AC Meets: Passenger fare hiked by 19 percent
Pashmina certification centre put under I&C command, JKAACL to be registered as society
JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Thursday approved a fare hike of 19% for all categories of commercial passenger vehicles. The decision was announced during a meeting of the Administrative Council (AC), which met here under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha.
The decision has been taken on the basis of cost analysis based on fuel rates, toll tax, operational and maintenance cost, and losses incurred due to COVID-19 lockdown; undertaken by the transport commissioner for the consideration of the Fare Revision Committee.
Earlier, the Fare Revision Committee recommended a 19% fare hike to make the plying of commercial passenger vehicles in J&K financially viable, taking into account the prevalent prices in the neighbouring states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana.
Pertinently, the previous fare revision in Jammu and Kashmir took place two and a half years ago and the fare remained unchanged ever since.
In another decision the AC announced a major relief to the artisans and weavers after it approved the transfer of administrative control of Pashmina Testing and Quality Certification Centre from Skill Development Department to Industries Department.
The decision will facilitate the artisans and weavers to avail testing, certification, and labelling facility for authentication of pashmina products. Besides, promotion of genuine pashmina based handicrafts and handloom products in the market, the interests of the artisans will be protected through the authentic trade.
The AC also accorded approval to the construction of Jetty Bridge over river Jehlum in Baramulla at an estimated cost of Rs. 30 crore by Jammu and Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIDFC).
JKIDFC will take over the project under languishing projects, under which it will construct a 262m, 5 span, double lane bridge over river Jehlum at Jetty Khwaja Bagh, Baramulla. The project will provide an alternate crossing over river Jehlum, by-passing the Baramulla town and will drastically reduce the intensity of traffic through the main town.
The bridge will connect a number of villages from the areas of Rafiabad, Handwara and Kupwara- the prominently food producing centres, and thus enhance economic activities in the region.
Meanwhile, the AC also accorded sanction to the construction of office accommodation of UT Taxes Department at Railway Station Check Post P-side, Jammu at an estimated cost of Rs 22.06 crore.
The infrastructure will accommodate various new wings created after the implementation of the GST Act including Chairman, members and staff of the GST tribunal; Deputy Commissioners; Anti-profiteering Secretariat; and enforcement wing of the Department. This will ensure efficient monitoring of GST tax regime in the Union territory.
The AC also approved the implementation of high-density plantation scheme in the horticulture sector with the support of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED). The step will go a long way in enhancing the quality and quantity of horticulture produce and doubling the farmer’s income.
The farmer-centric scheme will be implemented for apple, walnut, almond, cherry, litchi, and olive among others over an estimated area of 5500 hectares of suitable agro-climatic zones for 6 years with effect from March 2021 to March 2026.
The new high-density plantation scheme has provisions to provide 50% subsidy to orchardists for the establishment of high-density orchards accompanied by a loan facility for raising 40% of remaining capital. The scheme will also provide subsidies to the growers on account of expenditure related to micro-irrigation, plant material, and anti-hail nets. Under the scheme, preference will be given to farmers with landholdings of less than 4 kanal.
The high-density plantations are expected to make horticulture profitable through superior yields, higher yields per hectare, early harvest, and introduction of insect and pest resistance varieties thereby saving the expenditure on disease and pest control.
The scheme will be implemented with the support of NAFED which will provide end to end support to the growers and will assess the suitability of available land for undertaking high-density plantation.
NAFED will also install a high-tech laboratory for certification of the horticulture produce on international standards, virus indexing laboratories, and will arrange for imports of the specified qualities and species from identified countries.
The AC also approved the proposal to register the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The decision will align the Academy with the administrative changes brought in Jammu and Kashmir after its reorganization in 2019.
The reorganization of the J&K Academy of Art, Culture, and Languages is based on the existing models of central bodies like Sahitya Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy and Lalit Kala Academy.
The new Society will be governed through a Governing body under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, and will also have other administrative authorities including General Council, Central Committee, and Finance Committee.
The Society will work to promote publication of literature on art, culture and allied subjects including monographs, journals, dictionaries, and encyclopedias; sponsor and organize cultural exchanges, mushairas, symposiums, seminars, lectures, meets, camps, conferences, exhibitions, film shows, music, dance & drama performances, and cultural festivals; and encourage translations of literary works from one regional /national language into others and also from non-Indian into regional / national languages.
The AC also approved the proposal of Health and Medical Education Department to create additional 30 posts to operationalize the newly sanctioned 200 bedded Maternity Hospital at Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
The Maternity Hospital is being built at an estimated cost of Rs. 50 crore, and has an initial sanctioned strength of 237 employees at different levels of the organizational hierarchy. The additional 30 posts are required to make the pediatric wing of the hospital fully functional.
Once operational, the hospital will strengthen the maternity-related facilities in Jammu division, ease the burden of patient load on the existing tertiary level hospital-SMGSH, and ensure quality maternity, neonatal and pediatric care to the patients.
