Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 11: State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today approved some major initiatives as a part of the Government’s response to the marginalized, disadvantaged and other sections of the society.
In a major welfare initiative, the Cabinet approved launch of Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) to supplement the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Under this scheme, all those persons who are covered under the State’s public distribution system will get additional 5 kgs of ration per person in addition to 5 kgs of ration they are entitled to get under NFSA.
The additional quota of ration under the scheme would be provided to the consumers at the subsidized rate of Rs 13 per kg for Atta and Rs 15 per kg for Rice and the State Government will bear the financial burden of Rs 1497 crore per annum for the implementation of NFSA and MMSFES. The quantum of additional food grains would be 5 Kg per soul subject to a maximum ceiling of 35 Kg per family.
Under the new scheme, there will be uniform scale of rations for all areas and food preferences of consumers will be taken care of and instead of wheat 75% population would get atta. The new public distribution scheme will be operationalised from July 1, 2016.
The Finance Department has been asked to provide a Trading Account of Rs 1497.57 crore–Rs 517.68 crore for NFSA and Rs 978.89 crore for Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme for cost of food grains and allied expenditure on account of carriage, commission and handling charges.
The Cabinet decided to provide preparatory time to the CA&PD Department for obtaining statutory clearances and assurances from the Union Government and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) so that the scheme is effectively implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. It also asked CA&PD Department to work out and make the necessary logistic arrangements for transportation, handling and distribution of food grains including Atta under the ‘Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme’
The Cabinet also approved the release of Dearness Allowance installment at the rate of 6% of pay, raising the total Dearness Allowance of the State Government employees from 113% to 119%, with effect from 1st July, 2015.
The arrears on account of additional installment from July 2015 to March 31, 2016 shall be credited to the individual GPF accounts of Government employees and shall form part of the monthly salary from there onwards.
In respect of those State Government employees who continue to draw their pay and allowance in the pre-revised pay scales as per the 5th CPC, the release of Dearness Allowance installment shall be at the rate of 11% of pay, raising the total Dearness Allowance from 223% to 234% with effect from July 1, 2015.
The arrears on account of additional installment from July 2015 to March 31, 2016 shall be credited to the individual GPF accounts of such Government employees and shall form part of the monthly salary from there onwards. In respect of such of the State Government employees, who are governed by the New Pension Scheme, the arrears on account of additional installment from July 2015 to March 31, 2016 shall be paid in cash in month of April 2016 and the employees’ share at the rate of 10% shall be deducted at source and credited to their PRAN numbers along with the matching share by the employer.
Thereafter, the enhancement in the DA by 6% shall form part of the monthly salary.
Enhancement in DA will also apply to the work charged/whole time contingent paid employees, working in a regular time scale. This increase will apply, mutatis-mutandis, in the case of All India Service Officers, serving in connection with the affairs of the State.
The Cabinet also approved release of the Dearness Allowance installment at the rate of 6%, raising the total Dearness Allowance of the State Government pensioners/ family pensioners from 113% to 119%, with effect from July 1, 2015. The arrears on account of the enhanced rate of Dearness Allowance from July 2015 to March 31, 2016, shall be paid to them in cash in the month of April, 2016 and shall form part of the monthly pension/family pension there onwards.
The Cabinet approved the revision in Temporary Move Allowance (TMA) from existing rate of Rs 1500 per month to Rs 2000 per month, with effect from April 1, 2016. The Cabinet also sanctioned the enhancement of Move TA from existing rate of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per employee per move, effective, from annual move of Durbar from Jammu to Srinagar in April 2016.
Meanwhile, to mitigate financial difficulties faced by Old Pensioners/Family Pensioners, the Cabinet sanctioned additional pension for their welfare.
Additional Pension will be extended to the old pensioners/family pensioners on attaining the age of 80, 85, 90, 95 and 100 years and shall be payable from the 1st of the month in which the pensioner attains the prescribed age. This additional pension shall be paid after the pensioner completes the age of 80 years, 85 years etc. Dearness relief shall also be payable on the additional Pension.
Later, addressing media persons, Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar flanked by Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali and Director General Information, Zaffar Ahmad Bhat, said that Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti is committed to protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens as was envisioned by Mufti Sayeed. He said that with these ground-breaking measures J&K is headed to become a model welfare State in the country.
He said the Government headed by Mehbooba Mufti decided to review NFSA in light of the commitment made by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed at his last press conference in Jammu in December 2015, where he (Mufti Sayeed) had announced to remove the anomalies, if any, in NFSA and make it more people-friendly.
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