Reviews preparations at Hazratbal

SRINAGAR, MAY 25: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Monday visited the sacred Hazratbal Shrine to review the preparations for the upcoming auspicious festival of Eid ul-Adha.

He was accompanied by Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi, Chairperson, J&K Waqf Board; Mufti Reyaz ul Haq, Chief Imam Hazratbal Shrine; Anshul Garg, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir; Rajiv Omprakashn, DIG CKR; Dr. GV Sundeep Chakravarthy, SSP Srinagar; Akshay Labroo, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar; Faz Lul Haseeb, Municipal Commissioner Srinagar and officials from all line departments.

During his visit, the Lieutenant Governor took appraisal of the water supply, sanitation, electricity and other facilities being put in place for smooth conduct of the festival. He instructed the senior officers to ensure that every arrangement is carried out with diligence.

“The festival reminds us of the virtues of humility and charity, inspiring us to dedicate ourselves to the greater good of humanity. We will ensure that the celebration is not only well-organized but also truly grand, marked by devotion and festive fervor,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

Spiritual leaders, Waqf officials, senior officers of Police and Civil administration and prominent citizens were also present.

Srinagar May 25: Budgam Police on Monday claimed to have solved the Galwanpora minor girl rape and murder case within 36 hours, announcing the arrest of a local resident after what officials described as a confession and corroborating material evidence.

Addressing a press briefing, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Budgam K.K. Hari Prasad said several suspects had been detained and questioned during the investigation before police zeroed in on one individual whose alleged involvement matched the material evidence collected during the probe.

“Within 36 hours we have solved the murder and rape case,” SSP Hari Prasad said.

The accused was identified by police as Mudasir Ahmad Mir, a resident of Galwanpora.

According to the SSP, the accused was confronted during questioning and allegedly confessed to the crime.

“Many suspects were detained. One particular suspect corroborated the material evidence. When confronted, he confessed,” Hari Prasad said.

Police said some material evidence was recovered on the disclosure of the accused. The SSP said the motive behind the crime remained under investigation and further forensic and investigative procedures were continuing.

The case had triggered widespread outrage across Kashmir after the minor girl was found dead near her residence following her disappearance. Police had earlier termed the incident prima facie a case of rape and murder and constituted a Special Investigation Team to investigate the crime. (KINS)

Calls on Minister Itoo

SRINAGAR, MAY 25: Director General of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Lt. General Virendra Vats Monday called on Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare and Education, Sakeena Itoo, and apprised her of the activities and outreach programmes being undertaken by the NCC across Jammu and Kashmir.

During the meeting, the Director General highlighted the role of the NCC in shaping youth through discipline, leadership, patriotism and community service. He informed the Minister about various initiatives being carried out to encourage greater participation of students in NCC activities, especially in remote and border areas of the Union Territory.

Lt. General Virendra Vats also briefed the Minister about the ongoing training programmes, adventure activities, awareness campaigns and social service initiatives being conducted by NCC units in J&K. He underscored the organisation’s efforts towards youth empowerment and nation-building by engaging cadets in constructive and character-building activities.

He also briefed the Minister about the participation of J&K Youth in NCC, especially the girls/women folk.

The Minister appreciated the contribution of the NCC in nurturing discipline, confidence and a spirit of service among the youth. She lauded the organisation for providing young students with opportunities for personality development, leadership training and national integration.

The Minister also assured the Director General of all possible support from the Government for carrying out various activities across J&K for the welfare of youth.

Sakeena Itoo reiterated the Government’s commitment towards supporting initiatives aimed at empowering the youth and promoting their holistic development.

ADG, NCC, Major General, Anupinder Bevli was also present.

Departments asked to accelerate

SRINAGAR, MAY 25: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Monday chaired a high-level review meeting with Administrative Secretaries of all departments to assess the Action Taken Reports (ATRs) on implementation of actionable points emerging from the Prime Minister’s interaction with Secretaries to the Government of India, with special emphasis on strengthening the “Whole of Government” approach, enhancing Ease of Living through end-to-end digitization of public services and undertaking comprehensive process reforms across the country.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary reiterated that the core objective of these reforms is to establish integrated governance, citizen-centric administration and technology-driven systems aimed at ensuring efficient, transparent and accountable delivery of services. He emphasized that departments must move beyond conventional silo-based functioning and work in close coordination to achieve larger developmental goals envisioned under Viksit Bharat @2047.

