*First installment falling due in June, 2nd in Oct

Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 25: People’s Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party Coalition Government will have to rush through the elections to Urban Local Bodies in order to avail full financial assistance recommended by the 14th Finance Commission for a period of five years.
The elections to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) were last held in the year 2005 and their five-year term expired in 2010. Thereafter, no attention was ever paid towards holding fresh elections to these grass root level democratic institutions in urban areas of the State.
Due to non-holding of elections, the State lost Central assistance worth several hundred crores of rupees as the funds for both Urban and Rural Local Bodies are conditional and unless these stipulations are fully met, the Union Government doesn’t provide funds.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that 14th Finance Commission has recommended award of Rs 4769.37 crore to the Jammu and Kashmir for the local self Government for a period of five years from 2015-16 financial year beginning from April 1, 2015. Of the total award, an amount of Rs 3463.73 crore has been recommended for Rural Local Bodies (Panchayats) and Rs 1305.64 crore for the Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Corporations, Councils and Committees).
The 14th Finance Commission has laid down conditions to be followed by the State Government in order to avail the grant for local bodies. The foremost requirement for getting this assistance is that there should be elected local bodies. Though Rural Local Bodies (Panchayats are in place), the elected Urban Local Bodies would have to be established as early as possible as the Award period is beginning from April 1, 2015.
According to the conditions, the Gram Panchayats shall have audited annual accounts relating to year not earlier than two years preceding and there shall be improvement in own revenues that means the local bodies would have to raise funds by way of imposing local taxes.
For availing the assistance, the duly elected Urban Local Bodies will have to conduct survey and publish service level bench marks for basic service, sources said while disclosing that 14th Finance Commission has categorically stated that the local bodies shall spend grants only on assigned basic services.”The weightage for distribution of grants for local bodies has been fixed as 90% to population (2011 census) and 10% of the area”, sources informed.
“Since Government of India will release grants in two installments—one in June and another in October every year, the J&K Government would have to ensure duly elected Urban Local Bodies well before the month of June in order to avail the first installment”, sources said.
Stating that Government has been left with no other option but to rush through the ULB elections, they said, “this also becomes imperative in view of the lengthy process involved in establishing duly elected Municipal Corporations, Committee and Councils”. Moreover, before holding elections the Government is also required to take decision whether it would go for delimitation of wards keeping in view the expansion of urban areas and demand of the people from the extended areas of Urban Local Bodies, they added.
Notwithstanding the urgency to put in place duly elected Urban Local Bodies, the Government has yet not finalized any schedule for elections. “The matter is under submission to the General Administration Department”, said Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Kumar Singh, who is also holding the portfolio of Housing and Urban Development Department, in the Legislative Assembly two days back.
In response to a question, sources said that 14th Finance Commission has also recommended Rs 59666 crore Revenue Deficit Grant, Rs 1268 crore for Disaster Management and Rs 60400 crore as share in Central Taxes. However, these are unconditional grants and there will be free flow of the funds.
They informed that 14th Finance Commission has also laid roadmap for fiscal consolidation of the State. For fiscal indicators– Debt/GSDP, Fiscal Deficit/GSDP, Tax/GSDP and Interest/RR, the Commission has fixed percentages for five years beginning from 2015-16 financial year starting from April 1, 2015.

Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 25: In a major relief to widows and old aged persons Government today announced, simplification of pension procedures and formalities for various pension schemes including death certificates.
Announcing this in State Assembly during debate on annual grants of Social Welfare and Forest Ministries, the Minister incharge Social Welfare and Forests, Bali Bhagat said that no widow has to go to police station in future to seek the death certificate for getting the widow pension.
He said in future the death certificates in such cases will be issued by village Chokidars.  Likewise, no pensioner has to visit hospitals in future for seeking age certificate and Social Welfare Department will make arrangements for issuance of age certificates to beneficiaries in coordination with Health Department.
Maintaining that BJP–PDP Government is committed to accountability and transparency Mr Bhagat said that Government will take innovative steps to bring more transparency and accountability in the functioning of Social Welfare Department enabling the poor beneficiaries to avail the benefits of various welfare schemes.
The Minister said that it is endeavour of the PDP-BJP Government to uplift the poor and help the destitute and physically challenged people adding that focused attention will be given to address their issues. The Government will provide suitable financial assistance to them for their dignified sustenance in the society, the Minister asserted.
Referring to the initiatives proposed for the next fiscal, the Minister said that presently there are 98,963 registered cases under NSAP scheme and 9133 cases under National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) scheme pending with the Department. He said to clear these an amount of Rs. 74.27 crore is required which includes Rs. 24 crore as State share. He said, in a major initiative he took up the issue with Union Rural Development for providing the Central share for clearing the liability and he has assured for the same.
The previous rate of pension was Rs. 200 and Rs. 500 for widows under Central and State schemes, and lump-sum per beneficiary Rs. 40,000 under NFBS scheme, said the Minister and added that the Government has already announced the enhancement of rates and now these categories will get Rs. 1000 per month.
