Srinagar, Mar 20 : A drama festival aimed at boosting theatre and projecting Kashmir as a safe place to visit kicked off in Srinagar.

Organised by the Academy of Art, Culture and Language, the week-long festival entertain theatre enthusiasts through different plays in Kashmiri and other languages.

A number of theatre artistes from different parts of the country have gathered here for the festival.

The organisers believe that the festival would boost theatre culture in the region.

Srinagar, Mar 20 : In order to gain market at a large scale, artisans of willow wicker in Jammu and Kashmir have brought some new and innovative changes to the old designs.

Wicker is used for making baskets, boxes, lamp-shades, curtain rings, trays, chairs and tables. The cultivation of wicker willow is the monopoly of the state

"They (artisans) have brought some new changes and created beautiful designs, which is an eye-catcher. People are attracted towards these new changes, which they have made in the designs," said Arif Hussain, a shopkeeper.

Srinagar-Leh highway, Mar20 : Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officials are toiling hard to reopen the Leh- Srinagar highway in Kashmir, which remains snow-blocked for six months.

"Leh remains cut-off from Kashmir for six months. We want to open the highway as soon as possible so that Leh and Kashmir could stay connected," said Abdul Rasheed, a BRO worker.

The work which had started on March 9 is expected to be over within a month.

The highway linking Srinagar with Ladakh region, passes through Zojila, one of the highest mountain passes of the world.

New Delhi, Mar 20 : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday released the names of candidates for two Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir.

Advocate Leela Karan Sharma will be BJP’s candidate for the Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat while the former State BJP Chief Dr. Nirmal Singh will try his luck from the Udhampur-Doda seat.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers’ Party has announced the name of Professor Bhim Singh as its candidate from the Udhampur parliamentary constituency.

New Delhi, Mar 19 : The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday directed the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to hand over their men who were involved in the killing a civilian mistaking him to be a militant.

The government has asked the police to register a case of murder against all those involved in the incident.

Earlier in the day, the CRPF had suspended one Assistant Commandant and three personnel in connection with the incident.

Jammu/New Delhi, Mar 19 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has said security forces are ready to ensure peaceful polls in Jammu and Kashmir.