Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 21: The State Government today appointed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and 17 Cabinet Ministers as new chairpersons of 20 District Development Boards (DDBs) as an interim arrangement for implementation of the District Capex Budget for the financial year of 2018-19.
Though Jammu and Kashmir State has 22 districts, Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh region don’t have the DDBs as they have been granted Autonomous Hill Development Councils.
“The Planning, Development and Monitoring Department and Finance Department have conveyed their authorization to the utilization of 50 per cent of Revenue and Capital Expenditure budget provisions incorporated in the budget for the upcoming financial year of 2018-19, which would start on April 1,” an official order issued by Principal Secretary to Government, Planning Development and Monitoring Department, Rohit Kansal today, said.
The Government order called upon all District Development Commissioners (DDCs) to conduct the DDB meetings to finalize the Capex Budget for the year 2018-19 as early as possible, the date for which will be fixed in consultations with the chairpersons of the DDBs.
“While formulating the District Capex Budget, all expenditure reforms measures/protocols, which were part of the Appropriation Act for the year 2018-19, may be strictly adhered to,” the order read.
Sources pointed out that the Government was required to constitute District Planning and Development Boards after holding the Panchayat and Block Development Council elections. However, since the Panchayat elections haven’t been held in the State, the BDC elections followed by constitution of District Planning and Development Boards was not possible in the State.
“In view of this, the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, headed by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has appointed the Cabinet Ministers as chairpersons of the DDBs as an interim arrangement for implementation of the District Capex Budget,” sources said.
Mehbooba would head the DDB Srinagar, the summer capital of the State while Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh will head two DDBs of Jammu, the winter capital, and Samba district. Revenue, Parliamentary Affairs and Haj and Auquaf Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri will also head two DDBs of Baramulla and Shopian.
Dr Singh and Veeri are the only two Cabinet Ministers, who have been appointed chairpersons of two districts. Contrary to this, Tourism Minister Tassaduq Mufti, brother of the Chief Minister, hasn’t been appointed chairperson of any district. Significantly, he is the only Cabinet Minister, who hasn’t been allotted any DDB.
Industry and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga will be chairman of Budgam DDB while Agriculture Production Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone will head the DDB Rajouri. Health and Medical Education Minister Bali Bhagat has been designated as the chairperson of DDB Kishtwar and Rural Development Minister Abdul Haq Khan as the chairman of DDB Kulgam.
Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Choudhary Lal Singh will head the DDB Udhampur while Horticulture Minister Syed Basharat Ahmed Bukhari will be head of the DDB Poonch. Social Welfare, ARI & Trainings and Science and Technology Minister Sajjad Gani Lone will be the chairperson of DDB Doda.
The Government has designated Minister for Cooperatives and Ladakh Affairs Chering Dorjay as the DDB Reasi chairperson while Minister for Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Tribal Affairs Choudhary Zulfkar Ali is the head of DDB Kupwara.
PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Sham Lal Choudhary is chairperson of DDB Kathua and Naeem Akhter, Minister for Public Works has been appointed as the chairman of DDB Pulwama. Minister for Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries, Abdul Gani Kohli will be the chairperson of DDB Ramban.
Minister for Information Technology, Technical Education and Youth Services & Sports, Imran Raza Ansari will be the chairman of DDB Bandipora while Finance Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari is the new chairman of DDB Anantnag. Minister for Disaster Management, Relief Rehabilitation & Reconstruction and Floriculture Javaid Mustafa Mir is the new DDB chairperson for Ganderbal.
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