Normal life restored in Jammu after 64 day-long shutdown

"Normal life has been restored in Jammu and adjoining areas of the province on Monday as all market places, Government offices, schools, banks and universities reopened and traffic plied on the road as usual after an over two-month long shutdown," police said.

Shopkeepers cleaned their shops and reopened them in Raghunath Bazar, Residency Road, Purani Mandi and Jain Bazar areas of old city, which was littered with spent tear-gas shells, half burnt tyres and effigies during the agitation.

Shopkeepers and Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) officials cleaned the city of tonnes of partially burnt effigies, tyres, tear-gas shells and other garbage that was littered across the length and breath of the city.

"The city has been given a clean look, particularly market places, and all the garbage was removed," a JMC official said.

However, curfew continued for the tenth day in Poonch and 21th day in Kishtwar on Monday. Authorities have decided to relax the ban orders in these two places for 7 hours and over 13 hours respectively.

The twin districts are returning to normal life after witnessing communal riots during the agitation over the Amarnath issue.

"There was no untoward incident reported from anywhere during the past 12 hours as normal life was restored in the region," police said adding that security vigil would continue following intelligence reports of presence of infiltrating militants in Jammu.

The army, CRPF and police have conducted operations at several places in this connection, they said.

Bar Association of Jammu (BAJ) has called off a strike and will resume work in the courts, including High Court, from Tuesday.

Pilgrim arrivals have increased again at Vaishnodevi cave shrine, according to reports from the base camp at Katra.

"The pilgrim turnout had dropped from 35000-40000 daily (June) to 2000 (August end)," Vaishnodevi Shrine Board officials said.