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Srinagar, Jan 20 : The parts of Jammu and Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Friday even as the weather department has also forecast more rain and snowfall during the next few days.

As per details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir experienced moderate to heavy snowfall, while plains received light to moderate snowfall.

With fresh snowfall, the night temperature slightly increased in many parts with Srinagar recording a 0.1 degrees Celsius last night, Pahalgam recorded minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg recorded minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara recorded Minus 1.5 and Jammu recorded 8.7 degree Celsius.

The weatherman has also predicted cloudy weather conditions with light to moderate sow and rains in plains of Jammu over scattered to fairly widespread places from tomorrow till January 23.

Furthermore, the officials in the Meteorological department (MeT) said that with 60 per cent chances, there is a possibility of moderate snow/(rain in Jmu) and moderate to heavy snow over middle & higher reaches

Meanwhile, the fresh snowfall in Srinagar also delayed several morning flights at the Srinagar International Airport due to low visibility.

Director Srinagar Airport Kuldeep Singh told KNO that since early morning all flights were delayed due to poor visibility. “The flight operation started around 10: 30 now following improvement in the weather,” he said.

He said flights from Srinagar airport were delayed due to NOTAM not due to bad weather.

“So far no flight has been cancelled due to weather. All flights scheduled for today have been delayed,” he added.

With fresh snowfall and rain in some parts, the traffic movement was also halted on Srinagar-Jammu highway today morning, while several border roads already remain closed.

An official said that the traffic movement remained disrupted for three hours and 20 minutes due to shooting stones at Panthyal.

“Subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs Passenger/Private Cars shall be allowed from both sides on Jammu-Srinagar NHW viz Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa tomorrow. TCU Jammu/Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic,” officials said.

He said that Sonamarg-Leh, Mughal and Gurez roads are already closed due to accumulation of snowfall—(KNO)

Jammu, Jan 20 : The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi that entered Jammu and Kashmir in its last leg, resumed on Friday from Hatli Morh in Kathua district.

As per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), amidst chill and inclement weather conditions, Bharat Jodo Yatra resumed after a delay of more than one hour in this border district of Jammu and Kashmir.

As per details available with KNO, the Yatra was scheduled to start at 7.00 am but was delayed by an hour and fifteen minutes apparently due to the winter rains.

Donning a jacket over his famous White T-Shirt due to chilled waves in the morning, Rahul started the yatra flanked by Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

Rahul removed the jacket with some improvement in the weather after walking for over the first two hours from Hatli Morh towards Chadwal, a 21-km stretch along the Jammu-Pathankot highway which was virtually sealed as part of the stringent security arrangements.

Speaking to reporters, Raut said “I had come all the way to join yatra because Rahul Gandhi is a leader of masses and he is on the right path to raise voice against unemployment, inflation and other issues bothering people in the country.”

“Only Rahul Gandhi could challenge Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024 and end the BJP’s “dictatorial regime”, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut who joined the last leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu told reporters.

He added that an Opposition front without the Congress would be meaningless.

Several gallantry award winners, including Param Vir Chakra recipient Captain Bana Singh, too joined the Yatra and walked with Gandhi for more than 40 minutes.

“Whenever there is talk of protecting India and its ideals, the names of brave sons of the country like Bana Singh are taken. Captain Bana Singh, a Paramveer Chakra winner who hoisted the tricolor on the icy heights of Siachen, is an inspiration to me and every patriot,’ senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Several Congress leaders, including the party’s Jammu and Kashmir unit president Vikar Rasool Wani and his predecessor G A Mir, former MP Chief Minister Divijay Singh, Congress spokesperson Jai Ram Ramesh, firebrand student leader Kanhaiya Kumar accompanied Gandhi during the final leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. The yatra covered 25 km and halted at Chadwal in the Kathua district for the night. There will be no march on Saturday.

The yatra will resume on Sunday from Hiranagar in Kathua and will reach Jammu on January 23. It will have another break on January 26 (Republic Day) before commencing in Kashmir valley.

