Obsolete infra in LG, CM, CS offices, LA to be modernized
LA passes six Deptts’ grants of Rs 1692.08 cr by voice-vote
Bivek Mathur
JAMMU, Mar 17: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today passed the grants of six departments, amounting to a total of Rs 1692.08 crores.
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Introduced by the Minister Satish Sharma, the grants include Rs 2796.07 lakh for Information Technology, Rs 70312.76 lakh for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Rs 4048.90 lakh for ARI Trainings, Labour Stationary and Printing, Rs 12617.03 lakh for Transport, Rs 62154.91 lakh for Youth Services and Sports, and Rs 17279.10 lakh for Science and Technology departments.
The grants were passed after a daylong detailed discussion in the House.
Earlier, while summing up the discussions on the grants of Information and Technology, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, ARI & Trainings, Transport, Youth Services & Sports, and Science and Technology Departments, Minister incharge Satish Sharma said that his Government has been contemplating the opening of 1600 new Fair Price Shops across the region to enhance the reach of food grains to the citizens.
This move, according to him, is part of a broader plan to improve the Public Distribution System (PDS) and ensure that all eligible households have easy access to the benefits provided under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
In order to ensure that all the areas get justified number of new fair price shops, Sharma said that the elected representatives would be roped in to firm up the requirements of new shops in different areas.
Besides expansion of the fair price shops, Sharma, in reply to several legislators’ concern about the delay in bifurcation of the existing ration cards, claimed that this exercise will begun once the data on revision of households, as envisioned by the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, is achieved.
This will ensure that only the deserving households are included in the PDS, minimizing errors and ensuring that the system is more efficient, he stated.
The Minister further claimed that following the shifting of Ration Card Management System in September 2022, about 28, 896 new ration cards under NFSA and 45075 under NPHH have been issued to the deserving households and the registered e-shram registrants, reported to be not covered under the Public Distribution System.
On several legislators’ concern about issuance of new ration cards to the new eligible beneficiaries, he said after deleting the duplicate beneficiaries through de-duplication and field verification, the J&K Government has ordered for inclusion of children born after the 2011 Census, during the years 2011 to 2016 for extending them the benefits under PDS.
“Besides, the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Government of India, is presently working on an amendment in Targeted Public Distribution System Control Order, 2015, to prescribe minimum age for inclusion of children under NFSA,” he said.
Satish informed that the distribution network of the department comprises of around 6630 sale outlets, of which, 4645 are Fair Price Shops and 1985 are Government Sale Centres.
Of these, he said, 6390 (96%) are working in an online mode and 240 are working in off-line mode.
The Minister said that One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) has been implemented across Jammu and Kashmir in 2020 and presently the facility is available in 96% of the Sale Centres where devices work in an online mode.
“Jammu and Kashmir is at 9th rank in the country in terms of ONORC transactions”, he added.
He stated that the nominee policy for Aadhaar enabled Public Distribution System has also been put in place for the benefit of beneficiaries, who are old, sick, disabled, minors and working class with worn out fingerprints, so as to ensure regular supply of ration to these beneficiaries through their nominees.
Additionally, the department has also introduced Aadhar based OTP, to facilitate transactions in such cases, where biometrics fail, he added.
Regarding the IT Department of the Jammu and Kashmir, he said, over the past many years, the number of online services in the region have been increased from around 60 to 1166, along with a provision for capturing citizen feedback through the Rapid Assessment System and integration with Mobile Dost, Digi-Locker.
He also claimed that his Government will soon start an exercise to replace the obsolete infrastructure in the offices of the Lieutenant Governor (LG), Chief Minister (CM), Chief Secretary (CS), and Legislative Assembly (LA) with the upgraded new technology and hardware in order to ensure that these offices are better equipped to handle the increasing demands of digital governance and offer more efficient public services.
“All the online services are also being brought under the ambit of auto appeal and auto escalation mechanism as per provisions of the Public Services Guarantee Act, 2011.”
He also announced that the Digital Village Centres shall be established in 1000 Gram Panchayat locations with a vision to improve the connectivity and outreach besides extension of e-office services.
