Shri Amarnath Yatra track works, Jhelum SPV get nod
*Promotion, one-time relaxation of JKAS officers approved
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 22: The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet today cleared significant proposals including the Excise Policy for 2026-27, gave nod to signing of MoU by the Tourism Department with BRO/ Project Beacon for completion of pending crucial works on Shri Amarnath Ji yatra track and approved 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.
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The Cabinet which met for about one and a half hours at Civil Secretariat this morning under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah cleared most of the agenda items before it. The proposals approved by the Cabinet will be sent to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for approval.
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While no official statement was issued after the meeting, the Cabinet is also understood to have approved the Lieutenant Governor’s Address which he will deliver to the Legislature on February 2 on opening of the budget session and certain welfare measures which are part of election manifesto of ruling National Conference for inclusion in annual budget for 2026-27 which Omar, who also holds charge of the Finance Department, will present in the Assembly on February 6.
“The Lieutenant Governor has to read the Address prepared by the Government before approving it. The LG’s Address, which is known as policy document of the Government, is delivered on start of every budget session and first session of the new Legislature,” the sources said, adding this will be Sinha’s third Address to the UT Assembly, the first two being on November 4, 2024 and March 3, 2025.
The Cabinet, sources told the Excelsior, has cleared the Excise Policy 2026-27 with no major changes from 2025-26 except certain measures to boost the revenue. The Government has, however, made it clear that it doesn’t propose to open more vends as it will amount to boost the sale of liquor.
The vends will be auctioned as usual and the process will be undertaken by the Excise Department well in time to ensure that new vends are in place with the beginning of next financial year of 2026-27 from April 1, 2026. The existing Excise Policy is valid till March 31, 2026.
The Government proposed to raise additional revenue of Rs 127 crores from new Excise Policy but without encouraging the sale of liquor, the sources said.
The Cabinet authorized 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 for execution of works on Shri Amarnath Ji yatra tracks. The BRO has already reduced total cost of the works from Rs 230 crore to Rs 170 crore.
The Cabinet has also given its nod to 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.
Other proposals cleared by the Cabinet include construction of residential school for the wards of migratory population at Doombwani, in Shopian district by the School Education Department at the cost of Rs 2761.30 lakh, resolution of dispute between J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation Ltd. (JKCHC) and Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd. (HUDCO) by the Administrative Mechanism for Resolution of Disputes (AMRD), GoI, restructuring of the J&K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) and promotion of JKAS officers to various scales.
It also cleared one-time relaxation to the probationers of 2012-II to 2020 batch.
Various other promotions of the officers on agenda of the Cabinet were also cleared, the sources said.
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