Four security personnel including a DySP and a para commando sustained injuries

#KATHUA: In Jammu and Kashmir, three terrorists were killed while an equal number of security forces personnel too lost their lives in an ongoing encounter in Sufain forest area of #Juthana in #Kathua district on Thursday.

Four security personnel including a DySP of J&K Police and one para commando sustained injuries. SDPO Border, DySP Dheeraj Katoch had sustained minor injuries yet other three security personnel were under treatment for critical injuries.

The security personnel killed in the operation included SPOs of DySP Katoch. They were identified as SgCT Tariq Ahmed of Reasi; SgCT Jaswant Singh of Hiranagar and SgCT Balwinder Singh of Nank Chak, Kathua.

The fresh encounter began on Thrusday morning after the security forces, engaged in intensive search operation, re-established contact with a group of terrorists in Sufain forest stretch of Juthana area under the jurisdiction of Rajbagh Police Station of Kathua district. During the gunfight, three security personnel laid down their lives while three other security personnel including one Para SF commando, sustained serious injuries during the operation.

They were immediately evacuated to the hospital where they were undergoing treatment. One of the seriously injured cop was referred to GMC Jammu while one is under treatment at GMC Kathua while the Para commando was airlifted to Military hospital Pathankot. In the intensive gunfire three terrorists were neutralized and their bodies have yet to be retrieved as the operation is still going on.

Contact with the terrorists was re-established in Juthana area of Kathua after the input about their presence on Thursday morning. Heavy reinforcement was rushed to the area. During the search operation, the security personnel came under heavy fire from the hiding terrorists thus ensuing the operation.

The present encounter site is around 30 kms away from the forest area around Sanyal village along the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar sector where a group of five terrorists was first sighted on March 23 evening by a village couple. During the Cordon and Search Operation launched thereafter, the security forces and terrorists had exchanged heavy gunfire briefly in Sanyal village on Sunday evening.

However, the terrorists managed to escape, breaking the cordon. Since then, a multi-layer combing operation had been going on, in and around the area. DGP Nalin Prabhat, assisted by the IGP, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti, CRPF IG besides other senior officers of Police and Army, was monitoring the operation. More details are awaited. .

#JAMMU: Flight service from Ghaziabad’s Hindon #Airport to #Jammu has started today as the first flight from Hindon airport to Jammu took off at 9.30 AM.

It has become easier to go to Mata Vaishno Devi temple from #NCR as now passengers will not need to go to Delhi Airport to go to Jammu. Rather they will have another option of air travel from the NCR.

The number of people going to Vaishno Devi temple will increase during Navratri. The first flight service of Air India Express started from Hindon to Jammu at 9.30 AM.

The flight from Jammu to Hindon will be at 1 PM which will reach Hindon at 2:30 PM. Air India Express will operate flights between Hindon in Ghaziabad and Jammu six days a week (except Saturdays) for the ease of journey and relatively economic fare, particularly for those travelling to and from between Jammu and the southern parts of NCR Delhi like Noida etc.

The flight will arrive at Jammu 11:30 AM and depart from Jammu for Hindon 1:00 PM. The civil aviation authorities had agreed to begin a Jammu-Srinagar morning flight from April 1 to cater especially to government officers and businessmen.

#KATHUA: In Jammu and #Kashmir an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists at forward village of Sanyal, just about four kilometers from the International Border, in #Hiranagar sector of Kathua district late last evening after three civilians including a woman observed movement of the infiltrators near a dhok in sprawling Nursery.

Special Operations Group, Army and Paramilitary Forces have surrounded the entire area including the Nursery where the terrorists were spotted to ensure that they don’t manage to escape taking cover of darkness.

A woman along with her husband and brother-in-law first spotted the terrorists while collecting woods in the Nursery described their numbers as five though generally the ultras infiltrate in the group of three. The terrorists, as per the woman, were equipped with weapons and were five in numbers.

Police and SOG immediately launched the operation leading to a brief gunfight near the Nursery. The hiding terrorists opened a heavy volume of fire on observing the police party which retaliated.

However, there was no report of casualty in the initial exchange of intense firing which continued for nearly half-an-hour. Reinforcements from police, Army and Paramilitary Forces were rushed to the area to neutralize the terrorists.

