Two MoS’ to share one Department for first time
Mula Ram gets RDD, Jugal R&B;
Jora I&C, Charak HE, Babu Power

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 2: Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today allocated portfolios to four newly inducted Ministers, two of Cabinet rank and two Ministers of State, who were sworn-in yesterday and, in the process, changed portfolios of Congress Ministers of Cabinet rank including Gulchain Singh Charak, Jugal Kishore, Nawang Rigzin Jora and Haji Nissar Ali.

The Chief Minister also effected a reshuffle of portfolios among four Ministers of State including two of PDP, a main coalition partner of the Congress while allotting Departments to two newly inducted Ministers of State.

Mr Azad has also lessened his burden by handing over portfolios of Industry and Commerce and Higher Education, presently held by him to Nawang Rigzin Jora, an associate member of Congress and Gulchain Singh Charak, a Congress MLC respectively.

Most significant in the allocation of portfolios was the charge of one Department having been given to two Ministers of State. Departments like School Education, PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, R&B, CAPD etc will now be held by Congress as well as PDP Ministers of State, official sources said.

Newly inducted Cabinet Minister and senior Congress leader, Mula Ram has been allocated the portfolio of Rural Development and Panchayats, currently held by another Congress leader Jugal Kishore, MLA Reasi. Jugal Kishore will now shift to Roads & Building and Mechanical Engineering Department, a portfolio which was presently held by Gulchain Singh Charak.

Mr Charak has been allotted Higher Education, ARI & Trainings.

Another newly inducted Cabinet Minister Abdul Gani Vakil, a Congress MLC from Kashmir, has been given Social Welfare Department, whose Minister Haji Nissar Ali, another associate member of Congress and MLA Kargil, will shift to new Ministry of Technical Education and Youth Services & Sports.

Power Minister Rigzin Jora, also an associate member of Congress and MLA Leh, will shift to Industry and Commerce Ministry, whose charge was so far held by the Chief Minister himself.

After handing over Industry and Commerce and Higher Education, Mr Azad was now left with portfolios of GAD, Home, Estates, Revenue, Information, Hospitality and Protocol, Civil Aviation and Floriculture.

Portfolios of all five Cabinet Ministers of PDP remained unchanged. Also, the portfolios of Health and Medical Education Minister, Mangat Ram Sharma, CAPD Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din and Transport Minister Hakeem Mohd Yaseen were also unchanged,.

Another Congress Minister, Babu Singh, MLA Kathua, has been given independent charge of Power as Minister of State. Earlier, he held the charge of Youth Services & Sports, Administrative Reforms, Inspections & Trainings, Grievances, Stationery and Printing.

Newly inducted Minister of State and Congress MLA from Suchetgarh, Gharu Ram has been allotted Housing & Urban Development, Agriculture, Co-operative and R&B Departments while Ghulam Mohd Saroori, another Congress MLA from Inderwal who was inducted in the Ministry yesterday as Minister of State, will hold the charge of Forests, Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution (CAPD), Tourism, School Education and Social Welfare.

PDP leader and MLA Vijaypur, Manjit Singh, Minister of State, has now been allocated the portfolios of PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, CAPD and Law. Earlier, he held the charge of School Education and CAPD.

Another Minister of State from PDP, Mohd Khalil Band will retain his portfolios of R&B and Animal & Sheep Husbandry. Similarly, Congress MLA from Nowshera and Minister of State Romesh Chander Sharma will also hold his Departments—Industries & Commerce, PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control.

PDP’s Minister of State Peer Mohd Hussain while shift from Power and Health to Health, Medical Education, School Education and Fisheries.

Two Ministers of State Gharu Ram and Mohammad Khalil Band will jointly hold the charge of R&B while Manjit Singh and Ramesh Chander Sharma will jointly hold PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control. G M Saroori and Manjit Singh will jointly hold CAPD while Saroori and Peer Mohammad Hussain will jointly hold School Education.

Minister of State Aijaz Ahmad Khan will now hold the charge of Finance, Planning, Rural Development, Panchayats and Revenue in place of Agriculture, Horticulture, Forests, Higher & Technical Education and Housing & Urban Development Departments previously held by him.