A detailed presentation on the Action Taken Reports pertaining to various reform initiatives was given by the Planning Development & Monitoring Department. The meeting was informed that several departments including Finance, School Education, Skill Development, Health & Medical Education, Housing & Urban Development, Agriculture Production, Social Welfare, Public Works, Tourism and Higher Education Departments have already adopted convergence-based governance models involving inter-departmental coordination, digital integration and collaborative implementation mechanisms.

Regarding the points of School Education Department it was revealed that vocational education has been expanded to more than 1,350 schools across Jammu & Kashmir with enrolment of over 1.41 lakh students, besides integration of digital platforms, ICT laboratories and smart classrooms under the framework of NEP-2020.

Similarly with respect to the Skill Development Department it was highlighted that flagship initiatives including Mission YUVA and PM Vishwakarma are being implemented through coordinated institutional mechanisms involving multiple departments, financial institutions and academic organisations.

The Health & Medical Education Department proposed integrated planning with allied departments for convergence of health, sanitation, nutrition, education and livelihood initiatives, while the Housing & Urban Development Department highlighted its focus on technology-driven governance, sustainable urban planning and citizen-centric reforms for improving urban living standards.

The meeting was further informed that departments including Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, ARI & Trainings, Disaster Management, Labour & Employment and Information Department have introduced integrated digital governance systems, interoperable platforms and real-time monitoring mechanisms aimed at improving transparency, accountability and ease of access to public services.

Reviewing reforms aimed at enhancing Ease of Living, the meeting was apprised that under the J&K Jan Vishwas reforms, around 32 criminal provisions across 20 Acts have been decriminalized to reduce compliance burden and improve citizen convenience, while 19 obsolete laws have been repealed for simplification of the statutory framework and promotion of ease of doing business.

The Chief Secretary also reviewed the proposal for achieving 100 percent end-to-end digitization of Government-to-Citizen (G2C) services across the Union Territory. The meeting was informed that 1,548 G2C services have already been digitized under the E-Unnat platform, while nearly 300 additional services are presently under development.

The meeting was informed that in the first phase, 302 services across key departments including Agriculture, Higher Education, Housing & Urban Development, Revenue, Health and Power Development Departments have been identified for elimination of offline processes and full digital transformation.

The implementation roadmap includes phased execution covering policy notification, digitization audit, workflow re-engineering, system integration, capacity building, real-time monitoring and third-party audits.

Stresssing upon departments to undertake comprehensive process re-engineering before digitization, the Chief Secretary directed all departments to simplify existing G2G, G2B and G2C procedures in order to eliminate bottlenecks and promote faster, simpler and citizen-friendly governance mechanisms.

The meeting also reviewed progress achieved under Vision 2030 and Vision 2047 targets. It was informed that several departments have already submitted quantifiable targets, achievements, gap analysis and timelines for bridging developmental gaps, while the remaining departments have been asked to furnish their inputs for preparation of a comprehensive Vision document for Jammu & Kashmir.

SRINAGAR, MAY 25: The J&K government Monday ordered the regularisation and promotion of 3 In-charge Information Officers and 14 Assistant Information Officers as Information Officers and equivalent in the Information Department.

According to a Government Order issued here by the Information Department, the promoted officers included Showket Ahmad Khan, Riyaz Ahmad Fazili, Parshotam Dass, Rajinder Paul Singh, Gulshan Sumbria, Majeeb Ahmad Ganai, Gulshan Ara, Ashok Kumar Sharma, Sayed Gulam Jeelani Qadiri, Shabir Ahmed Bhat, Gurpreet Singh, Liyaqat Ali Mir, Mohammad Owais Gurkoo, Natyapal Singh, Parvaiz Ahmad Lone, Sajad Ahmad Shah and Hardeep Singh Choudhary.

