*Inclusion of 45 villages in backward areas list deferred
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 29: State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today ordered transfers and postings of five officers including three IAS and accorded sanction to the modifications in the Prime Minister’s Package for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants. However, it deferred decision on inclusion of 45 villages in the backward areas list following some Ministers’ concern over neglect of most deserving pockets.
Mohammad Afzal Bhat, Secretary Cooperatives Department, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Forest Department upon the retirement on superannuation of Sheikh Ejaz Iqbal on November 30, 2013.
Ramesh Kumar Koul, Special Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Cooperatives Department vice Mohammad Afzal Bhat. Hemant Kumar Sharma, Director, Command Area Development, Jammu has been transferred and posted as Deputy Commissioner, Rajouri vice Faqir Chand Bhagat. Director Agriculture, Jammu will hold the charge of the post of Director, Command Area Development in addition to his own duties till further orders.
Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad, Joint Transport Commissioner has been transferred and posted as Director Estates relieving M M Gupta of the additional charge of the post. Soujanya Kumar Sharma, Director Tourism, Jammu, has been transferred and posted as Director, Information relieving Zaffar Ahmad Bhat of the additional charge of the post. Mr Soujanya will, however, continue to hold the charge of Director Tourism, Jammu till further orders.
The Cabinet also accorded sanction to the appointment of Dr Rafiq Ahmad Pampori, Professor and Head of Department of ENT, as Principal Government Medical College Srinagar with effect from October 1, 2012 and regularization of Dr Abdul Kabir Dar as Director Indian System of Medicine against the available post with effect from December 12, 2006.
It also approved the proposed amendments to the Prime Minister’s Package for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants to Kashmir Valley.
The proposed amendments will allow all migrant families who would return to the Valley to avail incentive for construction/reconstruction of houses available under the package irrespective of the fact as to whether they have sold their properties before or after 1997. It also authorises all Deputy Commissioners of Kashmir valley to identify Government land for setting up of clusters for such families who would return to family for construction of houses or through group housing societies. In case of non-availability of Government land, the Deputy Commissioners will identify land for acquisition.
The land to be acquired for the construction of individual houses or for group housing societies will be identified at such places where there is no dislocation of the local population. The revised cost estimates for the acquisition of land and the construction of houses for those migrants who have sold their properties after 1997 will be worked out and included in the revised package for being sent to the Government of India.
The State Government will approach the Union Government for incorporating the land acquisition component in the package and release of funds.
However, the Cabinet deferred decision on the proposal of the Social Welfare Department regarding inclusion of 45 villages in the list of backward areas.
When the proposal came up for discussion, Minister for Tourism, G A Mir pointed out that most deserving areas, which were also under the consideration of the Commission for Backward Classes, have not been included in the list proposed by the Social Welfare Department.
“If the Cabinet clears the list containing 45 villages it will send a wrong signal to the people of those areas, which completely fulfill the criteria for being declared backward”, sources said quoting Tourism Minister’s remarks made in the Cabinet meeting, adding the proposal of the Social Welfare Department received similar response from some other Ministers also.
Keeping in view the concern expressed by some Ministers, the Cabinet deferred the proposal with the directions to the Social Welfare Department to consider the genuine cases pending before the Commission and then more a fresh proposal.
The Cabinet also accorded sanction to grant pay scale to four Superintending Engineers namely Santokh Singh, V K Raina, P N Gupta and Gajan Singh at par with District and Sessions Judges.
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