CDF, relaxation in Marriage Assistance Scheme get nod
Most of agenda items approved, to be sent to LG
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 15: The UT Cabinet met today in Srinagar and is understood to have cleared majority of agenda items including enhancement of MLAs’ Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore per annum and relaxing qualification bar for poor girls’ Marriage Assistance Scheme. It also approved three key bills for introduction in the upcoming Assembly session.
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However, no official statement was issued after the Cabinet meeting which started at 4 PM at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar and lasted one-and-a-half hour. The meeting was chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
A post by the Office of Chief Minister on X after the meeting said: “Chief Minister today chaired a Cabinet meeting at the Civil Secretariat , Srinagar, where several key decisions were taken to strengthen governance and accelerate the pace of development across J&K”.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary and Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, Javaid Dar and Satish Sharma besides Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo attended the meeting.
Sources, however, told the Excelsior that key decisions like enhancement of MLAs’ CDF from Rs 3 cr to Rs 4 cr per annum and relaxation in qualification bar for the poor girls under State Marriage Assistance Scheme were cleared.
“All decisions cleared by the Cabinet are being sent to the Lieutenant Governor for approval. Only after the LG’s nod, the decisions come into effect,” the sources said.
There was demand from many quarters that there should be no qualification bar for grant of Special Marriage Assistance to the poor girls and the Cabinet today has done away with the bar enabling all eligible poor girls to avail benefits of the scheme, the sources said.
“The guidelines of the CDF have to be amended for raising the legislators’ CDF to Rs 4 crore. The amendment has reportedly been cleared by the Cabinet,” the sources said.
The Cabinet has also given nod to the bills which will be introduced in the Legislative Assembly session beginning October 23 and lasting till October 31 with six sittings.
The draft legislations cleared by the Cabinet include Jammu and Kashmir Shops and Business Establishment Bill, 2025, Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act 2017 Amendment bill and J&K Panchayati Raj Act, 1989 Amendment bill.
As per PR Act amendment, the upper age limit of the State Election Commissioner (SEC) will be enhanced from 65 to 70 years. J&K is without SEC since B R Sharma completed his term in April this year.
The Legislative Assembly Secretariat has reserved three days for the Government business which include bills, discussions and some resolutions.
Sources, however, didn’t rule out the possibility of the Government introducing a couple of more bills during the Assembly session. Besides, there have been reports that the Government could also bring a resolution on restoration of Statehood to J&K in the Legislature.
The Cabinet is understood to have given nod to e-auctioning of limestone mineral blocks and sewerage scheme for Gulmarg at a cost of Rs 45.80 crore.
Other items which were taken up by the Cabinet include transfer of State land measuring 391 kanals and 6 marlas to the Forests Department for compensatory aforestation, upgradation of posts of Joint Directors and Deputy Directors in the Department of Floriculture, Gardens and Parks, amendment in Schedule II of Jammu and Kashmir Engineering (Gazetted) Services Recruitment Rules 1978, reorganization of Town Planning Organizations of Jammu/Kashmir, Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility, creation of one supernumerary post of Lecturer in Surgery Department of the Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar and continuation/revival of Heritage Craft Courses in 15 Government Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)/ Polytechnic Colleges in Jammu and Kashmir.
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