Directs officers to ensure evening entertainment shows for tourists at Boulevard, special Kiosks to come up too

Ishtiyaq Ahmed

Srinagar, Jul 16 : Governor Satya Pal Malik has asked the officers to ensure immediate repair of roads leading to the tourist spots across Kashmir and Srinagar and also to set up sources of entertainment for the visitors both foreign and domestic so that they enjoy their evening stays in Srinagar along the Boulevard.

“Special directions have been passed to many departments while as hospitality and protocol department in collaboration with the tourism department have been asked to ensure musical evenings along the Boulevard stretch,” a senior officer in the tourism department told.

The development comes days after the tourists complained that poor infrastructure especially poor road connectivity and lack of entertainment avenues, especially in the evening, was leaving them disappointed.

With all the tourist place that include Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Mughal gardens in Srinagar, and house boats in the world famous Dal Lake in the heart of city abuzz with the tourists of every kind these days, many tourists have demanded that there should have been better roads in Srinagar and other areas that connect city with the tourist spots so that tourist feel the real joy of the travel they do in Kashmir.

“We are from Mahrashtra and there is a heat wave at present. The temperatures there is almost 45 degrees and it is very hot there. Kashmir is cool. Here, temperature is just less than 30 degrees. It is really a paradise on the earth,” said Anupama, who has come with her parents to spend 15-days vacation period here. While praising the hospitality of people of Kashmir, she said that there is no night life in Srinagar or elsewhere in Kashmir.

“We travelled to all famous tourist spots but found that there is a big problem of road connectivity. Majority of roads are in shambles and there are potholes after every two kilomteres. The only road link which we found worth travel was a new bypasses that connects Srinagar with the South Kashmir.”

Mahesh Kumar, a software engineer, from Madhya Pradesh, who has booked house boat in the middle of Dal Lake said that there is no place in the world better than Kashmir. “But roads have irked us a lot. There is traffic mess everywhere and less development. There is no source of entertainment during evening hours and no kiosks despite being the world famous tourist destination,” he told.

These days tourists have occupied most of the hotels, houseboats, guest houses, lodges in Kashmir given the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and the tourist season. A tour operator at the Boulevard said that because of the heat wave across the country, tourist influx has increased to Kashmir of late. “We hope a bumper tourist season this year,” he said. (KNS) 

Kashmir Despatch News

Sopore, July 16 : A 14 year old girl was critically injured after an unknown vehicle hit with her at Sopore village on Tuesday.

Reports reaching Kashmir Despatch said a 14 year old girl identified as Sadia Jan was hit by speedy unknown vehicle at Janwara crossing in Sopore village and fled from the area.

In the mishap 14 year old girl was critically injured and was rushed to sub district hospital Sopore where doctors referred her Srinagar hospital for specialized treatment.

A police officer also confirmed the incident to this newspaper and said a case in this regard has been registered said manhuant has been launched to trace out the escaped driver.

Altaf Bukhari inaugurates first show room in Srinagar

KD NEWS SERVICE

SRINAGAR, July 16: After carving a niche in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttrakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh electronic markets, D’more, a newly launched company on Monday inaugurated its showroom in Srinagar thus entering into digital arena of Jammu and Kashmir.

The showroom was inaugurated by former finance minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari at SDA/Iqbal  Shopping Complex opposite Iqbal park Srinagar.

In his inaugural address, Bukhari stressed on the company management for providing quality products to people backed up with reliable service centers in the state. He said: “There is no alternative to hard work, which is the key to success.”

The former finance minister appreciated the company management for taking the initiative emphasizing on creation of jobs for the local qualified youth.   

After the inaugural ceremony, the company marketing wing addressed a press briefing at hotel Asian Park, where the speakers talked about technological advancement and unique selling propositions of their range of products.

“D’more is happy to introduce its products that include LED Tvs, Music System and RO in Kashmir,” Rajeev Bakshi, director and owner of D’more said in his address to media persons.

He said that it is for the first time that D’more has introduced its state of art ‘hot and cold’ RO in Jammu and Kashmir. “D’more also offers one year breakage protection on all LED TVs, sold across the country. We assure our customers that if in any case their D’more LEDs are broken, the same shall be replaced with new ones within one year of the purchase of TV,” he added.

He said: “Our picture quality has attained high score on all the tests including colour accuracy, resolution, uniformity, brightness, retention, aliasing, and saturation, calibration, conducted in our state of art laboratories. Audio quality along with extensive component testing have been done to ensure that the LEDs excel on international standards.”

He assured further: “We are continuously upgrading ourselves and employing skilled force with massive experience to have technical dominance in the industry.”

