13th Finance Commission in Jammu
KT NEWS SERVICE
JAMMU, Jul 3: 13th Finance Commission headed by its chairman Dr V L Kelkar today arrived in Jammu on a two-day visit to the province.
The chairman and the members of the Commission visited Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji Shrine Bhawan to pay obeisance. In the evening, the Commission visited Fish Aquarium Bagh-e-Bahu, Bagh-e-Bahu garden besides paying obeisance at Kali Mata temple.
Later in the evening Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand hosted dinner for the members of Commission.
Tomorrow the Commission, in order to view the prospects of promotion of border tourism in Jammu region, would visit the Octroi Post, Suchetgarh and Model Village Suchetgarh. Later the Commission would visit Mubarak Mandi complex to have an overview of Rs 120 Cr renovation project of this heritage complex. A visit to Amar Mahal Museum and Library (AMML), too, is part of itinerary of Commission.
The other visiting members of the Commission state included Dr BK Chaturvedi, Dr Indira Rajaram, Prof Atul Sharma and Dr Sanjeev Verma. Secretary Sumit Bose, Joint Secretary B S Bhullar and Economic Advisor Rathin Roy are also accompanying the Commission to assess the development challenges in the state.
Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr Pawan Kotwal, accompanied by the DIG Jammu Range, DDC Jammu and other senior officers of civil and police administration welcomed the visiting dignitaries at the technical airport.

Bad weather disrupts Amarnath Yatra
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, July 3: With higher reaches of the track to Shri Amarnath Cave shrine witnessing yet another spell of snowfall, the Yatra from Pahalgam remained suspended today while a batch of about 1,800 pilgrims by 8.30 a.m. was allowed to proceed towards the Amarnath Cave from the Baltal route.
According to a spokesperson of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), Wavbal, Mahagunas Top and Poshpathri on the traditional Chandanwari-Amarnath Cave track recorded a four-six inches snow fall since last night. The overall weather scenario in the entire Yatra region is cloudy skies with intermittent rains.
The SASB last evening organised an air rescue sortie to fly out a critically ailing Yatri, Saroj Sharma, 37, to the Baltal Base Hospital. After being given the preliminary treatment, Sharma was referred to Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, Srinagar, for specialised treatment. This was the fourth chartered rescue sortie organised by the SASB to save the lives of critically ill Yatris, notwithstanding the fact that the Board has been repeatedly emphasizing on the visiting pilgrims to abide by its advisories that no person who has any medical problem or ailing must not embark upon this arduous Himalayan Yatra, particularly in the wake of the continuing unpredictable weather. The ailing pilgrims have been requested, time and again, to avoid pilgrimage in their own interest.
The spokesperson said that 7,263 Yatris performed darshan at the Amarnath Cave Shrine on Thursday. Another batch of 1,726 Yatris also proceeded from Jammu to the Pahalgam and Baltal Base Camps early in the morning today.