Showket Ahmad Khan, Riyaz Ahmad Fazili and Parshotam Dass have been regularised with effect from September 5, 2018, while the promotions of the remaining officers will take effect prospectively, according to the order.

The officers shall continue to work at their present places of posting until further orders.

Srinagar, May 25: In a major crackdown against drug trafficking and substance abuse in parts of Kashmir, Police have arrested six drug peddlers in a series of successful anti-narcotics operations in Baramulla, Pulwama and Anantnag, recovering significant quantities of contraband substances from their possession.

In Baramulla, during naka checking at Jhandiya Dardkote on Uri National Highway, a police party from Police Post Uroosa intercepted a suspicious individual who attempted to flee after noticing the naka party. Acting swiftly, police apprehended the accused identified as Waseem Ahmad Mangral son of Shair Zaman Mangral resident of Nambla Uri. During search, approximately 60.5 grams of charas was recovered from his possession. In another operation in the Madiya area of Kamalkote, a patrolling party from Police Post Kamalkote apprehended a suspicious person identified as Muhammad Safir Sheikh son of Abdul Majid Sheikh resident of Madiya Kamalkote. During search, approximately 29 grams of charas-like substance was recovered from his possession.

Meanwhile in Pulwama, Police achieved a major success after arresting two drug peddlers and recovering approximately 273 grams of heroin-like substance during naka checking at Parigam Khalsa. A scooty bearing registration number JK13H-6074 coming from Lerve towards Parigam was intercepted by Police Post Parigam. The accused were identified as Mohd Aslam Malik son of Mohd Yousuf Malik resident of Hanji Mohallah Bongam Kakapora and Nasir Ahmad Dar son of Mohd Shafi Dar resident of New Colony Kakapora. Both were taken into custody on the spot and the contraband substance was seized.

In Anantnag, a police party from Police Station Srigufwara apprehended Nazir Ahmed Sheikh son of Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh resident of Trail, at Sakhras Crossing Chowk. During search of a bag in his possession, 6.566 kilograms of ganja-like substance was recovered. In another operation conducted by Police Station Kokernag near Tangpawa Petrol Pump, a Tavera vehicle bearing registration number RJ38TA-1602 was intercepted during naka checking. During search of the vehicle, a brown sugar-like substance concealed inside the dashboard drawer was recovered. The driver, identified as Huzaif Ahmad Ganai son of Mohammad Ayoub Ganai resident of Soaf Shali Kokernag, was arrested and the contraband was seized.

Regarding the incidents cases under relevant sections of law have been registered at respective police station and investigations have been initiated.

Police reiterated their firm commitment towards eradicating the menace of drugs from society and appealed to the public to cooperate by sharing information related to drug trafficking and substance abuse in their respective areas.

Srinagar, May 25: Sustaining its intensified drive against the drug menace, Police in Shopian continued its crackdown on illegal narcotics cultivation by acting on specific intelligence regarding poppy cultivation in the Check Sideeqkhan Imamsahib area of the district.

Acting promptly on the information, a police team from Police Station Imamsahib along with officials from Revenue Department reached the spot and detected illegal poppy cultivation on land belonging to Farooq Ahmad Dar son of Gh Nabi Dar resident of Check Sadeeq Khan. The illicit crop was immediately destroyed on the spot. In this regard, a case vide FIR No. 37/2026 under relevant sections of law has been registered at Police Station Imamsahib and further investigation has been taken up.

J&K Police reiterated its firm commitment to eradicating the menace of drug abuse and illegal narcotics cultivation from the society. The general public is urged to cooperate with the police and share any information related to drug trafficking or unlawful cultivation to help build a drug-free society

 Srinagar, May 25: In compliance with the directions of the Hon’ble Court, Police in Anantnag carried out the destruction of a large quantity of seized contraband substances at Lassipora, Pulwama.

The disposal process was conducted in a transparent and secure manner under the supervision of a duly constituted committee, strictly adhering to legal procedures and prescribed norms. This action reaffirms the firm commitment of J&K Police to curb the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in society.