The march, which started from Kanyakumari on September 7, entered Jammu and Kashmir from Punjab on Thursday evening and is scheduled to end in Srinagar on January 30. A tight security ring, composed of police and CRPF personnel, was thrown around Gandhi.

Entering Jammu and Kashmir in the last leg of his Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday invoked his connection with the land, saying his ancestors had moved from Kashmir to Uttar Pradesh and he felt he was “returning home”.

He said he had come here to share the pain and agony of the people of J&K. “I know how much pain the people of Jammu and Kashmir have faced. I understand it… Everybody has got hurt, everybody has suffered,” he said while addressing a crowd that had gathered in huge numbers at the entry point to J&K from Pathankot-Punjab to receive him.

The march entered Kashmir on Thursday and will culminate with a rally in Srinagar on January 30—(KNO)

“Continuing with its reformative agenda initiated under the leadership of Chairperson, Dr Darakhshan Andrabi, J&K Waqf Board has started an exhaustive Valuation exercise of its hundreds of commercial assets spread across the UT of Jammu & Kashmir,” a statement issued in this regard to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said.

Interestingly, despite being the second largest asset-rich organisation in the UT after the Govt itself, no significant efforts have been made till date for assessment of Commercial Properties by the previous authorities at the helm of affairs in Waqf over the last several decades, revealed the sources in Waqf, it said.

In an order issued by Executive Magistrate, Tehsildar J&K Waqf Board, it has been revealed that, in absence of proper valuation, “random assessment values have been used to insure commercial properties in the past and that has also created difficulties in settlement of claims with insurers”.

The move is also expected to “result in creation of a permanent data base for smooth rent assessment of structures in future”.

The Administrators and other Waqf Supervisory staff have been directed to facilitate and provide all necessary support & manpower for smooth conduct of the exercise, the order said—(KNO)

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Srinagar, Jan 20 : Three siblings from far-off area of Doda in Jammu division have qualified J&K Administrative Service (JKAS), the results of which were declared on Thursday evening.

Three siblings have been identified as Huma Anjum Wani, Ifra Anjum Wani and Suhail Ahmad Wani from village Kahi Trankhal in Bhaleesa area of Doda and are now settled in Jammu.

As per details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Suhail who is younger to sisters has secured 111th rank and obtained 1055 points followed by Huma Anjum Wani having 117th rank with 1050.5 points and Ifra Anjum Wani having 143rd rank with 1034.5 points.

Their father Manir Ahmad Wani, who was working as labourer in Baglihar project and now a contractor while talking to KNO said that it is a very proud moment for him and all people of J&K as his children have qualified JKAS without any coaching.

He said that since their childhood, their aim was to qualify IAS/JKAS and finally after working hard for years together, they have qualified JKAS.

Suhail and Huma Anjum have pursued masters in Political Science while Ifra has pursued MSC physics and all started preparing for JKAS/IAS when they were in Class 12th, he said.

Everyday they used to study for about 12 hours since last several years, he said.

If focus and goal of any person will be one, he/she can achieve any dream even after facing difficulties, he said, adding that whenever any person tries, the way comes itself and parents must support their children well.

He claimed that their children don’t have mobile phones as of now and whenever they were in need of the internet, they used to connect phone of their mother with their laptops.

Their maternal uncle Sadiq Wani while talking to KNO also said that the trio has worked hard for years together and it is really a proud moment for all—(KNO)

Qazigund, Jan 20 : The traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu national highway was stopped on Friday after snowfall and shooting stones on the route.

An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that traffic movement was stopped in view of snowfall in Ramban sector and Qazigund.

“There were shooting stones at Ramban-Banihal sector as well,” he said.

He said men and machinery has been pressed into services for restoration of the highway.

The official said vehicular traffic will resume as and when snowfall stops and road gets cleared—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Sopore, Jan 19 : Sopore town of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district – once known as the ‘Chotta London’ plunges into darkness soon after the sun sets, as the local municipality has failed to repair the defunct streetlights for years.

The locals said despite tall claims of the authorities of developing the town, it is still without streetlights. Many areas including that of the old town and colonies have either no lights or defunct lights, they said.

