the latest shootings.

Those killed in strikes include four people in an apartment building in Gaza City among others, hospital staff and the ambulance service said.

The strikes come as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have hit a standstill after the US and Israel recalled their negotiating teams on Thursday, throwing the future of the talks into further uncertainty.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering “alternative options” to ceasefire talks with Hamas. His comments came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic.

Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the United States, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when.

For desperate Palestinians a ceasefire can’t come soon enough.

The United Nations and experts say that Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of famine, with reports of increasing numbers of people dying from causes related to malnutrition.

While Israel’s army says it’s allowing aid into the enclave with no limit on the number of trucks that can enter, the UN says it is hampered by Israeli military restrictions on its movements and incidents of criminal looting.

The Zikim crossing shootings come days after at least 79 Palestinians were killed trying to reach aid entering through the same crossing. Israel’s military said at the time its soldiers shot at a gathering of thousands of Palestinians who posed a threat, and that it was aware of some casualties.

Israel is facing increased international pressure to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza. More then two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel’s blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out.

The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food.

For the first time in months Israel said it is allowing airdrops, requested by Jordan. A Jordanian official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote in a newspaper article on Saturday that the UK was “working urgently” with Jordan to get British aid into Gaza.

Aid group the World Central Kitchen said on Friday that it was resuming limited cooking operations in Deir al-Balah after being forced to halt due to a lack of food supplies.

It said it’s trying to serve 60,000 meals daily through its field kitchen and partner community kitchens, less than half of what it’s cooked over the previous month.

Greater Kashmir

Wreath-laying ceremony held for Agniveer killed in land mine blast in Jammu

By
JKN Author
-
0
Wreath-laying ceremony held for Agniveer killed in land mine blast in Jammu

Jammu, July 26: A wreath-laying ceremony was held here on Saturday to pay tribute to an Agniveer who lost his life in a land mine explosion in Krishna Ghati sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district a day before, an official said.

White Knight Corps Chief of staff Major General Shailendra Singh led the solemn ceremony held at Satwari military station to honour 20-year-old Lalit Kumar of 7 JAT regiment, he said.

Superintendent of Police (city south) Ajay Sharma and some civil officers also attended the ceremony and paid their tributes.

Kumar’s mortal remains were later sent to his home town Meerut in Uttar Pradesh to perform the last rites, the official said.

The Agniveer lost his life, while two other soldiers were injured in a land mine blast when they were on an area domination patrol in the general area of Krishna Ghati Brigade on Friday.

Greater Kashmir

Mehbooba Mufti’s cousin Sarwar Mufti joins Apni Party

By
JKN Author
-
0
Mehbooba Mufti’s cousin Sarwar Mufti joins Apni Party

Srinagar, July 26: In a significant setback to the People’s Democratic Party, Sarwar Mufti, cousin of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, joined the Apni Party in Srinagar, on Saturday.

Sarwar according to details available with News Agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), joined Apni Party in a function presided over by Apni Party Chief Altaf Bhukhari in Srinagar.

Sarwar who was associated with PDP for a long time had joined Democratic Progressive Azad Party in November 2023, however, he later rejoined PDP before joining the Apni Party today.

Sarwar’s exit is perceived as major setback to PDP, which had managed to win only three seats in 2024 polls—(KNO)

Greater Kashmir

BDS student from J&K dies by suicide in Rajasthan, AIMSA seeks justice

By
JKN Author
-
0
BDS student from J&K dies by suicide in Rajasthan, AIMSA seeks justice

Srinagar, July 26: The All India Medical Students Association (AIMSA) has written to the Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Bhajan Lal Sharma, urging immediate action and justice in the case of Shweta Singh, a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) student from Jammu & Kashmir who died by suicide allegedly due to academic harassment at Pacific Dental College and Research Centre in Udaipur.

In a letter, AIMSA stated that Shweta Singh, a student from the 2020 batch, was subjected to prolonged harassment and academic bias by the college administration. She was allegedly placed in an “odd batch” without proper justification and her third-year examination was delayed by over a year, even as her batchmates prepared for graduation. This academic setback reportedly caused immense psychological distress.

According to the letter, a suicide note recovered from the scene named two faculty members, holding them responsible for her suffering and mental trauma. AIMSA expressed deep concern over the incident, especially its impact on students from Jammu and Kashmir, many of whom already face hurdles in accessing quality education outside their home region.

The association has called for an independent and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of Shweta’s death, immediate suspension of the faculty members named in the suicide note, filing of an FIR and initiation of legal proceedings against those found responsible and implementation of systemic reforms to prevent such incidents of harassment and academic abuse.

“This is not only a plea for justice for Shweta, it is a collective call to safeguard the dignity, safety, and future of students across India,” the letter reads.

Signed by National Convenor Dr. Apurv Dalvi and Vice President Dr. Muhammad Momin Khan, the letter reflects the growing outrage among students nationwide, particularly from marginalised regions, over recurring instances of institutional apathy and harassment in educational institutions.

Greater Kashmir

1...625626627...742Page 626 of 742
- Advertisement -
Google search engine

Recent Posts

JK News – Your go-to source for the latest and most reliable news from Jammu & Kashmir!
Contact us: info@jknews.in
Facebook Instagram Twitter

EVEN MORE NEWS

POPULAR CATEGORY

JK News © 2026