* Civil System of Accounting put on hold
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 21: Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today prevailed upon his Cabinet colleague and gave nod to Rs 91.56 crore package for the Jammu migrants, which will now be forwarded to the Union Government for funding. The Cabinet also ordered transfers and postings of 6 IAS officers with immediate effect.
Besides, the Chief Minister also directed the Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather to put on hold the Civil System of Accounting in various works departments as the same had stalled the developmental activities across the State.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that when the package for return and rehabilitation of Jammu migrants came up for discussion in the Cabinet, a senior National Conference Minister expressed reservations over according approval to the same on certain ‘flimsy’ grounds.
However, he failed to convince the Cabinet colleagues with Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah stating that since the package would be funded by the Union Government on the analogy of one sanctioned for the Kashmiri migrants there was no justification behind opposing the same, sources said. Accordingly, Chief Minister directed that the package prepared by the Revenue Department should be forwarded to the Centre for necessary action.
It is for the first time since 1995-96 that any comprehensive package has been prepared for 1054 families, which migrated from various parts of Jammu province due to the militancy. Denial of package on the pattern of Kashmiri migrants had also led to litigations in the State High Court which finally gave verdict in the favour of migrants.
However, the verdict of Division Bench of State High Court was challenged by the State before the Supreme Court and the same was disposed off with the directions to the State to provide relief to the Jammu migrants as per the policy. At present these migrants are getting cash assistance of Rs 400 per person per month subject to maximum of Rs 1600 per family, 9 kg wheat per soul per month, 2 kg rice per soul per month, 10 liters of kerosene oil per family per month and cash assistance of Rs 300 per month per cattle for purchase of fodder.
The Cabinet also ordered transfers and postings of 6 IAS officers with immediate effect.
Shaleen Kabra, Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services and Sports and Technical Education Department, who is holding additional charge of the post of Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, has been transferred and posted as Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department.
B A Runiyal, Chairman J&K Special Tribunal has been transferred and posted as Commissioner Secretary, Labour and Employment Department relieving Farooq Ahmed Peer, Commissioner Secretary, Rural Development Department, of the additional charge of the post.
Sarita Chouhan, under orders of transfer as Managing Director, J&K Handloom Development Corporation has been posted as Chairman J&K Special Tribunal vice B A Runiyal. Parvez Ahmad Malik, Director Command Area Development Jammu has been transferred and posted as Secretary, Youth Services and Sports and Technical Education Department vice Shaleen Kabra.
Nirmal Sharma, undergoing Mid Career Training, has been posted as Managing Director, J&K Handloom Development Corporation and Hemant Kumar Sharma, Special Secretary Higher Education Department has been transferred and posted as Director, Command Area Development Jammu vice Parvez Ahmad Malik.
According to the sources, almost all the Cabinet Ministers raised the issue of Civil System of Accounting in various works departments and said that due to this system the developmental activities have come to standstill across the State.
“Even the works under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of the MLAs have fallen victim to this system and in each and every District Development Board meeting this issue is being vociferously raised by the legislators”, the Ministers said.
“Though this is a good reform yet the same is not acceptable to the legislators as developmental activities are suffering during the election years”, sources said quoting the Ministers having stated in the Cabinet.
Accordingly, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah directed the Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather to put on hold the new system. With the directions of the Chief Minister, cheque drawing authority of Executive Engineers in all the works departments has been restored.
“With this new order, the Executive Engineers would again have the authority to act as DDO and Treasury Officer as well. This implied that X-Ens would be entitled to draw money from Treasury through cheque system as was happening earlier,” sources said.
It is pertinent to mention that State Government had switched-over to the Civil System of Accounting from erstwhile cheque system in various works departments from April 1, 2013.
According to the sources, Cabinet also gave nod to deposit Rs 1 crore in the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund for providing assistance to the natural calamity hit people of Uttrakhand.
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