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SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Anti Corruption Bureau received a written complaint alleging therein that a public servant namely Mohammad Yaseen Sheikh, Senior Accountant, SIDCO, Khunmoh, Srinagar is demanding ₹20,000 as bribe for processing case of complainant of supplementary partnership deed. However, after negotiation the amount was settled as ₹15,000.
The complainant chose not to pay bribe and instead approached Anti Corruption Bureau for taking legal action against the accused public servant as provided under law. On receipt of the complaint the discreet verification was conducted, which confirms the demand by the public servant concerned and accordingly Case FIR No. 18/2024 U/S 7 PC Act 1988 was registered in Police Station ACB Srinagar and investigation taken up.
During the course of investigation a trap team was constituted. The team laid a successful trap and caught accused public servant red handed while demanding and accepting bribe amount of ₹15,000 from the complainant. He was arrested on the spot by the ACB team. The bribe money was also recovered from his possession in presence of independent witnesses associated with the trap team.
Further investigation of the instant case is going on.
JAMMU: In a significant step towards fostering a robust startup ecosystem and promoting entrepreneurial activities in the UT of J&K, the Jammu and Kashmir Entrepreneurship Development Institute (JKEDI) today signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the Government Polytechnic College, Samba, Model Institute of Engineering and Technology (MIET) Jammu, and FICCI FLO- Jammu-Kashmir & Ladakh (JKL).
The collaborations aim to leverage the strengths of each institution to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurship development and innovation in the region. The MoUs were signed by the representatives of JKEDI and the partnering institutions, marking the beginning of a series of joint initiatives and activities.
The MoU with Government Polytechnic College Samba focuses on entrepreneurship skill-based training, education, research, and the promotion of startup innovation culture. Both institutions will cooperate in curriculum design, industrial training and visits, internships, research and development, skill development programs, guest lectures, and faculty development programs.
This partnership aims to enhance the entrepreneurial capabilities of students and faculty, providing them with valuable industry exposure and training.
The collaboration between JKEDI and MIET is aimed at advancing mutual interests in entrepreneurship development and startup-related services. The parties will work together to provide quality education and training programs, focusing on the effective utilization of intellectual capabilities, industrial training, internships, research activities, and skill development. The MoU outlines the scope of cooperation, including curriculum customization, industry interaction, guest lectures, and the strengthening of the Institutional Innovation and Incubation Center at MIET.
JKEDI’s partnership with FICCI FLO, Jammu-Kashmir & Ladakh (JKL), a pan-India women-centric industry forum, is dedicated to furthering entrepreneurship development and promoting prominent topical causes of interest to the broader ecosystem in the region. The collaboration will involve entrepreneurship awareness sessions, workshops, mentoring, training, competency-building programs for women entrepreneurs. This initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs and foster a supportive environment for their growth.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajinder Kumar Sharma, Director JKEDI, emphasized the importance of these collaborations in nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit among the youth and women in the region. He expressed confidence that these partnerships would significantly contribute to the economic development of Jammu & Kashmir by creating new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Ruchika Gupta, Joint Director of MIET and Chairperson of FICCI FLO JKL, highlighted the role of women entrepreneurs in the economic growth of the region and welcomed the opportunity to work with JKEDI in empowering women through targeted training and development programs.
Er. Neelanjana Manwati, Principal of Government Polytechnic College (GPC) Samba, echoed the sentiment of collaboration and expressed their commitment to providing quality education and practical exposure to their students, preparing them for successful entrepreneurial ventures.
The MoUs signed between JKEDI, Government Polytechnic College Samba, MIET, and FICCI FLO JKL mark a significant milestone in the journey towards building a vibrant startup ecosystem in Jammu & Kashmir.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha today unveiled the Logo, Website and Teaser of the inaugural edition of the Kashmir Marathon, to be held on 20th October in Srinagar. In his address, the Lt Governor congratulated the J&K Tourism department and all the stakeholders associated with the international running event. He invited the runners from all corners of the globe to participate in Kashmir Marathon and experience the unique charm of J&K.
“We aspire to make this event a beacon of peace and harmony. I am confident the Kashmir Marathon will place J&K firmly on the global running map and it will enhance global recognition of the UT, highlighting our potential as a premier tourist destination,” the Lt Governor said.
He said the Kashmir marathon is the next addition to the series of world class events being organized in J&K following the successful F4 racing event in Srinagar, Sunburn Music Festival in Jammu and J&K Tourism Development Conclave held recently in Srinagar. “We are exploring possibilities to organise the annual 'Jammu Marathon',” he said.
Highlighting the socio-economic impact of the Kashmir marathon, the Lt Governor said the event will boost local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops, thereby contributing to the prosperity of our region. For centuries, Sports has remained the most powerful bridge to connect people of different cultures and languages. The Kashmir Marathon will integrate cultural events, performances, and exhibitions to showcase Kashmir’s rich heritage, enhance the experience for all participants, the Lt Governor said.
“Kashmir Marathon is not just a race but a celebration of resilience, beauty, and the unbreakable human spirit. It will also celebrate our breathtaking scenery and promote eco-friendly tourism that benefits local communities,” he said. On the occasion, the Lt Governor highlighted the efforts of the UT Administration, under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to revolutionise the sports sector of J&K.
He called upon the youth of J&K to make the best of the opportunities being provided by the government in sports and other sectors and become the brand ambassadors of J&K. The Kashmir Marathon will have two categories- full marathon for 42 kms and half marathon for 21 kms. The proposed route for the Kashmir Marathon will take runners through some of the most picturesque landscapes, featuring Chinar trees, Mughal gardens, and the serene Dal Lake.