The terrorists are believed to have infiltrated on Saturday via either the ravine route or through a newly created tunnel. Director General of Police, Nalin Prabhat along with IGP Jammu Zone Bhim Sen Tuti and DIG Jammu-Kathua range Shiv Kumar Sharma are camping at the spot supervising the operation to eliminate the terrorists.

The terrorists are believed to have infiltrated from across the border during the previous night and had taken shelter inside the sprawling area for further movement towards the forests but were trapped by police. More details are awaited.

#JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister, #SurinderChoudary, today said that 14956 Kanal and 15 Marla land in Jammu division and 6745 Kanal and 19 Marla land in #Kashmir division has been #transferred for establishment of Industrial Estates in #Jammu and #Kashmir.

The Minister was replying to a question raised by Ali Mohammad Dar.

He informed the House that the intends have also been placed for 9661.05 kanal of land and 5000.13 kanal for establishment of Industrial Estates in Jammu and Kashmir respectively.

He said that among others, Education and Skill Development, figures in the Focus Sector List of J&K Industrial policy 2021-30 which is also part of Service Sector Positive List of New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS) 2021, issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

He added that 596 applicants have been registered under the Jammu and Kashmir Start-Up Policy notified vide Government Order No. 29- JK(IND) of 2024 dated 23.02.2024,, of which, 436 applicants have been recognized as Startups. Besides, 26 of these applicants are in the Skill Development and Education Sector.

The Minister asserted that the Industrial Estates have been designated as Sector Specific Industrial Estates in sectors like Education and Skill Development, Health and Medical education in Jammu division and H&ME, Technical Education and Information Technology and Information Technology in Service (IT/ITeS) sectors comprising more than 3628 kanal of land in both the divisions.

#JAMMU: Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmad Rana, said that J&K has an estimated hydro power potential of 18,000 MegaWatt (#MW), of which, 14867 MW has been identified.

The Minister was replying on behalf of the Chief Minister to a question raised by Mubarak Gul.

The Minister informed the House that the identified potential comprises 11283 MW in Chenab basin, 3084 MW in Jhelum basin and 500 MW in Ravi basin. He said that out of the identified potential, 3540.15 MW (23.81%) has been harnessed till date including 1197.4 MW in UT sector (JKSPDC), 2250 MW in Central sector (NHPC) and 92.75 MW in IPP mode under 31 projects.

Regarding the Solar Power Projects, the Minister said that solar power plants with capacity of 41367 and 34300 have been installed in a total of 4648 government buildings and 5463 residential households respectively.

The Minister said that UT of J&K has an estimated solar potential of 111 GW, most of which is restricted to the UT of Ladakh. He added that the mega size solar power projects have not been developed in J&K till date as identification of feasible land banks (500 acres for 100 MW solar park) at a single location for its development is difficult because of the topography of the UT.

The Minister informed that, however, a cumulative capacity of 75 MW of Rooftop Solar Power Plants has been installed in the UT of J&K across all sectors under various schemes and projects mostly sponsored by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), GoI.

He added that, presently, the Rooftop Solar Power plants are being installed on residential households by DISCOMS under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna in which 1 kWp Rs 55,000 with subsidy of Rs 36,000, 2 kWp Rs 1,10,000 with subsidy of Rs 72,000 and 3 kWp Rs 1,59,500 with subsidy of Rs 94,800 have been finalized.

The Minister also informed that Purchase of electric/utility poles, HT/LT wires and transformers is being made through the Procurement wing.

MY Tarigami, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Tanveer Sadiq, Shakti Raj Parihar and Mehraj Malik raised the supplementaries.

#JAMMU: The #Jammu and #Kashmir #HighCourt on Thursday fixed April 30 for the final hearing in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging absolute powers of the Lieutenant Governor to nominate five MLAs to the #Jammu and #Kashmir Legislative #Assembly.

The PIL filed by Advocate Ravinder Sharma, Ex-MLC and Chief Spokesperson #JKPCC came up on Thursday before the special Division Bench Comprising Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Rajesh Sekhri.

The Petitioner Ravinder Sharma, who appeared in person, pointed out to the bench that no reply had been filed by the respondents despite numerous opportunities and requested for an early hearing in the matter, which was of great public importance.

Upon this, the bench directed the matter to be listed on April 30 for a final hearing, observing that no further opportunities are to be granted, if the pleadings are not completed before the next date of hearing. Meanwhile, Advocate S S Ahmed also appeared on behalf of applicants Ravinder Singh and Gurdev Singh, requesting the court to allow their request to intervene.

