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| Omar slams BJP over duplicity on equality post Art- 370 abrogation | | Budget Session 2025 | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, accusing the party of hypocrisy in its claims of fostering equality in the region following the abrogation of Article 370.
Speaking on grants, Omar Abdullah questioned the BJP’s narrative that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved parity with other Indian states, challenging them to explain the stark disparities that remain.
“How is Jammu and Kashmir equal to other states? Is the Assembly of J&K equal to the legislative assemblies of neighbouring Punjab, Haryana, or Himachal Pradesh?” Abdullah asked, pointing to the limited powers of the J&K Assembly compared to its counterparts in fully-fledged states.
He argued that the BJP’s decision to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh—in 2019 has undermined the region’s status rather than elevating it.
Invoking the legacy of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the erstwhile princely state, Abdullah highlighted the historical measures taken to s... | |
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FRONT PAGE STORIES |
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| 32,474 posts vacant in departments | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: The Government on Thursday admitted that 32,474 posts have been lying vacant in different departments, despite the fact that 13,466 non-gazetted vacancies have already been referred for recruitment.
As per the written reply tabled in the House, out of these vacant posts, there are 7,851 vacancies in the Health and Medical Education Department, making it the most affected sector. Out of these 7852 vacancies 1584 are gazetted, 4603 are non-gazetted, and 1664... | |
| | | | Selective distribution of Govt advertisements must end: CM Omar | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday ruled out any “pick and choose” approach in the allocation of government advertisements to newspapers in Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing concerns raised by MLAs in the Legislative Assembly, he assured that the distribution process would remain fair and transparent.
The Chief Minister emphasized that selective advertising must come to an end, asserting that publications overly dependent on government revenue cannot serve as true voices of journalism. He warned that such newspapers risk turning into mere government mouthpieces. “A newspaper that only carries press notes and my photograph on the front page is not a... | |
| | | | ‘Legislative Jihad’ being waged to shield land encroachers: LoP Sharma | | |  Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 20: Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma on Thursday alleged that a "legislative Jihad" is being waged in Jammu & Kashmir to shield land encroachers.
Speaking during the Grants of Departments session, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Sharma claimed that “legislative Jihad” is being used to protect encroachers in the Union Territory.
"Why is Nazir Gurezi upset if a few people from Haryana construct houses here? A committee led by a judge found that 68... | |
| | | | Omar questions LoP's repeated use of term ‘Jihad’ in political context | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday expressed dismay over Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma’s repeated use of the term ‘Jihad’ in political discourse, urging legislators to avoid making statements that could hurt religious sentiments. Talking to reporters in response to LoP Sharma’s accusation that the National Conference was launching a "legislative Jihad," Omar, criticized the opposition leader’s rhetoric. “The LoP uses the word ‘Jihad’ in every statement… again and again. Then he becomes angry if some member talks about his religion,” he said. The Chief Minister emphasized that political leaders must be mindful of their words, ensuring that... | |
| | | | Uproar in Assembly over crores spent on chartered flights | | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a ruckus on Thursday as the treasury and opposition benches traded charges following an Independent MLA’s call for a probe into the spending of crores on chartered flights and other expenses in the Union Territory (UT).
The ruling National Conference (NC) and Congress members sought the constitution of a house committee to investigate the spending of crores of rupees on such guests in the region by the administration.
Speaking on the grants of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the Assembly, MLA Shabir Ahmed Kullay from Shopian raised the issue of the use of chartered flights and high spending amounting to Rs 35 ... | |
| | | | ‘Govt committed to conserve J&K heritage sites’ | | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Mar 20: The Jammu and Kashmir Government informed the legislative assembly on Thursday that work is ongoing on 45 projects, including forts and religious sites, as part of a scheme for the conservation of heritage sites in the Union Territory
Seventy-three additional projects have been identified under Phase-II of the UT-level scheme for the revival, restoration, preservation, and maintenance of architecture and heritage. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the minister in charge of the Department of Culture, stated this.
