The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq on Saturday urged the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, to submit the pending report on the regularisation of daily wagers and casual workers before October 31, saying the delay was preventing the government from fulfilling its promise to thousands of workers.

Speaking to reporters, Sadiq said the government had sought a report on the issue within six months, but it had not yet been submitted.

He appealed to the Chief Secretary to ensure that the regularisation file reaches Chief Minister Omar Abdullah before the end of the month to facilitate further action.

“You are a son of the soil. If you want to do something for your people, this is an opportunity. Send the regularisation file to the Chief Minister before October 31 so that we can fulfil the promise we made,” Sadiq said.

He said several daily wagers and casual workers had met him earlier in the day and expressed concern over the continued delay in their regularisation.

Sadiq said the workers had been waiting for a decision despite repeated assurances and that the pending report was holding up the process.

“We had asked for a report within six months, but it has not been submitted yet. Now is the time to submit it before October 31,” he said.

Referring to the recent change in the office of the Chief Secretary, Sadiq said the new appointment provided an opportunity to move the long-pending issue forward.

He urged the administration to recognise the difficulties faced by workers awaiting regularisation and warned that continued inaction could lead to protests.

“History will remember what you have done for your people,” he said.

“If these poor workers are forced to come onto the roads tomorrow, the responsibility will lie with those who failed to submit the report,” Sadiq added.

He reiterated that the government remained committed to fulfilling its promise but said the report must first be submitted to the chief minister to enable further action.

SRINAGAR — Jammu and Kashmir may face a power deficit as early as November, despite an allocation of 329 megawatts (MW) from the central share for December 2026 and January-February 2027, officials told the news agency KNO.

Top officials said the Ministry of Power (MoP) had allocated the power for the three winter months, while warning that November 2026 and March 2027 could pose supply challenges.

“We may face the power deficit challenge for the months of November 2026 and March 2027,” an official said.

The official said Jammu and Kashmir typically faces a power shortage of 800–1,000 MW during peak winter, which is met through centrally allocated power and purchases from power exchanges.

At present, the Union Territory's power demand stands at around 2,100–2,200 MW, the official said, adding that it rises to nearly 2,900 MW during peak winter.

The Ministry of Power has also allocated more than 870 MW of power for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from the unallocated quota of Central Generating Stations (CGSs) in the northern region. However, officials said the actual supply received from the allocation was around 600 MW, depending on the Plant Load Factor (PLF).

According to official documents accessed by KNO, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh may receive 655 MW of unallocated power from northern-region utilities between November 1 and 30, 2026, subject to modification.

The documents indicate that the allocation could increase to 845 MW for December 2026 and January 2027, before declining to 655 MW for February 2027.

The allocations are subject to revision, the documents stated.

The potential shortage comes amid concerns that Jammu and Kashmir could face a repeat of last winter's power crisis, when demand in the region's control area reached around 3,200 MW during early morning and night hours as heating requirements increased.

Official documents warned that demand this winter could be similar to or higher than last year's peak, while hydropower generation was likely to remain low.

“Demand is expected to be similar or higher this winter, and hydro generation is likely to be lean again, so the same conditions are likely to return unless action is taken in advance,” the documents stated.

PULWAMA — Pulwama Police have seized 20 dumpers and tippers, along with an L&T excavator, during a raid against alleged illegal soil extraction in the Rahmoo belt of south Kashmir district, officials said on Friday.

The raid was conducted in the early hours at Gusoo to check unauthorised soil extraction, they said.

According to officials, the seized machinery was allegedly being used for illegal soil extraction in violation of permitted conditions.

A police officer said the action reflected Pulwama Police’s efforts to curb illegal mining and prevent the unauthorised extraction of natural resources.

The officer said the operation was expected to reinforce compliance with mining regulations and deter violations in the area.