Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 19: State Cabinet in one voice passed a resolution moved by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to express deep shock and grief over the tragic death of Zahid Bhat, who yesterday succumbed to his injuries sustained in Udhampur attack on October 9.
Expressing solidarity with the bereaved family, the Cabinet observed a two-minute silence in memory of the departed soul. The Cabinet also approved ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 lakh and Government jobs in favour of the Next of Kin of Zahid and Showkat Ahmad Dar, who is undergoing treatment in the Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi.
Appreciating the people for maintaining calm, the Cabinet assured that the investigation will be fast-tracked so that those found guilty of this heinous crime are not allowed to go unpunished under any circumstance.
Asserting that the constituency of peace will be further strengthened, the Cabinet vowed to defeat the conspiracy hatched by certain people to subvert the agenda of peace and reconciliation of the Coalition Government.
Meanwhile, Cabinet approved transfer of land measuring 6 kanals and 13 marlas along with one structure belonging to the Estates Department, adjacent to the Sangarmaal City Centre in Srinagar to the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA).
The Cabinet also approved transfer of land measuring 35 kanals in village Keran, Tehsil Jammu (North), under the possession of Jammu Development Authority (JDA) to the J&K Higher Education Department for its further lease to the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for the establishment of Regional Branch of Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).
The Cabinet also accorded sanction to the transfer of Padshahi Bagh (36.9 kanal) Bijbehara, Anantnag in favour of J&K Bank for a period of 10 years, in the first instance, for further comprehensive development. The Bank will take suitable steps for conservation of Padshahi Bagh Park before work is taken up for its restoration.
The regularization of Joint Directors of Animal Husbandry Department namely Dr Jaswant Singh with effect from 01-03-2000 and Dr M K Misri with effect from 01-06-2004 as Directors of Animal Husbandry Department also received the approval of the Cabinet.
The Cabinet approved creation of supernumerary posts of Assistant Labour Commissioner for the period from 29-09-1997 to 30-04-2000 to be utilized for promotion/ regularisation of Abdul Qayoom Mir, who superannuated as I/C Assistant Labour Commissioner as Assistant Labour Commissioner with effect from 29-09-1997 on notional basis and from 20-03-1998 on regular basis till his retirement— 30-04-2000 and regularisation of M L Sharma, who superannuated as I/C Assistant Labour Commissioner as Assistant Labour Commissioner with effect from 15-06-2004 to 31-12-2006 only.
The Cabinet also decided to extend pensionary benefits to the 30 leftover employees of the erstwhile Government Lumbering Undertaking (GLU) by extending the cutoff date up to June 30, 1984 instead of March 31, 1983.