Govt to revive Tulbul project as IWT suspended
After putting the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan in abeyance following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the Central government is going to revive the Tulbul navigation project on the Wular Lake in J&K, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced in Srinagar.
“Earlier, whenever work on new power projects had to be taken up, India had to consult Pakistan due to IWT. Without their consent, we could not have carried out the work,” he said.
The Tulbul project, conceived in 1981, could not materialise because Pakistan objected to its construction. The minister added, “Since the IWT has been put in abeyance, we don’t need Pak’s consent anymore.”
‘How long will J&K remain without AG?’
As differences between J&K L-G Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah persist, the post of Accountant General (AG) in the union territory remains vacant. While hearing a case recently, J&K High Court judge Justice Rahul Bharti took a serious view of the issue. “An important question of law is also incidentally confronted in this writ petition — for how long can J&K and Ladakh go without an Advocate General in office?” the judge observed, adding that there is a scope for the court to intervene by asking the UT government to apprise it about the matter. The post of Advocate General in J&K has been lying vacant since October last year.
Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat train a big hit
The Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, recently flagged off by PM Narendra Modi, is a hit among tourists. Within six days of the launch, over 30,000 people have used the train service. According to officials, all seats of the Srinagar-bound trains are sold out for the next 15 days. And why not? It offers passengers a ride through some of India’s most iconic gems of rail infrastructure, including the world’s tallest railway bridge — the Chenab. Though there is currently no direct rail link between Srinagar and Delhi, passengers can travel to Katra and board long-distance trains connecting to major cities across the country.
Fayaz wani
Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir
fayazwani123@gmail.com