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Chairs 75th meeting of SMVDSB

Jammu: Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday directed identifying of vulnerable spots along the track leading to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills to mitigate the risk of landslides and shooting stones.

Sinha passed the directions while chairing the 75th meeting of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) at Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the revered shrine in the Reasi district.

The meeting was attended by the newly constituted board members, the LG’s Principal Secretary Mandeep K Bhandari and SMVDSB Chief Executive Officer Anshul Garg, an official spokesman said.

He said the board conducted a comprehensive review of its past decisions; ratified actions taken since the last meeting and made several key decisions on 21 significant agenda items having far-reaching implications for the board’s functioning and enhancement of pilgrim services.

Several important decisions were taken regarding various ongoing and new projects, including construction of the exit track and remodelling of the Manokamna area at Bhawan, development of a helipad in Katra, widening of the yatra track from Sanjichhat to Bhawan and operationalisation of the board’s medical college at Kakryal, the spokesman said.

He said the meeting reviewed the status of the new helipad project at village Hutt, a collaborative effort with Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board, being executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

Noting delays and revisions, the board expressed serious concern and directed the BRO to complete the project by the end of October, the spokesman said, adding the helipad aims to enhance pilgrim facilities to Shiv Khori Shrine by providing a seamless and convenient experience for devotees.

Addressing the meeting, the spokesman said, the LG directed identifying of vulnerable spots along the pilgrimage route and implementing necessary measures to address and mitigate the risk of landslides and shooting stones, ensuring a safer environment for devotees.

Sinha also inaugurated several pilgrim-centric facilities, including battery car parking stand, outer cave shed, self-service kiosk/digital cash register and smart lockers.

The Board also reviewed the progress on renewable solar energy initiatives in the shrine area and directed the CEO SMVDSB to present a comprehensive plan for key installations, in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint. The Board approved a comprehensive sewerage network covering 100 percent of establishments within the Shrine area to enhance sanitation infrastructure.

The LG reviewed the Yatri Feedback System and directed its expansion to cover all services with monthly monitoring and active encouragement of pilgrim participation, to ensure continuous improvement in service delivery.

The Board also directed CEO SMVDSB to explore the possibility of engaging volunteer services to assist pilgrims by addressing their queries and providing guidance along the Yatra route, enhancing their overall experience and support during the pilgrimage.

The Lieutenant Governor further directed for identifying vulnerable spots along the pilgrimage route and implementing necessary measures to address and mitigate potential risks of landslides and shooting stones, ensuring a safer environment for devotees.

The Board appreciated the enhancement of security measures in the Shrine area with the inauguration of an Integrated Command and Control Centre at SGC, Katra and 7 Sub-Control Centers by the Lieutenant Governor, besides, facilitating security agencies with advanced security equipments to ensure robust security and real-time crowd management for prioritizing devotees’ safety and security.

The Board approved the dedication of 5 temples constructed in Reasi District to the public in July-2025 and accorded the approval of construction of 5 new temples with a focus on maintaining uniform architectural design across all locations to reflect the Shrine Board’s heritage and aesthetic standards.

The Board reviewed and approved financial assistance for institutions under the SMVD Charitable Society, including Gurukul, Hospital, Sports Complex, College of Nursing and Medical College to support their operations and activities through grants-in-aid.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor inaugurated several pilgrim-centric facilities including Battery Car Parking stand, Outer Cave Shed, Self Service Kiosk / Digital Cash Register and Smart Lockers. The Board observed that significant infrastructure projects have been initiated by the Shrine Board to enhance pilgrim experience. A Battery Car Parking stand at Bhawan to provide convenience and accessibility to pilgrims, particularly the elderly and disabled. The basement of about 1000 sqft of parking stand serves as a storage area for materials from the Material Ropeway. Additionally, fabrication of a laminated glass shed outside the Cave area to facilitate smooth pilgrimage regulation in all weather conditions while preserving the area’s scenic beauty.

300 Smart lockers near the Skywalk area at Bhawan offering a convenient and secure storage solution were also dedicated to the devotees. These smart lockers are linked with RFID Cards allowing devotees to store their belongings safely and securely.

In addition, the Lieutenant Governor also inaugurated an additional dormitory block at SMVD Gurukul, constructed at a cost of Rs.71.82 lakh which accommodates an additional 32 students, enhancing the institution’s capacity and infrastructure to support the growing number of students.

Jammu: Emphasising that human rights are the most sacrosanct component of a human life, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has ordered the Union Home Ministry to facilitate return of a woman deported to Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Justice Rahul Bharti was hearing a petition filed by the daughter of Rakshanda Rashid and Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed in which she has stated that Rashid, a Pakistani national, had been married for nearly four decades and was residing in India on a Long-Term Visa (LTV).

