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MoS Defence Seth Says J-K Witnessing Unprecedented Peace, Development Under Modi Govt

Srinagar, Jun 10 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing unprecedented peace, rapid infrastructure development and a tourism boom under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Kashmir, Seth said the Union Territory has undergone significant transformation over the past few years and is moving steadily on the path of growth and prosperity.

“The people of Kashmir are friendly and brotherly. I have been visiting the Valley regularly for the last five years and have seen remarkable changes. Development and progress are visible across Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Highlighting improvements in connectivity, the minister said major infrastructure projects have drastically reduced travel time between Jammu and Srinagar.

“There was a time when the journey from Jammu to Srinagar took 12 to 14 hours. Today, it can be completed in around four-and-a-half hours, reflecting the scale of infrastructure development in the region,” Seth said.

Describing tourism as the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, he said the Valley continues to attract visitors from across the country.

“Despite certain challenges in 2025, Kashmir received around 1.77 crore tourists. Earlier, tourist arrivals had crossed 2.66 crore. The number is expected to increase further as people from across India wish to experience the beauty and peace of Kashmir,” he said.

Seth said he met tourists from states including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jharkhand during his visit, which, he said, reflected Kashmir’s growing appeal as a tourist destination.

The minister credited Prime Minister Modi for accelerating development in sectors such as healthcare, roads, tunnels and bridges.

“Prime Minister Modi has provided unprecedented support for Jammu and Kashmir. Today, the region is witnessing rapid development and moving forward with confidence,” he said.

On the security situation, Seth said militancy had declined significantly and assured that the government remained committed to maintaining peace and stability.

“The Government of India will ensure there is no lapse in security. Peace, development and brotherhood will continue,” he said.

Referring to Kashmir’s cricket bat industry, Seth said nearly 30 lakh bats are manufactured annually in the Valley and exported to countries including Britain, Australia and Saudi Arabia.

He also claimed that people living in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) were looking towards India’s development and growth while benefiting less from developmental initiatives.

Seth said India was progressing rapidly towards becoming a five-trillion-dollar economy and was on course to emerge as the world’s third-largest economy.

Referring to the completion of 12 years of the Modi-led government at the Centre, he said the period had been marked by transparent governance and a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption.

“The era of scams has ended and a new chapter of accountability and development has begun,” he said.

The minister expressed confidence that Jammu and Kashmir would continue to witness peace, prosperity and development in the years ahead.(NVI)

J&K govt orders high-level probe into Gulmarg Gondola malfunction

File Photo: Gulmarg,Kashmir

Srinagar, Jun 10 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday constituted a high-level committee to investigate the technical malfunction of the Gulmarg Gondola cable car system that occurred on May 25, officials said.

According to an official order, the five-member committee will be headed by Managing Director of Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) Mahmood Ahmad Shah and has been asked to submit its report within 10 days.

The panel includes Director Tourism Jammu Vikas Gupta, Chief Executive Officer of Gulmarg Development Authority Tariq Hussain, Superintending Engineer Mechanical and Hospital Circle Kashmir Javeed Ahmad Tantray, and Executive Engineer Mechanical and Hospital Division Baramulla Mohammad Ismail Chechi.

The committee has been tasked with establishing the sequence of events that led to the malfunction and examining all relevant records, reports, communications and operational details related to the incident.

It will conduct a detailed technical investigation covering the mechanical, electrical, electronic, braking, communication, control and safety systems associated with the operation of the Gondola.

The panel will also scrutinise operational logs, fault indications, monitoring systems, inspection reports and maintenance records to ascertain the cause and extent of the failure.

According to the order, the committee will review standard operating procedures, maintenance protocols, inspection mechanisms and safety procedures governing the cable car system and assess whether these were adhered to at the time of the incident.

It has also been asked to examine whether any operational lapse, negligence, communication gap, supervisory failure, procedural deficiency, human error or administrative shortcoming contributed to the malfunction.

The committee will evaluate compliance with statutory provisions, technical standards, safety regulations, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) guidelines and prescribed maintenance schedules.

Besides, it will assess the effectiveness of emergency response measures, including evacuation procedures, passenger safety arrangements, communication systems and inter-agency coordination during and after the incident.

The government has authorised the panel to fix responsibility, wherever warranted, for any negligence or procedural violation by individuals, contractors, agencies or authorities associated with the operation and maintenance of the Gondola system.

The committee has also been asked to recommend immediate corrective measures for safe operation and restoration of the system, besides suggesting long-term reforms to prevent recurrence of similar incidents, the order said.(NVI)

MoD signs Rs 449 crore deal for GNSS jammers for Navy under Buy Indian category

New Delhi, Jun 10 (NVI): The Ministry of Defence on Wednesday signed a Rs 449-crore contract with Bengaluru-based Accord Software and Systems Private Limited (ASSPL) for the procurement of 20 Enhanced Capability Global Navigation Satellite System (ECGNSS) Jammers for the Indian Navy.

The contract was signed under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category and envisages a minimum indigenous content of 75 per cent, an official statement said.

The agreement was inked in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi.

