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Large Quantity of Weapons, Ammunition Seized in Bandipora Search Operation

File Photo

Bandipora, Mar 11 (NVI): Security forces on Wednesday claimed to have recovered a huge cache of arms and explosives from the Waven forest area falling under the jurisdiction of Police Station Pethkote in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.

Officials told NVI that the recovery was made during a search operation carried out by security forces in the forest area following specific inputs.

During the operation, forces recovered one RPG launcher along with five RPG rounds, one light machine gun (Pika) and two belt boxes. Seven AK-47 magazines were also seized, including five filled and two empty.

Besides, three ammunition pouches and one filled pistol magazine were also recovered from the site, officials said.

A large quantity of ammunition was also seized, including 536 rounds of 7.62 mm LMG ammunition and 544 rounds of AK-47 ammunition.

Officials further said that two hand grenades, five UBGL grenades, nine plastic explosive boxes, four TNT slabs, four primers, two electric detonators (No. 33) and five metres of damage firing cable were also recovered during the operation.

The recovery of such a large cache of arms and explosives is believed to have averted possible militant activities in the area, officials said, adding that further investigation has been taken up in the matter—(NVI).

HC Flags Non-Functional MRI, CT Scan Machines in Jammu Hospitals; Seeks Explanation

Jammu, Mar 11 (NVI): The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the prolonged non-functioning of MRI and CT Scan machines in key government hospitals in Jammu and directed the Managing Director of the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited to be impleaded as a respondent in an ongoing suo-moto Public Interest Litigation (PIL).

The directions were issued by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal while hearing a suo-moto PIL titled Court on its Own Motion vs UT of J&K, which was initiated following a media report highlighting disruption of critical cardiac services due to shortage of life-saving cardiac implants, stents and other consumables in government hospitals.

During the hearing, Principal Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, Dr Ashutosh Gupta, appearing through virtual mode, informed the court that the MRI machine at GMC Jammu had remained out of order for nearly two months. He further stated that CT Scan machines at the Super Specialty Hospital and SMGS Hospital had been non-functional for more than a year.

Gupta, however, told the court that the MRI machine at GMC Jammu has now been repaired and made operational. He added that orders for procurement of two new CT Scan machines for SMGS Hospital and Super Specialty Hospital have already been placed through the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.

Taking note of the delay in procurement of the machines, the bench directed that the Managing Director of the J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited be impleaded as a party in the case and asked him to appear through virtual mode during the next hearing. Senior Additional Advocate General Monika Kohli accepted notice on behalf of the officer before the court.

During the proceedings, Amicus Curiae Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed, assisted by Advocates Supriya Chouhan and Mohd Zulker Nain Choudhary, also raised the issue of alleged private practice by the Head of Department of Radio Diagnosis at GMC Jammu despite a ban on such practice by heads of departments in government medical colleges.

The court was informed that a communication from the Director Health Services Jammu to the administrative department had mentioned three private laboratories where the officer was allegedly practicing. It was also submitted that an enquiry report had reportedly indicted the officer, but no action had been taken so far.

Taking note of the submissions, the Division Bench directed that the matter be listed for further hearing on Wednesday. (NVI)

DM bans transportation of Bovine animals from Jammu District

Representational image

JAMMU, Mar 10 (NVI): District Magistrate Jammu Rakesh Minhas, in exercise of the powers vested under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), has banned transportation of Bovine animals such as Cow, Buffalo, Oxen, Bulls, Calves etc from District Jammu to other Districts, except with written permission from District Magistrate or Additional District Magistrate Jammu under certain conditions imposed by this office from time to time.

The order shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain in force for a period of two months from date of its issue or till the order is rescinded whichever be earlier. Any person who contravenes this order shall be liable to be punished in accordance with the provisions of Section-223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Paras Dogra-Led J&K Squad Receives Commemorative Trophy from High Court

JAMMU, Mar 10 (NVI): The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh on Friday felicitated the Jammu & Kashmir Ranji Trophy team for their historic achievement of winning their maiden Ranji Trophy title in the 2025–26 season.

The ceremony was held in the presence of Chief Justice Arun Palli, Justices Sanjeev Kumar, Rajnesh Oswal, Sanjay Dhar, Mohd. Akram Chowdhary, Wasim Sadiq Nargal, Rajesh Sekhri, and Sanjay Parihar, along with other judges of the High Court. Brigadier Anil Gupta, Member Administration JKCA, Registrar General M. K. Sharma, officers of the High Court registry, members of the Bar, and other dignitaries were also present.

