The Kashmir Pulse

SRINAGAR — In an effort to ease the burden of outstanding electricity dues and provide financial relief to consumers, the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has issued a crucial advisory urging consumers to take advantage of the extended Amnesty Scheme-2022.

The scheme, offering a pathway to settle outstanding electricity dues, has been extended until March 31, 2025, following a recent decision by the Administrative Council chaired by Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. The decision specifically benefits domestic electricity consumers.

This extension provides consumers with an extended window of opportunity to resolve their outstanding electricity bills under more favourable terms. The move reflects the authorities' commitment to supporting consumers facing financial difficulties, especially amid various economic challenges.

By extending the Amnesty Scheme-2022, the aim is not only to provide immediate financial relief but also to encourage responsible financial management among consumers.

The advisory serves as a reminder to consumers to seize this opportunity and take proactive steps to address their outstanding electricity dues, emphasizing the significance of availing themselves of the extended scheme before the deadline to avoid potential penalties or further financial strain.

The high-level Administrative Council meeting, attended by Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, J&K; and Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor, approved the extension of the Amnesty Scheme, aiming to provide respite to domestic consumers grappling with accumulated power dues.

Under the extended amnesty scheme, domestic consumers stand to benefit from a complete waiver of 100% interest and surcharge on outstanding principal amounts. Notably, the domestic consumer category constitutes a significant portion, comprising over 86% of JKPDD consumers, with nearly half of the total energy consumption in the UT attributed to this demographic.

Despite the substantial benefits offered by the amnesty scheme, approximately 30% of domestic consumers, estimated at around 5.50 lakh, either resort to staggered payments or have defaulted on their electricity bills. The accumulation of outstanding power dues, coupled with late payment surcharges and interest, has exacerbated commercial losses for JKPDD and its associated Discoms.

The implementation of the amnesty scheme has yielded promising results, with a noteworthy recovery of Rs. 235.58 crore from domestic consumers. This initiative enables consumers to avail themselves of the surcharge waiver and facilitates payment of the principal amount through affordable installment plans, thereby easing the financial burden.

Furthermore, the successful recovery of outstanding principal amounts is anticipated to mitigate the Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR) and Aggregate Cost of Supply (ACS) gap.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Sh. Manoj Sinha, embarked on a series of decisions aimed at enhancing various sectors of development across Jammu and Kashmir.

In a move to alleviate the burden on domestic power consumers, the Administrative Council approved the extension of the Amnesty Scheme-2022 until March 31, 2025. This scheme, benefiting over 86% of Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD) consumers, aims to waive 100% interest/surcharge on outstanding principal amounts, facilitating affordable installment payments (EMIs) for consumers.

With Rs. 235.58 crore already recovered under the scheme, the government anticipates a reduction in commercial losses and improved financial stability for DISCOMS.

Simultaneously, the Council sanctioned the Jammu and Kashmir Film Policy-2024, designed to position the region as a cinematic hub. With a focus on administrative facilitation, financial assistance, and infrastructure development, the policy underscores the commitment to nurturing local talent and fostering national competitiveness.

Notably, the policy introduces a Film Development Fund of Rs. 500 crores, catering to diverse film projects and ensuring equitable opportunities for regional filmmakers.

Furthermore, the Administrative Council approved the installation of a vertical lift from Peerkho Station to Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, integrating key tourist attractions and enhancing accessibility.

This initiative, coupled with the transfer of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Society to the Culture Department, aims to streamline heritage preservation efforts and bolster tourism, aligning with the government's vision of showcasing the rich cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a significant move towards agricultural development, the Council sanctioned the transfer of 22 Kanals and 2 Marlas of land for establishing a Dairy Plant in Estate Devipora, Ganderbal district.

With the Jammu and Kashmir Milk Producers Cooperative Limited leading the implementation, this project is poised to benefit approximately 1.50 lakh milk producers and generate employment for 400 to 500 individuals, contributing to economic growth and nutritional enhancement in the region.

JAMMU — In a significant move aimed at boosting economic growth and fostering entrepreneurship, the Administrative Council (AC) of Jammu and Kashmir, chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has approved the development of seven new Industrial Estates and unveiled the J&K Start-up Policy 2024-27.

The industrial development initiative spans across various districts of the Union Territory, with a total investment of Rs. 304.51 Crores. These estates, spread over 5290 kanals of land, are projected to attract an estimated investment of Rs. 8700.16 Crores and generate employment opportunities for approximately 28,376 individuals.

