Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 15: Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) Department, Ch Mohammad Ramzan today said that LPG gas agencies would be opened in all leftover blocks in the State shortly while as issue of increasing the cap on subsidized cylinders from 9 to 12 has already been taken up with the Union Government.
Replying to a question by National Conference MLA and former Minister, Abdul Gani Malik and supplementaries of various Members in the Lower House, the Minister said that Government has decided to open 172 new LPG agencies across the State and advertisement in this regard will be issued within days, adding “all those blocks where there is no gas agency would receive the priority”.
The Minister said, “home delivery of LPG gas has been started in Jammu and Srinagar from March 5, 2013, which was the cut-off date, and has yielded fruitful results at the ground level”, adding “in Jammu region 87.71% home delivery has been ensured since March 5, 2013”.
Earlier, in reply to the main question, the Minister said, “crisis on account of availability of LPG in the State had emerged after September 13, 2012 due to capping of subsidized domestic LPG cylinder to six in a year and blocking of un-verified connections of such consumers, who had not completed their KYC formalities. However, the rush of KYC verification has settled down now and presently there is no crisis”.
Balwant Singh Mankotia, Prof Chaman Lal, Ashok Kumar, Krishan Chander Bhagat, Ajaz Ahmed Jan, Irfan Shah, Javid Ahmed Dar, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, Jugal Kishore, Harshdev Singh, Er Abdul Rashid and Peer Afaq raised supplementaries to the main question and demanded opening of more LPG gas agencies in their constituencies.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 15: Five lakh aged and infirm people in the State are beneficiaries of pension given by Social Welfare Department and the total sum spent annually on it is Rs 95 crore. This was stated by Minister of Social Welfare, Sakina Itoo while replying the debate on annual grants of his Ministry in State Assembly during second sitting here today.
The Minister said that during last four years of coalition rule various steps were taken to put the Social Welfare Department back on track.
She assured the members that all efforts will be made to give pension to the beneficiaries in time.
Miss Itoo said to make the purchase of nutrition transparent the department has started the procedure of e-tendering. The e-tendering has been started from Jammu and Srinagar districts first and now other districts will also brought under the same process.
She said earlier the department had involved the respective Deputy Commissioners and given them powers for the purchase of the same. The money was transferred to them and they were made accountable for the same.
She said that providing of quality nutrition to children is the endeavor of the Ministry and no compromise will be made on the same.
She said 28,000 ICDS centres are working in the State at present and there are still many uncovered areas which will also be covered soon.
Miss Itoo further said over six lakh students were given scholarships in the State by her Ministry. Some scholarships are given from Central schemes while some are given through State schemes, she added.
The Minister said 1600 awareness camps have been held in far flung areas by the Social Welfare Department.
She said the Backward Commission which was defunct earlier has been made fully functional with appointment of chairman and four members and soon the uncovered areas will be covered by the Commission.
She said Rs 12 crore loan was provided under Sher-e-Kashmir employment scheme so far.
The Minister moved a Sum of Rs 477.96 crore be granted to the department to defray the charges which will come in the course of payment during the year ending March 31, 2014 which was later passed by the House.
Earlier participating in the debate NPP’s Harshdev Singh demanded enhancement of pension for widows, destitutes and handicapped, He also demanded same be paid in time and more eligible areas needed to be taken into the category of rural backward areas.
Prof Garu Ram said that J&K is a more backward State and the schemes needed to be brought to remove backwardness. He demanded BPL category be removed for widows in providing financial aid and SC and ST Corporations be strengthened.
Aijaz Jan of NC demanded Anganwari centres in his Constituency, Bal Ashram for Poonch and hostels in Poonch blocks.
Charanjit Singh also demanded Gujjar hostels and Bal Ashram in his constituency while BJP’s Ch. Sukhnandan alleged that particular kind of pulses is given in Anganwari centres for full week. He demanded that Gujjars putting up in his Constituency be also given benefit.
Ashok Kumar of Congress said Anganwari centres are not functioning properly at various places in the State and stressed on conducting of surprise checks for the same. He also demanded that a model Anganwari centre be created in every Panchayat of the State.
NPP’s Balwant Singh Mankotia said the way the sex ratio is declining is a threat to female population. He stressed that the women be made self dependent. Constant check be made on functioning of Anganwari Centres and new centres be set up at those places where they are most needed, he added.
