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SRINAGAR, JUNE 11: Ahead of commencement of annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY)-2024, the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Srinagar, Dr Bilal Mohi-Ud-Din Bhat today conducted extensive visit of Yatra Transit Camp, Pantha Chowk to take the stock of arrangements being made for the convenience of pilgrims and smooth conduct of yatra.

During the visit, the DC inspected the physical status of various facilities at the site including electricity, drinking water, sanitation, parking space besides medical facilities.

On the occasion, he directed ADC Srinagar to appoint a Nodal Officer for close coordination among departments to ensure all the arrangements are put in place before 18th of June.

Also, he directed Ex. Engineer R&B to ensure macadamization of approach roads besides the completion of repairing works of temporary accommodation sheds.

Similarly, Executive Engineer PDD was directed to expedite electricity fitting besides installation of adequate number of ceiling fans in each transit accommodation shed.

Regarding adequate parking space to accommodate about five thousand pilgrims daily, DC asked concerned Officer of SSCL to spare a portion of Smart City Bus terminal Pantha Chowk for the period of yatra for parking of vehicles. Moreover, he stressed on hastening the leveling of the surface of premises of Yatri Niwas Pantha Chowk for making adequate parking space available.

Further, he also inspected the spaces where Langars shall be established to serve food to the pilgrims during their stay at the camp. On the occasion, he asked concerned to apply through proper channels for the permission of setting up Langars at Yatri Niwas.

The DC was accompanied by Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar Syed Ahmad Kataria, Superintendent of Traffic Police, Srinagar, Executive Engineers of R&B, PHE, PDD and Officers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Health and other Departments.

KUPWARA, JUNE 11: In order to ensure smooth celebration of upcoming Kheer Bhawani Mela, SSP Kupwara, Shobit Saxena and ADC Kupwara, M Rouf Rehman today visited Kheer Bawani Temple Tikker to review the arrangements put in place by various departments for the devotees.

On the occasion, the SSP and ADC held a joint meeting of officers from various departments including Revenue, Police, PHE, PDD, R&B and Municipality. President Mata Kheer Bawani Temple Tikker was also present in the meeting.

The officers were directed to ensure that all necessary facilities are provided to the devotees and advance arrangements of water, power supply, accommodation for pilgrims, and security are taken care of in consultation with the Police/ Security Incharge and the President of the Temple Committee.

The departments were stressed to complete their respective arrangements by today evening.

KATHUA, JUNE 11: Deputy Commissioner, Kathua Rakesh Minhas chaired a meeting of stakeholder departments here today to review the arrangements being put in place for smooth conduct of the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra-2024.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Ranjit Singh was designated as overall Nodal Officer for SANJY-2024, while DC State Taxes, Pardeep Manhas was named Nodal Officer for Lakhanpur Facilitation Centre.

The Deputy Commissioner, while reviewing the status of arrangements, instructed the concerned departments to complete the pending work well before the commencement of the Yatra, considering the expected increase in the number of pilgrims.

It was decided that the District Administration Kathua will prepare a contingency plan to accommodate 12,500 pilgrims in case the Yatra is halted due to inclement weather or any other emergencies, for which 36 Lodgement Centres would be established.

To ensure smooth issuance of RFID tags to registered pilgrims, the district administration has decided to increase the number of counters at the Lakhanpur Facilitation Centre from six to twelve, reducing congestion at the Jammu Base Camp.

The DC urged the stakeholder departments to submit respective action plan regarding the provision of safe drinking water, power supply, medical facilities, sanitation, installation of toilets, lodging and langer facilities, traffic management, and security arrangements. He directed these departments to collaborate closely to finalize the necessary arrangements as soon as possible.

The DC emphasized the importance of training and sensitizing staff to assist the pilgrims and maintaining cleanliness and sanitation in the Lakhanpur corridor and along the Yatra routes. He further instructed Municipal Authorities, PWD, NHAI, and RDD to ensure the proper functioning and maintenance of public toilets throughout the Yatra period.

The DC also directed the concerned officers of NHAI and the Tourism Department to ensure the installation of digital screens, and signages at Lakhanpur and key points along the Yatra route.