The contraband destroyed comprised a total of 522 kilograms of narcotic substances, along with psychotropic drugs, including 240.015 Kgs of Poppy Straw, 59.198 Kgs of Charas, 154.984 Kgs of Bung Boosa, 63.582 Kgs of Ganja, 4.245 Kgs of Cannabis powder & leaves, 0.63 grams of Brown Sugar.

These substances were seized in multiple cases registered across the district and were destroyed following due legal sanction. This decisive action underscores the relentless efforts of J&K Police in combating drug trafficking and substance abuse. By destroying such a significant quantity of narcotics, the J&K Police send a strong message of zero tolerance against drugs and reiterate their resolve to safeguard the youth and the community from the harmful effects of addiction.

J&K Police remains committed to working in close coordination with the public to build a drug-free society and urges citizens to continue extending their cooperation by sharing any information related to drug peddling or abuse.

New Delhi, May 25: The Centre on Monday notified the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Amendment Order, 2026, aimed to provide additional relaxation and convenience to domestic LPG consumers who shift to piped natural gas (PNG) connections.

Under the amended provisions, LPG consumers who have PNG connections as well may apply for termination of the LPG connection within 30 days of obtaining a PNG connection. These consumers may obtain a transfer voucher for future restoration of the LPG connection in a non-PNG area, according to an official statement.

This amendment provides significant relief and flexibility to consumers who may subsequently shift to areas where PNG infrastructure may not be feasible.

The provision is particularly beneficial for transferable employees, migrant households, tenants, students and families shifting to non-PNG areas, the statement said.

Meanwhile, about 7.99 lakh PNG connections have been gasified and infrastructure created for an additional 2.87 lakh connections, taking the total to 10.86 lakh connections since March this year, according to an official statement.

Around 1.72 crore domestic LPG cylinders were delivered against bookings of around 1.66 crore cylinders during the last four days. The public sector oil companies also organised about 15,400 awareness camps for small 5 kg LPG cylinders and have sold more than 2.45 lakh such cylinders during these camps since April 3 this year.

“Citizens are advised to avoid panic purchases of petrol, diesel and LPG as the government is making all efforts to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and LPG. They are also advised to beware of rumours and rely on official sources for correct information,” the statement said.

LPG consumers are requested to use digital booking platforms and avoid visiting distributors. Citizens are encouraged to use alternative fuels such as PNG and electric or induction cooktops. All citizens are requested to make necessary efforts to conserve energy in their daily use during the current situation, the statement added.

New Delhi, May 25: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday wrote letters to all Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, and Administrators across the country, seeking their cooperation in conducting the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET-UG) re-examination.

The NEET exams, held on May 3, were cancelled after nationwide furore over paper leaks and alleged irregularities. The re-examination for over 23 lakh medical aspirants will now be held on June 21. The National Testing Agency (NTA), the apex body for conducting competitive exams like NEET, is understood to be working in close coordination with the Education Ministry and pulling out all the stops for safe, transparent examinations, this time, given public anger and outrage over paper leaks that led to the cancellation of exams.

The Union Minister, in his letter, has urged all state governments to cooperate to ensure fair and seamless examinations, particularly in the wake of the severe heatwave conditions. He has asked the state administrations to ensure the availability of all essential basic facilities at examination centres, for the convenience and well-being of aspirants.

In his letter, Pradhan wrote: “In view of the prevailing heatwave conditions, I request you to kindly issue appropriate instructions to the District Authorities and all schools, colleges, universities, and other institutions hosting the examination in your State/UT to ensure the availability of essential basic amenities for the convenience of candidates.

“These may include safe drinking water, adequate seating arrangements, functional fans/coolers, clean washrooms, shaded waiting areas, uninterrupted electricity supply, and portable toilets, wherever required,” he added.

The Education Minister also called upon all the state governments to ensure adequate transportation facilities for candidates on the day of the examination, June 21.

Notably, a day ago, Dharmendra Pradhan roped in IITs to fix glitches in the CBSE re-evaluation portal. The Education Minister asked experts from IIT-Madras and IIT-Kanpur to stabilise the system and strengthen digital infrastructure so that students and parents don’t face technical glitches during the post-result re-evaluation process.