Sh Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Sh Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Sh RR Swain, DGP; Ms. Yasha Mudgal, Commissioner Secretary, Tourism and senior officers of civil and police administration were present. Padma Shri Chewang Motup Goba, Founder & Race Director Ladakh Marathon, prominent sports personalities and youth in large number were also present on the occasion.
SRINAGAR: In a major relief to power consumers, the J&K Power Development Department (PDD) today announced that the Jammu & Kashmir government has taken a significant decision to absorb any increase in electricity tariff in the current financial year (2024-25) by continuing its support in the form of subsidy on electricity bills.
The decision of the government will effectively offset any rise in tariff requirements as projected by the Distribution Companies (discoms) i.e. JPDCL for Jammu region and KPDCL for Kashmir region, for covering the rising power purchase cost, inflation and other factors and also to bridge the revenue gap.
Providing details on the decision, the spokesperson of J&K Power Development Department (PDD) informed that a major portion of discoms expenditure constitutes of the power purchase cost, which is rising day by day due to rise in coal prices. Therefore, such escalations in power purchase costs demand increase in power tariff too. Besides, the discoms incur other sizeable expenditures also such as the O&M costs for its expanding infrastructure.
In absence of any intervention of the Government, the aforesaid expenses would have otherwise been passed on to consumers. He further informed that although a proposal for tariff increase for FY 2024-25 has been submitted by the discoms to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for approval, the government's decision indicates that there will effectively be no tariff increase for consumers, with the estimated loss on that account being borne by the government.
Speaking about the current tariff in Jammu & Kashmir, which is among the lowest in the country, the spokesperson provided an overview of the tariff revision history. It was highlighted that after a gap of six years without any tariff hike, there was an around 17% increase in electricity tariffs implemented in October 2022.
In the tariff revision for FY 2023-24, although metered consumers faced a 15% tariff hike, the government balanced this out by removing the 15% Electricity Duty on energy charges resulting into no net rise in consumer bills. Likewise, for the current financial year (2024-25), Jammu & Kashmir has again refrained from increasing electricity tariffs.
He further mentioned that, in addition to alleviating any additional financial burden on consumers, the department is on a war footing to bring about numerous reforms in the sector under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) for ensuring better quality and reliable power supply to consumers. This will empower the consumers with better control over their budget through transparent and real time monitoring of their consumption patterns, facilitated by smart meters.
The smart consumer metering is being implemented at a rapid pace to eliminate unmetered consumers, which are significant contributors to high AT&C losses. Notably, J&K, which had a metering percentage as low as 50% in 2019, now ranks among the top seven states in the country for smart metering implementation, having surpassed the six lakh mark. Despite the improvements observed in smart-metered areas, challenges remain with unmetered consumers, particularly in Kashmir.
To address losses in the unmetered (flat-rate) areas, discoms are conducting calibrated load rationalization based on actual electricity usage and connected loads, ensuring adherence to Electricity Supply Code regulations to prevent inflated bills. Additionally, other reforms such as the 100% segregation of agricultural feeders, High Voltage Distribution Systems (HVDS), AB cables in congested areas, and state-of-the-art SCADA and RT-DAS systems are also under implementation, which will not only automate the system but also fulfill consumer expectations of the today’s modern era.
In this regard, the discoms have been directed to adopt best practices in accordance with Electricity (Rights of consumers Rules) 2020, notified by the MoP, with the aim to ensure that consumers receive reliable and high-quality electricity services.
With the aforementioned initiatives and an investment of Rs. 5,600 crore under RDSS over the next two years, the UT is poised to bring about a complete turnaround in the power sector, with the ultimate goal of providing 24x7 uninterrupted and affordable power supply for all consumers.
SRINAGAR: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar today emphasized upon the management of Jammu and Kashmir Women’s Development Corporation (JKWDC) to enhance their reach and business and formulate a plan for increasing and actualising the objectives of corporation in more efficient manner. The Advisor made these comments while chairing the 29th Board of Directors (BoDs) meeting of JKWDC at Civil Secretariat here today.
The meeting, among others, was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare department, Sheetal Nanda; Director General, Development Expenditure Division-I, Finance Department, Sajad Hussain Ganai; Managing Director, JKWDC, Ulfat Jabeen; Additional Secretary PD&MD, representatives of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC), National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC), National Divyangjan and Finance Development Corporation (NDFDC).
Addressing the officers during the meeting, Advisor Bhatnagar called upon the management of JKWDC to enhance their reach and business as the corporation is providing loans at much cheaper rates than any other lending institutions. He asked them to formulate a detailed plan on how to increase and actualise the objectives of corporation in more efficient manner
The Advisor underscored the corporation’s pivotal role in fostering women empowerment across the region and emphasized the need for sustained efforts to enhance socio-economic opportunities for women from diverse backgrounds. He underlined the importance of implementing various initiatives religiously to meet diverse needs of women from various backgrounds.
During the meeting, the BoDs discussed financial position of the corporation as well as tool detailed evaluation on impact of current programs and women-centric welfare schemes offered by JKWDC. The BoDs called for enhancing the outreach and accessibility of Corporation’s services to remote and marginalized communities so that more women folk can take benefits of various schemes implemented by JKWDC. The Board asked the management of Corporation to organise loan melas and other awareness activities across the length and breadth of Jammu and Kashmir.
The BoDs also called upon the management to maximize their efforts for recovery of loans. The Board further asked them to formulate a plan for one time settlement of long time defaulters. The BoDs also asked the representative of finance department to credit UT share to corporation on timely basis so that the loans can be disbursed to beneficiaries smoothly..
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