Satwain Canal, re-organization of Settlement, Land Records Deptts receive Cabinet nod

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 16: State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah this morning took several important decisions which include construction of balance portion of Ravi canal, appointment of Chairman State Electricity Regulatory Commission, constitution of Property Tax Board, allotment of contract of Lower Kalnai Power Project and reorganization of Settlement and Land Records Departments.
The Cabinet after thorough discussion on the memorandum of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department accorded approval to the construction of balance portion of Ravi Canal upstream Basantpur village (Ranjit Sagar Dam) at Satwain in Kathua district at a cost of Rs 275.14 crore and utilization of 10% of the water usage charges collected by the department and deposited in a separate fund constituted by the Finance Department in J&K Bank as per the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Amendment Act, 2012.
The Cabinet also accorded administrative approval to the award of the contract for 48 MW Lower Kalnai Hydro Electric Project in erstwhile Doda district at a cost of Rs 396 crore to M/s Costal Project Limited.
This is envisaged as a run of the river hydropower scheme in Doda/Kishtwar districts and will generate 48 MW of electricity, which will be sold to the Power Development Department.
In another important decision, Cabinet appointment Basharat Ahmad Dhar, Managing Director J&K State Power Development Corporation as Chairperson of J&K State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) on the recommendations of the Selection Committee constituted under the provision of J&K Electricity Act-2010.
The charge of the Managing Director, J&K State PDC will be held by the Principal Secretary, PDD in addition to his own duties consequent to the appointment of Basharat Ahmad Dhar as Chairperson of SERC.
The Cabinet also approved the constitution of the J&K Property Tax Board and the appointment of Jeet Lal Gupta as its Chairman after his superannuation on 31st August 2013.
Farhat Tasneem, retired Law Secretary and Kachoo Isfandyar Khan, retired IAS officer, would be its members. The Board would be serviced by the General Administration Department.
The re-organization and re-structuring of the institution of Settlement Operations in the State also received the approval of Cabinet.
As per the decision, a combined Settlement (Preparation and Upgradation of Records) and Land Records (Maintenance of Records) in one organization would be designated as Survey and Land Records. Accordingly, the post of Settlement Commissioner J&K has been re designated as Commissioner Survey and Land Records J&K (Ex-officio Settlement Commissioner).
The Cabinet also created 9 settlement divisions for the purpose to be headed by Regional Directors, Survey and Land Records. It also re-designated the post of one Joint Settlement Commissioner, two Joint Agrarian Reforms Commissioners, two Director Land Records and two Settlement Officers as Regional Directors, Survey and Land Records.
The functions of proposed Regional Director, Survey and Land Records (Ex-officio Settlement Officer) in the first instance in Leh and Kargil districts were assigned to respective Additional Deputy Commissioners in addition to their own duties.
Further deployment of subordinate staff in the proposed settlement divisions by the Financial Commissioner, Revenue by internal adjustment / re-deployment of the existing staff on normative basis for making these divisions functional. It further approved that the Additional Deputy Commissioner in Srinagar/Jammu will exercise the powers of Joint Agrarian Reforms Commissioners within their own areas of jurisdiction as are being exercised by the ADCs in other districts.
The Cabinet also gave sanction to the revision of compensation payable to the victims or their dependents under the Jammu and Kashmir Victim Compensation Scheme-2013.
The revised compensation under the scheme for loss of life would be Rs two lakh for death, for torture in police custody Rs three lakh, for loss of any limb or part of body resulting in 80% disability Rs two lakh, loss of limb or part of body resulting in 40% and below 80% disability Rs 1.5 lakh.
Similarly, a victim of rape in case of minor or rape in police custody will be paid Rs 3 lakh, for rape Rs two lakh, acid victims who suffer complete damage / burns Rs three lakh and those who suffer partial damages and burns shall be paid Rs. Two lakh besides for injury causing severe mental agony to women and child victims in case like human trafficking will be paid Rs one lakh.
The Cabinet also accorded approval to the grant of relief up to Rs two lakhs or 50% of the loss, whichever is less, as assessed by the Tehsildar of the area where losses /damage to the immovable properties are caused in the law and order situation/riots. The relief in such circumstances will be sanctioned by the Deputy Commissioner concerned.
The Cabinet also accorded approval to the allotment of additional 80 kanals of land for construction of National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) at Industrial Estate Ompura Budgam. It directed the concerned department to pursue the matter of reserving 50% of seats in NIFT Ompura Budgam for students belonging to J&K.
The recent communal disturbance in Kishtwar was also condemned by the Cabinet in one voice and conveyed its sympathies to those who were injured during the violence and to those who suffered damage to their properties.
The Cabinet also condemned despicable efforts of elements, which tried to engineer a similar situation in other parts of the State and appealed people to maintain the age-old ties of communal harmony and brotherhood in the State.

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