All About Kashmir

Youm-e-Ashura: LG Sinha Attends Zuljanah Procession in Sgr, Distributes Water to Mourners

Top officials, including IGP Kashmir, SSP Sgr, DC Sgr, among others attend

Srinagar, July 6: On the solemn occasion of Youm-e-Ashura (10th Muharram), Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday morning attended the Zuljanah procession at Botakadal, Srinagar.

Details available Stated that LG Manoj Sinha distributed refreshments and water among the mourners.

It said top officials including IGP Kashmir V.K. Birdi, SSP Srinagar, and other senior police officers were present at Botakadal, Srinagar to oversee the preparations for Youm-e-Ashura.

Meanwhile, the Lieutenant Governor also joined the procession by distributing water among mourners and offering a chaddar (sacred cloth) to Zuljanah before the beginning of this year’s procession.

Moreover, processions across the Valley are being held to mark the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) in the battle of Karbala. Addationally, the administration has appealed for strict adherence to peaceful conduct and public cooperation to maintain the sanctity of the occasion.(JKNS)

*Government Reduces Toll Charges By Up To 50% On National Highways With Bridges, Tunnels*

The government has reduced the toll rates up to 50 per cent for the sections of National Highways that have structures like tunnels, bridges, flyovers or elevated stretches, a move which will lower travelling cost for motorists.

User charges at fee plazas on National Highways are collected as per NH Fee Rules, 2008.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has made amendment to 2008 rules and notified a new method or formula for calculating toll charges.

“The rate of fee for use of a section of national highway comprising of structure or structures shall be calculated by adding ten times the length of structure or structures to the length of the section of national highway excluding the length of structure or structures, or five times the total length of section of national highway, whichever is lesser,” said the notification dated July 2, 2025.

‘Structure’ means an independent bridge, tunnel or flyover or elevated highway.
To explain the new toll charges, the ministry has cited examples.

In one of the examples, it said that if a section of a national highway has a total length of 40 kilometers, comprising of structure alone, the minimum length shall be computed: ’10 x 40 (ten times length of structure) = 400 kilometers or five times the total length of section of a national highway = 5 x 40 = 200 kilometers’.
“User fee shall be calculated on the lesser length i.e. for 200 kilometers” and not 400 kilometers. In this case the user charge is only on half (50 per cent) of the road length.

According the extant rules, users pay ten times the regular toll for every kilometre of structure on national highways.
A senior official of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) said the existing toll calculation method was meant to offset higher construction cost associated with such infrastructure.

The revised notfication issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways reduces the toll rate for stretches such as flyovers, underpasses and tunnels up to 50 per cent, the official said. (Agencies)

*Extend Summer Vacation By at Least Two Weeks: KCC&I to Govt*

The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I) has urged the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, and Education Minister Sakina Itoo to extend the ongoing summer vacation in schools by at least two more weeks, in view of the severe and unprecedented heatwave affecting the Kashmir Valley.

Raising concern over the extreme weather conditions, KCCI said that the safety and health of students must be the topmost priority. The Chamber pointed out that the majority of educational institutions in the region are not adequately equipped to deal with such high temperatures. Many schools, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas, lack proper ventilation, cooling mechanisms, or heat-mitigation infrastructure, making it extremely difficult for students and staff to function safely.

The current summer vacation, scheduled to end on July 7, should be extended further to allow children to remain indoors during this unusually hot period. KCCI believes that reopening schools under the prevailing weather conditions would expose children to unnecessary health risks.

To minimise academic loss during the extended break, the Chamber has recommended that the government initiate online classes and ensure that students remain engaged through digital learning platforms. Such an approach, KCCI stated, would strike a balance between safety and academic continuity.

The Chamber appealed to the Chief Minister and Education Minister to take swift action and issue necessary directions in this regard.

Permission For Procession In 10 Muharram.