Jammu, Dec 26: Jammu and Kashmir government has constitution a committee to oversee the preparation of G20 Summit in 2023.

In an order by secretary to government, general administration department, the 16- member committee will be headed by Raj Kumar Goyal,Financial Commissioner 

(Additional Chief Secretary), Home Department.

 “In view of the visit of officials from G20 participating countries and organizations to the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, sanction is hereby accorded to the constitution of Committee of following officers, to oversee the preparations related to G20 event in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, ” the order said. 

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Pandurang Kondbarao Pole, J&K DGP Dilbag Singh, SMC commissioner Athar Amir ul Shafi and J&K LCMA vice-chairperson Bashir Ahmad Bhat are also its member.

Srinagar- Cold conditions intensified in Kashmir as the minimum temperature dipped several degrees below the freezing point and many places experienced the season’s coldest night, officials said Sunday.

The valley experienced a dry but colder Christmas this year, the MeT office said. However, there is a possibility of a wet spell next week.

The minimum temperature on Saturday night went several degrees below the freezing point and was below normal across the valley except in Gulmarg, the officials said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius — down from minus 5.4 degrees Celsius Thursday night, the officials said.

The city experienced its coldest night so far this season, they added.

The officials said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 7 degrees Celsius, down from minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature at the resort was the lowest so far this season.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in frontier Kupwara district settled at the season’s lowest of minus 6 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, also recorded the season’s lowest of minus of 5 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.

The MeT Office has forecast mostly dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir till Monday, after which it is likely to remain generally cloudy till December 30 in the UT with a possibility of light to moderate snowfall over the higher reaches.

There would be a slight improvement in the minimum temperature leading to some respite from the cold and dry weather from December 26-31, the MeT office said.

Srinagar: National General Secretary and incharge J&K Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Tarun Chugh on Sunday said the Jammu and Kashmir will go for Assembly Elections somewhere between April and May 2023.

Tarun Chug dropped hints at early polls while addressing a party meeting in Jammu. He was asking the party members to get proactive, talk to people and inform them about the achievements.

Jammu and Kashmir is under direct central rule since 2018 summer.

“Agar sarkar May mein banani hai toh March mein ticketein bantni hai (if the government is to be formed in May, then tickets have to be distributed in March). We have only two-and-a-half months left,” Chug told the party workersHe told reporters that holding polls is the prerogative of the Election Commission of India but he hopes the elections will be held early.Party president JP Nadda is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir in January, Home Minister in February and Prime Minister in March, reports appearing in the media said.Tarun Chugh, along with UT Vice President Sofi Yousif Media Incharge Manzoor Bhat, Spokesman GM Mir District President Srinagar Ashok Bhat and General Secretary BJYM Bilal Parray stated this while addressing the gathering present on the Good Governance Day organized to mark the birthday of Bharat Ratna, Ajatshatru, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Church Lane Hall, Srinagar.

As biting cold conditions engulfed entire North India, fog and poor visibility remained a severe cause of concern on Monday.

According to the India Meteorological Department, visibility across most of the northern states remained poor with Bhatinda in Punjab and Bikaner in Rajasthan recording “zero visibility”. The visibility in the national capital here at just 50 meters.
Not only in Bhatinda, visibility remained low throughout Punjab, with Amritsar recording visibility of 25 metres and Ambala 50.

Haryana too recorded low visibility. While places like Ambala and Hissar recorded a low of 25m and 50m respectively, visibility in Chandigarh was 200 metres.

According to IMD data, places like Sri Ganganagar and Churu in Rajasthan also recorded low visibility of 25 and 50 meters, respectively.

Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal also recorded very low visibility on the day with number dipping to 50 metres in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, while North Bengal recorded visibility of 200 meters.