Among the key areas slated for development are Banderpora Budgam, Sempora Medicity in Srinagar, Bhagthali in Kathua, Karandi in Samba, Trenz in Shopian, Hariparigam in Tral Pulwama, and Khunmoh at Pantha Chowk in Srinagar.

Each estate is meticulously planned to cater to specific sectors and industries, with investments ranging from Rs. 22.74 Crores to Rs. 83.13 Crores, aimed at fostering growth and employment generation.

Simultaneously, the AC approved the J&K Start-up Policy 2024-27, superseding the 2018 policy. The new policy aims to establish 2000 new start-ups in the region over the next five years.

To facilitate this, the government will establish a Venture Capital Fund of Rs. 250 Crores, with an initial infusion of Rs. 25 Crores. This fund will primarily support recognized start-ups in Jammu & Kashmir. Additionally, mechanisms will be devised to provide land allotments and one-time seed funding of up to Rs. 20 lakhs to selected start-ups.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, highlighted the importance of nurturing entrepreneurial talent and creating a conducive ecosystem for start-ups. He emphasized the need to refurbish existing policies to meet evolving challenges and bolster economic growth in the region.

The implementation of these initiatives will be closely monitored by a High Powered Committee headed by the Chief Secretary, ensuring efficient utilization of resources and effective execution of the development plans.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC), chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, has granted approval for a significant 50% increase in honorarium for 2417 Rehbar-e-Khel (ReK) physical education teachers of the Youth Services and Sports Department in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

During the meeting, attended by prominent officials including Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, and Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, the decision to enhance the honorarium was ratified.

The move follows recommendations from a High-Powered Committee, led by the Chief Secretary, established for this purpose in 2021. The committee had proposed a 50% hike in honorarium for Rehbar-e-Khel teachers, a recommendation now endorsed by the Administrative Council.

The increase in honorarium aims to incentivize and motivate ReK teachers, encouraging them to further promote and popularize sports activities within schools across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC) under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has sanctioned the establishment of five Special Courts, along with necessary infrastructure and staffing, for the trial of offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

In a meeting attended by prominent officials including Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, and Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, the AC ratified the creation of these courts, with one each designated for the districts of Anantnag, Baramulla, Jammu, Pulwama, and Srinagar.

The decision comes in response to directives from the High Court, following cases titled Thana Singh vs Central Bureau of Narcotics and Arshad Ahmad Allaie vs UT of J&K, which emphasized the need for dedicated courts to address the rising number of NDPS-related cases.

According to recommendations by the Committee of Judges of J&K High Court, Special Courts are deemed necessary in districts where the backlog of NDPS cases exceeds 500. This initiative, approved by the Chief Justice, is expected to have an annual financial implication of Rs. 4.65 Crore for the Union Territory.

Additionally, the AC endorsed the filling of remaining vacancies in paramedical institutions after centralized counselling by the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE). The decision also includes the allocation of leftover seats for admission to various nursing and paramedical courses in government and private institutions based on merit, in line with government-defined eligibility criteria and Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs).

The move comes following representations from institutions regarding the high number of unfilled seats despite admissions facilitated by BOPEE. The decision to allow institutions to fill these vacancies independently was made after studying models implemented in other states, including Punjab.

The Health and Medical Education Department, in collaboration with relevant authorities, has been tasked with formulating the necessary SoPs to facilitate this process effectively.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC), chaired by Shri Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor, met on Monday and approved the reinstatement of provisions allowing for the creation of wait lists in government recruitment processes.

In attendance were Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; and Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor.

The AC's decision reverses the amendments made to various recruitment rules, including the J&K Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment Rules, 2010; the J&K Appointment of Class-IV (Special Recruitment) Rules, 2020; the J&K Combined Competitive Examination Rules, 2018, and Business Regulations of JKPSC/JKSSB, among others.

Furthermore, the Council granted a one-time exemption to recruiting agencies to create wait lists within six months for select lists issued since the previous decision. However, this exemption is contingent upon the wait lists being drawn within the validity period of the select list and ensuring that resultant vacancies due to non-joining of selected candidates have not been re-advertised.

This decision is expected to expedite the filling of vacancies, reduce delays in the re-referral of vacancies, decrease the time taken in subsequent selections, and enable candidates to secure employment before reaching the upper age limit.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha approved carrying out amendments in Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 to incorporate the definition of OBCs in the Act to ensure their reservation in this grassroots democratic institution.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary, Dr Mandeep K. Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

Earlier, the draft J&K Panchayati Raj Act (Amendment) Bill 2023 was submitted to MHA, GoI and observations raised by MHA were examined and necessary amendments have been incorporated in the revised draft J&K Panchayati Raj Act (Amendment) Bill.