The charge of Finance and Revenue as Minister of State was earlier held by Congress leader Prem Sagar Aziz, who had resigned from the Ministry yesterday.

PDP’s Minister of State Javaid Mustafa Mir will retain his portfolios of Rural Development & Panchayats, Science and Technology, Information Technology and will get additional charge of Parliamentary Affairs.

Chief Minister

Ghulam Nabi Azad GAD, Home, Estates, Revenue, Information, Hospitality & Protocol, Civil Aviation and Floriculture.

Dy Chief Minister

Muzaffar Hussain Baig Planning, Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism.

Cabinet Ministers

Mangat Ram Sharma Health & Medical Education, Labour & Employment and Ladakh Affairs.

Abdul Aziz Zargar Agriculture, Sericulture, Cooperation and Fisheries.

Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Transport, Grievances, Stationery and Printing.

Mohammad Dilawar Mir PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control and Horticulture.

Mula Ram Rural Development and Panchayats.

Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed School Education, Science & Technology, Information Technology, Haj & Auqaf.

Nawang Rigzin Jora Industries & Commerce.

Taj Mohi-ud-Din Consumer Affairs & Public Distribution and Animal & Sheep Husbandry.

Qazi Mohammad Afzal Forests.

Haji Nissar Ali Technical Education and Youth Services & Sports.

Tariq Hameed Qarra Finance and Housing & Urban Development.

Gulchain Singh Charak Higher Education, ARI & Trainings.

Jugal Kishore Roads & Building and Mechanical Engineering.

Abdul Gani Vakil Social Welfare

Ministers of State

Babu Singh Power (Independent Charge)

Aijaz Ahmad Khan Finance, Planning, Rural Development, Panchayats and Revenue.

Javaid Mustafa Mir Rural Development & Panchayats, Science & Technology, Information Technology & Parliamentary Affairs.

Gharu Ram Housing & Urban Development, Agriculture, Cooperatives and R&B.

Manjit Singh PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, CAPD & Law.

Mohammad Khalil Band R&B, Animal & Sheep Husbandry.

Ramesh Chander Sharma Industries & Commerce, PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control.

Peer Mohammad Hussain Health, Medical Education, School Education and Fisheries.

G. M. Saroori Forests, CAPD, Tourism, School Education and Social Welfare.

World's largest company to set up wallet unit in Kashmir

Excelsior Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Jan 2: Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today stressed the need for permanent marketing centre for Kashmiri handicrafts in the capital. He said the Central Government has identified 20 kanals of land for developing a marketing and exhibition centre of Kashmir handicraft.

Inaugurating the Kashmir Handicrafts Expo Exhibition 2008 here this morning, Jairam said the Centre has received a proposal from the Jammu and Kashmir Government for setting up of a permanent marketing and exhibition centre for Kashmir handicraft in the capital. He said such a centre would give fillip to the handicraft expo and suggested organizing such expos at other States of the country as well.

Present on the occasion were Minister for Power Nawang Rigzin Jora, Minister of State for Industries Dr.Ramesh Chander and a number of handicraft exporters.

Enumerating the steps undertaken by the Centre and State Government for promoting handicrafts, the Minister said incentives for the paper machecraft have been enhanced and recently concluded buyer-seller meet at Srinagar has been made permanent feature. He said in the recently held Varanasi Expo. Kashmir Craft was given a prominent position.

On the development of infrastructure, Jairam Ramesh said a Rs 30 crore international trade centre is being set up at Pampore which would be fifth in the country after Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Guwahati. Similarly, he said a craft development institute and institute of carpet technology are being set up in the State under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan to impart new techniques and designs to the artisans. An effluent treatment plant for leather is also being set up at a cost of Rs 6 crore, he added.

Referring to the industrial promotion, the Minister said for the first time in 2007 India accorded top slot in carpet export in the world and 25 per cent of the export came from Kashmir carpets. He however asked the exporters to maintain the stand and prepare to compete Iran and China in the world market.

He said finest of the sheep hides in the country come from Kashmir and so many corporate groups have shown their interest in developing leather units in Jammu and Kashmir and hoped that many collaborative units would come soon. He said A. V. Thomas, world’s largest wallet making company has desired to set up at leather wallet making unit in Kashmir.

