Asia

J&K: Better infrastructure under Central govt scheme boosts grape production in Ganderbal
21Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K: Better infrastructure under Central govt scheme boosts grape production in Ganderbal

After the Indian government’s decision to revoke Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on August 5 last year, the horticulture sector witnessed a sudden boost which lead to more self-employment opportunities and better income.A large section of people in J&K depend on the horticulture sector for their livelihoods and grape cultivation. One such place is Ganderbal, popularly known as the 'district of lakes', which has now become the hub of grape cultivation after the implementation of Central government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.After J&K was made a Union Territory last year, there have been major improvements in the horticulture sector under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, and grape cultivators say that the quality and quantity of the crops have since seen a lot of impr...
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Fierce competition starts between US, China for energy corridors in central asia
21Aug By Mike TrudellNo Comments
Asia, China, World

Fierce competition starts between US, China for energy corridors in central asia

Amid already heightened tensions between the United States and China, the Trump administration has now called "for a new alliance of democracies" to counter China's aggressive policies, and, in a retaliatory move, Beijing has begun adding more potential new trade and energy corridors linking Central Asia with South Asia and the Middle East.To counter China's aggressive expansionist policies in the South China Sea, the US has decided to have a quadrilateral alliance with Japan, Australia and India.Maleeha Lodhi, who has served as Pakistan's ambassador to Britain, the US and the United Nations said, “Fundamental realignments are taking place across the world at a challenging, transformative time in international affairs when global power is shifting to the East. Our region is no exception an...
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‘We are a battleground now’: In Southeast Asia, U.S.-China tensions flare on social media
19Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, USA, World

‘We are a battleground now’: In Southeast Asia, U.S.-China tensions flare on social media

Tensions between the United States and China over the South China Sea have erupted into a war of words on social media, in what analysts see as a change in U.S. strategy amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia. After Washington last week hardened its position by explicitly rejecting Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, U.S. embassies in the region produced an unprecedented flurry of op-eds and statements criticizing Beijing's actions. China's response was fiery, accusing Washington of "defaming China with untrue words so as to mislead the public" in the region. "We are a battleground now," Renato de Castro, an analyst with the Albert Del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Relations in the Philippines, told Reuters by phone. "It will be a long gam...
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Pakistan’s NA committee slams ‘non-serious’ attitude to meeting FATF conditions
15Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Pakistan’s NA committee slams ‘non-serious’ attitude to meeting FATF conditions

Pakistan’s National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue has slammed the government as it lags behind in its compliance with 27-point action plan and 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).The government faced heat from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue led by MNA Faiz Ullah of the PTI for wasting precious time of the nation without making tangible progress.With deadlines looming next month, Pakistan’s compliance with 27-point action plan and 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) stands at 14 and 10 respectively.While the committee decided to refer three proposed bills — Anti Money Laundering, Limited Liability Partnership and Companies Bill — relating to the FATF to another parliamentary meeting o...
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Parcel delivery, e-commerce service improve due to India Post parcel hub in Srinagar
12Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Parcel delivery, e-commerce service improve due to India Post parcel hub in Srinagar

Following the abrogation of Article 370, parcel delivery and e-commerce services have improved significantly in Jammu and Kashmir as the India Post parcel hub in Srinagar has become fully functional.In the absence of parcel hub, people were facing several obstacles due to lack of e-commerce services in the city. India post parcel hub, which was inaugurated in January this year, has added new facilities including district-wise sorting, new weighing machines and online booking of the parcels.Aquib Sultan, a resident of Srinagar said the facility should have come to the city earlier. "It has happened now and people are finding it very convenient. The e-commerce facility will help enhance the business potential in Kashmir valley," he said.Farhan Ahmad, another resident, said it has become very...
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Oil extraction plant in Srinagar helps floriculturists boost their income
12Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Oil extraction plant in Srinagar helps floriculturists boost their income

The scrapping of Article 370 and change from a state to Union Territory has proved to be beneficial for Jammu and Kashmir in multiple ways. In latest development, floriculture in Srinagar has witnessed a boost after the Indian government set up modern oil extraction plant in the city.Jammu and Kashmir has seen an increased focus on boosting floriculture since it became a union territory last year. The step has also provided employment opportunities and boosted the income of locals.Syed Altaf Aijaz Andrabi, Director, Agriculture, Kashmir said the government is making efforts towards crop diversification and enhancing the income of the farmers."There is no problem with money. The government is providing the best financial assistance to the agriculture sector. Through floriculture, the govern...
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J&K shows roadmap to curb COVID-19, economy recovery: Report
11Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

J&K shows roadmap to curb COVID-19, economy recovery: Report

A member of the European Parliament has said that at a time when coronavirus has terrorized the governments of the most developed countries, the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has effectively controlled the COVID-19 spread and brought the daily life in the region to normal.Citing an example of effective curbing of deadly viral disease, Ryszard Czarnecki, a member of the European Parliament from Poland, said in a report published in the EU Chronicle that Jammu and Kashmir has offered a roadmap to recovery to the world.“Jammu & Kashmir’s Srinagar was included among the tiny list of 16 districts in India, which were asked to share best practices about controlling coronavirus spread with 700 districts in the country. Jammu and Kashmir that is subjected to highly maligned campaign by nei...
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Construction of mega lift irrigation project at Tral in full swing after J&K turns into UT
11Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Construction of mega lift irrigation project at Tral in full swing after J&K turns into UT

The construction work of the Tral Lift Irrigation Scheme in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama gained momentum after the Indian government revoked Article 370 and announced Jammu and Kashmir as Union Territory in 2019.This much-awaited and prestigious scheme is a three-staged lift irrigation project, implemented at a cost of 170.50 crore under the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) and Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) having an irrigation potential of 4,818 hectares.Initially, stage I and stage II (partly) of the scheme were commissioned and work was going at a low pace for stage III, but now the work has started on a war-footing as the administration directed the officials to complete the project by 2020 end.The mega scheme is situated in Tral town of the Pulwama dist...
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Jammu and Kashmir govt claims 100% success in 7 government schemes
8Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Jammu and Kashmir govt claims 100% success in 7 government schemes

With Article 370 revoked, the newly formed government of the Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir has claimed 100 per cent achievement in seven government sponsored schemes that include Saubhagya and PM Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).Other schemes include UJALA, Mission Indradhanush (Jammu), Mission Indradhanush Aspirational Districts under GSA (Baramullah and Kupwara), Swachh Bharat Mission and Integrated Social Security (State Scheme).According to the data compiled by the erstwhile state government, around 3, 57,405 beneficiaries were covered in the last one year under the Saubhagya scheme. The Saubhagya Scheme or ‘Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana’ is an Indian government's project to provide electricity to the households. The project was announced in September 2017 by Prime Minister Naren...
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Prime Minister’s Development Package helping progressive apple growers in J&K
5Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Prime Minister’s Development Package helping progressive apple growers in J&K

The situation of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) farmers is now better than ever due to the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.Under the package, the horticulture department has set up apple orchards in the Union Territory’s Anantnag district to help increase the apple production and has lent a helping hand to an apple grower by giving him high-density apple plants under the PMDP which provides them nets, borewells and other facilities on subsidy.These high-density plants yield good results within two years of planting as compared to the traditional plants that give limited apple production even after ten years occupying large space.Under the scheme, the government promotes high-density plantations, phasing out old plantations which h...
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