The Amendment Bill proposes the incorporation of the definition of OBCs for providing reservation for the Other Backward Classes, explaining a method of disqualification from membership of Halqa Panchayat, suspension and removal of Sarpanch, Naib-Sarpanch and Panch by the Government. It also defines the process for removal and conditions of service of the State Election Commissioner (SEC) here.

The proposed amendments aim to make the J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 more effective by ensuring transparency in the functioning of PRIs, constitutional alignment & consistency with practices in other states where reservation has been provided to the OBCs apart from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved a proposal of the Finance Department for granting amnesty for the settlement of Tax arrears about pre-GST regime.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

This step is going to provide relief to the tax-payers in the form of waiver of interest and penalty besides recovery of the blocked revenue to the government.

Earlier, all dealers could not take benefit of the erstwhile amnesty scheme issued vide Government Order No. 39-FD of 2018; Dated 05-02-2018 due to various reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such, a large number of representations were received from the trade/industry sector for granting a one-time opportunity to the dealers for settlement of the outstanding arrears under the pre-GST tax legislation. The amnesty scheme provides relief to dealers on:

i) 100% waiver of penalty and interest under J&K General Sales Tax Act, 1962, and Central Sales Tax Act, 1956, for assessment/re-assessment up to 2017-18 (07-07-2017 for all and 31-08-2017 for liquor dealers);

ii) 100% waiver of penalty and interest under J&K Value Added Tax Act, 2005, and Central Sales Tax Act, 1956, for assessments up to 2017-18 (07-07-2017);

iii) Waiver of interest and penalty in (i) and (ii) subject to 100% payment of principal tax in the manner and within the prescribed time as per the scheme to be notified by the Government;

iv) Settlement of demands for Industrial Units under repealed J&K Value Added Tax Act, 2005 (up to 2017-18) (upto 07-07-2017), J&K General Sales Tax Act, 1962 (up to 07-07-2017 and 31-08-2017 for liquor-dealing units), and Central Sales Tax Act, 1956, in respect of assessed/re-assessed demands including yet to be assessed cases with certain conditions to be notified in the scheme.

This decision on the part of the government will result in minimising tax dispute cases and winding up pre-GST cases etc. The time limit for receiving the applications for this amnesty will not be more than six months from the date an order is issued in this regard.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the proposals of different departments for the transfer of land for various public purposes.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari attended the meeting.

The Administrative Council transferred land in favour of the Power Development Department for the augmentation of power supply in different areas. The AC transferred 42 Kanal 15 Marla situated at village Pohrupeth, Tehsil Langate, District Kupwara for construction of 315 MVA, 220/132 KV GIS Grid Sub-station, land measuring 02 Kanal situated at village Noorpora, Tehsil Awantipora, District Pulwama for construction of new 33/11 KV Substation in district Pulwama and land measuring 01 Kanal 10 Marla situated at village Odina, Tehsil Sumbal, District Bandipora for construction of 3.15 MVA, 33/11 KV receiving station for providing electricity to the transit accommodation for PM Package employees.

Moreover, the AC also decided to transfer land measuring 80 Kanal 04 Marla (20 Kanal at District Srinagar and land measuring 60 Kanal 04 Marla at village Ranbirpora, District Anantnag) in favour of the Department of Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction (DMRRR) for construction of transit accommodations in district Srinagar and Anantnag for Kashmiri Migrant Government employees appointed under Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Package.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, accorded its approval for winding up the Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Board.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, and Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K attended the meeting.

The Jammu and Kashmir Social Welfare Board was constituted in the year 1955 and over the period, the functioning of the Social Welfare Board became limited to the implementation of the National crèche Scheme, and Swahdar Greh Scheme, both Centrally-sponsored schemes being funded by the Ministry of Women and Child Development through the Central Social Welfare Board. These schemes are now being implemented through the other Directorates of the Department, namely Mission Poshan and Mission Shakti respectively.

Central Social Welfare Board has since been wound up by the Government of India and on its analogy, the J&K Social Welfare Board has also been wound up.

A committee to be chaired by Commissioner/Secretary of the Social Welfare Department has been constituted for recommending the roadmap for the utilization of services of existing employees/temporary staff already working in the said Board as also for utilization of assets and liabilities of the Social Welfare Board.

SRINAGAR — The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, on Saturday approved ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2022’.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor and Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K attended the meeting.