In order to ensure complete transparency in the system, the Minister said that the Government will introduce e-governance (smart governance). He said Government has also started on Pilot basis in six districts the payment of pension through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) under Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Scheme adding that the scheme will be rolled out in all the districts from the current fiscal. He said the online facility mechanism for filling up the applications for various schemes/programmes will also be started and status of the applications shall be updated after every 15 days on the departmental website to facilitate the beneficiaries. The department shall also prepare the citizen charter and upload the same on the official website, said the Minister.
The Minister said under a major initiative to improve the sex ratio, Government has extended Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao” (BBBP) Scheme initially in six districts of the State on pilot basis. He said Jammu and Kashmir is the first among the States to launch a small deposit scheme ‘Sukanya Samridhi Yojna’ for the girl child under the BBBP scheme. The Sukanya Samridhi Account will fetch Rs. 6.50 lakh on attaining 21 years of age for which the State will contribute Rs. 1000/- per month in these six districts of the State with adverse sex ratio, said the Minister.
The Minister further informed that Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) has been restructured and brought under Mission Mode. Under this, 100 ICDS Centers are being converted into Crèches and the existing Anganwadi Centers (ACs) are being upgraded, he said and added to ensure more transparency in the functioning of ACs, the package of services available under the ICDS programme will be displayed in the premises of the Centers and the same will also be highlighted through leading news papers. Further, the Programme Officers will regularly review the functioning of the Centers and interact with the ground level functionaries to induce the motivation among them, the Minister maintained.
Mr. Bhagat said that in order to streamline the process of quality and timely procurement of nutrition and other articles, Government has proposed to introduce e-tendering system. A new Procurement Policy will also be formulated soon which will also have provisions of testing the supplies in the labs and schedule for calendar, he added.
Giving account of the activities of the Department, Mr. Bhagat said  presently  Government provides benefit to over 18 lakh beneficiaries under different target groups in the shape of pension, scholarships, hostel facilities, reimbursement of examination fees, soft loans, supplementary nutrition, insurance, prosthetic Aids and rehabilitation etc.
The department also provides free boarding and lodging to 36 Bal Ashrams and Nari-Niketans across the State, besides takes care of over 29599 Anganwadi Centers with over 10 lakh beneficiaries including children and pregnant, lactating mothers and adolescent girls by providing them supplementary nutrition and allied services, Minister informed.
Under Rehabilitation of victims of militancy, over 10000 beneficiaries have been provided pension/scholarships and other assistances. The Women Development Corporation has also provided soft loan to 593 beneficiaries for setting up their livelihood units, besides imparted vocational trainings to 848 beneficiaries during the year 2014-15. Similarly, the SC/ST /BC Development Corporation has extended loaning facilities to 479 small scale units and also covered 650 units under Direct Benefit Scheme (DBS), the Minister added.
Issuing stern warning to timber smugglers, the Minister said that effective measures will be taken to curb timber smuggling and forest land encroachment. Mr Bhagat also sought cooperation of all members in this regard.
Giving details he said 13,000 hectares of forest land has been encroached and the Government has resolved to restore it. Maintaining that he wanted to bring a change in the system Bali Bhagat said a message should be conveyed to people that this Government is going to streamline the system fully.
He said an Advisory Committee has been framed by Forest Ministry to clear the pending projects and said that PWD projects will not be cleared till it pays balance Rs 30 crore to the Ministry.
Earlier, the Minister moved a Demand for Grant of a sum of Rs. 68953.98 lakhs to defray the charges which will come in the course of payment during the year ending March 31, 2016 for the departments under his charge.
Replying to demand of grants of his Ministry Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga said as the industrial package is going to end on March 31,  the Government will announce new Industry Policy soon. He said in this regard opinion of MLAs and industrialists will be sought by the Government.
Asserting that BJP-PDP Government will give an impetus to Industry in the State for its overall development and employment generation, he said under new Industrial Policy the procedure for setting up of industrial units will be simplified as it takes years together for completion of formalities to the people intending to set up their industrial in the State and single window system will be adopted in this regard.
Mr Ganga said a conducive atmosphere will be created for industry and maximum people will be trained about industrial trade. Besides online  system will be started to provide all information, he added.
Accusing previous Government of making tendering procedure full of corruption he said this will end now. Mr Ganga also asked members to identify State land in their respective areas for setting up on new industrial units.
He said the State had framed the Industry policy first time in 2004 and at that time the then Union Government which was led by Atal Behari Vajpayee had given good package for the development of industry in the State. Many industrialists came here to set up their units and lakhs of people got employment. But after the UPA Government came to power, it reduced these incentives by and by with the result the people lost their jobs in the State.
He said the mafia Raj and “lootmar’’ at Lakhanpur will end now to boost industry in the State as the industrialists were facing hardships in bringing raw material from other states.
He said 1000 kanals of land will be brought under industrialization in the various parts of the State.
