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JAMMU: Election Commission of India has described as baseless the allegations regarding discrepancies or irregularities in the final electoral rolls after completing the Special Summary Revision, asserting that the Commission is committed to ensuring free and seamless elections with focus on transparency in the entire process
The final Electoral Rolls published on 6th and 7th January 2025 following the countrywide Special Summary Revision (SSR) has witnessed an unprecedented level of acceptance, with very few first or second appeals filed under Section 24 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
These appeals pertained to corrections under Section 22 and inclusions under Section 23 of the Act. As per the data released by ECI, this comprehensive exercise covered nearly 10.5 lakh polling booths across the country and was conducted with the active involvement of 13.87 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) nominated by the political parties, spanning 4,123 Assembly Constituencies nationwide.
The absence of any large scale appeals indicates a broad consensus and acceptance of the updated electoral rolls by all stakeholders. Accordingly, the Electoral Rolls published post-SSR in January 2025 are now to be treated as undisputed. It may be recalled that the SSR 2025 exercise was conducted with particular emphasis on States and Union Territories slated for Assembly Elections after the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reiterated its commitment to free, fair, inclusive and transparent electoral processes. It views the smooth completion and acceptance of the SSR 2025 as a major step forward in strengthening the foundations of democracy.
As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the whole exercise was conducted meticulously with not a single first or second level appeal reported in the Union Territory. This accuracy and proficiency ensured in the SSR for J&K is testament to the commitment of Election Commission of India towards ensuring a transparent and efficient electoral process, while upholding the sanctity of a democratic system.
“The lack of appeals following the publication of the electoral rolls is a testament to the transparency, inclusiveness and robustness of the SSR process. With active participation from political parties through their Booth Level Agents, we are confident that the electoral rolls published in January 2025 reflect a high level of accuracy and public trust,” said a representative of the Chief Electoral Office (ECI).
JAMMU: The Traffic Police Headquarters, J&K issued a traffic plan and Advisory advising people not to undertake journey on Jammu Srinagar National Highway tomorrow as the restoration works in flood hit areas of Ramban is still going on. "Tomorrow vehicular movement will remain suspended on Jammu Srinagar NHW as the restoration work could not be completed today. People are advised not to undertake journey on Jammu-Srinagar NHW (NH-44) till the restoration work is completed and the surface is traffic worthy", it said.
As per the Advisory Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag (NH244) road is closed due to fresh snow fall. Decision regarding the vehicular movement on the road shall be taken after getting green signal from NHIDCL
Similarly, subject to fair weather and good road condition, after getting green signal from Road maintenance agencies (BRO), only one way traffic for all LMVs with Anti-skid chains followed by HMVs (only six tyres) shall be allowed from Kargil towards Srinagar on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari road. These vehicles shall be allowed from Minamarg upto 1330 hrs. No vehicle shall be allowed after cut off timing.
Likewise, subject to fair weather and good road condition, after getting green signal from Road maintenance agencies (GREF), LMVs Passenger/Private Cars shall be allowed from both sides on Mughal road viz from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa via Poonch. These vehicles shall be allowed from Behramgala (Baffliaz) and Herpora (Shopian) at 0900 hrs. upto 1500 hrs.
The advisory further mentioned cut off timings for LMVs, Passenger/ private cars. The cut off timings from Jammu Side at Akhnoor is 1000 hrs, at Bhambla 1100 hrs, at Rajouri 1300 hrs. The commuters shall cross Manjakote by 1330 hrs, Surankote by 1430 hrs and Behramgala by 1500 hrs at the latest.
The cut off timings from Srinagar Side is 1230 hrs for TRC Srinagar, commuters should cross Nowgam Peaks by 1300 hrs, Pantha Chowk by 1300 hrs, Chandhara Pampore by 1400 hrs, Galandar via Kakapora by 1400 hrs, Marvel Crossing by 1400 hrs, Kandizal (Peaks NH-44) by 1400 hrs, Khudwani by 1400 hrs, Chawalgam Kulgam by 1415 hrs, Keegam NH-44 by 1430 hrs and Herpora by 1500 hrs at the latest.
As per the advisory No vehicle shall be allowed after cut off timings and No vehicle shall be allowed through Thanamandi-DKG-Baffliaz.
For Bhaderwah-Chamba road the advisory said It is still closed due to snow accumulation.
People are advised to undertake journey only after confirming status of the road from Traffic control units viz Jammu (0191-2459048, 0191- 2740550, 9419147732, 103), Srinagar (0194-2450022, 2485396, 18001807091, 103), Ramban (9419993745, 1800-180-7043), Udhampur (8491928625), PCR Kishtwar (9906154100), PCR Kargil (9541902330, 9541902331 and PCR Ganderbal (9906668731).
JAMMU: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a high level meeting of Housing &Urban Development Department (H&UDD) to review different urban development schemes and programmes being implemented across the Union Territory. The meeting besides Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD was attended by Commissioner, SMC; Commissioner, JMC; MD, Housing Board; MD, NULM along with other senior officers of the department.