The PIL will now come up on April 30 and be heard finally, even if no reply is filed from the other side before that date. According to amended Section 15 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Lieutenant Governor has the power to nominate five members- two women, two Kashmiri Pandits, and one Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (#POJK) resident – to the J&K Assembly.

These five nominated members will have the same powers and voting rights as other MLAs of the J&K Legislative Assembly

PVC Card Type RCs to be issued first time in J&K; Pending DLs to be cleared in 90 days

#JAMMU: Minister for Transport, Satish Sharma, today inaugurated Centralized Driving License and Registration Certificate Printing Centre at Transport Commissioner Office, Jammu for printing of DLs and RCs.

While inaugurating, the Minister said that this is the first time in the history of J&K that PVC Card type RCs will be issued to the vehicle owners. He said that the pending DLs will be cleared in 90 days.

The Minister appreciated the efforts of MVD in providing rapid services to the public and expeditious redressal of their grievances.

The Minister also highlighted the achievement of Motor Vehicles Department like providing of Rs 5 lakh subsidy for replacement of old, polluting buses/mini buses; issuance of Aggregator Licenses under which licenses have been issued including national players also like OLA and Uber; Modern Institute of Drivers Training & Research (IDTR) and Automated Vehicle Inspection & Certificate Centre (ICC) are near completion at Kot Bhawal, Jammu and Samba respectively.

Satish Sharma further  highlighted the forthcoming initiatives of MVD under MoRTH guidelines. These included Automated Testing Station (ATS) under which Preliminary Registration Certificates have been issued to JKRTC for establishment of ATS at Jammu and Kashmir Valley; Vehicle Location Tracking Platform (VLTP) under Nirbhaya Framework for safety and security of women and children in Public Transport Vehicles; Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) for which J&K RVSF Policy is at the final stage of Notification under which old, obsolete, end of life vehicles shall be scrapped in a scientific and non-polluting manner; Accredited Drivers Training Centre (ADTC) which shall provide both theory and practical training to the aspiring drivers, after successful completion of which, the Driving Skill Test shall be exempted for issuance of DL by the RTO/ARTO.

The Minister said that DL/RC Printing Center at Srinagar would be made functional within 30 days to clear the backlog printing of DLs.

The Minister also appreciated the efforts of the Department for revising J&K Road Safety Policy. He directed all the stakeholders to adhere to road safety measures according to J&K Road Policy-2025, in order to reduce number of road accidents to 50% by 2030.

The event was attended by Niraj Kumar, Secretary, Transport; Vishesh Paul Mahajan, Transport Commissioner; Arun Kishore Kotwal, Additional Transport Commissioner; Jasmeet Singh, RTO Jammu; representatives of vendor and staff member of TC Office.

#JAMMU: In #Jammu and #Kashmir, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today informed the Legislative Assembly that his government has planned to fill 7253 vacancies, both Gazetted and Non-Gazetted by the end of the year.

CM also stated that 11 thousand and 526 selections have been made across these categories over the past two years. The CM, who holds the charge of General Administration Department (GAD), specified that 1502 Gazetted vacancies and 5751 Non-Gazetted vacancies are targeted for recruitment this year.

Responding to a query raised by MLA Satish Kumar Sharma, he provided a breakdown of the total 32 thousand and 474 vacancies across 38 government departments as on January 31, 2025 include 2503 Gazetted posts, 19 thousand and 214 Non-Gazetted posts and 10 thousand and 757 Class-IV (MTS) posts.

The Chief Minister outlined various measures undertaken to address these vacancies: 13 thousand and 466 Non-Gazetted vacancies were referred to J&K Services Selection Board #(JKSSB) in the past two years, with 9351 selections already completed. 2390 Gazetted vacancies were referred to J&K Public Service Commission (JKPSC), resulting in 2175 selections over the same period.

10 thousand and 757 Class-IV (MTS) vacancies have been identified across departments and are under Finance Department scrutiny before being referred for recruitment. More than 6 thousand vacancies are ready for referral and will be sent to recruiting agencies shortly the CM said.

To ensure faster and more transparent recruitment, the CM said, the government has abolished interviews for posts up to Pay Level 5 through SO 180, dated 28.05.2020.

The CM said all Administrative Departments have been directed to refer available vacancies to recruiting agencies without delays. The CM emphasized that the J&K Public Service Commission and JKSSB have been directed to adopt a proactive, target-based approach for timely recruitment.