State Pollution Control Board organised an awareness workshop on e-waste Management at Forest Information Centre, Jammu.

The work shop first of its kind in the State after the implementation of e-waste Rules, 2011 was attended by the stakeholders involved in the e-waste valve chain, viz, Producers, Sales Officers (Samsung, Videocon, LG), Consumers / Bulk Consumers and Recycling agencies in the State. It was stressed that all the Sales Offices /producers have to open individual and combined collection centres for collection of e-waste and seek authorization from State Pollution Control Board.

Thirteen units were operating illegally and one unit was closed down in Sidhra area while 13 others including five stone crushers, have been granted ‘consent to operate’ by the State Pollution Control Board in the same area.

Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology, Mian Altaf while giving reply to the question of PDP member Murtaza Ahmed Khan in the Legislative Council today disclosed that SPCB has granted permission to operate 13 units in Sidhra, Ragoora and Majeen area.

Kashmiri women have little to cheer about on International Women’s Day. Various medical studies and surveys in the Valley show women in Kashmir are more depressed than men due to two decades of turmoil and violence.

A survey conducted by Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Srinagar, revealed that women constitute 55 to 60 per cent of the patients who visit the hospital annually to seek treatment for psychiatric diseases.

Presenting the budget for 2013-14, Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather Wednesday announced a slew of welfare measures: health insurance for migrants, hike in daily wages, VAT exem

JAMMU: In exercise of the powers vested upon him under clause (a) of sub-Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Commissioner of Food Safety, Jammu and Kashmir ordered ban on manufacture, storage, sale transportation, display or distribution of Gutkha in the State.

As per the notification number HD/Drug/58/2012 issued today the Commissioner of Food has prohibited distribution of Gutkha by whatever name and Pan Masala or Zarda containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients by any name.

JAMMU: Minister for R&B Abdul Majid Wani today said that recently the Central Government has given nod for connecting 1100 habitations under PMGSY in the State.

He was replying to a question of Javid Ahmad Rana regarding road connectivity in district Poonch. The Minister said that road connectivity in hilly and remote areas has been given top priority by the Government and several schemes under NABARD, PMGSY, State Plan and bad pockets in district Poonch are under execution and many of them have been completed.

JAMMU: The Government has decided to develop six mini hydel projects in the State with a cumulative capacity of 9.95 MWs under Independent Power Producers (IPP) mode.

Minister of State for Science and Technology, Feroz Ahmad Khan approved the proposal to this effect today. These six projects have been taken up under the first phase among the 108 identified projects across the State for which the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) has already prepared the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

JAMMU: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today said that harnessing of green energy has been given considerable fillip by his Government and generation of solar, thermal and wind power is receiving due attention alongwith launch of hydro electric projects in the State.

Omar Abdullah said that the interest of investors in the sector of New and Renewable Energy (N&RE) is highly encouraging and it will get further boost by the J&K State Solar Power Policy which is in offing.

JAMMU In response to a second appeal filed by an RTI activist seeking details of the encroachment on forest land in Jammu, the State Chief Information Commissioner has directed the concerned Divisional Forest Officer to provide full information to the applicant by March 6 and also upload the information on its website.

The CIC also pulled up the DFO, who is the First Appellate Authority, for neither appearing before the Commission nor informing about his inability for the same. The RTI activist, identified as Mohd Ayub of Mahore in Reasi, has sought information

Jammu and Kashmir is seeking allocation of a coal block from the Union Ministry of Coal under government dispensation route for setting up of a Pit-Head Thermal Power Plant of 1000 MW capacity to meet the energy needs of the state.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, on whose directions the State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC), has initiated action on the initiative, today received a detailed brief on the proposed project at the 68th meeting of the Board of Directors of the JKSPDC, which he chaired here.