According to the Defence Ministry, the ECGNSS Jammers are designed to degrade satellite signal acquisition and tracking capabilities of adversary Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. The system is also capable of signal spoofing and deceptive jamming to counter hostile navigation and targeting capabilities.

The ministry said the induction of the systems will enhance the operational safety of Indian Navy warships in a multi-threat environment and strengthen the force’s electronic warfare capabilities.

Officials said the project is in line with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives and will contribute to the indigenisation of advanced defence technologies.

The contract is expected to further strengthen the country’s maritime security architecture while boosting the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem, the statement added. (NVI)

Fighting between US and Iran erupts again

Iranian president Pezeshkian (File Pic)

New Delhi, June 10: After a lull of over two months, fighting between the US and Iran resumed today after American military carried out attacks at various places in the Persian country which retaliated by targeting US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

The US military attacked Qeshm Island and ports along the Iranian coast in the Strait of Hormuz last night.

The US military said the attacks constituted an “appropriate” response to the downing of one of its Apache helicopters yesterday.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) said the US attacks had caused damage to a telecommunications tower in the town of Sirik and destroyed two water tanks there.

Hours later, it launched attacks on the US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

The IRGC said it launched drone attacks on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the Ali Al Salem airbase in Kuwait, as well as a long-range missile strike on an airbase in Azraq, Jordan.

It also claimed to have shot down a US MQ-9 drone in the skies over the Iranian city of Jam.

Iranian media showed videos released by the country’s military purportedly showing drones hitting some installation along a coastline.

The media claimed the installation was a US military base.

In a statement, IRGC warned that its forces remain fully prepared to deliver a “crushing and decisive” response to any US military actions and that Washington would bear full responsibility for the consequences of further escalation.

The Iranian attacks prompted air raid sirens in Kuwait and Bahrain.

The Kuwaiti military said it was “intercepting hostile aerial targets” in the country’s airspace but gave no further details.

In Jordan, the military said it intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran towards Azraq.

It said the operation “resulted in the fall of shrapnel without any human injuries or material damage”.

The war began when the US and Israeli launched joint air strikes on Iran on February 28.

It has caused huge problems to economies around the world as the global energy flows from West Asia have come to a halt.

Pakistan attacks Afghanistan, kills 13 civilians, injures 14

Flags of Pakistan and Taliban-regime of Afghanistan

Kabul, June 10: Pakistan has once again killed children and women in Afghanistan by carrying out cross-border air attacks at various places in the neighbouring country.

The Pakistani military carried out air strikes in Kunar, Khost and Paktika Provinces of Afghanistan last night without any provocation, according to Taliban regime authorities.

At least 13 civilians, most of them children and women, were killed and 14 injured, according to the Afghan regime.

“Pakistan once again violated Afghanistan’s airspace last night,” Taliban regime’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on X.

He said the Pakistani airstrikes targeted civilian homes in Kunar, Khost, and Paktika provinces.

The Pakistani attacks martyred 11 children, one woman, and one elderly man, while 14 others, including women and children, were injured, Mujahid added.

The spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate described the strikes as a crime against humanity and condemned them.

Pakistan has often carried out cross-border attacks in Afghanistan, which intensified since February this year after which hostilities between the two neighbours heightened.

These attacks, purportedly carried out to target TTP militants, have killed only civilians, including children and women.

The Taliban regime of Afghanistan has retaliated by targeted Pakistani military installations along the disputed border as well as deep inside, through artillery shelling and ground attacks.

China, the common friend of the two countries, has been trying to persuade Pakistan to stop hostilities but Islamabad clearly does not heed to the advice.

Interestingly, Pakistan has been portraying itself as a peacemaker between the United States and Iran in their war. (NVI)

Rusted Mortar Shell Found at Residential Site in Jammu’s Bishnah

J&K Encounter
Security forces in Kashmir (File Pic)

Jammu, June 10 (NVI): An old rusted mortar shell was found in the Bishnah area of Jammu district on Wednesday, officials said.

The explosive was unearthed while soil was being filled for a plinth at a residence in Kothey Sanian village of Bishnah tehsil, they said.

Following the discovery, local police were informed and a Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team from Jammu was rushed to the spot to assess and safely dispose of the shell.

Officials said the mortar shell appeared to be old and rusted. No damage or injuries were reported in the incident.

Further details are awaited, officials added.(NVI)

Two Army Personnel Killed in Accidental Blast Near LoC in Uri

File Photo

Srinagar, June 10 (NVI): Two Army personnel were killed after sustaining critical injuries in an accidental blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kamalkote area of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said on Wednesday.

Officials that the blast occurred late Tuesday evening, leaving two soldiers critically injured.
The injured personnel were immediately evacuated to the Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar for advanced treatment, where they later succumbed to their injuries, officials said.

The deceased were identified as Chavan Vikram Balakrishna, a resident of Airoli in Maharashtra, and Arjun Jadhav Rajindra, a resident of Shahpur in Karad tehsil of Satara district, Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, officials said further details regarding the incident are awaited. (NVI)

Braving bullets, Kashmiris out to raise voice against Pakistani oppression in occupied J&K

Sea of Kashmiris on roads of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir to protest against Pakistan on Tuesday

Muzaffarabad (Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir): Braving bullets and other forms of oppression inflicted by the Pakistani military, lakhs of people staged protest marches and demonstrations across the Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) throughout Tuesday.

