NC Minister withdraws resolution on BEd as basic qualification
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 30: Following stiff opposition from Congress quarters, the State Cabinet today cleared with desired modifications the proposal to establish Jammu and Kashmir State Road Development Corporation (SRDC). However, the Minister for Higher Education withdrew the resolution regarding fixing BEd as basic qualification for recruitment of teachers and imposing moratorium for three years on opening of new private BEd Colleges.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that as soon as the Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah at Karnah in Kupwara district this afternoon, the Congress Ministers voiced concern over the composition of Board of Directors of the proposed State Road Development Corporation.
“We are not against the establishment of Corporation but have some apprehensions vis-à-vis Board of Directors”, they told the Chief Minister, adding “the Chairman of the Corporation should be the Minister concerned on the pattern of other Corporations”.
Keeping in view the concern of Congress Ministers, Mr Omar benevolently agreed to carry out necessary modifications as desired by the Coalition partner in the composition of Board of Directors and later the proposal to establish Jammu and Kashmir State Road Development Corporation was cleared with certain changes, sources informed.
“Now, Minister Incharge Roads and Buildings would be the Chairman of the Corporation instead of Chief Minister”, they said, adding “Minister of State for R&B would be the Vice-Chairman of the Corporation”.
“Unlike originally proposed, the Chief Secretary will not be the Vice-Chairman. Moreover, Corporation would have two Government nominees, who have expertise in the R&B field”, sources said, adding “there is no other change in the composition of the BoD. The Directors would be Administrative Secretaries of PWD, Finance, Planning and Development, Forest, Housing and Urban Development Departments and Managing Director of Corporation”.
The Secretary Public Works Department will initially function as MD of the Corporation. Project Organization presently engaged with the construction of Mughal Road will initially discharge functions of State Road Development Corporation.
The Corporation is being established to give thrust to multifaceted growth in transport infrastructure. It would be notified as State Highway Authority for the roads to be declared as State Highways. It would promote surface infrastructure by taking up road works, including tunneling and appurtenant structures and to take up projects on Build-Own Transfer (BOT), Build-Own-Operate and Transfer (BOOT), Build-Own-Lease and Transfer (BOLT) under Public Private Partnership (PPP) as well as major projects entrusted by State and Central Governments.
Sources disclosed that keeping in view the concern expressed by some Congress Ministers, the Minister for Higher Education, Abdul Gani Malik withdrew the proposal regarding fixing BEd as basic qualification for the recruitment of teachers.
The Minister told the Cabinet that he would like to study the proposal once again and if need arises would even consultant experts, sources said while disclosing that Congress camp was of the opinion that fixing BEd as basic qualification would deprive youth with graduation and 10 + 2 qualification of opportunity to get engaged as Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT).
The Congress Ministers-Raman Bhalla and Sham Lal Sharma also raised the issue of prevailing power crisis in Jammu region and stressed the need to settle the issue of those consumers, who could not clear their outstanding electricity tariff arrears.
The Chief Minister directed the Power Development Department to frame a scheme for interest waiver as one time amnesty in respect of domestic consumers. However, such consumers would have to pay the principle amount.
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