The Jammu and Kashmir Targeted Public Distribution System (Control) Order, 2022 is a reform in the existing system and permits diversification of commodities and services other than those distributed under the TPDS at fair price shops (FPS), which will, besides making FPSs economically viable, will help in putting an end to leakage/pilferage.

The new policy shall significantly revise the existing provisions pertaining to the opening of new FPS and their licensing and will ensure at least one FPS in each Panchayat/Municipal Ward/ULB and for this purpose, a new FPS will also be established. The number shall be based on the population of the Panchayat/Municipal Ward/ULB.

Opening of new FPSs shall result in livelihood opportunities for unemployed youth as well as for destitute and separated women, and orphan girls, as they have been given additional weightage by virtue of this scheme.

In deference to the position of PRIs in the governance structure, the policy stipulates that the location of the fair price shop and transfer of the license to a dependent family member shall be done in consultation with the concerned Gram Sabha. The licensing authority shall consider the opening of a new FPS to cater for the need of the rationees in an area, satisfying the indicative norms under the order.

The present FPS dealers shall have to obtain a license under this order within four months so that uniformity in the licensing system can be ensured. The provisions concerning ration cards, portability, maintenance of records, e-PoS, penalties, monitoring, inspection and removal of difficulties, etc, have also been introduced in the order.

The new policy is in consonance with the National Food Security Act 2013 and the guidelines of GoI.

SRINAGAR — The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the amnesty scheme for domestic power consumers in the UT.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The decision is going to benefit more than 5.50 lakh domestic consumers by waiving off an amount of Rs. 937.34 crores, accumulated as surcharge or interest, on account of non-payment of timely dues.

The Administrative Council has provided this last opportunity to the consumers in view of not being able to avail of the benefits of the last scheme due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic during the scheme period. The new scheme envisages that the outstanding principal amount arrears accumulated up to 31.03.2022 after waving off 100% interest/surcharge shall be paid in a maximum of twelve monthly (12) instalments.

The scheme further entails that the failure of payment of any installment/installments within the prescribed twelve (12) months period shall invite penalty and legal action under the Electricity Act, 2010, in addition to the accrual of compound interest on the outstanding dues.

The consumers who fail to pay the current bill simultaneously with the payment of monthly outstanding installments shall forfeit the benefits of the amnesty scheme besides the disconnection of the power supply.

An independent project management agency will be hired for overseeing the efficient implementation of the scheme.

SRINAGAR — The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the chairmanship of the Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the change of nomenclature of Directorates in the Social Welfare Department.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The decision will rename the Mission Directorate, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS); Mission Directorate, Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS); and State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) as Directorate Mission Poshan; Directorate Mission Vatsalya; and Directorate Mission Shakti, respectively.

The decision will streamline the implementation of various social welfare schemes in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, besides, bringing them in consonance with the new umbrella schemes of the Government of India. Accordingly, various schemes of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, GoI will be re-distributed among the three Directorates.

Now, the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), Scheme for Adolescent Girls, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and National Crèche Scheme will be implemented by the Directorate of Poshan Abhiyan, whereas, the Integrated Child Protection Services (ICPS) and services under the Juvenile Justice Act will be implemented by the Directorate of Mission Vatsalya.

Similarly, the Directorate of Mission Shakti will be implementing the schemes including One Stop Centre/Women's Helpline (181), Swadhar Greh, Widow Homes, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and other women welfare schemes for women empowerment with a special focus on gender budgeting, research, and assistance to working women.

Earlier, the directorates were named after a single scheme which was dissonant with their scope of functionality. The new names signify the whole gamut of activities/schemes being implemented by respective directorates and are better suited to their operations which will make their implementation and monitoring easier.

SRINAGAR — The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, approved the installation of 200 MW of grid-tied rooftop solar power plants under the "Solar City Mission" in Jammu.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The decision has been taken to implement the Government of India’s grid-connected Rooftop Solar Scheme, Phase-II for the residential sector in Jammu and Kashmir to ensure that the electricity needs of the city are fully met by solar energy.

Under the project, 200 MW grid-tied rooftop solar power plants will be installed on 50,000 residential buildings in Jammu city by the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) under its "Solar City Mission" at an estimated cost of Rs 1040 crore. The project will be completed by March 2024 and will have a lifetime of 25 years.