Mr Jairam Ramesh said the J&K Government has submitted three proposals of Pashmina, Sozni and Kani shawls for according geographical indications (GI) as has been done with products like Darjeeling tea, Assam tea etc. This Centre, he said is examining the proposal and a decision will be taken soon. He said (GI) recognition would give a boost to such products at the European market.

The Minister said the objective of the Centre and State Government has been that the basic artisans are benefited to maximum in this Rs 1200 crore export oriented industry. He hoped the unit holders would also rise to this social responsibility, adding that he was happy to see few stalls set up by self-help-groups.

Last budget session of current
Assembly all set to be stormy

By Sanjeev Pargal

JAMMU, Jan 2: Last budget session of current Assembly, beginning January 7 with joint address by Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha to both Houses of the Legislature, is expected to be stormy as compared to all five previous budget sessions with main Opposition party, National Conference, having a strength of 26 MLAs, in full election mood planning to target the coalition with all its might.

The NC as well as other smaller Opposition parties including Panthers Party and BJP were planning to rake up "popular issues" to target Congress-PDP coalition Government in the Assembly session.

The Opposition parties have already been handed over a major issue by the Government itself by going in for shorter 21 days budget session. "This itself is an indication that the ruling dispensation is not in a position to face the Opposition", Leader of Opposition and NC MLA Abdul Rahim Rather said.

Mr Rather, Panthers Party leader, Harshdev Singh and CPM leader Mohd Yusuf Tarigami have already made their intentions clear that they will strongly support extension of the session in Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting of the Assembly, scheduled to be held on January 7 afternoon.

Clearly, the Opposition parties were all set to raise "election related issues" in the Assembly this time with 2008 being the election year.

"Political corruption is on rise. There are many complaints against Ministers and MLAs before Accountability Commission and other anti-corruption bodies but no action is being taken against the ruling political leaders. Irregularities worth crores have been reported in Forest Department by a Government appointed committee but the Minister has gone scot free. The Chief Minister’s slogan of ‘war against corruption’ has become hollow", Mr Rather said.

Massive increase in prices of essential commodities and unemployment are two vital issues on which no attention is being paid by the Government, the Leader of Opposition said, adding that unemployment has assumed alarming proportions. The PDP’s election promise of one job in one family was no where near implementation, he pointed out.

Sanction of degree colleges "purely on political considerations" and without raising any infrastructure and worst condition of water and power supply even in the two capital cities but to speak of rural areas will dominate the budget session, Mr Rather said, adding human rights violations, of course, will remain a major issue.

"The Government failure to remove regional imbalances, as promised in Common Minimum Programme, will be taken up vigorously in the budget session as this was last year of the Government", Panthers Party leader Harshdev Singh said. Delimitation Commission is no where to be seen, Wazir Commission was implemented to appease a particular region, much publicised slogans of work culture and anti-corruption drive are clearly reflected in transfer industry with daily issuance of transfer lists of engineers, he alleged.

Mr Singh said the issue of unemployment will be taken up forcefully in the Assembly as the Government has created an army of unemployed educated youths but failed to formulate any policy to absorb them. "We will have to corner the Government on this front and force them to widen the scope of employment", he added.

CPM leader, Mohd Yusuf Tarigami was too not in a mood to spare the Government on the issue of unemployment. The Government will have to go for a major initiative to tackle the menace of unemployment. "We will suggest some measures in the Assembly but it is the Government which have to act on them", he observed.

"Planning and Finance Departments were releasing funds in their own whims and fancies. There is no set norm and funds are being released on political considerations", Mr Tarigami regretted saying this would also be a major issue in the Assembly session. He was also critical of the Government for failing to take action against "influential persons" involved in corruption.

Independent MLA from Bishnah, Ashwani Sharma said the problems of West Pakistan and PoK refugees, who were denied of all basis facilities, will remain his priority area. Despite several assurances and convening meeting, the Government has done nothing for refugees. he added.

BJP MLA Jugal Kishore said the coalition Government has failed on all fronts and there is no dearth of issues to corner the Government. "Be it development or political power, the Government has always discriminated with Jammu region and we are not going to tolerate this", he added.