In a written reply to an unstarred question by National Conference legislator Farooq Ahmad Shah in the Assembly, Abdullah mentioned ... | |
| | | | J&K High Court fixes Apr 30 for final hearing | | MLA Nomination Case | | 
Early Times Report
Jammu, Mar 20: Jammu and Kashmir High Court on Thursday fixed April 30 for the final hearing in the Public Interest Litigation challenging absolute powers of the Lt Governor to nominate five MLAs to the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly The PIL filed by Advocate Ravinder Sharma Ex- MLC and Chief Spokesperson JKPCC came up on Thursday before the special Division Bench Comprising Justice Sanjeev Kumar and Justice Rajesh Sekhri.
As the case came up, the Petitioner Ra... | |
| | | | CCS clears procurement of advanced artillery gun system | | |  New Delhi, Mar 20:
Agencies
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a mega deal to procure advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) for the Indian Army at a cost of Rs 7,000 crore, marking a major step in indigenous manufacturing of such howitzers.
The ATAGS is the first indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured 155 mm artillery gun system and its procurement is set to enhance the operational capabilities of the Indian Army.... | |
| | | | Efforts on to settle issue of royalty recovery: Centre To SC | | | | New Delhi, Mar 20:
Agencies
The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it was making efforts to resolve the issue of recovery of royalty and tax dues on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands between it and several mineral-rich states.
The top court meanwhile deferred to April 24 the hearing on subsequent pleas of several mineral-rich states like Jharkhand seeking to recover royalty and tax dues on mineral rights and mineral-bearing lands worth thousands of crore of rupees from the Centre and the mining firms.
A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and MM Sundresh and Ujjal Bhuyan said it will decide on the sequence in which the pleas of several miner... | |
| | | | Online registrations begins | | | | DEHRADUN, Mar 20:
Agencies
Online registrations for the Char Dham Yatra and Hemkund Sahib in Uttarakhand commenced on Thursday.
Devotees interested in visiting the Himalayan temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri or the Sikh shrine of Hemkund Sahib can now register by visiting the website of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council (registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in), officials said.
The Char Dham Yatra will begin on April 30 with the opening of the doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Uttarkashi district.
Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district will be opened for devotees on May 2, while Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli district will open on May 4 a... | |
| | | | Former MLA shoots himself dead | | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 20: BJP leader and former Independent MLA from Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez Faqir Mohammad Khan on Thursday allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself, party officials said.
Khan, 62, shot himself inside the Tulsibagh government quarters here, they said.
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur, while confirming the incident, said the former MLA has died due to suicide.
It was not immediately known as to why Khan took the extreme step.
Khan, who was elected to Jammu and Kashmir assembly in 1996 as an Independent candidate, had joined BJP in 2020 and unsuccessfully contested the assembly polls on the party ticket last year.
Further details are awaited.... | |
| | | | Pak intruder apprehended | | | | Early Times Report
Kathua/Jammu, Mar 20: Security forces have apprehended a Pakistani intruder along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, police sources said on Thursday Security personnel detected suspicious movement of a person attempting to cross the border in the Hiranagar sector on Wednesday night, the sources said.
The forces fired a few warning rounds before taking the suspect into custody, they said.
The intruder has been identified as Qadir Baksh, a resident of Gafurabad, Tehsil Chiniot, Pakistan.
Further investigation is underway.... | |
| | | | Man held for stoking sectarian division | | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Mar 20: A person has been detained in Srinagar allegedly for attempting to stoke sectarian division on social media, police said on Thursday. “Srinagar Police has taken cognisance of attempts to spread sectarian division on social media. One person has been detained for questioning, and others have been identified for action,” Srinagar Police said in a post on X.
The police said everyone is urged to avoid posting sectarian content lest they face the rigour of the law. ... | |
| | | | 9 tourists injured in accident | | |  Early Times Report
Anantnag, Mar 20: Nine tourists were injured on Thursday when their vehicle hit a road divider in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag district, officials said
The accident occurred at Wanpoh on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. While four of the injured hailed from Mumbai, three are from Rajasthan, and one each from Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
The injured have been admitted to the Government Medical College Anantnag, and their condition is stated to be stable, the o... | |
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