*Proposal sought to increase GCET seats
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 24: The creation of new administrative units has again been delayed with the Cabinet forming yet another committee this time of the Ministers to examine the modalities for the implementation of the Mushtaq Ganaie Committee report and take on board fresh demands. However, the Cabinet accorded sanction to the promulgation of Jammu and Kashmir Para-Medical Council Ordinance to regulate the functioning of para-medical institutes.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that the much talked about creation of new administrative units, the exercise for which was set in motion way back in the year 2007, has become subject matter of yet another committee as the Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this morning, constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee to be headed by Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand in order to examine the modalities for the implementation of the Mushtaq Ganaie Committee report and to take on board any fresh demand on this account within one month.
Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigjin Jora, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma, Minister for Agriculture Production, Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for Higher Education, Mohd Akbar Lone, Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Sadhotra and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mir Saifullah are the members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee.
When the proposal of the Revenue Department regarding creation of new administrative units and financial implications involved in the same came up for discussion in the Cabinet, National Conference Ministers—Ch Mohd Ramzan and Mir Saifullah stated that Kupwara district has completely been ignored. “The need to create administrative units in this remote district has not been taken seriously despite the fact that public representatives had vociferously projected the same before the Mushtaq Ganaie committee”, they added.
The Congress Ministers too had reservation over the report of Mushtaq Ganaie Committee and remarked that certain deserving areas have not been considered seriously by the panel and unless justice was provided to all the deserving areas there would be widespread resentment among the people, sources said.
On this, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah constituted Cabinet Sub-Committee to examine the modalities for the implementation of report and take into consideration the fresh demands.
“If the Government had to constitute a Cabinet Sub-Committee it should have taken the decision in January 2012 when the Revenue Department had placed a detailed note. Instead of doing this the Cabinet at that time asked the Revenue Department to take holistic view of the entire issue”, sources added.
In response to a question, sources said, “nothing could be said about the completion of task by the Cabinet Sub-Committee within the stipulated time-frame as it will have to first frame the terms of reference and then invite objections on the report of Mushtaq Ganaie report from the public representatives”, adding “it would be only after considering the fresh demands and objections that the Cabinet Sub-Committee would be able to come to any conclusion”.
The process of ascertaining the demands of people for new administrative units was actually started in 2007 when the Government had constituted a Committee headed by former Chief Secretary of the State, Dr S S Bloeria. However, the report of the Committee was termed as ‘inconclusive’ in 2009 and in January 2010, the Committee was revived with Mushtaq Ahmad Ganaie as its head.
The revived committee submitted its report to the Government on July 14, 2011 following which the Revenue Department was directed to prepare a note after detailed examination of the recommendations for discussion and final decision in the Cabinet. When the note was placed before the Cabinet in January 2012 it was decided to seek more details from the Revenue Department for taking holistic view of the entire issue.
However, since January 2012 the report remained in the official files and the issue received the due attention after one and half year—on July 2, 2013 when the Chief Minister, while chairing the Cabinet meeting, directed the Chief Secretary to ensure submission of detailed note on proposed administrative units as early as possible.
The Cabinet also accorded sanction to the Promulgation of Jammu and Kashmir Para-Medical Council Ordinance 2013 regarding the training institute of Paramedics. Now, the file will be sent to the Governor for his nod.
At present, there is no law in the State to regulate these institutes. The State has 17 para-medical institutes in the Government sector and more than 70 in private sector.
According to the sources, Minister for Housing and Horticulture, Raman Bhalla raised the issue of increasing the seats of Government College of Engineering and Technology, Jammu. “There is only one engineering college in Jammu in Government sector and 160 seats are inadequate to meet the requirement of students opting for various streams of engineering”, sources said quoting Mr Bhalla having stated in the Cabinet.
While laying stress on increasing the seats from 160 to 300 on the pattern of Medical Colleges, the Housing Minister, according to the sources, said that this would provide respite to the students who otherwise have to go to Punjab and other States for pursuing engineering.
Responding to the issue raised by his Cabinet colleague, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah directed the Minister for Higher Education, Mohd Akbar Lone to come up with a formal proposal in this regard.
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