Meanwhile, Congress leader, Prem Sagar Aziz, who had resigned as Minister the other day and was tipped to be chief whip of the party in Assembly, said the Government has done extra ordinary development in all parts of the State, restored work culture, reduced violence and human rights violations and largely checked corruption. The Government was also formulating a policy to tackle employment, he said, adding the Opposition has no issues and was making issues out of nothing.

Minimum temperature dips to minus 7.4
Coldest night in two decades

SRINAGAR, Jan 2: People in Kashmir valley woke up to the coldest morning of the season in more than two decades with the minimum temperature dipping to minus 7.4 degree celsius.

Major parts of the Dal lake and hundreds of other ponds besides tapes, water motors and drains were frozen.

We are expecting a change in next three-four days as Western Disturbances (WD) originating in Arabian sea are expected to touch the region, Deputy Director Met office P K Jotshi said.

He said the minimum temperature was minus 7.4 degree celsius, coldest of the season so far against minus 7.2 degree celsius recorded on December 31 morning.

Mr Jotshi said in 1986 the minimum was recorded minus 7.9 degrees when the Dal lake was totally frozen and people were playing cricket and ice hockey on its surface. However, in 1998 the minimum dipped to minus 7.5 degrees.

The lowest minimum temperature of minus 12.8 degrees was recorded on December 13, 1964 when water in the Dal lake was totally frozen and a vehicle crossed the waterbody from one end to another.

Mr Jotshi said the WD have still not touched Jammu and Kashmir because of which the sky remained clear, resulting in further drop in the minimum temperature.

We are expecting WD to touch the region through Afghanistan and Pakistan in next three-four days, he said, adding this will ease the cold wave conditions.

Meanwhile, major parts of the Dal lake were again frozen this morning.

A UNI correspondent who visited the water body this morning saw Shikarawalas breaking the frozen surface to make way for shikara (boat).

Official sources said hundreds of ponds and other water bodies besides tapes, water motors and drains were also frozen because of severe cold wave conditions.

Dry weather has resulted in considerable drop in the water level in the river Jehlum and Sindh and their tributaries in the Valley.

The experts say the dry weather has also badly affected the vegetables and other crops besides fruit trees.

They have asked the farmers to water their vegetable crops and flowers.

The power generation in local hydel projects has also dropped considerably because of drop in the water level in rivers.

Besides scheduled power curtailment twice in a week in non-metered areas, people alleged they are facing unscheduled and frequent power cuts daily.

The State is importing power from different States to meet the local requirement during peak hours. (UNI)

14 new colleges to be fully functional by Aug

By Mohinder Verma

JAMMU, Jan 2: For thousands of students, getting higher education in the crammed rooms would be a thing of past as 14 new degree colleges in the State will become fully functional by August this year.

These colleges were among 18 sanctioned under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction, Ministry of Human Resource Development and University Grants Commission Plans in 2005. The work on remaining four colleges could not be initiated so far because of certain formalities.

Sources said that though these colleges started functioning in Industrial Training Institutes, Higher Secondary Schools and private buildings within months of their sanctioning yet in the absence of proper infrastructure the quality education was not being provided to the enrolled students.

"It’s because of the lack of infrastructure that only Arts subjects were offered by these colleges and classes were being run in crammed two or three rooms of the ITIs, Higher Secondary Schools and private accommodation", the sources further said, adding "these factors kept many students aspiring to pursue higher studies in other subjects particularly Science, out of these colleges, so far".

But the 14 new colleges would become fully functional by next academic session—from August, 2008 when their buildings would be completed, the sources disclosed and said that it would be only after the completion of required infrastructure that these colleges would offer other subjects to the students.

"At present there are about 10,000 students enrolled in these colleges that too of Arts subjects only but with the coming up of their basic infrastructure the number would go up considerably", the sources said.

As there would be huge requirement of Lecturers to teach different subjects in these colleges in order to make them functional in real manner, the Higher Education Department had referred 828 posts of Lecturers to the Public Service Commission (PSC) and 330 posts have already been filled up by the PSC, the sources disclosed.

