The people of Palhalan are showering praise on Sub Inspector Aeraf ICPP for his dedicated service during a recent heavy snowfall. SI Aeraf, who is the incharge of the Police Post (ICPP) in Palhalan, went above and beyond to assist travelers during the critical weather conditions.

He was on the job and helped people navigate the harsh weather, and even went as far as to recover various vehicles that had become suspended due to the heavy snowfall. The public is thankful for SI Aeraf’s efforts and calm demeanor, as he stood on the road for an extended period of time to help those in need.

The residents of Palhalan are fortunate to have such a dedicated officer on the job, serving the common and needy public within his jurisdiction, a traveller told us. His selfless actions during the snowfall have earned him well-deserved recognition and praise from the community.

Udhampur, 30-01-2023: Former Minister and Chairman AAP J&K today said that with the Election Commission of India apparently focussed on holding elections in nine states of the country besides conducting bye-Elections in several other states this year, the restoration of democratic govt in UT of J&K seemed to be the last priority of the GOI as well as the ECI. All discussions on restoration of democracy ultimately culminate in the so-called successful conduct of Panchayat and Municipal polls. The concept of democracy in BJP rule has been reduced to local bodies polls with no sincere effort having been made to install an elected govt in J&K. And now once again enough hints were being dropped regarding the conduct of local bodies polls in the near future without uttering a word about the conduct of Assembly polls in J&K. He said that local bodies of the UT needed to be given ample time to complete their term and any arbitrary decision to pre-maturely end their term and pre-pone their elections would be fought tooth and nail.

Mr. Singh said that with the ECI now concentrating on holding Elections in various other states of the country as per the schedule, the erstwhile state of J&K deprived of democratic govt for the last more than 4 ½ years, the Assembly having been suspended and eventually dissolved in 2018, did not appear to be finding the desired attention of either the poll bodies or the centre, said Mr. Singh. He was addressing public meetings in villages Tandhar and Mandal of Chenani constituency today.

Mr. Singh said that while delimitation of DDC constituencies in J&K was effected within two weeks by the present dispensation in 2020 and the said elections conducted immediately thereafter so as to constitute the District local bodies, the helmsmen had maintained a studied silence over the much delayed polls for the top legislative body of the UT. He said that with Assembly Elections delayed and denied, political process having been rendered defunct in J&K and political parties discredited and discouraged, the centre seemed to be hell-bent to deprive J&K of a democratically elected govt.

Asserting that the BJP govt at the centre seemed averse to handing over power to sons of soil in J&K, Mr. Singh said that it wanted to continue its proxy rule in the new UT and retain all powers to itself. He said that the people of J&K were being deprived of their democratic rights of having a duly elected govt of their choice. The last elections in J&K having been held in 2014, the BJP govt still seemed dis-inclined to hand over power to the people even after a lapse of several years thus giving a fatal blow to the democratic values enshrined in the Indian constitution.

With the last Assembly having been dissolved over four years back, the elections to J&K legislature were required to be held immediately thereafter in consonance with the rule of law. The BJP regime however not only defied the democratic norms and procedures but also overlooked the basic law enunciated by the Supreme Court which envisaged holding of “Assembly elections within 6 months in all States where Assemblies were prematurely dissolved”.

With uncertainty looming large over the restoration of popular govt, the UT of J&K was doomed to be governed by proxies from outside the state having hardly any accountability to the masses whom they ruled.

SRINAGAR, Jan 30: Jammu and Kashmir government’s ambitious initiative ‘Har Gaon Hariyali’ has recorded plantation of 90 lakh saplings during the current fiscal against set target of plantation of1.35 crore seedlings.
Pertinently, the government of Jammu and Kashmir launched this remarkable initiative in consonance with the vision of ‘Green Jammu and Kashmir’ to ensure sustainable development and promote climate justice across J&K. The Green Jammu and Kashmir drive itself is in consonance with the National Forest Policy 1988 and the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Policy 2011 which envisages afforestation on all degraded and denuded lands in J&K within and outside forests.
Green Jammu and Kashmir campaign aims at creating people’s movement at a massive scale with involvement of all stakeholders particularly village panchayats, women, students, Urban Local bodies, NGOs and civil society.
The aim of the department is to bring two third geographical area of Jammu and Kashmir under the forest and tree cover, he said, ” The forest and tree cover in Jammu and Kashmir is about 55 percent, which is substantially higher than the national average of 24.56 percent.”
The J&K Government initiated ‘Har Gaon Haryali’ campaign in November 2021. Under this campaign, forest and sister departments were vested with the responsibility to cover all the village panchayats and planting of one crore saplings.
With an aim to realize the objectives and target set under ‘Har Gaon Haryali’ campaign, the Social Forestry department is laying emphasis on providing hybrid clonal plants to farmers from its modern nurseries, so that farmer’s income can be supplemented and sustained supply of raw materials to wood based industries can be ensured.
In addition, the department is organizing such programs with multiple activities in all districts of Jammu and Kashmir to provide impetus to J&K Green drive initiative with participation of local communities.
The department has apprised the people in general and farmers in particular to avail the supply of plants from departmental nurseries to take up agro-forestry activities on their lands.
Also, Chief Secretary has released publications titled “Har Gaon Hariyali under Green Jammu and Kashmir Drive” and “Digitization of Forests: Strengthening of Forest Protection and Management” by Forest Department, “Pollinators: Nature’s Miracle Workers” by J&K Biodiversity Council, and “Key Wildlife Species: Kishtwar High Altitude National Park” by Wildlife Protection Department.

SRINAGAR, Jan 30: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the aim of his Bharat Jodo Yatra was to save the liberal and secular ethos of the country which, he claimed, was facing an assault from the BJP and the RSS.
“I have not done this (Yatra) for myself or for the Congress but for the people of the country. Our aim is to stand against the ideology that wants to destroy the foundation of this country,” he said at a rally here to mark the culmination of the 136-day march.
The rally went ahead despite heavy snowfall in the city. Gandhi said the RSS and the BJP were targeting the liberal and secular ethos of the country by inciting violence.
Recalling the moments when he was informed about the assassination of his grandmother and father — former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi — over phone calls, the former Congress president said the inciters of violence will never understand that pain.
“Those who incite violence – like Modiji, Amit Shahji, the BJP and the RSS – will never understand this pain. The family of an Army man will understand, the family of the CRPF personnel who were killed in Pulwama will understand, Kashmiris will understand that pain when one gets that call.
“The aim of the yatra is to end the phone calls announcing the deaths of loved ones — be it a soldier, a CRPF jawan or any Kashmiri,” he added.
Gandhi challenged the BJP top brass to undertake a yatra like his in Jammu and Kashmir, saying they will never do it as they are scared.
“I can guarantee you that no BJP leader can walk like this in Jammu and Kashmir. They will not do it, not because they won’t be allowed to but because they are scared,” he said.
Gandhi said he was advised against walking the Jammu and Kashmir lap on the grounds that he might be attacked.
“I thought over it and then decided that I will walk in my home and with my people (in J&K). Why not give them (his enemies) a chance to change the colour of my shirt, let them make it red.
“The people of Kashmir did not give me hand grenades, only their hearts full of love,” he said.