Congratulating the team, the Chief Justice and judges appreciated the players for their discipline, perseverance, dedication, and teamwork, which led to this landmark victory. They said the triumph reflects the sporting excellence and resilience of young athletes and will serve as an inspiration for aspiring sportspersons in Jammu & Kashmir and across the country.

During the event, commemorative T-shirts were presented to team members, including captain Paras Dogra, along with a special trophy to honour their achievement. Speakers said the maiden Ranji Trophy win since the team’s debut in 1959 is a moment of immense pride and historic significance for the Union Territory.

The High Court expressed its pride in being associated with the celebration of the young champions, who have brought recognition and joy to Jammu & Kashmir.(NVI)

Patwari Arrested by ACB for Allegedly Taking Rs 10,000 Bribe in Srinagar

Srinagar, Mar 10 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday arrested a patwari in Srinagar for allegedly demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000 for issuing revenue extracts, officials said.

According to an ACB spokesperson, the accused, identified as Saffdar Hussain Mir, patwari of Halqa Batmaloo, had allegedly demanded the bribe from a complainant for issuing revenue extracts in favour of the complainant’s relative.

The complainant approached the ACB and lodged a written complaint, stating that the patwari had asked for Rs 10,000 to process and issue the required documents.

Following the complaint, the ACB conducted a preliminary verification which confirmed the demand for the bribe, after which a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered at Police Station ACB Srinagar, the spokesperson said.

A trap team was subsequently constituted and laid a successful trap, during which the accused was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe amount of Rs 10,000 from the complainant, he added.

The accused official was taken into custody after completing medico-legal formalities, and further investigation into the case is underway, the ACB said.(NVI)

CS pushes for fast-track recruitment to fill vacancies across departments

JAMMU, Mar 10 (KNC): Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting to review the status of vacancies and the progress of recruitments being undertaken through the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) across various departments of the Union Territory.

The meeting was attended by the concerned Administrative Secretaries; Chairperson, JKSSB; Secretary, JKPSC and other concerned representatives from different departments.

While reviewing the progress, the Chief Secretary stressed the need for expeditious filling of all critical vacancies to strengthen governance and improve public service delivery. He called upon all Administrative Secretaries to hold regular follow-up meetings with their departments and recruitment agencies to ensure that pending issues are resolved and vacancies are filled at the earliest.

He emphasized that timelines fixed for ongoing recruitment drives must be strictly adhered to, and directed that all posts received by the recruiting agencies should be advertised without delay.

The Chief Secretary further advised the recruiting agencies to prepare and publish examination calendars simultaneously, enabling aspirants to have clarity regarding the schedule of examinations and adequate time to prepare.

During the review, the Chief Secretary also took note of several bottlenecks affecting certain recruitments in JKPSC and JKSSB. He examined each issue in detail and directed the concerned departments to issue necessary clarifications and resolve procedural hurdles immediately so that the recruitment process is not delayed.

Observing that prolonged recruitment cycles often create uncertainty for job aspirants, the Chief Secretary underscored the importance of conducting recruitment within a defined timeframe. He noted that a predictable recruitment cycle would allow applicants to plan their careers better and reduce anxiety among candidates.

During the meeting, the Commissioner Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD), M.Raju presented a comprehensive overview of vacant posts across government departments. The data revealed that a total of 40,661 posts are currently vacant in different departments, including 3,808 Gazetted, 24,507 Non-Gazetted, and 12,351 Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) posts.

Among major departments, Health & Medical Education accounts for a significant share of vacancies with 2,497 Gazetted, 8,088 Non-Gazetted and 2,712 MTS posts, while other departments with substantial vacancies include Agriculture Production, Power Development, Finance, Revenue, Forest, Public Works (R&B) and Youth Services & Sports.

While reviewing the recruitment being undertaken by the JKSSB for Non-Gazetted and MTS posts the Chairperson SSB, Vikas Kundal revealed that since 2019 the Board has received 46,744 posts, out of which 9,260 were withdrawn, leaving 37,484 posts for recruitment. The Board has already completed selections for 32,956 posts, including 27,449 selections pertaining to this period.