Bakshi said that synergistic management have helped D’more cater to large section of consumers, clients and record positive experiences with our company. “Ensuring utmost privacy of customer recommendations, correspondence and experience besides developing skills and tools to ensure realistic cost assessments of the renowned technologies being employed in our facilities and thereby optimize the cost of products for a great user experience,” he added.

The press conference was attended Shri Sandeep Razdan, Rahul Bassan, its MD Prem Verma and Director Rajeev Bakshi.

Srinagar, July 15 : Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Ahmad Khan today directed concerned officers and Deputy Commissioners to make Solid Waste Management (SWM) a people’s movement by taking the issues, concerns and management of solid waste to citizens at grass-root level.

The Divisional Commissioner gave these directions while reviewing the implementation of SWM under rules issued by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change.

The meeting was informed that the rules are now applicable beyond municipal areas and have included urban agglomerations, census towns, notified industrial townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways, airports, special economic zones, places of pilgrimage, religious and historical importance, State and Central Government organisations in their ambit.

It was further informed that major highlights of the SWM Rules are the Segregation at source, collection and disposal of sanitary waste, collect back scheme for packaging waste, user fee for collection, waste processing and treatment, promoting use of compost, promotion of waste to energy, revision of parameters and existing standards, management of waste in hilly areas and constitution of a Central Monitoring Committee.

The Divisional Commissioner stressed on a massive awareness campaign in association with communities, NGOs, students and other stakeholders.

He directed all Deputy Commissioners to identify suitable land in all areas which are falling under Municipal Committees for the Solid Waste Management on scientific disposal and immediately furnish a report as per prescribed proforma to the Divisional Commissioner’s office for necessary action.

The Divisional Commissioner reiterated that government is committed to segregate SWM on scientific lines so that inhabitants of the capital city, towns and villages do not face any inconvenience and Kashmir will become a pollution free zone.

Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Dr Shahid Iqbal, Deputy Commissioner Pulwama Dr Syed Abid Rashid Shah, Additional Commissioner Kashmir Tasaduq Hussain Mir, Regional Director Pollution Control Board, Superintending Engineer LAWDA, Deputy Director Urban Local Bodies, Senior Officers of Srinagar Development Authority and other concerned officers were present in the meeting where as all other Deputy Commissioners of the valley participated the meeting through video conferencing.

Srinagar, July 15 : Hurriyat Conference (G) has said it always welcomes the “homecoming” of Kashmiri Pandits and encourages every move which helps their return.

“Let them come back and live as they previously used to, along with their Muslim brothers,” a Hurriyat (G) spokesperson said in a statement issued.

“We wholeheartedly and sincerely want them to come back, but will oppose any move to settle them in separate colonies as it negates the very fabric of our social, cultural and mutual bonds,” he said.

Commenting on Governor’s statement that separate settlement for Pandits is a compulsion and not a choice, Hurriyat (G) spokesperson said “if the decision is subserviant to compulsions, then there is every possibility of fading away the realities under the veil and dust of so-called compulsions which everybody can narrate according to his own choice”.

“Pandits have been made show pieces by fascist forces to malign and communalize the ongoing movement. Some self-centered and political opportunists exploit their ‘victimhood’ for their own dividends,” he said.

“Hurriyat welcomes with open arms every displaced citizen of this state including those who suffered similarly in 1947, 1965, 1990 and they should also be among the beneficiaries,” he said.

Peerzada Zubair

Kupwara, July 15 : Hundreds of Anganwari workers/helpers and helpers to supervisors working in ICDS department staged a day-long protest in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district demanding revocation of recent order passed by government suggesting disbursement of their salary through village panchayats.

The protest was organised by Anganwari Workers/Helpers Association Kupwara led by Rafiqa Khanum who castigated government for passing recent order which she termed as “sell-out” of Anganwari workers to “outsiders”.

She appealed governor administration to revoke the order, saying it undermines and wastes the sacrifices made by Anganwari workers and associated employees in taking the mission of ICDS to every nook and corner of the country.

Khanum added that Angwanari workers/helpers and helpers to supervisors are working on wages less the pocket money of ‘crèche-going children”. “This minimum stipend is also not disbursed on time. Sometimes our salary is disbursed after months of delay which adds to our miseries,” she said.

Taslima Subhan, State President Anganwari Workers/Helpers Association demanded revocation of the order and enhancement in salaries. “We will not join our duties until the demands are met,” she said.

The protesting workers later marched towards DC Complex Kupwara where ADC Kupwara, Bashir Ahmad Baba assured that their demands will be forwarded to higher authorities for further action. (GNS)