LG Address, SPV for Jhelum, JKPCC restructuring too on agenda
JKAS officers’ promotion, relaxation for some batches may get nod
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 21: The UT Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is meeting here tomorrow morning with annual Excise Policy for 2026-27 and signing of crucial extended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the Tourism Department with BRO/Project Beacon on behalf of J&K Government for completion of pending works on Shri Amarnath Ji yatra track, on agenda.
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“The Cabinet meeting, scheduled for 10 AM at the Civil Secretariat on Thursday, is also expected to discuss the Lieutenant Governor’s Address which he will deliver to the Legislature on February 2 and certain welfare measures in the annual budget for 2026-27 which Omar, who holds charge of the Finance Department, will present in the Assembly on February 6,” official sources told the Excelsior.
All decisions cleared by the Cabinet are subject to approval of LG Manoj Sinha.
The Excise Policy 2025-26 ends on March 31, 2026 and the Cabinet is expected to clear new policy for 2026-27, the sources said, adding the Government proposed to enhance Stock and Quota Transfer Fee, Processing Fee for Shifting/Addition/Alteration, Label and Bottling Fee of different categories and other fee/duties for revenue generation.
No new vends have been proposed in the new Excise Policy. There will be prohibition on sale to persons apparently below 21 years of age. Penalties have been proposed in the policy for over-charging of liquor.
“Additional revenue of Rs. 127 crores is proposed to be generated,” the sources said, adding the new Excise Policy aimed to issue directions for time bound issuance of Immovable Property Certificate/Solvency Certificate.
On Shri Amarnath Ji cave track, sources said the Baltal-holy cave track was earlier maintained by the PWD, while the Chandanwari-cave track was taken care of by the Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA) until 2022.
In 2022, responsibility for maintenance and development of these tracks was transferred to BRO and an MoU was also signed between the Tourism Department and BRO/Project Beacon, Ministry of Defence to this effect.
The BRO, as per the sources, has submitted a draft MoU amounting to Rs 230 crore for extension of the MoU. However, the BRO has reduced total cost from Rs 230 crore to Rs 170 crore after a request of revision was extended by J&K Government.
The Cabinet is expected to authorize the Tourism Department and the PW(R&B) Department to sign the extended MoU with BRO/Project Beacon on behalf of the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.
Sources said the proposed MoU shall be executed as a tri-party agreement, involving the Tourism Department, the PWD and the BRO in place of the earlier two-party arrangement.
“Execution of inescapable works is to be planned to make tracks up to 12 feet for safe movement of yatris, comprising maintenance and snow clearance of the track, repair of road signage, edge beams and rain shelters, fixing of hume pipes and bailey bridges, surfacing/ILCB work, ration for CPLs and pony charges for shifting of stores, widening of track, fixing of conduit pipes for cables, installation of prefab shelters and gantries, hill fencing, HESCO walling, utility shifting, and slope stabilization works. A joint survey has already been conducted to ascertain completed works breast/retaining/stone walls, interlocking pavements, HESCO walling), balance works which include re-alignment of steep stretches, protective works at vulnerable and landslide prone locations,” the sources said.
The Cabinet is expected to approve creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for undertaking Operation and Management (O&M) activities of the proposed Cruise / Urban Water Transport System on River Jhelum, with an initial equity contribution of Rs one lakh each by Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Transport Department, Jammu & Kashmir.
The Proposed SPV document has been prepared in consultation with IWAI as well as in accordance with the Jammu & Kashmir Public Procurement Rules and model PPP frameworks. The Board of Directors of the SPV shall comprise a representative from the Transport Department, J&K and IWAI. Day-to-day operation shall be managed by a professional management Team appointed by the SPV, the sources said.
Another significant item on Cabinet agenda is construction of residential school for the wards of migratory population at Doombwani, in Shopian district by the School Education Department.
The school will have separate educational blocks for Elementary and Secondary levels, separate hostel blocks for boys and girls, administrative block, staff residential quarters and toilet block.
Total financial implications for the project are Rs. 2761.30 lakh Also on the Cabinet agenda is referring resolution of dispute bbetween J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation Ltd. (JKCHC) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd (HUDCO) to the Administrative Mechanism for Resolution of Disputes (AMRD), GoI.
The Cabinet will also take up a proposal for restructuring the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC)
It is also expected to give nod to promotion of officers to various scales of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) including Dhananter Singh, Umesh Sharma and Abid Iqbal Malik
The promotions shall be prospective and Dhananter Singh and Umesh Sharma shall be re-designated accordingly as Special Secretary and Additional Secretary to the Government, respectively, in their department(s) while Abid Iqbal Malik shall continue at his present place of posting, till further orders.
The Cabinet will take up the proposal for one-time relaxation to the probationers of 2012-II to 2020 batch of JKAS officers.
“The matter was placed before the Cabinet last year for confirmation of Junior Scale JKAS probationers in relaxation of rules but was deferred. However, the proposal has been re-introduced and will be taken up by the Cabinet tomorrow,” the sources said.
Also on the Cabinet agenda is elevation of Directors (Economic and Statistics) to the post of Director Generals (E&S) in the Jammu & Kashmir Economics & Statistics (Gazetted) Service.
There are five posts of Director Generals (DGs) in the J&K Economics & Statistics (Gazetted) Service. Amongst these sanctioned posts, two are lying vacant. The Cabinet will consider promotion of Reyaz Ahmad Romshoo and Ashu Gupta as DG, E&S on the vacant posts, on prospective basis. It will also consider promotion of Mohd Iqbal and Yoginder Katoch as Directors. The officers have already attained eligibility for proposed promotion.
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