Giving all credit to coalition Government led by Mufti Mohd Sayeed Minister of CAPD and Tribal Affairs, Ch Zulifkar said that though the Tribal status was given to people 25 years back but the Tribal Ministry was created for the first time by this Government.
He said the coalition was fully committed to the overall welfare of Tribal people in the State.
Making a dig at opposition talking about allocation of funds to Tribal Ministry, he said when PDP was in opposition and its members were talking about Tribal welfare and allocation of funds no one was paying heed.
He said the Directorate of Tribal Affairs has been empowered to monitor the schemes and announced that the Tribal Sub Plan will be released with State Plan now which was not a practice in past.
Regarding the scholarships for Tribal students he announced that now the money will be directly transferred in the accounts of the students.
21 Members took part in discussion on demand of grants including M. Y. Tarigami, Ms. Shamima Firdous, Syed Farooq Ahmed Andrabi, Ravinder Raina, Altaf Ahmed Wani, Bashir Ahmed Dar, Asgar Ali Karbalia, Dinanath, Kuldeep Kumar, Mir Zahoor Ahmed, Nazir Ahmed Gurezi, Usman Majid, Syed Mohammad Baqir Rizvi, Daleep Singh, Ch. Mohammad Akram, Devinder Kumar Manyal, Abdul Majid Bhat, Raja Manzoor Ahmed, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Mumtaz Ahmed Khan and G. M. Saroori, The House passed the Grants by a voice vote.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 25: Seeking strict compliance of the earlier Government order putting ban on private practice by all the Heads of Departments in the Government Medical Colleges and Associate Hospitals, the Principal GMC Jammu has impressed upon all the HoDs to desist from private practice.
According to a circular, issued today by the GMC Principal Dr Ghanshyam Dev, some of the HoDs in GMC and Associated Hospitals were still indulging in private practice, which is not only uncalled for but also violation of the Government order number 43-HME of 2013, dated 17-1-2013.
Pertinent to mention here that under order number 43-HME of 2013, the State Government has put a ban on the private practice by all the HoDs in Government Medical Colleges and Associated Hospitals.

NEW DELHI, Mar 25:

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, a veteran Parliamentarian and founder member of BJP who is held in high esteem across the political spectrum, will be conferred Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian award, on March 27.
President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among a host of VVIPs who are likely to be present at the Krishna Menon Marg residence of Vajpayee in Lutyens’ Delhi where he will be honoured.
The announcement for the prestigious award for Vajpayee, the first Prime Minister from outside the Congress party to serve a full five-year term, came on December 24, a day before he turned 90.
Vajpayee, who was Prime Minister from 1998 to 2004, and has faded from public life due to age-related illness, is lauded as a statesman and has been often described as the moderate face of BJP.
He has been credited with taking bold initiatives, notable among them being the historic bus journey to Lahore in 1999 when he signed the landmark Lahore Declaration with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with both sides pledging to push for peace and security.
Vajpayee’s detractors called him the “mask” of RSS but still always had good words for him.
Bharat Ratna announced earlier for noted educationist and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya will be given posthumously to his family members on March 30 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
An educationist with a vision, Malviya  was behind the establishment of the Banaras Hindu University.
Born on December 25, 1861, Malviya was catapulted into the political arena immediately after his first moving speech at the second Congress session held in Kolkata in 1886. He was President of INC in 1909 and 1918.
Malviya is also remembered for his stellar role in the Independence movement and his espousal of Hindu nationalism. He was one of the initial leaders of the right-wing Hindu Mahasabha.
The recommendation for Bharat Ratna is made by the Prime Minister himself to the President.
In 2013, when the UPA Government had announced Bharat Ratna for former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and scientist CNR Rao, BJP had criticised Congress for ignoring Vajpayee’s contribution to the nation.
Since its inception, 43 people including former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal Bhadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi besides singing legend Lata Mangeshkar and the batting mastreo have received the prestigious award. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 25: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, under his Pro-active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) initiative, today held a video conferencing with Union Secretaries of various Ministries and Chief Secretaries of States.
Chief Secretary J&K, Iqbal Khandey also participated in the video conference.
Under PRAGATI, Prime Minister will be conducting meetings with Union Secretaries and Chief Secretaries on monthly basis to review the progress of infrastructural projects under implementation in the States.
During today’s interaction, the Prime Minister discussed the progress of various ongoing projects under implementation in States and gave directions to fast-track the completion of these projects.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 25 : Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will be visiting New Delhi tomorrow to attend the meeting of the Sub Group of State Chief Ministers, constituted in the NITI Ayog, to rationalize the Centrally-sponsored Schemes.
He will also be attending the function at the Union capital where former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be awarded Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country.
The Sub Group of the Chief Ministers, which will meet on March 27, will look into the 66 Centrally-sponsored schemes and identify which must be cut, which are to be continued and which can be transferred to the States. It is expected to submit its recommendations by April next month.
The Chief Minister will also attend the function in which former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be honoured with Bharat Ratna.