Hotel owners demand beautification of Katra

Jammu: Hotel and restaurant owners of Katra town have demanded beautification of the town to attract more pilgrims to the area. Katra is the base camp of the Vaishno Devi shrine in Trikuta hills of Reasi district. A delegation of Hotel and Restaurant Association, Katra, urged the Chief Secretary that a concrete plan with regard to Katra be made so that the area is developed as a beautiful city on the pattern of smart cities with underground wiring, street lights, tiles, parks, sign boards, railings among others. —OC

Back to village programme to be held from Nov 7-16

Jammu: The J&K Chief Secretary on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting of senior functionaries of the administration to review preparations for ‘Fifth Phase of Back to Village (B2V5)’ which is a public outreach, participation and feedback programme. It was announced that the B2V5 shall be conducted from November 7 to November 16. During the programme, concerned officers shall visit their respective panchayats and interact with the public and undertake review of previous and current year deliverables, preparation of next year gram panchayat development programmes. —OC

Minister inaugurates mobile eye clinic ambulance

Jammu: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday inaugurated the free mobile eye clinic ambulance in Reasi district. “The ambulance represents a significant step forward in healthcare accessibility, offering comprehensive eye examinations, consultations, and treatment to individuals across the Reasi. This initiative aims to prevent, diagnose, and manage eye conditions, ultimately contributing to improved vision and a better quality of life for all,” he said.—OC

9-foot python caught on Central University campus

Samba/Jammu: A nine-foot python ventured into the Central University complex in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district before it was captured and later released into its natural habitat, officials said on Sunday. The python was spotted by a security guard on the campus three days ago and was subsequently captured with the help of experts, the officials said. They said the reptile was later released in a nearby forest. —PTI

Round-the-clock repair of roads begins in Doda

Jammu: The Doda district administration has started round-the clock work for repair of internal roads, including a 200 metre patch of Bharat Road and the internal roads of Government Medical College, Doda. The work was started on directions of Deputy Commissioner Harvinder Singh. The project comes under the revised town and city plan for the year 2023-24 and will be carried out at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.