It was announced that cultural programs would be held at Lakhanpur on the opening day and throughout the Yatra period to entertain the pilgrims.

The meeting also discussed in detail the facilities at lodgment centers, setting up a control room, disaster planning, monitoring the quality of food and eatables, maintaining proper sanitation along the Yatra route, and enforcing anti-polythene measures.

The DC State Taxes Pardeep Manhas; ADC, Kathua Ranjit Singh; SDM Hiranagar Rakesh Kumar, RTO Kewal Krishan besides other officers attended the meeting.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 10: Director Information J&K, Jatin Kishore, today chaired a meeting to ensure the seamless arrangements for the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra 2024 as well as review the implementation of J&K Film Policy 2024.

Joint Director Information (Hqs), Vivek Puri; Joint Director Information Jammu, Atul Gupta; Joint Director Information Kashmir, Mohammad Aslam Khan; Deputy Director (AV), Deepak Dubey; Deputy Director (PR) Jammu/Kashmir; Nodal Officer J&K Film Policy, Maheer Thakur; Accounts Officer Directorate, Hitesh Choudhary; along with all District Information Officers and other concerned attended the meeting.

Director Information Jatin Kishore sought feedback from all District Information Officers regarding the preparation for upcoming Yatra as well as availability of manpower, staff, machinery, and other essential Equipments at various key locations along the Yatra route.

During the meeting, officers highlighted several critical issues, including concerns related to manpower shortages, the availability of Public Announcement Systems, and the procurement of suitable transportation services for men and machinery.

The Director emphasized on the installation of hoardings at strategic points along the route to welcome pilgrims, as well as the placement of informative signages to assist and guide the devotees throughout their journey.

Director Information also conducted a review of the J&K Film Policy 2024, aiming to streamline the process of issuing film permissions and provide support to filmmakers and producers.

During the meeting, Jatin Kishore emphasized the significance of the film policy, highlighting it as a top priority for the government. He stressed upon the officers to give special attention to smooth implementation of the policy including timely processing of shooting permissions, underscoring the government’s commitment to the development of the film industry in Jammu and Kashmir.

JAMMU, JUNE 10: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today chaired a high-level security review meeting with the officials of J&K Police and Civil Administration, at Police Headquarters, Jammu.

The Lieutenant Governor posted on X:

“Chaired a security review meeting with the officials of J&K Police and Civil Administration. I assure the people that those behind attack on pilgrims in Reasi and those aiding and abetting them will be punished”.

GANDERBAL, JUNE 10: In a proactive stride towards nurturing environmental consciousness, the Youth Services and Sports Department (YSS) Ganderbal orchestrated a series of impactful rallies within educational precincts across Zone Tullamulla.

Timed strategically before the onset of Environmental Week 2024, these rallies aimed to instill a profound sense of duty towards safeguarding our ecosystem among the burgeoning youth populace.

Approximately 300 students, representing a harmonious blend of both genders, fervently participated in these rallies, their voices resounding with impassioned slogans advocating for the preservation of our environment.

As they traversed the expanse of Zone Tullamulla, their unified outcry underscored the exigency of fortifying our planet’s resilience for posterity.

The laudable initiative elicited admiration from all quarters, elucidating the pivotal role of disseminating awareness regarding the pernicious repercussions of environmental degradation.

It accentuates the collective obligation incumbent upon us to steer towards a sustainable trajectory for the generations to come.

Concomitantly, the fervor for sports continued to thrive unabated in Ganderbal, epitomized by the fervent engagement witnessed in the ongoing inter-school zonal level competitions. Zone Tullamulla bore witness to an exhilarating intramural cricket spectacle at MS Waskura, wherein budding athletes fervently vied for selection, showcasing their mettle and determination.

Meanwhile, Zone Kangan orchestrated rigorous selection trials for girls under 17 and under 19 categories in football at the zonal office in Kijpara.

Similarly, Zone Ganderbal played host to selection trials of Handball for boys under 19 at GCOPE Gadoora, attracting an enthusiastic cohort of participants hailing from disparate corners of the zone.

