Bhalla raises Jammu’s power crisis in Cabinet, seeks relief
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 4: State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this afternoon, gave nod to the transfer of five officers besides promotion of an IAS officer and two Incharge Superintending Engineers in the Power Development Department.
According to the Cabinet order, Abdul Majeed Mir, Additional Commissioner, Kashmir has been transferred and posted as Custodian General while as Abdul Lateef Deva, Custodian General has been transferred and posted as Settlement Commissioner.
Sheetal Nanda, who was awaiting orders of posting, has been posted as Additional Secretary, Power Development Department. Dilshada Khan, who was also awaiting orders of posting, has been posted as Director Panchayati Raj against a newly created post.
Mohd Saleem Sheshgarh, Additional Registrar Kashmir has been transferred and posted as Director, Horticulture Kashmir.
The Cabinet also approved placement of Incharge Superintending Engineers-Malik Mansoor Willayat and Prithpal Singh as Incharge Chief Engineers. The confirmation of Navdeep Gupta as Incharge Chief Engineer, Planning and Design, Jammu with effect from April 27, 2011 also received Cabinet’s nod.
The Cabinet also approved promotion of Sham Vinod Meena in the Senior Time Scale of IAS with effect from January 1, 2012.
It approved construction of new Polytechnics after inviting offers through e-tendering. The Polytechnics in Anantnag, Baramula, Budgam, Kulgam, Shopian, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Poonch and Udhampur will be constructed by Public Works Department while as Polytechnics in Kathua, Samba, Reasi, Budgam, Bandipora and Kupwara will be constructed by Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC).
The decision to allot construction of new Polytechnics to different agencies through R&B Department was taken keeping in view the slackness of JKPCC in the completion of six Polytechnics.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Technical Education Department has already decided to start the classes from current academic session for which rented buildings at all places have been identified. Even All India Council of Technical Education has been approached for its formal approval for starting the classes and the proposal has been agreed in principle by the Council.
Even the Principals and Head of Departments have already been posted in each Polytechnic and also applications invited for appointing teaching staff for academic session till the process of recruitment is completed by Public Service Commission, sources said.
Sources said that prevailing power crisis across the Jammu region in general and Jammu district in particular also figured in the Cabinet meeting.
While raising the issue, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Raman Bhalla told the Chief Minister that life has been badly affected due to frequent and prolonged power cuts in almost all the parts of Jammu region in general and Jammu district in particular.
“Every day there are reports of people agitating against acute power cuts. The Power Development Department should adopt humane approach and provide regular electricity supply at least to those areas which have been fully metered”, he told the Cabinet, adding “if the stations are over-loaded then it is the duty of concerned officers to check the same. But putting people to inconvenience in the scorching heat is not advisable”.
He sought personal intervention of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, who is also the Minister Incharge Power, to provide respite to the people from the repeated power cuts. He also objected to the proposed shut-down of Salal Hydroproject, which will affect power supply in entire Jammu region.
Taking the concern expressed by Mr Bhalla seriously, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah assured to personally look into the issue and provide respite to the people.
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