Additionally, he said, the IT Department shall implement various other e-Governance initiatives like Automation of Hospitals, Unified Dashboard, Digital Signage for dissemination of information at district and Panchayat level to the citizens, IVRS, establishment of NOC/SOC to support e-Governance at the grassroots level.
Regarding the Administrative Reforms, Inspections and Trainings Department, the Minister said that it plays a pivotal role in enhancing the governance, improving administrative efficiencies and ensuring transparency in public service delivery.
“The issuance of NDCs for loans will soon be available through the Service Plus Portal. Currently, the service is in the testing phase and will be launched shortly,” he assured.
He said, during the current financial year, all 1107 allocated seats for MBBS have been filled by JKBOPEE and all 108 allocated seats for BDS have been filled whereas all 21 allocated seats for MDS have been filled.
Besides, out of 320 allocated seats for AYUSH, 305 seats have been filled and out of 330 allocated seats for B.Ed, 229 seats have been filled, the Minister said.
Regarding B.Tech Admissions, he said, out of 2462 allocated seats for B.Tech, 757 seats have been filled.
In addition to this, admissions to 4706 paramedical courses have been finalized, the Minister said.
“For the first time, I am pleased to announce the adoption of e-counselling system for admission through the JKBOPEE to various professional courses starting from the next academic session i.e 2025-26. This transition is being implemented in collaboration with NIC, J&K to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of the admission process,” Satish said.
Speaking about the Transport Department, he said, under the Inland Waterways sector, the Department has recently signed a MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India, Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
“The total value of the MoU was approximately Rs 100 crore with the responsibility of providing onshore facilities, floating jetties, navigational aids and dredging and other water navigational infrastructure, which will be boosting our river cruise tourism and economy as well” he added.
Regarding the Department of Youth Services & Sports, the Minister said that the department is striving to create world-class sports infrastructure to promote sports activities and optimally tap the constructive and creative energy of the sports persons of J&K.
The Minister informed that more than 65.24 lakh youth were engaged in different sports activities in the year 2024-25 under the slogan My Youth My Pride, Har Din Khel Har Ek Ke Liye Khel, Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, Jan Abhiyan, Calendar of Sports Associations and Regular Coaching Programmes, till date.
The Minister said that hundred Small Khelo India Centres across J&K have been sanctioned (5 per district), the highest in the country, in which 4500 children are being trained regularly with free access to Infra, Coaching, Equipment and Apparels. “Two Khelo India State Centre of Excellence, Water Sports Academy at Nehru Park, Srinagar (Rowing & Kayaking Canoeing), another at MA Stadium, Jammu (Centre of Excellence for Fencing) have been established” he added.
The Minister said that Khel Gaon Nagrota Jammu is one of the prestigious upcoming multi sports hubs costing Rs 33.39 crore, spread over an area of 163 Kanal of land. The facility included major projects like athletics track, hockey turf, cycling track and multi sports indoor hall.
The Minister said that Khel Gaon Wathoora Budgam and Nagrota Jammu shall be completed soon which shall give huge fillip to the sports of Sub-urban areas.
The Minister said that the process of recruitment of outstanding sports persons is being carried out strictly in accordance with the rules governing the field.
For the purpose, a high powered committee including the senior most officers of various departments like Home, Finance, GAD, Youth Services and Sports Department and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs had been constituted. “The recruitment under the relevant rules is being carried out in a very transparent manner and is being finalized shortly” he added,
The Minister said that the Rehbar-e-Khel Policy issued by the Government in 2017, provides for regularization of Rehbar-e-Khel on completion of seven years of satisfactory and continuous service against the available/created posts of Physical Education Teachers.
“The vacancies of PETs as shall acrue the Department, shall not be filled up but shall be kept reserved for regularization of the ReKs. Rehbar-e-Khels were engaged in the year 2019 onwards and their regularization shall commence from the next year, which is one of my priorities,” he said.
“Financial assistance for attending camps, participation in national/ International competitions, cash awards for medals shall be encouraged in DBT Mode in more efficient transparent manner,” assured the Sports Minister.
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