The Chief Secretary appreciated the scale and scope of urban transformation under H&UDD. He emphasized timely execution, inter-departmental synergy and robust monitoring of all the schemes. He stressed that these reforms and infrastructure projects must translate into improved quality of life for urban residents across the UT.
He enjoined upon the concerned department to expedite the work on the utility projects like water supply under AMRUT and sanitation under SBM (U). He made out that these projects once completed would improve the living standards of the residents substantially.
The Chief Secretary had a detailed review of progress made on the ongoing flagship projects under the Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT 2.0, PMAY-Urban, PM eBus Sewa, DAY-NULM, SBM 2.0, CITIIS 2.0 and other major initiatives of the department.
Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD, Mandeep Kaur, gave a detailed outlook of the projects completed and the ongoing works across the cities and ULBs of J&K. She also apprised the meeting about the steps taken and those in pipeline to enhance the beauty and sanitation of urban areas of the UT.
About the Srinagar Smart City projects, CEO, SSCL, Owais Ahmad, informed that the works span infrastructure modernization, heritage restoration, mobility enhancement and public space improvement. He added that 161 projects worth budgeted cost of Rs 3634 crore have been taken in hand under Smart City Mission. Out of these, 11 works are being executed with a cost of Rs 203.47 crore. These included construction of Traditional Souq Market and Craft Centre at Batamaloo, Jhelum Waterfront Development Phase-2, Gole Market -Karan Nagar Road Development, Development of Amenity Blocks, interpretation facility centre, cafe deck and viewing towers along Shalimar Canal.
Regarding Jammu Smart City Limited (JSCL), CEO, JSCL, Devansh Yadav, informed the meeting that a total of127 projects were taken in hand at a budgeted cost of Rs 3581 crore. The ongoing 7 projects costing around Rs 529 crore included Tawi River Front Development, Oceanarium at Bag-e-Bahu, Complete Street Development from Canal Road to Talab Tilo and Waste 2 Wonder Park and others.
As part of the Tawi Riverfront Development Project (TRF), it was revealed that the interception and diversion of nallahs at both left and right banks has been completed.
It was further divulged that 100 AC eBuses each have been approved for both the cities under PM eBus Sewa (via Challenge Method). For the same, financial assistance from GoI to the tune of 100% for ‘Behind-the-Meter’ power infrastructure and 90% (up to ₹20 Cr) for depot infrastructure is being provided by MoHUA.
Moreover, the DPRs for Jammu Depot Infrastructure (JSCL) has been framed costing around Rs 16.72 crore and for 6.6 MW power substation a DPR worth Rs 8.51 crore has also been formulated. Similarly, for Srinagar Depot Infrastructure a DPR of Rs 14.50 crore has been formulated besides DPR worth Rs 5.78 crore for Power sector has been made through the concerned agencies. All the DPRs have been approved by the Central Steering Committee, the meeting was informed.
With respect to progress on housing projects under PMAY-U, MD, Housing Board, Shahbaz Mirza, informed the meeting that under BLC Vertical (2021–24) 27,439 houses have been completed with a fund utilization of Rs 496.15 crore including a central assistance of Rs 40 crore released in Feb–Mar 2025.
Regarding PMAY-U 2.0 expansion, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with MOHUA stands signed to implement the scheme in all 78 municipal bodies of the UT. It was also given out that a baseline survey for identification of houseless individual/ families had also been initiated. To ensure that the benefit of PMAY reaches the section of people who don’t have permanent house to live in, a digital app had been developed to survey the urban areas. Additionally, the Master trainers were imparted training in all the districts and committees structured for verification and selection of eligible beneficiaries.
Regarding the financial assistance under PMAY-Urban 2.0, it was said that Rs 2.25 lakh as Central Assistance and UT share of Rs 0.25 lakh under BLC and AHP vertical of the scheme would be given to the beneficiaries.
Regarding progress on SBM-U 2.0 (Swachh Bharat Urban Mission), the meeting was apprised that a Material Recovery Facility for dry waste, compost/CBG plants for wet waste, facilities for C&D waste, bioremediation of legacy waste and STPs for Used Water Management for the two Municipal Corporations and 78 ULBs are under different stages of implementation. It was further added that all the 78 ULBs had been declared “Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher” by the GoI.
MD, NULM revealed that out of a total of Rs 61.77 crore received funds Rs 55.54 crore have been utilized, so far. She also gave out that a new mission Deendayal Jan AajeevikaYojana (Shehri) is under design to replace NULM with components like Livelihoods, Skilling, SHGs, Enterprise Promotion, Local Action for which the deliverables, timelines and institutional mechanism being finalized here.
On PMSVANidhi, it was said that against the target of 25,856 street vendors, 23,695 street vendors have been covered. First tranche of loan was given to 17,219 applicants, 2nd tranche to 7611 and third to 2,952 and letter of recommendation to 22,504 applicants. The meeting was apprised that a revamped online Building Permission System is also under rollout, to be ready within 2 months.
