Cabinet approves 4 new TDAs, extends amnesty for power consumers

* Nod to PR (amendment) Ordinance

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 13:  The Cabinet in its meeting chaired by Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today accorded sanction to the creation of Tourism Development Authority, Tosa Maidan.
Tosa Maidan is one of the largest meadows in Kashmir valley and is surrounded by dense forests with the potential of developing into a world class tourism destination.
The Chief Minister had during her visit to the area in May last year announced creation of a separate Tourism Development Authority for the development of tourism infrastructure in Tosa Maidan.
Apart from the normal tour & picnics, Tosa Maidan has a huge potential in terms of adventure including winter sports, hiking, mountaineering, horse riding, para gliding, rock climbing, trekking etc.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet accorded sanction to the creation of Tourism Development Authority, Shopian-Dobjun-Peer-Ki-Gali & Tourism Development Authority Bani-Basohli along-with creation of 21 posts of various categories for each Tourism Authority.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the promulgation of the Ordinance to amend the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989.
The elections to the Halqa Panchayats were held in the year 2011 and the tenure of 5 years has expired in July, 2016. For conducting fresh elections of the Halqa Panchayats, the process has been initiated; hence the need had arisen for promulgation of an Ordinance, so far as it related to elections to Panchayats and delimitation of Halqa Panchayats.
For the purpose of holding general election under this Act in the year 2017, the superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls and conduct of, all election in accordance with this Act shall vest in the Chief Electoral Officer. The power to determine and delimit Halqa Panchayats in accordance with this Act shall vest in the Chief Electoral Officer.
The Cabinet approved approved the Jammu Master Plan – 2032.
The Jammu Master Plan-2021 currently in vogue was prepared in the year 2004, for an estimated population of 19.29 lacs covering an area of 305 Sqkm. To take care of the future development requirements of Jammu City upto 2032, the revised Master Plan for the city has been formulated, keeping in view that the physical growth of Jammu City, has spread up to Bishnah and Samba.
The Jammu Local Planning Area under the revised Jammu Master Plan-2032 will be spread over an area of 652.33 Sqkm including whole Municipal Corporation of Jammu, Municipal Committees of Ghomanhasan, Bishnah M.C, Bari Brahmana M.C and Vijaypur. The total villages included in the revised JMP will be 324 including the 103 villages of extended local area of JDA.
The Cabinet approved extension of Amnesty Scheme for Domestic Electricity Consumers, 2015 up to March 31, 2017.
The extension of the scheme will provide an opportunity to the left out domestic consumers, to avail the benefits, under the scheme and clear their pending electricity bills.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the adoption of guidelines to regulate the implementation of the Self Help Group of Engineers Scheme in an effective manner.
The Self Help Group of Engineers Scheme was launched in the year 2003 for the Self Employment of the unemployed engineers, as a substitute to Government jobs for organizing them into groups and allotting them construction works by various departments/agencies of the State Government.
Under the Guidelines, the Scheme shall be applicable to unemployed engineers of J&K State possessing valid Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering / Technology / Architecture in any branch of Engineering or 03 year Diploma in any branch of Engineering.  The unemployed engineers shall be required to organize themselves into Self Help Groups of 4 to 10 members. The Self Help Group shall approach the concerned District Employment and Counseling Centre for issuance of the registration card or its revalidation.
The District Employment and Counseling Centres shall forward the name of the SHG with registration number to the Government Departments/ Agencies / Autonomous Bodies in the District for allotment of works. SHG may also on its own approach any Government Department in the District for allotment of works. 30% of the total works of the Government Departments/Corporations/Autonomous Bodies shall be earmarked for the Self Help Groups. A SHG shall be entitled to execute only construction work contracts/supply contracts of civil/mechanical and electric/electronic nature.
The Banks particularly J&K Bank shall lend loans upto 50% of the cost of the work allotted to a Self Help Group against the work allotment letter.
The implementation of the Scheme shall be regularly monitored at the District, Divisional and State Level by the respective Monitoring Committees, so as to ensure that various concessions flow to each member of the Self Help Group.
The Cabinet approved the Policy for Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants – 2016 (Net-Metering Based).
Under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India (MNRE) has fixed a target of generating 1,00,000 MW of Grid Connected Solar Power, out of which 40,000 MW has been exclusively set for Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Power Plants. An aggregate capacity of 450 MW of Rooftop Solar Power has also been targeted to be generated by the State of J&K by the year 2022.
The Policy shall remain applicable for a period of 10 years and it shall be implemented in accordance with the provisions of JKSERC (Grid Interactive Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems based on Net Metering) Regulations, 2015. The policy shall take effect from the date of its notification in the official gazette.
Under the policy, any consumer of the State DISCOM is eligible to install Solar Power Plants on the Rooftops of his/her premises for self-consumption and may feed excess power into the grid on Net- Metering Basis.
The Cabinet also  approved the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Plan (R&R) for the 760 Project Affected Families (PAFs) of 1000MW Pakal Dul HEP, in District Kishtwar.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the proposal of granting financial autonomy to J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages. The decision will allow the Academy to generate and retain funding from sources other than the Government and utilize them independently.
The decision will also leave the management of the financial issues in the hands of the Academy through its Finance Committee and the Government will restrict itself to laying broad guidelines and policy issues.
The Academy will receive an Annual Block Grant which will fund salary, pension, pensionary benefits of the sanctioned staff etc. There will be provision for an increase upto 10% every year. The Academy shall be free to spend the allocated money based on its own internal allocation mechanism and according to what it intends to achieve with the prior approval of its own Finance Committee.
At present the Government allocates money to the Academy in the form of earmarked grant, specifying purpose for which it is to be spent. The Academy has no freedom to cross budget lines and as a result of which allocation model is rigid and inflexible leaving little autonomy for the Academy.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the taking over of Rehmat-e-Alam Trust Hospital, Anantnag by the Health & Medical Education Department with all its assets & liabilities.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the establishment of District Mineral Offices in all the Districts, so as to better manage and control mining activities and to check illegal and unscientific mining/exploitation/processing through internal arrangement without creation of any new post.
The development of infrastructure for these District Mineral Offices will be through the resources of District Mineral Foundation Trust Funds.
The Cabinet also  accorded sanction to the creation of one post of Development Officer, Extension and Training (E&T) in the pay band of Rs 15,600-39100 with the Grade Pay of Rs 6600 by corresponding reduction of one post of Additional Director Extension and Trainings in the pay band of Rs 15,600-39100 with the Grade Pay of Rs 7600.
Cabinet also sanctioned creation of one post of Project Executive Officer (PEO), in the pay band of Rs 15,600-39100 with the Grade Pay of Rs 5600 by corresponding reduction of two posts (one of Labour Welfare Officer and another of Publicity Officer) in the pay band of Rs 9300-34800 with the Grade Pay of Rs 4300.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the transfer of land by way of sale, measuring 50 Kanals available with Government Joinery Mills, Pampore to the J&K Bank Ltd at Rs 45 Lakh per Kanal for development of Mega Currency Chest and establishment of Staff Training College, which will be handed over to the J&K Bank after receiving full compensation after due demarcation provided by the Revenue Department Officials.
The Cabinet accorded sanction to the change of land use of evacuee land measuring 54 kanals and 13 marlas situated at Batpora, Zakura, Srinagar, falling under the Master Plan Srinagar-2021, from residential to educational use, by way of establishing a new Government Degree College for Women, Batpora, Zakura, Srinagar on the said land by the Higher Education Department and incorporation thereof of the said change of use of land in the Master Plan Srinagar-2021.

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