New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on Friday discussed the prevailing situation in the east European country which is under attack from Russia, along with the measures to evacuate stranded Indian nationals from there.

“Received call from Ukrainian FM @DmytroKuleba. He shared his assessment of the current situation. I emphasised that India supports diplomacy and dialogue as the way out,” Jaishankar tweeted.

The minister also stated that they discussed the predicament of Indian nationals, including students.

“Appreciate his support for their safe return,” Jaishankar said.

Earlier in the day, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, spoke to Jaishankar and called for collective response over the ongoing crisis.

Blinken tweeted, “Spoke with @DrSJaishankar today about the crisis in Ukraine and the importance of a strong collective response to Russian aggression. Russia’s attack on Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a clear violation of the rules-based international order.”

The spokesperson for the US Secretary of State, Ned Price, said, “Antony Blinken spoke with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar today to discuss Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified attack on Ukraine.”

Price also stated that Blinken stressed the importance of a strong, collective response to condemn Russia’s invasion and call for immediate force withdrawal and ceasefire.

On Thursday, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had stated that Jaishankar has spoken to concerned officials in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for setting up camps on the border areas for evacuation of stranded Indian nationals.

India is working out evacuation plans through Romania, Hungary and Poland, after Ukraine shut its airspace soon after the Russian military operation began on Thursday. (IANS)

New Delhi: India is setting up control rooms and helpline numbers and for its citizens stranded in Ukraine at the border checks-post with Poland, Romania and Hungary.

The Indian Embassy in Kiev stated that the helpline numbers are being set up at the respective check-points to facilitate evacuation through the borders.

“The numbers would be shared once the control rooms are established,” the Embassy stated.

These control rooms will be based in Poland, Romania and Hungary and they will be managed by the Indian officials posted in those countries.

In the meantime, the Embassy has shared the numbers of a few officials stationed in Poland. Pankaj Garg (+48660460815) is stationed at the Shehyni-Medyka border check-post.

The Embassy office at the Krakowiec crossing is headed by Shubham Kumar (+48881551271).

The Embassy stated that the liaison office in Lviv in Ukraine is operational and managed by Mira Berezovska (+380679335064) and Vivek Kumar (+48881551273).

Earlier, the Embassy had issued emergency numbers based out of Ukraine.

Partha Satpathy, the Ambassador of India to Ukraine, had stated that he is inundated with calls, so is the Embassy and they are doing their best to help.

The helpline numbers issued by the Embassy are +38 0997300483, +38 0997300428, +38 0933980327, +38 0635917881 and +38 0935046170.

On Thursday, Satpathy had stated that the situation is highly tense and very uncertain and this of course is causing a lot of anxiety.

He had urged Indian nationals to stay put wherever they are, in their familiar locations.

“Those who are in transit, please return to your familiar places of habitation. Those who are stranded here in Kiev, please get in touch with your friends and colleagues, universities and other community members, so that you can temporarily lodge there,” he had said. (IANS)

Srinagar: Call it a dividend of peace, border residents are making the best of ceasefire between India and Pakistan at the Line of Control (LOC) which completed one year, here on Friday. There is no fear and residents are busy with their routine chores. While life in villages is quite normal, the security situation too has improved along the border.

“Those affected by cross border shelling only know the value of peace. We have suffered immensely and we always pray this ceasefire holds for all times to come and there is peace between India and Pakistan,” said Shabir Ahmad Nayak , Sarpanch Garkote in Uri.

“We the border residents appeal to both India and Pakistan to be like friends and love each other like brothers so that we prosper,” he added.

On February 25, 2021 India and Pakistan armies agreed on a ceasefire along the LoC, which was witnessing regular firing and shelling at that time. The figures tell the story. There were 4,645 ceasefire violations in 2020; 3,168 in 2019 and 1,629 CFVs in 2018.

In contrast, there were 592 CFVs last year till the commitment came into effect on February 25. In the Hajipir sector of Uri, the Sarpanch Haji Mohammad Haneif, who lives along the zero line said their families now sleep calmly and farming is being done peacefully.

“Life was terrible for us and our children during the shelling. We would never have a peaceful sleep. But now the ceasefire has made a huge change. We do our farming now even if we have to walk close to the LoC,” he said, adding that over the last year paddy, rice and maize fields are growing.

Alone in Uri sector, nearly 60 civilians have lost their lives and dozens were injured in the cross border shelling since 1990, besides, hundreds of residential houses were also razed to the ground. Due to the frequent shelling, people here were always under stress.

The ceasefire has allowed nature lovers to explore the beauty of border areas. The children can be seen playing in open fields due to the calm along the LoC. “Due to fear of shelling we used to play inside rooms,” said Romana Irshad, a student of class II.

Though schools have been shut for the last one year, the teachers say the ceasefire helped them even during online education. Farhan, a blogger and trekker said the ceasefire has helped them to explore Uri’s hidden beauty.

“After the ceasefire, we now explore new breathtaking scenic spots. And all this has become possible due to the ceasefire,” Farhan said.

In Uri and other border areas in Kupwara and Gurez there is hope for a better future in the days ahead but simultaneously they pray for Indo-Pak friendship as it is directly affects peace on the borders. (UNI)

Jammu: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, accorded administrative approval to the construction works for women battalions at Sopore, Baramulla and Pargalta, Jammu.

Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K, and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The construction works will be carried out at an estimated cost of Rs. 50 crore each and will include administration blocks, residential accommodations and hostels, and office buildings among others. The works will be completed in three working seasons.

Earlier, to check the rise in crime against women, the Government had raised two women battalions by sanctioning 2014 posts for recruiting women officers and officials on various ranks. The recruitment of these posts is currently underway.

Jammu: In a remarkable move, the Administrative Council (AC), which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the remission of fifty percent (50%) stamp duty for all first time buyers of real estate in the housing sector for a period of two years.

Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K, and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The decision is aimed at giving a boost to the real-estate sector in Jammu and Kashmir and motivating the new buyers to participate in the market. It is also expected to provide momentum to property sale and registration by making the purchase of property attractive and affordable.

The Administrative Council also asked the Housing and Urban Development Department to work out the modalities for smooth implementation of the decision at the earliest.

Earlier, in line with its commitment to attract investment, promote infusion of technology, and create employment opportunities in the real estate sector, the Government hosted the first-ever Real Estate Summit in J&K, wherein several promoters in residential/retail/commercial space, film & entertainment industry, tourism & hospitality, logistics & warehousing, and financing institutions, participated, and shared their wisdom for the collective vision of the growth of the sector in Jammu & Kashmir.

Jammu: To promote women entrepreneurs in Jammu and Kashmir, the Administrative Council (AC) under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, Friday declared the Industrial Estate at Seen, Thakran, Udhampur as women industrial estate.

Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K, and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

In a first-of-its-kind decision, the Administrative Council declared the Industrial Estate at Seen, Thakran, Udhampur as reserved for women entrepreneurs and women-led industries.

The decision will benefit women entrepreneurs and industrialists as any business enterprise having a minimum of 51% stake held by a woman entrepreneur shall qualify to apply for allotment in reserved Industrial Estate.

Moreover, under the new J&K Industrial Land Allotment Policy, the eligible women entrepreneurs will be allotted suitable parcels of land through a transparent single-window mechanism in a time-bound manner.