The people of the town while talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said they are facing immense hardships in the absence of lights. “As soon as dusk sets in, the entire area plunges into darkness,” said Mohammed Azhar, a local.

Azhar said most of the streetlights became defunct soon after installation and have not been repaired since then. “We can’t walk in darkness, especially during winter, as the road is full of potholes,” he said.

“We have been continuously requesting before the officials of the Municipal Council, Sopore to repair these streetlights but our pleas fall on deaf ears,” a resident of Krankshivan Colony, said.

Similarly, the residents of several other areas said the streetlights in their localities are lying defunct for the last many months.

The people of Sopore town have requested the Lieutenant Governor-led administration and the concerned department to repair the defunct streetlights and install in the areas where these are required.

President Municipal Council Sopore, Musarrat Kar told KNO that they have taken up the matter with higher-ups. “We have a provision for repairing the installed lights and we are working on it,” she said. Musarrat, however, added that there is currently no provision for installation of the streetlights—(KNO)

Srinagar, Jan 19 : The parts of Kashmir Valley including Srinagar received light snowfall in the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday while the weatherman here has predicted cloudy weather conditions till January 22 and light to moderate snowfall across the Valley from January 23.

People in Srinagar and elsewhere woke to a thin layer of snow this morning. The officials in the Meteorological department told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that the weather conditions would remain generally cloudy with chances of light to moderate snow or rains in plains of Jammu over scattered to fairly widespread places till January 22nd.

The officials further informed that with 60 per cent chances, the middle and higher reaches of Jammu would receive widespread moderate or moderate to heavy snowfall in between January 23-January 25.

On January 26, there is a possibility of rainfall in Jammu region and cloudy weather conditions in Kashmir.

Moreover, the MeT has appealed to people living in snowbound areas to remain alert and cautious while venturing in areas which are vulnerable to snow avalanches.

Meanwhile, the night temperature has increased across Kashmir. Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K has recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.4 degree Celsius while the mercury in Gulmarg and Pahalgam settled at minus 7.6 and minus 4.3 degree Celsius respectively.

In Qazigund, the mercury settled at minus 3.4 degree Celsius—(KNO)

Srinagar, Jan 19 : J&K’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing drive launched by his administration to retrieve state land from encroachers.

Talking to reporters, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Sinha said common masses and poor people wouldn’t be touched during the ongoing drive against land encroachers in Jammu & Kashmir.

“Common man and poor people wouldn’t be touched by the administration. The government is concerned to safeguard the interests of poor people,” he said.

He said that the influential people misused their positions and encroached on state land in violation of the laws.

Sinha said there were directions from the High Court to retrieve state land from encroachers.

On January 9, the J&K government directed all deputy commissioners to ensure 100% removal of encroachments from State land by January 31, 2023.

To a question about holding assembly polls in Jammu & Kashmir, Sinha said the Election Commission of India has made a statement on the issue.

On Wednesday, Chief Election Commissioner said that polls in Jammu and Kashmir are due and would be held after taking into account weather conditions, security scenario and other factors into consideration—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Sopore, Jan 19 : Municipal Council Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday sealed three shops over non-payment of rent.

President MC Sopore, Musarrat Kar told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that shops were sealed over non-payment of rent for the last three years.

She said the shops situated at PHE complex and bus stand have been sealed

“In coming days more shops will be sealed as MC is going to act against those who are not paying rent on time”, she said.

She also said legal action would be taken against those shopkeepers who fail to pay rent in time—(KNO)

Waris Fayaz

Sopore, Jan 19 : BharatiyaJanta Party constituency incharge of Sopore in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday resigned from the basic membership of the party,.

Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Farooq Ahmed Rather, who was affiliated with BJP said he resigned as he failed to address the grievances and fulfill the demands of the people of his constituency who have always supported him.

He said that the party failed to address the grievances and his moral conscience doesn’t allow him to continue with the membership of the party.

Farooq has submitted his resignation letter to J&K BJP president—(KNO)