*Order release of employees/pensioners pending DA
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 10: State Cabinet, which is meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti tomorrow afternoon, is likely to give nod to the holding of Budget Session of Legislature in Summer Capital from May 25. Moreover, the Cabinet will order release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) in favour of Government employees and pensioners, increase in scale of ration under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and opening of more women police stations.
This would be the first Cabinet meeting of the new PDP-BJP Coalition Government, which was formed on April 4 after 86 days long Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir imposed following the demise of the then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR that Cabinet would meet at around 3 pm at Civil Secretariat, Jammu to take decision on several important issues, which were pending for disposal in the absence of Government.
Since Budget Session of the State Legislature could not be convened in Jammu due to delay in formation of the Government and Civil Secretariat is all set to move to Summer Capital by end of current month, the Department of Parliamentary Affairs with the approval of Minister Incharge, Abdul Rehman Veeri has moved a proposal for holding of Budget Session in Srinagar from May 25, the decision on which will be taken by the Cabinet tomorrow.
As already reported, this will be for the first time during the past seven years that Budget Session of the Legislature will be held in Srinagar instead of Jammu. It had happened last time in 2009.
The Cabinet will also order release of 6% Dearness Allowance in favour of State Government employees and pensioners, which is pending during the past several months. With this decision, the revised rate of DA will be 119% of the basic pay, sources said.
It is pertinent to mention here that Government has not released 6% DA which is due with effect from July 2015 in favour of the State employees as well as pensioners. The DA was last enhanced by 6% by the State Cabinet in its meeting held on August 18, 2015 under the chairmanship of the then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and the same was given effect from January 1, 2015.
Moreover, the Cabinet will also enhance the Special TA of the move employees from uniform rate of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, sources said.
According to the sources, the Cabinet will also consider the proposal of the Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department regarding further enhancement in scale of ration per soul in the Below Poverty Line and Priority Sector House Holds categories to provide relief to a vast majority of the people across Jammu and Kashmir.
During Governor’s Rule, the State Administrative Council headed by Governor N N Vohra had accorded sanction to the provision of additional food-grains at 2 kilograms per head over and above the entitlement under National Food Security Act. “Now, Mehbooba Mufti-led Government wants to further increase the scale of ration for these categories of consumers and the proposal would be deliberated upon in the Cabinet tomorrow”, sources said.
They further disclosed that Cabinet would also take decision on the proposal of the Home Department regarding establishment of more women police stations in the State. “Chief Minister, in her capacity as Home Minister, has already given approval to this proposal and the same would be cleared by the Cabinet”, sources said.
At present there are only two women police stations in the State—one at Gandhi Nagar in Jammu and another at Rambagh in Srinagar. “Chief Minister wants to have such police stations in other parts of the State so as to exclusively handle the women related issues”, sources said.
The Cabinet will also deliberate upon the unrest in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar and Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh and Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar, who personally monitored the situation after paying visit to Srinagar and holding interactions with the agitating students, will brief the Cabinet about the latest situation.
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