*One IAS officer to get fixed scale, 5 Law Officers for SC
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 5: The meeting of State Cabinet, which was earlier scheduled for tomorrow, will now be held on June 7 at Civil Secretariat Srinagar to take decision on several pending issues which included approval to much-needed State Water Policy, promotion of senior IAS officer to the fixed scale and clearance of terms and conditions for appointment of five Law Officers for the Apex Court of the country.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that General Administration Department this evening issued a fresh notice mentioning that the Cabinet will meet at 11 am on June 7 instead of June 6. However, the reasons for rescheduling of the meeting have not been recorded in the notice.
They informed that Cabinet will accord much-needed approval to the State Water Policy as per the provisions of the law enacted about seven years back. The draft of the policy was also placed before the Cabinet during its meeting held on April 27, 2017 but could not be cleared as the Ministers insisted on carrying out detailed study of the draft.
“Now, the draft of the policy is being placed before the Cabinet for approval as High Court has reprimanded the authorities of the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department on inordinate delay in framing the policy a number of times while hearing a Public Interest Litigation on the subject”, sources said.
Actually, the State Water Policy should have been framed much earlier as per the provisions of J&K State Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act, which was enacted in the year 2010 but this important aspect failed to receive the attention of the Government till the intervention of the High Court.
“The policy will help in regulating water resources, judicious, equitable and sustainable management, allocation and utilization of water resources and fixing the rates for use of water”, sources said.
The objectives of the Water Policy would be to conserve and manage available water resources in most economical and sustainable manner, drought and flood management on scientific lines, planning and management of irrigation and multipurpose projects involving varied socio-economic aspects, ensuring sustainable and conjunctive use of surface and ground water; promotion, conservation and augmentation of traditional water resources and use of scientific and innovative techniques for prevention and reduction of pollution of surface and ground water resources and improvement in quality of water etc.
Sources said that Cabinet will also accord approval to the promotion of 1985 batch IAS officer K B Aggarwal to the fixed scale (equivalent to the Chief Secretary). The fixed scale is given to the officers on completion of 30 years of service. Though five officers were under the zone of consideration for one post of fixed scale, which fell vacant on the retirement of Arun Kumar yet K B Aggarwal was selected for being the senior most.
“Cabinet is also likely to give nod for amendments in the J&K Transfer of Property Act in order to facilitate Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) for establishment of solar power plant(s)”, sources further said while disclosing that amendment will be carried out by adopting ordinance route as Legislature is not in session at present.
They further informed that Cabinet will also approve terms and conditions for appointment of three Additional Advocate Generals and two Deputy Advocate Generals for the Apex Court of country. These posts were created by the Cabinet headed by the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed but thereafter no attention was paid on framing of terms and conditions without which posts cannot be filled.
Following Cabinet approval to terms and conditions the Law Department will fill these posts so as to ensure that cases of Jammu and Kashmir are fought and chased vigorously in the Supreme Court.
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