The meeting also discussed the Srinagar Water Transport project initiated for Inland Waterways from Anantnag to Wular Lake via Jhelum and Dal Lake. For the same partnership with Kochi Water Metro for peer learning and strategic support is being finalized. Moreover, the tendering for infrastructure and operations is also underway, as was given out in the meeting.
RAMBAN: In a swift response to the devastation caused by the cloudburst in Ramban district, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today undertook a visit to the affected areas to personally assess the ground situation.
Accompanied by the Deputy Commissioner Ramban and senior civil and police officials, the Chief Minister travelled by road from Srinagar to reach Marog, one of the worst-hit villages. Demonstrating the deep concern and commitment of his government, he trekked several kilometres on foot through rugged terrain to reach Kela Morh, where the cloudburst had triggered flash floods, leaving a trail of destruction.
The natural calamity has claimed the lives of three persons, while causing extensive damage to residential structures, vehicles, and critical road infrastructure. Ramban district, often referred to as the lifeline between the Kashmir Valley and Jammu, remained cut off for the second consecutive day due to debris and damage along the National Highway, J&K’s primary transport artery.
Interacting with local residents and officials from the district administration, the Chief Minister was briefed on the scale of the damage and the progress of ongoing rescue and relief operations. He expressed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and assured that the government stands shoulder to shoulder with the victims of this tragedy.
“The scale of destruction is deeply distressing. Our administration is on the ground, working tirelessly to ensure the safety, relief, and rehabilitation of every affected family,” CM Omar Abdullah said. “We will leave no stone unturned in standing by our people during this difficult time,” he added. He further directed the concerned departments to expedite restoration work on the highway to resume vehicular movement at the earliest.
The district administration informed the Chief Minister that clearance operations are in full swing, with teams from the Public Works Department (PWD), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), disaster response units, police, volunteers, and the local population working round the clock to remove mudslides and boulders and restore normalcy in the affected area.
JAMMU: In a notable effort to strengthen the Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector in Jammu and Kashmir, the District-Level RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance) Awareness Workshop was today held at Udyog Bhawan, Jammu. The event was a collaborative initiative of the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) and Grant Thornton Bharat LLP (SPIU for RAMP), in partnership with the District Industries Centre (DIC), Jammu.
The event marked the third in the series of district-level outreach workshops aimed at enhancing awareness and capacity building among MSMEs, key stakeholders, and implementing agencies under the RAMP initiative—a flagship scheme by the Ministry of MSME, Government of India.
The RAMP initiative is being implemented under the overall supervision of the Industries and Commerce Department of Jammu and Kashmir, with the Jammu and Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO) serving as the nodal agency. Sh. Sudarshan Kumar, Managing Director of JKTPO, has emphasized the transformative potential of the scheme, statingthat “under the leadership of Sh. Vikramjit Singh, Commissioner Secretary, Industries & Commerce, JKTPO is committed to transforming the MSME landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. RAMP has the potential to be a game changer for our entrepreneurs, driving growth and innovation across the region”
The SPIU Team delivered an insightful presentation, highlighting the key interventions approved under the RAMP scheme for Jammu and Kashmir. These initiatives include the formalization of MSMEs through Udyam Registration, enhanced packaging and promotion of GI/ODOP/DEH/unique products from the region, and the formation of producer companies/associations under cluster development programs.
The scheme also features buyer-seller meets (BSMs) and reverse buyer-seller meets (RBSMs), the establishment of the Jammu & Kashmir MSMEs Health Clinic, the J&K Ramp M&E Dashboard, and various entrepreneurship and skill development programs (ESDP). Additionally, it focuses on management development and upskilling of existing entrepreneurs (MDPs) and the expansion of digital financing options.
The workshop, chaired by Joint Director (Development), Industries and Commerce, Jammu, Ashok Kumar witnessed enthusiastic participation from a diverse array of stakeholders. Among the attendees were MSME entrepreneurs, industry associations, officials from the Department of Industries and Commerce, and representatives from various organizations including Handloom and Handicrafts, NABARD, Labour & Employment, the LDM of Jammu, Government Polytechnic Jammu, Cooperative Societies, Project Managers and Functional Managers from DIC Jammu.
The SPIU consultants and departmental officials actively engaged with the attendees, addressing queries and reaffirming the UT Government’s dedication to effective grassroots implementation of the RAMP scheme.
Further highlighting recent developments, it was noted that Management Development Programmes (MDPs) have been initiated in 15 districts of J&K by JKEDI from April 15, 2025, engaging over 300 participants. Simultaneously, the Directorate of Industries & Commerce, Kashmir has launched a focused Awareness cum Formalization Drive across Pulwama, Anantnag, Kupwara, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal, and Baramulla to integrate unregistered enterprises into the formal economy.
The event concluded with a resounding commitment from all stakeholders to work collaboratively towards maximizing the outreach and impact of the RAMP scheme, ensuring that MSMEs in Jammu and Kashmir emerge more competitive, resilient and future-ready.
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