Restaurants allowed in-dining at 50% capacity

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Government on Sunday announced that there will be no weekend lockdown in 16 districts even as it extended the closure of educational institutions till the end of this month.

The daily night curfew, however, will continue from 2000 hours to 0700 hours in these districts. The relaxations will come into effect from Monday.

As per a government order, the 16 districts are— Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Poonch, Rajouri, Kishtwar, Ramban, Udhampur, Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Kulgam and Shopian.

“Restaurants and Bars can open for in-dining from 0700 hours till 2200 hours at 50 percent of its total capacity, only for the customers who are vaccinated or carrying a negative RT-PCR or RAT report of 48 hours prior,” reads the order by Chief Secretary, Arun Kumar Mehta, who is also the Chairperson, State Executive Committee.

All outdoor shops have been permitted to open on all days, only from 0700 hours till 1900 hours.

The market associations will have to fully co-operate with the local administration in ensuring strict compliance to the COVID appropriate behaviour, the order said further.

“All shops in the indoor shopping complexes, Malls can open, only from 0700 hours till 1900 hours, only for the consumers who are vaccinated or for customers with negative RT-PCR or RAT report of 48 hours prior,” the order read.

It further said that the shop owners, managers, staff will have to ensure compliance to it and the District Magistrates shall strictly enforce this measure,” the order, a copy.

Also, indoor sports complexes and Gyms have been permitted to open at 50 per cent of their total capacity for persons vaccinated or those with a valid negative report for Covid.

“The Swimming Pools will, however, continue to remain closed,” read the order.

The government has also ordered that all Universities, colleges and technical and skill development institutions in J&K shall remain closed for imparting on-campus and in-person education to the students till July 31.

However, in-person education has been allowed for the courses, programs that require the physical presence of students on account of laboratory, research, thesis work and internship etc.

“Teaching in all these institutions will be in online mode,” the order said, adding, “All schools and coaching centres in J&K shall continue to remain closed for imparting on-campus and in-person education to students of all classes till July 31. (UNI)

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday conducted searches at seven locations in Anantnag and Srinagar districts of Kashmir Valley in “ISIS Voice of Hind” case, the national anti-terror probe agency said on Sunday.

NIA sleuths have recovered a large number of incriminating documents and digital devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptop, hard disks along with T-Shirts having the ISIS logo.

Five persons, four from Anantnag and one from Srinagar have been arrested during these raids, they added.

This case was registered by NIA on June 29 under sections 124A, 153A, and 153B of IPC and sections 17, 18, 18B, 38, 39 &40 of UA (P) Act 1967, in connection with the conspiracy of the militant organisation ISIS to radicalise and recruit impressionable youth in India to wage violent jihad against the country.

To execute its nefarious plan, an organized campaign has been launched over cyberspace which is supplemented by on-ground militant financing activities.

ISIS militants operating from various conflict zones along with its cadres in India, by assuming pseudo- online identities, have created a network wherein ISIS-related propaganda materials were disseminated for radicalizing and recruiting members to the fold of ISIS.

In this connection an India-centric online propaganda magazine ‘the Voice of Hind’ (VOH) was getting published on monthly basis to incite and radicalize impressionable youth by projecting a skewed narrative of imagined injustices in India to arouse a feeling of alienation and communal hatred, the probe agency said. (UNI)

Srinagar: Over 10,000 vehicles, including those carrying passengers, remained stranded on Sunday even as Srinagar-Jammu highway, which connects Kashmir valley with rest of the country, was closed since Friday due to landslides.

However, a few hundred Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs), stranded on the highway, were allowed to leave towards their respective destinations on Saturday afternoon.

A traffic department official said that no traffic was allowed on Sunday to undertake repair work at Magarkote, where the road has suffered major damage due to landslides and continued shooting stones.

Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed on Friday evening due to landslides at Magarkote. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, put into service sophisticated machines and men and cleared the landslides. Later, traffic was restored partially and a few hundred LMVs were allowed to move.

However, traffic was again suspended due to continued shooting stones and landslides, triggered by heavy rain at Magarkote. “It was decided that no traffic will be allowed on the highway on Sunday to allow NHAI to complete the repair work at Magarkote,” he said.

Official sources said that over 8000 vehicles, including those carrying passengers and trucks are stranded between Zig Qazigund to Jawahar tunnel. Similarly about 2000 vehicles are stranded at Jekhani Udhampur.

Meanwhile, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) will ply from both sides on Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region. “Only Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs) upto ten tyres will ply from Srinagar towards Poonch on the road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway,” they said.

They said only LMV will be allowed from both sides on Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road.

The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway was through for one-way traffic. Today traffic will ply from Srinagar to Leh, they said, adding no vehicle will be allowed from the opposite direction. (UNI)

 Rampur, UP: Population control is not a communal issue and those who are linking it to a particular religion are trying to impose their distorted mentality and communal thinking, Union minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas said on Sunday.

It is heartening that the campaign for population control is being started from Uttar Pradesh, which is the India’s most populous state, Mr Naqvi said, while addressing newly elected representatives of Panchayats on his two-day visit to Rampur.

Endorsing the population control campaign initiated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, he said, “it’s our responsibility to fulfil the aspirations of the people who have elected us and expressed their trust on us. Our government is for all, those who have voted for us and also those who have not voted for us. There should be no discrimination with anyone in terms of development.”

Emphasising “Inclusive Development”, he said the Centre and the state government will provide enough funds for development activities to ensure welfare of villages, poor, farmers and weaker sections.

He said that the people’s mandate in the recent Panchayat elections are a testimony to people’s support to measures taken by the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre and the Yogi Adityanath Government in UP for empowerment of villages, poor, farmers and other needy sections. These results are crystal clear indication for our victory in the upcoming Assembly elections.

The minister said that some opposition parties are behaving like “The angry cat scratches the pillar” due to their defeat in recent local bodies elections. We should ignore this “Vilaap Mandli” and should focus on our policies, programmes and principles to ensure “happiness in eyes and prosperity” in life of every needy of the society”. (UNI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met BJP’s national Secretaries at his official residence on Sunday.

BJP chief J.P. Nadda and General Secretary, Organisation, B.L. Santhosh, were also present at the meeting.

Sources said that almost all national Secretaries except Bishweswar Tudu, who was recently inducted into the Modi Cabinet, were present in the meeting.

“Prime Minister interacted with the national office bearers (Secretaries) and shared his thoughts and also heard their views,” a party leader said.

Before meeting with the Prime Minister, Nadda met the national Secretaries at the party headquarters and discussed organisational issues with them. The meeting lasted for over an hour.

“Organisational activities and preparations in poll-bound states were discussed. Other ongoing activities were also discussed,” a party insider said.

Last month, Modi met BJP’s national General Secretaries and heads of different Morchas (wings). “Last month also, Naddaji held a meeting with General Secretaries and Morcha heads before meeting with the Prime Minister. Both the meetings — General Secretaries and morcha heads — with the Prime Minister lasted for over four hours,” the party insider said.

In the meeting, the Prime Minister discussed several topics ranging from infants in Anganwadis to international matters. “In last month’s meeting with General Secretaries, the Prime Minister stressed that the BJP is not just focused on winning elections, but dedicated towards empowering crores of Indians,” the party insider said. (IANS)