Doda (J-K), Nov 10 : Secu

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir), Nov 8 : Security has been beefed up in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, ahead of the seven-phase polls beginning from November 17.

Soon after the announcement of the election dates, the Election Commission had said that there would be a massive deployment of security forces across the region during the polls.

Around 70 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed in Poonch District alone.

Pampore (J-K), Nov. 7 : Untimely rains have adversely affected saffron cultivation in the Pampore area of the Kashmir Valley this year.

The magnificently blue coloured saffron flowers are prized cash-crop of Kashmir. Being one of the world’s costliest spices, saffron is used both in cooking and for producing cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.

Authorities have imposed curfew in Srinagar to avoid proposed march by separatist groups to the Jamia Mosque in the old city.

"Curfew is in force throughout the city and no violations of the law would be allowed," a senior police officer said.

Educational institutions, business establishments and banks remained closed in the city after the prohibitory orders were clamped.

The separatist group led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq had earlier called for a march to grand mosque in the old city, but the authorities did not allow them to do so.

They were demanding for boycott of assembly polls scheduled to be held on December.

Srinagar, Nov 6 : Srinagar was placed under ''undeclared curfew'' ahead of a separatist march on Thursday.

According to reports, the undeclared curfew was imposed as a precautionary measure to prevent people from assembling at the historic Jamia Masjid after the separatist Co-ordination Committee called for a massive public march.

The public rally was meant to pay homage to those killed in violence in the valley over the years.

A former divisional commander of Hizbul-Mujahedin, Rayees Kachroo escaped from a court premises in Pulwama in south Kashmir on Tuesday.

He was arrested seven months ago.