The Rooftop Solar Programme will provide subsidized installation of solar power panels on residential houses at the cost of Rs. 58,739, Rs. 53,995, Rs. 52,594, and Rs. 51,309 for Category-A (Up to 1 kW), Category-B (> 1 kW to 2 kW), Category-C (> 2kW up to 3 kW), and Category-D (> 3 kW up to 10 kW), respectively.

The Central Sector Scheme provides a Central subsidy component of 40% of the project cost and a state subsidy component of 25% of the project cost for the installation of solar power panels, below 3 kW capacity, beyond which the Central subsidy component remains at 20%. The subsidy will be provided to the beneficiaries through the DBT mode.

These rooftop solar power plants will be connected to the grid on a net metering basis. The investments made by the beneficiaries will be recovered at a rate of 25% annually on account of the saving of energy, with a payback period of approximately 4 years.

With the implementation of the project, J&K will benefit from the generation of approximately 280 million units of energy annually, with a corresponding reduction in carbon emissions of approximately 5.44 million tons, besides reaping gains from savings on account of inter-state transmission losses to the tune of 224 million units.

The generation of solar energy through the Rooftop Solar Programme will also help the energy-deficit UT of J&K in supplementing its energy needs while assisting the DISCOMs in achieving the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) targets of 10.5% as fixed by the Government of India.

The project will also provide employment opportunities to local youth. Based on employment estimates, it is calculated that the 1 MW rooftop solar PV project generates a total of 40 full-time equivalents (FTE) jobs over the 25 years expected lifetime of the project, which includes highly skilled personnel for business development, design, sales, procurement, and project management; one-time jobs for construction and installation of the rooftop PV system; and unskilled resources required annually for cleaning activity of the plant.

A number of additional job roles are also created by solar PV grid-connected projects in secondary and tertiary roles vis-à-vis manufacturing and supply of system equipment such as inverters, cables, trackers, and other parts. As such, around 8000 jobs will be generated through the project.

The scheme mandates implementing agency, viz JAKEDA to provide regular quality supervision and certification of the quality of material to be installed; periodic monitoring of physical progress and third-party quality checks from MNRE-approved test centres; provide free maintenance for a period of 5 years post-installation; install bi-directional net-meters, and ensure project completion within the given timelines.

SRINAGAR — The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, approved the proposal of winding up the Department of Stationery and Office Supplies.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The decision has taken into consideration the fact that the General Financial Rules 2017, mandate the purchase of common use goods and services from the GEM Portal. Accordingly, all departments are making purchases through the GEM Portal, thus making the Department of Stationery and Office Supplies defunct and non-functional.

Presently, the Department has two stationery depots each at Jammu/Srinagar and 12 sub depots at Doda, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, Udhampur, Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Kupwara, Pulwama, Leh and Kargil. The Department has a sanctioned strength of five gazetted officers, 113 non-gazetted officials and 52 Class-IV employees.

The Administrative Council decided to close the Department and transfer its infrastructure and manpower to other Government departments, as per need, for their optimal utilization.

Earlier, the Department of stationery and office supplies was the nodal agency for procurement of stationery/paper and binding items for its onwards supply to all the Government/Semi-Government Departments; issued rate contracts for photocopiers, copy printers, fax machines, toners, cartridges etc; and appointed a Government auctioneer.

However, the advancements in IT interventions have made all these functions simpler and have obviated the necessity of maintaining a specialized cadre for the purpose.

JAMMU — The Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, today approved the proposal of the Revenue Department to transfer various parcels of land for public purposes.

Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

The Administrative Council approved the transfer of land measuring 144 Kanal 12 Marla in Hiranagar, District Kathua in favour of the Youth Services and Sports Department, J&K for the construction of Sh. Arun Jaitely Memorial Sports Complex.

The decision aims to provide quality sporting infrastructure for games like Cricket, Hockey, Football, Wrestling and Athletics and bring Kathua and Samba Districts on the sporting map of India.

The Sports Complex will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 58.23 crore and provide avenues to the local sportspersons to excel in their respective disciplines.

Moreover, approval was given to the transfer of land measuring 740 Kanal 9.5 Marla in favour of the Industries and Commerce Department for the establishment of a New Industrial Estate in District Shopian.

The upcoming industrial estate will boost the economic activity and industrial development in the area and provide entrepreneurial and employment opportunities to the youth.

The Administrative Council further approved the transfer of land measuring 750 Kanal in favour of the Industries & Commerce Department for setting up a Medicity. Operationalization of the Medicity will bring world-class health care infrastructure and facilities to the region, besides providing employment opportunities to the medical/pharma professionals, local pharmacists and vendors.