The order, made available recently, was passed on June 6 in which the court asked the Secretary of the Union Home Ministry to ensure that the woman is brought back within 10 days and reunited with the family.

However, it was not immediately clear whether efforts had been made to bring her back or the ministry was going to challenge it in a division bench.

The petitioner highlighted her mother’s precarious situation in Pakistan, stating she has no one to care for her and is suffering from multiple ailments, putting her health and life at grave risk.

“Human rights are the most sacrosanct component of a human life and, therefore, there are occasions when a constitutional court is supposed to come up with SOS like indulgence notwithstanding the merits and demerits of a case which can be adjudicated only upon in due course of time.

“…therefore, this Court is coming up with a direction to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India to bring back the petitioner from her deportation,” the three-page order said.

The judge further observed that Rashid’s LTV status at the time of her deportation may not have warranted such action without a thorough examination of her case and a proper deportation order from the authorities.

Considering the “exceptional nature of facts and circumstances,” particularly Rashid’s deportation in the aftermath of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, the court has directed the Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, to “retrieve the petitioner back to Jammu and Kashmir, India so as to facilitate the reunion of the petitioner with her husband-Sheikh Zahoor Ahmed in Jammu.”

The court has mandated “needful compliance” within 10 days of the order’s passing and has asked for a compliance report to be filed by July 1.

In the aftermath of April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people, mainly tourists, were gunned down in Baisaran, the government took slew of measures including deportation of all Pakistani nationals barring those staying on LTV.

 

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday strongly advocated restoration of statehood to J&K, saying it is not a favour to people but their right which was snatched from them in August 2019.

He also expressed confidence that the pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south Kashmir Himalayas will take place peacefully as people of J&K are eagerly waiting for the arrival of guests from across the country.

“We could not win any seat in the assembly elections held last year because of the anti-Delhi sentiment of the people even as the time has proved our stand right that J&K can move forward only by joining hands with the Centre,” Bukhari, a former minister, said.

He said J&K is surrounded by Pakistan, China and Afghanistan and always needs the support of the central government.

However, the Centre from time to time has given the region “wounds” like the August 5, 2019 when the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union territories and its special status revoked, he said.

“The August 2019 development was nothing short of a catastrophe for us and they need to return what has been taken away from us. The restoration of statehood is not a favour but our right which should be given to us,” Bukhari told reporters after welcoming dozens of grassroot level workers into his party fold here.

He said the central government should respect the feelings and emotions of the people who were deprived of their identity which needs to be restored without any further delay.

On the reported agreement of ceasefire between Iran and Israel, he said it is a welcome development as war is no solution to any problem.

“We believe in Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violence…the confrontation resulted in loss of precious lives and massive damage to the infrastructure on both sides. Iran leadership showed maturity by agreeing to a ceasefire,” Bukhari said, adding it is always better to address contentious issues through peaceful means rather than going into war.

On the Indo-Pak situation, he said they have full faith in the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government which is capable of dealing with its neighbouring countries.

“We are witness to the skirmishes between India and Pakistan (during Operation Sindoor in May) which resulted in massive destruction. We appeal to the Centre and the J&K government to reconsider the compensation announced for the border residents whose houses were damaged in Pakistani shelling,” he said.

He termed the compensation given to border residents as “inadequate” and proposed reconstruction of the damaged houses by the government on its own rather than providing them money for rebuilding.

“They cannot complete their constructions by the compensation announced by the government. You cannot even buy a door for Rs 65,000 which was given to partially damaged house owners,” Bukhari said.

Jammu: A dramatic incident unfolded in the heart of Jammu on Tuesday as a suspected thief, linked to a busted gang, was publicly humiliated with a garland of shoes and made to sit on a moving police vehicle’s bonnet, prompting an official inquiry.

A video of the incident, purportedly showing several onlookers cheering the act, surfaced online, sparking a debate among social media users, with many questioning the legality and ethics of the police action and some even terming it “jungle raj”.

Condemning the incident, Jammu’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Joginder Singh ordered a departmental inquiry into the matter.

The accused is a resident of Kashmir and was allegedly under the influence of drugs when he was arrested following a chase and a scuffle near a hospital here.

According to Bakshi Nagar Police Station SHO Azad Manhas, whose team was involved in the incident, a man who was robbed of Rs 40,000 while buying medicines for his patient a couple of days ago, identified the accused outside a hospital in the heart of the city and confronted him.

The accused retaliated by attacking the man with a knife, causing injuries, and tried to escape, the SHO said, adding that the police personnel patrolling the area went after the accused and nabbed him.

Local youths also joined the chase, and once the accused was caught, they reportedly tied his hands with a rope and placed a garland of footwear around his neck.