By the night, lakhs of Kashmiris from various parts of PoJK were marching towards Muzaffarabad, the capital of the occupied territory, displaying a powerful message of defiance and revolt against 78 years of oppression committed by the Pakistani regime.

A complete shutdown was also observed all over PoJK.

Throughout the day, entire PoJK echoed with slogans and chants against Pakistan, particularly its notorious Army and intelligence agency ISI.

At thousands of demonstration points, speaker after speaker narrated how the Pakistani military has been committing barbarism against Kashmiris on some or the other pretext.

They highlighted that the Pakistani military, even during the current round of agitation, has been killing Kashmiris in cold-blood by firing directly at them even when their protest is peaceful.

Rawalakot has been the worst sufferer, with most of the Kashmiris being killed and injured by the outsider Pakistani military personnel in this Tehsil of PoJK.

According to eye witnesses, the Pakistani military personnel even killed a local Kashmiri Superintendent of Police and four others after they tried to dissuade them from firing at the protesters.

The speeches were punctuated by slogans like “Yeh Jo Dehshat Gardi Hai, Iske Peeche Wardi Hai (Those behind this kind of terrorism are in uniform)”, implying that the Pakistani military is responsible for committing terrorism.

The speakers also pledged, amid strong cheering, the resolve that Kashmiris would no longer be afraid to the occupier Pakistan and its military.

“We will prefer to die than suffer humiliation anymore,” said an elderly man to a large crowd which responded by pledging their resolve to his commitment.

Also Read:

Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir bleeding due to extreme brutalities by military

The people of PoJK have been silently suffering every since Pakistan militarily and forcibly raided in October 1947 and captured these territories which orginally were part of undivided Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir, which had till then not acceded to India.

The present round of agitation is being spearheaded by Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a conglomerate of various Kashmiri organisations demanding end of Pakistan’s interference in the region besides their rights like human rights and right to livelihood.

JAAC had given a call for an indefinite agitation from June 9 but it started early, thanks to the brutal crackdown by the Pakistani military and affiliated agencies beginning June 7.

With an objective of crushing the agitation even before it started, Pakistan had sent tens of thousands of its military personnel to PoJK, addiing to the lakhs of those already present in the occupied territories.

However, the Kashmiris refused to be cowed down and demonstrated their strong will to fight, particularly after the Pakistani military killed over 200 locals and injured thousands others in cold blood over a span of just 2 days.

Even on Tuesday, Pakistani military personnel fired bullets and teargas shells directly at protesters, causing several casualties.

The cunning military personnel then whisk away the dead bodies to hide the real casualty figure.

The developments are still unfolding. (NVI)

J-K Govt, J&K Bank sign MoU to provide Rs 5 lakh accident cover, banking benefits to daily wagers

Srinagar, Jun 9 (NVI) The Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with J&K Bank to extend a range of banking, insurance and credit-related benefits, including an accidental insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh, to daily-rated workers, contractual employees and other casual workers engaged by the administration.

The agreement was signed in Srinagar in the presence of Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Financial Commissioner (Additional Chief Secretary) Finance Shailendra Kumar, J&K Bank Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Amitava Chatterjee and other senior officials.

The MoU aims to bring contractual employees, casual workers and daily-rated workers under a structured framework of banking convenience and financial protection.

Speaking on the occasion, Dulloo said the initiative would enhance the financial well-being and social security of thousands of workers across Jammu and Kashmir.

He said extending insurance coverage to daily wagers was a significant welfare measure as it provides financial protection during unforeseen circumstances and strengthens their sense of security.

Chatterjee said the bank was pleased to extend, for the first time, a comprehensive package of banking and insurance benefits to contractual employees, casual workers and daily-rated workers of the government.

He said the initiative would improve access to formal financial services while providing an additional layer of financial security to beneficiaries and their families.

Under the agreement, eligible beneficiaries will be provided zero-balance bank accounts along with free debit cards, digital banking facilities, concessional remittance services and access to specially designed credit products.

The package also includes a Group Personal Accidental Insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh and disability-related insurance benefits, offering social security support to the beneficiaries and their families.

Officials said the initiative follows sustained consultations between the government and the bank aimed at strengthening the welfare and financial security of this section of the workforce.(NVI)

14-Year-Old Pakistani Boy Detained Along LoC in Mendhar

J-K Police
Representational image

Poonch, June 9 (NVI): A 14-year-old Pakistani boy was detained by Army troops after he crossed the Line of Control (LoC) into the Indian side in the Mendhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Tuesday, officials said.

Official sources that the teenager was intercepted by alert troops in the forward area of Nagri Tekri shortly after he crossed the border.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the boy may have inadvertently strayed into the Indian territory from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they said.

The boy has been taken into custody for questioning and is being treated as per established procedures. Security agencies are conducting further inquiries to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the crossing and rule out any security concerns, officials added.

They said the minor is likely to be repatriated after the completion of the investigation and necessary formalities.(NVI)

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