Pahalgam, Sep 16: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce on Tuesday visited Pahalgam to review the losses suffered by tourism and allied industries after the April 22 Baisaran attack and assured stakeholders that their concerns would be taken up with the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir government.

The attack, which killed 25 tourists and a local pony operator, dealt a severe blow to Kashmir’s tourism economy.

Cancellations poured in, hotels remained empty, pony wallas and shikara operators lost customers, and artisans and fruit growers reported sharp drops in sales.

“We unanimously decided after the Pahalgam attack that it is our responsibility to stand close to the people of J&K,” said Committee Chairperson and Trinamool Congress MP Dola Sen, who led the delegation. “We can’t sit in Parliament and prepare reports from afar. To know the objective reality, we came here to listen directly to those who are suffering.”

The meeting, held at a conference hall of a hotel, brought together hoteliers, traders, artisans, fruit growers, cold storage operators, MSME representatives, and industrialists.

They pressed for long-term support to stabilise their livelihoods and revive investor confidence in Kashmir.

Fruit growers and cold chain operators sought fruit processing units and stronger storage infrastructure to protect produce and ensure year-round markets.

Industrialists called for ISI certification and GI tagging for Kashmiri willow bats, shawls, carpets, and papier-mâché products to boost global exports.

Tourism associations urged urgent measures to restore visitor confidence and rebuild infrastructure.

“All these sectors -tourism, handicrafts, MSMEs, and the fruit industry are the backbone of Kashmir’s economy,” Sen said. “We don’t carry a magic wand, but we are committed to a time-bound programme to restore livelihoods. The feedback we received here will be taken up with ministries of commerce, transport, industry, and agriculture.”

The committee members included Renuka Choudhary, cricketer-turned-politician Yousuf Pathan, Prashant Padole, Ramesh Avasti, Santosh Pande, Prashun Banerjee, and S P Singh Patel. Among officials present were Additional District Development Commissioner, Anantnag, Sandeep Singh Bali, Director Industries, Kashmir, Khalid Majeed, and DIC General Manager, Nazia Hassan.

The panel observed a moment of silence to mourn those killed in the April attack. “We also remembered the common citizens and security personnel who have lost their lives recently,” Sen said. “We are confident that together, the Centre and J&K governments will mitigate the sufferings of common people. We will overcome this together.”

Sen emphasised that the panel’s report would be based on consultations, not assumptions. “Ours is perhaps the first parliamentary committee to have visited Pahalgam to know the objective reality rather than only preparing a report in Delhi. We listened to stakeholders, we will listen more, and then only will we prepare our final report,” she said. The delegation would continue consultations in Srinagar and fly to Leh on Wednesday to meet stakeholders in Ladakh. Tourism is a key pillar of J&K’s economy, along with horticulture and handicrafts. Local associations say the April 22 Baisaran attack caused an immediate collapse in bookings, affecting both large hotels and small vendors who depend on visitors for daily income.

Srinagar, Sep 16: The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) on Tuesday has extended its support to the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Left student parties in the upcoming Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections, announcing backing for two posts each.

In a statement, the Association’s National Convenor, Nasir Khuehami, said that the decision reflects Association’s commitment to strengthening student-centric politics and safeguarding democratic values on campus.

“ Our support to NSUI and Left candidates is a conscious choice to ensure that students’ voices are represented by forces that prioritise education, inclusivity, and justice over divisive and communal propaganda,” the association said.

In his condolence message, the Chief Secretary conveyed heartfelt sympathies to Rajesh Mattoo and the bereaved family.

He prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul and strength to the family members to bear this irreparable loss with courage and fortitude. (KNS)

Srinagar, Sep 16: The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board on Tuesday announced that the annual pilgrimage will resume from September 17, 2025 (Wednesday), provided weather conditions remain favorable.

The Board has advised devotees to remain updated through its official communication channels for further advisories and real-time updates. (KNC)

Srinagar, Sep 16: Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo today chaired a meeting at Civil Secretariat here and conducted an extensive review of the electricity supply and distribution framework in Kulgam district.

The meeting was attended by MD KPDCL, Mehmood Shah; Special Secretary Power Development department; Chief Engineer KPDCL, SE KPDCL Bijbehara ; Executive Engineer KPDCL Kulgam; all Assistant Executive Engineers of Kulgam and other concerned officers.

During the meeting, the Minister took detailed assessment of ground-level challenges, gauge the adequacy of power infrastructure and address consumer grievances, besides measures taken for augmentation of power infrastructure in the district.

Speaking during the meeting, Minister Sakeena expressed serious concern over arbitrary and unjustified hikes in electricity bills of common masses, particularly belonging to lower income families, causing acute distress among households. She stressed upon the officers to ensure reliable power supply, affordability and transparency in billing.

The Minister impressed upon the Chief Engineer KPDCL to conduct load survey in the district before any hike in power tariffs is made. She also asked the Executive Engineer to submit a detailed report regarding load revisions carried across the district in last three years.

The Minister also asked the officers to organise grievance camps in D.H Pora, Malwan, Khull and other far off areas having maximum disputes related to arbitrary hike in power bills. She also asked them to implement stringent monitoring mechanisms to prevent any arbitrary escalation in electricity charges. She further instructed the PDD officers to conduct thorough audits of billing systems and load sanction to ensure accuracy and fairness in consumer billing practices.

Minister Sakeena reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to providing uninterrupted, affordable and efficient electricity supply to every citizen, adding that any malpractice in billing or power distribution will not be tolerated at all.

Meanwhile, during the meeting, the Minister also took stock of ongoing works regarding the establishment of 10 MVA Receiving Station at Manzgam, aimed to strengthen the power infrastructure in the area.

She directed the officers to work with dedication so that the project can be completed before the actual date of completion.

The Minister added that after the completion of project, a long-pending demand of the people of the area will be fulfilled as it is expected to significantly augment the power supply scenario, ensuring improved electricity availability and reliability for the residents.