G M Saroori of Congress demanded bringing the crash centres at par with Anganwari centres in paying emoluments.
M S Niaz of Congress said that pension was not paid in time by the Social Welfare Department and norms be framed for providing BPL certificates. He demanded that Social Welfare Department should create job avenues for poor women.
Irfan Shah of NC demanded Anganwari centres for his Constituency and welfare schemes be also launched for the people living above BPL category.
Ashwani Sharma of JSM said if Government fulfills its promise of clearing backlog pension cases this year it will be a great service to the poor. He said Jammu is biggest district in the State and it needs more attention. Besides, attention be paid to blind home and Nari Niketan. He demanded reservation for people living on border and benefit of 27 percent reservations as given in other states to OBCs.
Bimla Luthra, Indu Pawar, Krishan Chander and Yashpal Kundal also participated in the debate.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 15: Notwithstanding the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah’s repeated thrust on the completion of projects within stipulated time-frame, 72 developmental projects have exceeded target date of completion beyond the period of five years.
In reply to the question of MLA from Jammu West Assembly segment, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta in the Lower House, the Minister Incharge Planning said that 11 projects of J&K ERA, 12 of JKPCC PW (R&B) Sector, 2 of Higher Education, 20 of Power and 27 of Health Department have exceeded target date of completion beyond the period of five years.
The main reasons for delay in the execution of these projects were delay in shifting of utilities, delay in land acquisition, delay in eviction of encroachments, non-performance of contractors, time taken in vacation of stay if any from the courts, time consumed in termination of original contract and its re-tendering and escalation in cost estimates.
Some of these projects are construction of sedimentation tanks, clear water sump and allied works for treatment of backwash water at WTP in Srinagar district, construction of Over Head Tank and Ground Water Level Service reservoirs and other allied works in Jammu city, replacement of worn out pipes and strengthening of distribution network in Jammu, widening and strengthening of Udhampur-Ramnagar road, improvement and upgradation of Doda-Bharat road, construction of bridge over River Jehlum at Chandanwari, Uri, construction of auditorium at Government Degree College Anantnag, construction of grid stations at Kishtwar, Batal Manwal, 132 KV Barn-Canal transmission like, construction of grid station at Reasi, Hiranagar-Barn-Bishnah transmission line, Gladni-Udhampur transmission line 165 towers, Sub-District Hospital at Charar-e-Sharief, District Hospital Budgam, District Hospital Anantnag, District Hospital Doda, CHC building at Khour etc.
About the major projects having been abandoned despite spending more than Rs 2 crore, the Minister informed the House that work on 12 road projects falling under Prime Minister Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has been temporarily abandoned due to stay obtained by M/s GVPR Engineers Ltd, Hyderabad.
These projects are road from Gowari to Bharat, road from Sungri to Bagudas, road from Budhal to Lancha, road from Gran Morh to Sakal Ghati, road from Bhalra to Gurekha, road from Chakri to Kalihand, road from Baboor to Jigote, road from Udhampur to Hancha, road from Dalli to Kaloohand, road from Atholi to Palai, road from B B Bhagwah to Kotli and road from Beoli to Koti.
The Minister further informed the House that one more project namely—construction of Kandi canal in Doda district under AIBP has been temporarily abandoned by M/s Mir Constructions and Associates in whose favour the contract was awarded by the PHE Department and the case is now sub-judice.

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 15: Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Hassan Mir today said that Government has launched multipronged strategies to promote agriculture and its allied sectors on scientific lines and all the resources are being pooled to give fillip to production and productivity.
Replying to the discussion on demand of grants of his department, the Minister said that the department has shifted its focus from the cultivation of food grains to total diversification in agriculture produce and high income generating crops like fruits, flowers, vegetables, medicinal plants and allied activities like sericulture have been incentivized and encouraged. This will increase agriculture income and help to generate gainful employment in farm sector, he added.
Stating that present Coalition Government has given special focus to this important sector by exempting tax on most of the agriculture inputs for the benefit of farmers, he said that to make agriculture and its allied sectors profitable, thrust has been given to introduction of latest agri-techniques and use of farm machinery in farm sector to lower the production cost. “In this direction Kissan meals-cum-Farm machinery exhibition are being held at district level in first phase and now directions have been passed to conduct such melas at Panchayat level to make farmers aware about latest techniques and its utilization at their doorstep”, he added.