"Only 123 posts of Lecturers are required to be filled-up by the PSC and the process for the same has already been initiated", a senior officer of the PSC said, adding "remaining 375 posts could not be filled up for want of candidates who fulfill the laid down criteria and qualification norms. Of these posts, 298 are of in-service quota and 77 of different categories and the same would be filled-up once the candidates are available".

When contacted, Director Colleges N D Wani said that construction work ranging between 70 to 90 per cent for all the 14 colleges has been completed so far and remaining work would be completed by August 2008 to make them fully functional by then.

"By that time, the Public Service Commission would also complete the selection process for the remaining Lecturers to meet the teaching requirement of all the subjects", he added.

Petrol prices to go up by Rs 4

NEW DELHI, Jan 2: Government is considering an increase of Rs 4 and 2 a litre in petrol and diesel prices respectively to moderate the impact of high international crude oil prices on state-run oil firms.

The Group of Ministers of fuel headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to meet later this month. This will be followed by a meeting of the Cabinet and a hike is likely in first week of February.

"The GoM on food is meeting on January 8. The GoM on fuel is likely to meet very soon after that," Petroleum Secretary M S Srinivasan told reporters here.

He said a moderate increase in fuel prices was likely, but refused to speculate on the quantum of increase. The GoM has not met even once since its constitution in November.

Sources close to the Congress party, which is heading the UPA coalition Government, said a hike of Rs 4 in petrol and Rs 2 in diesel was being considered.

Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum are projected to lose Rs 69,753 crore on sale of petrol, diesel, domestic LPG and PDS kerosene as Government has not allowed them to raise prices in line with the price of imported crude.

Petrol is being sold at a loss of Rs 8.74 a litre, diesel at Rs 9.92 per litre, kerosene Rs 20.53 a litre and LPG at a loss of Rs 256.35 per cylinder.

The current price of Indian basket of crude oil is higher by around 22-23 dollars a barrel over the international price prevailing at the time of last increase in petrol and diesel prices on June 6, 2006, officials said.(PTI)

India watching Pak developments: Antony

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Jan 2: India was keenly watching the developments in Pakistan in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination with concern and hope that normalcy is restored in that country at the earliest, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

"We have nothing to say about the internal matters of Pakistan at a time when many a problem with them were being resolved through talks," Antony said on the sidelines of a book release function here.

Violence anywhere would be put down with a strong hand, he said.

On a question regarding the difficulties faced by tribals in naxal-affected areas, Antony said steps had been taken to solve their problems and the issue was discussed at the meeting of Chief Ministers convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently.

Replying to a question, he said there was no Maoist threat in Kerala.

Stringent measures would be taken to punish those involved in corrupt activities in the defence force, Antony said. (PTI)

Scotland Yard to assist Bhutto probe

ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: After flip-flops on what and who killed Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf tonight said Britain’s elite Scotland yard will assist in the investigations into her assassination.

A team of the ace British investigating agency will be arriving here shortly to help in the local investigation, he said in a televised address to the nation.

"I am grateful to (British) Prime Minister Gordon Brown. When I put up this request, he agreed," Musharraf said in his first public comments after questions were raised over the Government’s version of Bhutto’s assassination.

"We hope this inquiry will help in removing all doubts and suspicions," he added.

The announcement came amidst serious doubts raised over the Pakistan Government’s changing versions, including one that said Bhutto died not due to bullet wounds but from the injury caused by a metal lever of her vehicle’s sun roof when she fell ducking a suicide bomber attack.

In the wake of a raging controversy over Government’s claim, the Interior Ministry yesterday apologised for the version and later made a u-turn saying the regret was only for certain words used by Ministry spokesperson.

Musharraf said postponement of the January 8 general elections to February 18 was "unavoidable".

"The postponement was unavoidable and the decision taken by the Election Commission is correct," he said.

Musharraf said he wanted the elections to be held as per schedule but it had become "impossible" because of the severe damage suffered by the Election Commission machinery, particularly in Sindh province, in the violence following Bhutto’s assassination on December 27.

He said army and Pakistan rangers deployed in Sindh province to deal with law and order situation would stay till the elections and even beyond.

