The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Centre have signed an agreement for a $110-million loan to improve urban services, including water supply, in Jammu and Srinagar.

As the Central government has announced a Rs 334-crore package for the quake-hit areas of Doda and Kishtwar districts, the state government is yet to submit the assessment report of the actual loss to the Centre.

The Rs-334 crore package will cover all affected families whose houses have been completely, severely or partially damaged. The Doda and Kishtwar administrations are on the job to prepare the report of loss caused by the May 1 quake which was followed by nine moderate-intensity tremors.

50 cases detected in state in past few years, patients put on high-level medication

More than 50 multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases have been detected in the state in the past few years and the patients have been put on high-level medication. Though the state has a full-fledged anti-TB wing which has in recent years curbed the mortality rate among patients, the new strain has caught the health workers by surprise and could adversely affect the success of schemes implemented to eradicate the disease.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today ordered the formulation of a comprehensive tourism-development policy which would govern and guide the growth of tourism in the region. The Chief Minister ordered the formulation of the policy while chairing a meeting of the State Tourism Advisory Committee here.

Omar said the comprehensive policy would govern and guide the growth of tourism and take necessary care for protecting and conserving the environment of the state. He said the policy should be formulated while taking all stakeholders on board.

SRINAGAR: Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma has called upon the Engineers to formulate durable water supply schemes after certifying the source of water so that thes

Given the policy paralysis at the highest level of the government, which has failed to provide necessary funds for infrastructure upgrade, nearly 50 lakh people in the Jammu region may face a major

Execution of six mini hydel power projects is expected to complete by the end of 2014, while work allotment for the other four has been completed after the tendering procedure.

Kashmir valley to be promoted as golfing destination

CEC LAHDC Rigzin Spalbar today convened a meeting to review the implementation and progress of hydro and solar power plants undertaken by LREDA. The meeting was attended by all the ECs, Councilors, Jigmet Takpa, Project Director, LREDA and team of engineers of LREDA.

Takpa gave a presentation of the total projects in hand and detailed report on accomplished and ongoing works of LREDA. He informed that out of 22 hydro power plant projects, 10 projects are under execution with the deadline of ending 2014 and out of 125 solar power plant projects 92 are completed and the remaining will be completed by end of this year.

Expressing concern over the growing problem of vitamin-D deficiency across the globe, the second international conference on “Vitamin-D deficiency and its health consequences”, held recently in Abu Dhabi, has stressed on creating awareness and education among the masses, especially women, to control this global pandemic.

The prime objective of the conference was to identify the reasons of vitamin-D deficiency in the UAE, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the world; discuss issues related to laboratory measurement of vitamin, deliberate on consequences of vitamin D deficiency in bone and bone-related diseases like rickets, explain various biological roles of vitamin D in cancer, diabetes and depression and current clinical practice guidelines and their relevance.