He was then paraded through the streets and made to sit on the bonnet of the police vehicle for a short while, with a public address system announcing his arrest as he was taken to the police station.

Several bystanders raised slogans in support of the police team, who seemingly approved of the public shaming.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Jammu, Joginder Singh said the action of the police personnel was “unprofessional, unbecoming of the members of a disciplined organisation”, and calls for a stern departmental action.

“In order to ascertain actual facts, a preliminary enquiry is hereby ordered and entrusted to SDPO (Sub-divisional police officer) City North, Jammu, who will enquire into the matter and submit his findings to this office within a week’s time positively,” the SSP said in an order.

This marks the second such incident in Jammu this month, following a similar event on June 11, where three criminals involved in a shooting were publicly beaten by police.

National Convener of the Jammu and Kashmir Students’ Association, Nasir Khuehami, strongly condemned the action.

“Police are not mobs. They are the custodians of the law. The duty of an SHO is to investigate, not adjudicate to uphold justice, not to dispense punishment through public spectacle,” he said on X.

Khuehami asserted that “such crude displays of ‘instant justice’ erode public trust, delegitimise the institution, and push our democracy one step closer to the abyss of lawlessness.”

He described the incident as “medieval vigilantism rather than constitutional policing,” and “an assault on human dignity and the very principles that underpin our justice system.”

Reacting to the video, several social media users demanded that the police personnel involved be held accountable for their actions and termed the incident a “blatant violation of human rights and the right to liberty”.

Some netizens also tagged Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, DGP Nalin Prabhat and the National Human Rights Commission, demanding accountability.

One of the social media users said the incident was a “shocking violation of human rights and due process,” and emphasised that “law enforcers must not become lawbreakers.”

Another user called out the Jammu police, saying, “This is not justice, this is a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution. How can @JmuKmrPolice allow such lawlessness? Where is accountability?”

A user questioned the police’s justification for “such inhuman treatment,” asking, “tying a half-naked man to a bonnet, parading him like a trophy—is this justice or jungle raj? Even the worst criminal deserves dignity under law. This is not policing, it’s public humiliation.”

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Tuesday welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, saying it was a good step, and expressed hope that it lasts so that innocent people do not get killed.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the ceasefire should come into effect at the earliest as the war had caused “large-scale destruction”.

Talking to the reporters at Dooru in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, Farooq Abdullah said, “I am thankful to the Almighty if there is indeed a ceasefire. It is a good thing. Innocent people were being killed. I pray that the ceasefire lasts.”

Responding to a question about whether the US surrendered before Iran, the NC chief said the decision stemmed from humanity, but there was global pressure on the US.

“Nobody has surrendered before anyone, neither Iran nor America. But out of humanity, they said that this should be stopped. This would have impacted their economy, and the economy of the rest of the world,” he said, adding, “There was global pressure on America to end this”.

When asked about the upcoming annual Amarnath Yatra, which begins July 3, Abdullah expressed hope the pilgrims will return safely after visiting the holy cave shrine.

“We hope that pilgrims return to their homes after having ‘darshan’ of Bholenath happily, and then tell people back home how good the people (here) are and about the beauty that the Almighty has blessed this place with,” the former chief minister of the erstwhile state said.

Talking about the evacuation of the Indian students, the chief minister said that the war was a major concern in the Union territory as many students were stuck in the middle of the war.

“There were difficulties as flights could not operate due to the closure of the airspace. We hope that a big batch of our students will return tonight and our evacuation process will be completed,” he said.

“We would want a ceasefire as early as possible. It has been 11 days (since war broke out) and there has been massive destruction in these days,” he added.

Srinagar: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday said the conflict between Israel and Iran has elevated Tehran’s status to a leadership role for the Muslim world as it forced Washington and Jerusalem on their knees.

“I salute the courage and determination of the Iranian leadership, its armed forces and people for fighting this war. They did not have nuclear weapons, the only weapon they had is the belief and the desire for martyrdom,” the former chief minister told PTI.

“This forced the United States and its lapdog state, Israel, on their knees. Today (US President Donald) Trump is talking about a ceasefire. It means that the outcome of the war so far has been totally opposite to the expectation of the US and Israel,” she said.

Mufti said the war has propelled Iran to the leadership role of the Muslim world.

“This war has given Iran the leadership role of the Muslim world, although the other Muslim countries did nothing more than lip service. America was in the habit of attacking the Muslim countries at will, be it Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya or Syria. However, today the US was dealt a defeat to its endeavour of attacking the Muslim countries,” she added.

Reacting to Pakistan nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, Mufti said that it was childish and premature.

“It was disappointing that Pakistan would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. I feel it was childish and premature, especially with a person who does not know what he is saying and what he is going to do the next minute,” she added.