The Minister said that first time a mechanism has been adopted for close coordination between research and extension departments of SKUAST with agriculture and its allied sectors to percolate the benefit of new crop and fruit plant research to common farmers.
With the strenuous efforts of Agriculture Department Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) of the State has gone up over the last four years from 10% to 24.78% in paddy and from 10.79% to 29.77% in wheat and efforts are on to reach the level of 33%, the national benchmark, Mr Mir said.
Stating that saffron is heritage cash crop of the J&K, the Minister said that an ambitious National Mission for the rejuvenation of saffron with an investment of Rs 372.18 crore has been launched. “It is expected that production of saffron would double in the State by the end of four years. Under the mission more and more areas are being covered under the saffron cultivation and SKUAST-K has been asked to find the feasibility of other areas in Valley where this heritage crop would be cultivated for boosting the rural economy”, he added.
Mr Mir said that Department of Agriculture, Jammu has taken up market intervention for the last two years to prevent distress sale of their food-grains produce by farmers and facilitated an all-time high procurement of 92,499.45 quintals of wheat grains and 36,118.95 quintals of paddy grains by FCI with the active involvement of the CAPD Department.
“The Chakroi Seed Multiplication Farm is being developed and upgraded at a cost of Rs 30 crore in Jammu Division for production of high quality Basmati seeds of traditional variety of R S Pura. In order to further increase the production/ productivity of local Basmati variety of R S Pura, measures are also being taken under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Food Security Mission and Macro Management of Agriculture”, the Minister informed the House, adding “so far an amount of Rs 11.5 crore stands utilized on this account”.
Underlining the importance of horticulture in  boosting the rural economy, Mr Mir said that there is a need to focus on infrastructure for post harvesting as it is only way  to compete with international market, adding “the State Government is providing funding for creation of post-harvest infrastructure”.
“The Kashmir valley is proud to export 90% apple requirement of the country’s population and it is our duty to launch latest post-harvest projects under private and public sector to full fill the demand of the market which would help the growers as well”, he said, adding “three cold stores are functioning in Valley and four more are in pipeline. The turnover on account of export of fruits of the State has reached a level of Rs 4200 crore as on date”.
Underscoring the need to develop the floriculture on commercial lines, the Minister asked the youth to opt it as a profitability activity as the department has adopted commercial floriculture which include providing of financial and technical assistance and development of post-harvest facilities and marketing channels for the benefit of the growers.
Earlier, 15 members including M Y Tarigami, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Irfan Shah, Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, G M Saroori, T Namgyal, Prof Gharu Ram, Javid Ahmad Dar, Ch Sukhnandan Kumar, Harshdev Singh, Aijaz Ahmad Jan, Ashok Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Charanjeet Singh and Er Abdul Rashid took part in the discussion. The House, later, passed the grants by a voice vote.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Mar 15: Dr. Jonathan Craig, Senior Vice President, eni, Italy, and Chairman, MPRG, UCL, London and Prof. Bindra Thusu, Senior Research Fellow, University College, London, both of whom are Visiting Professors in the Jammu University, called on N. N. Vohra, Governor, at Raj Bhavan. They were accompanied by Prof. G. M. Bhat, Head, Department of Geology, University of Jammu.
Dr. Craig, Prof. Bindra and Prof. Bhat briefed the Governor, who is the Chancellor of the Jammu University, regarding the arrangements and other details of the International Conference on “Sustainable Resource Development in the Himalaya” which is being organized jointly by the Geological Society of London and Jammu University, at Leh in July 7, 2014. Over 200 delegates from various parts of the globe are likely to participate in this 3-day Conference scheduled to commence on July 7, 2014. Delegates from various Government organizations and reputed institutes and universities within the country will also be participating in the deliberations.
The Governor while interacting with the visiting Professors emphasized the need for sustainable development of varied resources in Himalaya, particularly the energy and water resources to meet the present and future requirements of the growing economy, with a focus on producing clean energy to protect the environment and ecology.
He hoped that the projected conference will adequately focus on tapping non-conventional resources of energy like wind, solar, bio and geo-thermal besides hydro power to increase the availability of energy and, at the same time, ensuring the protection of the eco-system. He also stressed the crucial importance of sensitizing the public at large about environment issues.
Dr. Craig is Principal organizer of the Conference while Prof. Bhat is its organizer. They stated that pre-conference and post-conference field visits of Ladakh region are also being planned for the delegates participating in the conference.