Musharraf said he was determined to have "free, fair and peaceful" elections.

The Commission had today deferred the Parliamentary polls by 41 days rejecting the demand of main Opposition parties including that of slain Bhutto not to postpone the exercise.

Musharraf expressed confidence that after the elections, the country would get a "transparent and democratic" Government.

In his address, the Pakistan President called for a political reconciliation in the wake of the Bhutto’s assassination. "This is the time for reconciliation and not for confrontation," he said.

"The nation has experienced a great tragedy. Benazir Bhutto has died in the hands of terrorists. I pray to god almighty to put the eternal soul of Benazir at peace," Musharraf said.

He said Bhutto’s mission was to promote democracy and to struggle against terrorism. "I want to assure you that this is my mission too. I want to promote democracy and eliminate terrorism," he said in remarks aimed at reaching out to Bhutto’s Pakistan People's Party (PPP).(PTI)

3 injured in Bandipore blast

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Jan 2: Three persons, including a BSF soldier, sustained injuries when suspected militants threw a hand grenade at Bandipore in north Kashmir today.

Informed sources said that a suspected militant lobbed a hand grenade on an armoured vehicle of Border Security Force (BSF) at Gulshan Chowk in Bandipore town at 1500 hours today. It exploded close to the intended target, causing injuries to three pedestrians as also a BSF official. They were identified as Mohammad Iqbal S/o Jan Mohammad R/o Tragpora, Baramulla, Mohammad Maqbool Tantray S/o Ghulam Qadir Tantray R/o Kralpora, Bandipore, and Constable Rakesh Kumar of 122 Bn BSF. Sources said that business and movement of traffic remained disrupted for about an hour.

Army has, meanwhile, claimed to have apprehended two "overground workers" from different parts of the Valley and recovered grenades from them. Official sources said that in a joint operation with SOG, Sumbal, troops of 13 Rashtriya Rifles launched an operation and apprehended one overground worker. Individual was identified Abdul Hamid Ganai S/o Rahim Ganai R/o Lone Mohalla, Ajas. An official spokesman described Ganai as an "overground worker of LeT" and a close associate of the militant Assadullah Parrey who managed to escape from Vijipura on Dec 7th last.

In another operation, troops of 32 Rashtriya Rifles claimed to have apprehended an individual from Tragpora, district Baramulla. He was identified as Nizar Ahmed Parrey Nana S/o Gulam Ahmed Parrey R/o Tragpora. Sources said that Nisar Ahmed Parrey was tasked by SDC Al-Badr, Rafiabad to eliminate sources of and to target SF convoys. Two Under Barrel Grenade Launcher grenades were also recovered from his possession.

Fire broke out in the Brigade Headquarter of Army at Trehgam Kupwara in which a single storied wooden barrack was completely gutted. Fire also broke out at Sumbal, causing partial damaged to the house of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat.

Drass, Kargil people shiver

KARGIL, Jan 2: People in Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, are facing bitting cold after the maximum fell to minus two degree celsius and minimum minus 16.5 degrees.

Meanwhile, the divisional authorities have decided to close the 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway again because of slippery conditions between Gumri and Sonamarg.

Official sources said cold wave conditions prevailed in Drass in Ladakh region after the maximum dipped to minus two degrees.

The night also remained cold with a minimum of minus 16.4 degrees temperature this morning. Major ponds and other water bodies had already frozen and authorities have stopped supplying water through taps. However, water was being supplied through water tankers.

The nearby Kargil recorded a minimum of minus 14.5 degrees while the day was a bit warm with 2.5 degree temperature.

Because of no snowfall, almost all roads to far flung and remote areas, which normally remained closed during winter months, were still open.

The 434-km-long Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which was closed as per schedule for six winter months on November 15 last year, was put through to traffic again in the second week of December following no snowfall. It was decided to allow trucks, carrying essential commodities to ply on the highway till there is snowfall.

However, yesterday the divisional authorities decided to close the highway till further orders, as the road strip from Gumri to Sonamarg was slippery.

The dew on the road had freezed and an ice sheet has formed on the road surface because of minus temperature.

The authorities said it will be risky to allow traffic on the road.(UNI)