KASHMIR READER HEADLINES * 55% drop in Kashmir tourism after floods: Assocham Jammu: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India has said Kashmir’s tourism industry which has been badly hit by calamity has registered a steep fall of 55 percent in business. The largest employment provider, tourism sector in Kashmir has been hit to the extent of 55 percent in post-flood disaster, according to quick random survey undertaken by Assocham Social Development Foundation (ASDF) in the last two months, D S Rawat, Secretary General of Assocham said while releasing the industry bodys paper Monday. Considered as a heaven for tourists, the state of J&K has suffered hugely due to devastating floods. Assocham study said that thousands of tourists who had earlier planned their Christmas and New Year vacation in the Valley next month are on a booking cancellation spree and exploring other tourist centres, he said. ** Post floods, dead houses end in graveyards ABDUL MOHAMIN SRINAGAR: Mud bricks recovered from the houses damaged by the September floods in the Valley are finding their way to Muslim graveyards. Mud bricks were used to line internal walls of the houses built four or five decades ago in residential colonies like Balgarden, Karan Nagar, Jawahar Nagar and most of the old city. Such houses either collapsed or were damaged badly in the flooded areas. *** Catalonia vote: 80% back azadi from Spain Barcelona: An overwhelming majority of Catalans have said “yes” to independence and secession from the central Spanish government in Madrid in a highly-anticipated but symbolic referendum poll on Sunday. Some 80.72 percent voted to form a state independent of Spain, Joana Ortega, vice president Catalonia said shortly after midnight, with over two million Catalans reportedly turning out for the unofficial referendum. Ortega could not immediately give an official turnout rate since there was no formal electoral roll for some 5.4 million registered Catalan voters. Voters were given two questions to answer, “Do you want Catalonia to be a state?” was the first and in the case of a positive response, voters were asked: “Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state?” “Yes-no” response obtained 10.11 percent; “no-no” 4.55 percent; and blank votes accounted for 0.56 percent, with 88.44 percent of the votes counted. **** Sajjad Lone ‘pleasantly surprised’ after meeting Modi New Delhi: Former separatist and People’s Conference leader Sajjad Lone on Monday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which the two are believed to have discussed the possibility of his working with BJP after the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. Lone maintained after the meeting that he had apprised the Prime Minister as a Kashmiri about the difficulties being faced by the people of the Valley due to the September floods. “I came as a Kashmiri to meet the Prime Minister and I was pleasantly surprised with his down to earth personality, his vision about bringing in investments into the state,” Lone told reporters after a half-an-hour meeting with Modi. Showering praise on PM, Lone said, “Modi was so large hearted that it was tough to say whether I was meeting PM of India or my elder brother.” However, sources in the know of the developments claimed the meeting discussed the possible scenario post elections and how Peoples Conference and BJP can work together. ***** BJP in power will do more harm than floods: Azad SHABIR AHMAD ANANTNAG: Senior Congress leader and former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Monday that an alliance between any regional party and the BJP for government formation in the state will cause more devastation than the September floods. “I won’t name any party but many regional parties are trying to give lift to the BJP one way or the other. Their intention is evident from their changing languages with every passing day. But I would like say that any regional party which will help the BJP in the formation of the government here will die a political death,” Azad told reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in Divsar area of Kulgam. Counting on Kashmiri Pandit votes in the Valley, division of Muslim votes in Muslim-majority constituencies in Jammu, Hindu votes in Hindu majority areas and any willing partner in Kashmir, the BJP has set eyes on winning 44 plus seats needed to form a government in the state. ****** 123 candidates in fray for 15 constituencies Reader Correspondent JAMMU: On the last day of withdrawal of the nominations for the 1st phase of Assembly elections for which polling is scheduled to be held on November 25, 123 candidates remain in fray. In 9-Gurez Assembly constituency, four candidates are in the fray including Faqir Mohammad Khan (INC), Mohammad Ismail Lone (JKPDP), Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi (NC) and Gh. Rasool Bhat (Independent). ****** Core Group reviews situation in south Kashmir Reader Correspondent Srinagar: The Core Group for South Kashmir met Monday at Anantnag Army Cantonment to review the security situation and to draw out the plans for ensuring incident-free Assembly elections in south Kashmir. The meeting was chaired by Lt Gen Subrata Saha, GOC Chinar Corps and attended by AG Mir, IGP Kashmir, Alok Kumar, DIG South Kashmir Range, Tajender Kumar, SSP Pulwama, Junaid Mahmood, SSP Anantnag, Mumtaz, SSP Kulgam, Wahid, SSP Shopian, Tahir Saleem, SP Awantipora, GOC Victor Force, BGS, HQ Chinar Corps, Commander 1Sector RR, Commander 2 Sector RR, Commander 3 Sector RR and Commanding Officer 9 RR.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 18:32:17 +0000
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