He further added that at present, 10,035 posts remain under different stages of recruitment with JKSSB. These include 2,532 posts yet to be advertised, 4,768 posts at the examination stage, 1,258 at the selection stage, and 1,477 posts under live advertisements awaiting completion of the recruitment process.

Meanwhile the Secretary, JKPSC, Bashir Ahmad Dar apprised the meeting about the status of posts referred to the JKPSC for recruitment. He divulged that at present, 1,745 Gazetted posts are under process with the Commission out of these, against 1,573 posts selection schedule has already been drawn, while 172 posts are yet to be scheduled due to certain procedural issues.

He also gave out that a recruitment timeline has been worked out by the Commission for filling these posts. As per the schedule, 630 selections are targeted for completion by March 2026, 476 during April–May 2026, 158 during June–July 2026, and 309 during August–September 2026.

Additionally department-wise analysis shows that the highest number of posts with JKPSC pertains to Health & Medical Education (872 posts) followed by School Education (470 posts), General Administration (170 posts) and Higher Education (129 posts), among others.

The meeting was informed that all departments have shared the latest status of advertised posts, vacant positions and posts proposed to be referred to recruiting agencies. It was resolved that all clear vacancies without legal or procedural issues will be referred to the respective recruiting agencies at the earliest for timely recruitment.—(NVI)

Infiltration Attempt Foiled Along LoC in Nowshera, One Terrorist Killed

File Photo

Jammu, Mar 10 (NVI): One terrorist was killed after the Indian Army foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Jhangar area of Nowshera sector in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

According to officials, acting on credible intelligence inputs regarding the movement of two terrorists, alert troops detected suspicious movement in the area around 3 pm.

The troops responded with swift action and engaged the infiltrators, leading to an exchange of fire in which one Pakistani-sponsored terrorist was killed, successfully foiling the infiltration attempt.(NVI)

BSF Personnel Killed After Being Hit by Vehicle Inside Camp in Kupwara

Accident

Srinagar, Mar 10 (NVI): A Border Security Force (BSF) Assistant Sub-Inspector died after being accidentally hit by a departmental vehicle inside a camp in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, officials said.

The deceased was identified as ASI Omprakash, son of Mukat Nath, who was posted with the 127 Battalion of the BSF at Kupwara.

Officials said the incident occurred inside the camp premises when a departmental vehicle reportedly went out of control and struck the ASI while he was on duty.

He sustained critical injuries in the accident and was immediately rushed to the Sub-District Hospital Kupwara, where doctors declared him brought dead on arrival.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident and initiated legal proceedings, the officials said, adding that further investigation is underway.(NVI)

Kavinder Gupta Takes Charge as Himachal Pradesh Governor

Shimla, Mar 10 (NVI): Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta was on Tuesday sworn in as the 30th Governor of Himachal Pradesh at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan in Shimla.

The oath of office was administered by Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia. Gupta took the oath in Hindi.

Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta read out the warrant of appointment issued by the President of India.

Several senior officials and dignitaries attended the ceremony in which Gupta formally assumed charge as the constitutional head of the state. (NVI)

Restrictions Imposed in Baramulla’s Mirgund Area to Maintain Law and Order

Pune

Srinagar, Mar 10 (NVI): Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district have imposed restrictions in Mirgund and adjoining areas of Mirchimar village in Tehsil Singhpora of Pattan sub-division to prevent any possible law and order problem, officials said on Tuesday.

According to an order issued by the District Magistrate Baramulla, restrictions under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 have been enforced following a report by the Senior Superintendent of Police highlighting a long-standing dispute between two factions of the Shia community over the conduct of religious functions and control of Imam Bargah and Masjid Mirchimar in Mirgund.

The authorities said the restrictions have been imposed as a precautionary measure in view of the observance of the 21st of Ramzan to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incident.

The order states that the restrictions will remain in force from 8:00 PM on March 10 to 9:30 PM on March 11, 2026 in the specified areas.

Under the restrictions, the assembly of four or more persons, processions, carrying of firearms or any kind of weapon and the use of loudspeakers without prior permission from the District Magistrate have been prohibited.

However, the order said the restrictions will not apply to armed forces personnel, police officials, magistrates and other authorised public servants performing official duties, the officials added.(NVI)

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