DODA, JUNE 10: The Department of Youth Services and Sports, Doda, continued to foster the spirit of sportsmanship and competition on the third day of the District Level Inter Zonal Tournament at Sports Stadium Doda.

With over 400 enthusiastic students and players representing 10 different zones of District Doda, Day 3 witnessed an exhilarating display of athletics and teamwork.

The day’s events focused on the U/14 Boys Competition, featuring an array of games including Chess, Kabaddi, Volleyball, Badminton, Kho-Kho, and Taekwondo.

Participants showcased their prowess and determination, captivating the audience with their skillful performances.

In an intense display of sportsmanship, the U/14 Boys teams from Bhalessa, Bhalla, and Bhaderwah emerged victorious in Volleyball, Kho-Kho, and Kabaddi, respectively, lifting the coveted trophies in their respective categories.

Their victories underscored the depth of talent and dedication prevalent among young athletes in the region.

The tournament, meticulously organized in accordance with the approved Activity Calendar issued by the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports, J&K, was officiated by a selected panel of experts from the department.

The event aimed to provide a platform to the budding players to showcase their skills and compete at District level.

RAMBAN, JUNE 10: In a significant development, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ramban Baseer-Ul-Haq Chaudhary, along with a team of functionaries from stakeholder departments, cleared a major bottleneck on the road connecting Raikote Mandir village and its adjoining habitations. The area was inaccessible, causing much inconvenience to over 300 families in the area.

The DC, alongside Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Varunjeet Singh Charak; Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Gool, Pawan Kumar Goswami; Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) PWD, Naseer Ahmed Wanin and other officials conducted on spot inspection of the site and resolved the issue. The execution work on the 1.5 Kilometer road tendered out at an allotment cost of Rs 63 lakh was held up for the past three years, preventing access to transport services to the residents.

The team led by DC supervised the execution work on the remaining/ held up 0.5 Kilometer, making it possible to move their vehicles on the road in a single day.

To overcome this challenge, the DC persuaded local farmers who had been affected by the road construction to allow its completion. The DC also issued on the spot orders for paying compensation to farmers whose crops got damaged during the road construction process.

The successful clearance of the bottleneck will provide much-needed relief to the residents of village Raikote Mandir and its adjoining areas, ensuring access to essential services and improved connectivity.

SRINAGAR, JUNE 10: Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) today urged all interested Solar PV Vendors to get themselves immediately empanelled for implementation of PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana in Kashmir Division.

KPDCL has so far received more than 2000 formal applications and over 4000 registrations from prospective beneficiaries on the National Portal under the Flagship Scheme.

In a press release issued today, a KPDCL spokesperson advised the PV vendors to visit the Corporation’s official website www.kpdcl.jkpdd.net where the Expression of Interest document has been floated. “Vendor empanelment is live as of now. Once they are empanelled, the scheme will be formally launched, extending benefit of Government subsidy to the intended beneficiaries,” the spokesman stated.

KPDCL has also urged the vendors to approach the office of Chief Engineer (Distribution), at Srinagar to facilitate their empanelment.

Highlighting the Scheme benefits, the spokesman stated that under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, a beneficiary shall get Central subsidy of Rs. 33,000/- up to 1 kWp plant, Rs.66,000/-up to 2 kWp & Rs.85,800/- up to and beyond 3 kWp solar rooftop plant. He further stated that the Union Ministry for New & Renewable Energy has also notified the guidelines for PM Surya Ghar Scheme and fixed benchmark cost ceilings for vendors for on-grid solar rooftop plants at Rs.55,000/- for 1 kWp, Rs. 55,000/- from 1-2 kWp & Rs.49,500/- for plant up to and beyond 3 kWp.

One of the key highlights of the Scheme is the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of the subsidy directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries, who shall also get the incentive of waiver of Technical Feasibility Report for plants up to 10 kWp, the spokesperson added.

KPDCL is targeting 2500 solar rooftop beneficiaries under the PM Surya Ghar Scheme during the current financial year, the spokesman said, adding that by sunset date of 2027, KPDCL will extend the scheme to 33,300 beneficiaries across Kashmir Division.