Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 27: State Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah at Srinagar this afternoon, asked the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister to work out modality vis-à-vis increasing the cap of subsidized Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders for the consumers of the State and come up with formal proposal in this regard.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that soon after the routine agenda was cleared by the Cabinet, the Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Raman Bhalla raised the issue of cap on subsidized LPG cylinders and re-verification of the connections as per the directions of the Union Government and stressed that State Government should take some decision to bail out people of the impending financial crisis.
“The people are being subjected to numerous difficulties as even at the beginning of new system the availability of LPG has come down to a great extent. The black-marketing of the cylinders has picked up considerably”, sources said quoting Revenue Minister as having stated in the Cabinet. He informed the Cabinet that people have also been facing problems even in getting the subsidized LPG cylinders within the cap fixed by the Union Government.
He stressed that like several States of the country, State Government should take some decision to increase the cap on LPG cylinders to at least 9 in a year in order to provide some sort of succor to the people of this hilly State.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohd Sagar also favoured working out some modality to increase the cap on subsidized LPG cylinders on the pattern of some other states of the country.
The shortage of LPG cylinders following announcement of new decision by the Union Government was also pointed out in the Cabinet, sources said.
Keeping in view the concern expressed by his Cabinet colleagues, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah asked the Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Qamar Ali Akhoon to carry out detailed exercise in this regard by thoroughly discussing all aspects and pros and cons of increasing cap on LPG cylinders and then come up with formal proposal so that some decision could be taken. “I am seized of the difficulties being faced by the people”, sources said quoting Chief Minister as having stated in the Cabinet.
Mr Akhoon informed the Cabinet that he has already written to the Union Minister for providing some sort of relaxation vis-à-vis re-verification of consumers’ connections keeping in view the terrain and geographical conditions of the State.
“I have also approached the Union Minister on cap issue with the plea that it would create problems in Jammu and Kashmir because of its climatic conditions”, he added.
The delay in adoption of All India Council of Technical Education Revised Pay Scales and Career Advancement Rules for the faculty of Government College of Engineering and Technology, Jammu also figured in the Cabinet with the Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla terming the same as ‘injustice’ with the faculty of the College.
He told the Cabinet that proposal in this regard has already been deferred twice and there was strong resentment among the GCET faculty. He stressed upon the need to immediately complete the necessary exercise so that teaching staff of the College don’t remain deprived of 6th Pay Commission benefit for more time.
On this, Chief Minister asked the Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal to get the matter expedited so that proposal comes up before the Cabinet as early as possible.
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