*Put seal of approval on “Ladly Beti” scheme
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 6: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed tomorrow morning, will appoint new Chief Secretary with Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma emerging as front-runner for the post. The Cabinet will also give approval to launch of “Ladly Beti” Scheme and introduction of unified legislation on the Wakaf properties in the forthcoming Session of State Legislature.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Cabinet will ratify the voluntary retirement of Mohammad Iqbal Khandey and give grade of Financial Commissioner to B R Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department as one post of Financial Commissioner has fallen vacant following retirement of Mr Khandey.
“While Principal Secretary Planning and Development, B R Sharma is considered to be favourite for the post of Chief Secretary, the name of Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Arun Kumar is also making round”, sources said while giving enough indications about Cabinet taking decision in favour of Mr Sharma.
According to the sources, the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has already held discussions with all the three contenders for the post of Chief Secretary— Financial Commissioner (Revenue), Arun Kumar, Financial Commissioner (Industries and Commerce), Khursheed Ganai and Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma. The Chief Minister has even discussed the issue with his Cabinet colleagues.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Arun Kumar, who was Principal Secretary to the Governor during the Amarnath land row agitation, has service till December 2016 while as B R Sharma would have service till 2020. Other contenders for the coveted post, Sonali Kumar, Chairman J&K Special Tribunal will retire on November 30, 2015, Financial Commissioner (Industries and Commerce) Khursheed Ganai will retire on October 31, 2015 and Ashok Kumar Angurana, Secretary in the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj will retire in April 2016.
According to the sources, two senior bureaucrats have made it clear to the Government that if they are superseded they would be left with no other option but to opt for voluntary retirement.
Sources disclosed that Cabinet would order implementation of Social Assistance Scheme titled “Ladly Beti” in the light of announcement made in this regard by the Finance Minister in his Budget Speech.
“J&K has exhibited a fall in general sex ratio to 889 during the Census 2011 and child sex ratio (6-10 years) has also shown a very rapid decline”, sources said, adding “J&K figures among those States which have shown a strong regressive trend on this account and sex ratio in J&K is lower than the national figure as such has far reaching social consequences”.
Seized of the matter, the Finance Minister during Budget Speech 2015-16 on March 22, 2015 had announced introduction of a Social Assistance Scheme to address this serious social issue, they said, adding “he had proposed to contribute Rs 1000 per month on behalf of every new born girl child for the next 14 years and on reaching 21 years she would receive around Rs 6.5 lakh”.
The scheme titled “Ladly Beti” will be launched in six districts of the State—Kathua, Jammu and Samba in Jammu province and Budgam, Pulwama and Anantnag in Kashmir province. Stating that scheme is aimed at reversing the alarming trend of child sex ratio, sources said, “to keep the uniformity with the other major welfare scheme “Aasra”, the income ceiling of Rs 75,000 per annum is proposed to be adopted in “Ladly Beti” scheme as well”.
According to the sources, Cabinet will also deliberate upon Jammu and Kashmir Wakafs Bill to be introduced in the forthcoming session of State Legislature. The Bill is aimed at ensuring that all Wakaf properties in the State are governed by one and a unified legislation.
It is pertinent to mention here that at present the Wakafs and Wakaf Properties are governed by two laws. “The new law, if passed by the legislature, will apply to all Wakafs and Wakaf properties notified in J&K Wakaf Act, 2001 and also to all properties specified in Schedule A and B of the J&K Specified Wakafs and Special Wakaf Properties (Management and Regulations) Act, 2004”, sources said.
“The new law, however, will not apply to Shia Wakafs as is the position at present”, sources said, adding “the Bill envisages constitution of a State Wakaf Board with the Chief Minister as the Chairperson of the Board and Minister Incharge Haj and Auqaf as its Vice-Chairperson”.
There will be 20 other members of the Board, who will be nominated by the Government from amongst the eminent scholars in Muslim law, persons having expertise in the field of education, administration, finance, legal affairs, health and social services besides two members of the State Legislature and a woman having distinguished herself in the social services.
The Board will be empowered to establish local committees in respect of any or all Wakaf properties for look-after and up-keep of those properties and will have powers to get the unauthorized occupants of Wakaf properties evicted through concerned Deputy Commissioners.
“Under the new law, all the Deputy Commissioners will have the powers to take possession of Wakaf property in case of unauthorized occupation and to demolish unauthorized constructions on the Wakaf property”, sources said while disclosing that annual reports of the Board will be laid before each House of State Legislature every year.
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