SKICC
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Dr Raghuram Rajan was in Srinagar for three days. Accompanied by CMDs of SBI, PNB, Canara Bank and the HDFC Bank, he had detailed interactions with the Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed, Finance Minister Dr Haseeb A Drabu and interacted with the banking executives and the top officials of the state government. Rajan wanted banks to be slightly more innovative in J&K that is reviving after a decimating flood. But the man who is normally mandated with the regulation of the banking sector and the monetary policy of the country, made a slight change in his schedule, this time. He formally released the Kashmir Life Banking Survey 2015 at the special State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) meeting that reviewed the performance of the banking sector in the state.
DELHI
She tried many spheres of activism but eventually returned to campus for research and there she opted for politics. Shehla Rashid Shora, is perhaps the first Kashmiri girl to be elected Vice President in JNU student polls as a member of All India Students Federation. She says the rise of Parivaar was responsible for her joining the Left. Basically from Haba Kadal, Shora is NIT Srinagar trained computer engineer. She later graduated in political leadership from Bangalore’s Indian Institute of Management. She polled 1387 votes, the highest by a candidate this season, and was ahead of her rival ABVP’s Valentina Brahma by 234 votes. Finally she was sworn in as JNUSU VP amid shouts of Lal Salaam Sunday last.
CHHAMB
BJP’s doctor lawmaker from Chamb Krishan Lal was recently clicked crossing a rivulet on his Personal Security Officer (PSO) back. Water in the stream was shallow and Lal, who served the area earlier as a medical doctor is habitual of crossing it on his own. Instead of feeling embarrassed after the photograph went viral, Lal justified the symbiosis he enjoys with his PSO. He says it was the duty of his PSO to lift him physically from one bank to another! Interestingly, another lawmaker of the party fought with police as he wanted to drive into an upcoming tunnel in his own vehicle.
JAMMU
In a major virtual world crime solution, J&K police’s crimes’ investigation branch has arrested a 7-member gang that was stealing financial information about individuals and duping them. In this case Vijay Kumar Gupta, a Kathua resident complained that he submitted Rs 37 lakhs in an account and later realized that it was not his insurance company. They were calling him frequently information that his insurance policy is lapsing for want of premium. Police took the case seriously, visited Delhi and arrested the gang, recovered Rs 15 lakh and are expecting more.
SHAHEED GUNJ
Bizarre it is, but it is the new low of the interesting times. A police officer stopped states law secretary and took him to his police station. Mohammad Ashraf Mir was on his way to office when he was stopped. Police say they are duty-bound to prevent any trespass, including that of state police chief, if Chief Minister is moving. There was some argument and Mir was driven to hospital. In the immediate follow up, the cop was shifted out.
MALAYSIA
In an enigmatic incident, a Kashmiri living in Kuala Lumpur was arrested for slapping the second imam of Masjid Negara. He was in the second row during the Friday prayers but pushed way to the front, grabbed the microphone and slapped the Imam Mohd Zuhairee Mohd Yatim and took his place as the head of the congregation. Police said the 31-year old unidentified Kashmiri was delirious, talking to himself and claimed having heard voices asking him to lead the Friday prayers.
HABAKADAL
For the last more than a decade, the Kashmiri Pandits were seeking a law that will protect their temples in Kashmir, mostly remote-managed by a Hindu group based in Jammu. The law was drafted and introduced but never passed. NC, PDP, Congress – all promised them its passage but never did it. Now BJP MLC Surinder Ambardar wants to give it a push. For BJP and the Pandits that share an umbilical cord for last so many years, this is the real test. Let us see if Karan Singh weighs more for BJP or the Kashmiri Pandit community?
J&K State Financial Corporation that is tipped to become Asset Reconstruction Company and manage bad assets of the banking sector has recovered only Rs 18.92 crore in FY 2014-15 as compared to Rs 19.55 crore in FY 2013-14.
J&K’s IT ministry is seeking applications for new 1069 Common Service Centers (named Suhuliat). But what will happen to the 1100 Khidmat centers already in operation?
