Srinagar, Dec 15, KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday terminated the services of 103 appointees in the Fire and Emergency Services Department after an official enquiry and Anti-Corruption Bureau investigation established that their recruitment was illegal and fraudulently manipulated.

According to Government Order No. 608-Home of 2025, issued by the Home Department, the appointments made during the 2020 recruitment process for Firemen and Fireman Drivers were declared illegal, void ab initio, and cancelled with immediate effect .

The action follows the findings of an Enquiry Committee constituted in December 2022, which examined allegations of serious irregularities in the selection process. The committee recommended a criminal investigation after detecting evidence of paper leakage, manipulation of results, and tampering with official records.

Subsequent investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Jammu and Kashmir, led to the registration of FIR No. 01/2025 on January 2, 2025. The ACB, in its verification and investigation reports, confirmed large-scale tampering of OMR answer sheets, fabrication of scanned answer images, manipulation of merit lists, and alteration of digital evidence. The probe established that at least 106 candidates were awarded marks far in excess of what they had actually secured.

The government order as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust notes that the appointments were secured through criminal conspiracy and fraudulent means, rendering them legally unsustainable. It further states that constitutional protections under Article 311 are not applicable in cases where appointments are illegal from inception, citing multiple judgments of the Supreme Court and the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Of the 106 candidates identified as illegally selected, appointments of three individuals had already been cancelled earlier by the Fire and Emergency Services Directorate for failing to meet mandatory appointment formalities. The remaining 103 were terminated through the present order.

The government held that continuation of such appointments would perpetuate illegality, undermine public trust, and compromise the sanctity of the recruitment process. All terminated individuals have been directed to cease association with the department from the date of issuance of the order.

The list of terminated appointees, includes candidates from multiple districts across Kashmir and Jammu divisions. The order has been issued with the approval of the Lieutenant Governor and signed by the Principal Secretary to the Government, Home Department. [KNT]

Srinagar, Dec 13, KNT: District administration on Saturday demolished three illegal brick kilns operating in the Nowbugh area of Chadoora in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, officials said.

The action was taken after it was found that the brick kilns were functioning without mandatory permissions and in violation of prescribed regulatory and environmental norms. Officials said all legal verifications and due formalities were completed before proceeding with the demolition.

According to the authorities, the demolition drive was aimed at curbing unauthorized industrial activity, preventing environmental degradation, protecting fertile agricultural land, and safeguarding public health. Illegal brick kilns, officials noted, contribute to air pollution and cause long-term damage to soil quality.

The operation was carried out in a transparent manner in the presence of concerned officials. Locals of the area welcomed the move, stating that such kilns often lead to severe pollution, adversely affect crops, and pose health risks, particularly to children and the elderly.

The administration reiterated that strict action will continue against all unauthorized structures and industrial units operating in violation of law. Officials also issued a clear warning to violators, urging them to remove illegal structures on their own or face similar enforcement measures.

The district administration reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law, maintaining ecological balance, and protecting public interest across the region. [KNT]

Srinagar, Dec 13, KDC: The Lieutenant Governor–led Jammu and Kashmir administration has notified the official holiday calendar for the year 2026, once again omitting July 13 (Martyrs’ Day) and December 5 (birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah), keeping alive a politically sensitive issue that has repeatedly strained relations between the elected government and the Lok Bhavan.

The holiday list was issued by the General Administration Department through Government Order No. 1894-JK(GAD) of 2025, dated December 12, and covers holidays to be observed in government offices and educational institutions across Jammu and Kashmir during 2026 . According to Kashmir Dot Com, while the calendar includes national holidays, religious festivals, Accession Day and the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the continued exclusion of July 13 and Sheikh Abdullah’s birthday marks a continuation of the policy followed since August 2019.

Both dates were earlier observed as gazetted holidays in the erstwhile state. July 13 commemorates the killing of 22 Kashmiris during protests outside Srinagar Central Jail in 1931, an event long regarded as a defining moment in Kashmir’s political history. December 5 marks the birth anniversary of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, founder of the National Conference and the region’s first Prime Minister. These holidays were removed from the official calendar after the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir into a Union Territory.

The issue resurfaced sharply earlier this year on July 13, 2025, when Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, along with cabinet ministers, MLAs and party leaders, attempted to visit the Martyrs’ Graveyard at Naqshband Sahib in Srinagar to pay tributes. The administration sealed the graveyard and stopped the CM’s convoy, citing security considerations. The incident triggered a political storm, with Omar Abdullah describing it as unprecedented for an elected government to be prevented from marking a historically observed day.

The following day, July 14, the Chief Minister reiterated that Martyrs’ Day was not merely a matter of a holiday but one of historical memory and democratic tradition. Political parties, particularly the National Conference, accused the administration of attempting to erase Kashmir’s political past through administrative decisions, while the LG administration maintained that decisions on holidays were taken within the existing legal and security framework.

After assuming office, the CM-led J&K government formally sent a proposal to the Lieutenant Governor and the Ministry of Home Affairs, seeking the restoration of both July 13 as Martyrs’ Day and December 5 as Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary in the official holiday calendar. The proposal, according to ruling party, argued for preserving historical continuity and public sentiment, but it has not been approved so far.

The issuance of the 2026 holiday calendar without any change indicates that the LG administration has chosen to maintain the status quo. (KDC)

Srinagar, Dec 13, KNT: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed strong displeasure over persistent criticism surrounding electricity bills, smart meters and power supply, asserting that the real cause of system failures lies in underreporting of actual power consumption and widespread misuse of electricity.

Addressing a press conference at the ski resort Gulmarg, where he inaugurated several development projects, the Chief Minister said the power infrastructure was being overstretched due to dishonest disclosure of electricity load by consumers.

“When agreements are made, people show a requirement of four bulbs, but after that, they start using ten heaters. Naturally, the system will collapse,” Omar Abdullah said, visibly angry while responding to questions on the power situation.

He stressed that the government was not opposed to supplying electricity according to demand, but said transparency was essential. “Reveal your load honestly. Based on that, we will install transformers, and those transformers will not get damaged,” he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that transformer failures and frequent outages were largely absent in areas where smart meters had been installed. “Overloading on transformers is not happening where meters are in place. System failure is clearly visible in areas where agreements are made on false load declarations,” he added.

Omar Abdullah also flagged serious financial implications, stating that the power department was operating under heavy losses. “We are unable to supply as much electricity as people need because we do not get the revenue for the electricity that is actually being consumed. We are running at a loss,” he said.

He maintained that smart metering was aimed at stabilising the power system, ensuring fair billing, and improving supply rather than harassing consumers. The Chief Minister reiterated that without realistic load assessment and revenue recovery, sustaining an uninterrupted power supply during harsh winters would remain a challenge. [KNT]

Budgam, Dec 11, KDC: In a major crackdown on illegal polythene trade, a joint team of the District Pollution Control Office Budgam and Budgam Police on Thursday evening carried out a raid, seizing 15 tonnes of banned polythene at the Budgam Railway Station.

A senior official told news agency Kashmir Dot Com that the consignment had arrived from New Delhi via a train and was meant for supply in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley.

Confirming the seizure, the official said that a docket is being prepared with the Railway Police, and further necessary legal action will follow.

They added that the operation was conducted based on special inputs, as part of an intensified drive against the distribution of prohibited polythene material across Kashmir. (KDC)