Srinagar, Budgam to raise housing colonies
AC approves waiver of fifty percent passenger tax
Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday approved the transfer of land at 17 locations in favour of the Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD) for the construction of housing colonies in Srinagar and Budgam districts, officials said.
The approval for transfer of land measuring over 289 acres in seven villages at 17 locations in Srinagar and Budgam districts, free of cost in favour of HUDD for construction of housing colonies, was accorded by the Administrative Council (AC) which met under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here, an official spokesman said.
He said the construction of the housing colony project would play a very important role in the economic, industrial, social, and cultural development of Jammu and Kashmir.
It will provide direct employment to skilled/unskilled labour as well as indirect employment to local vendors and youth, besides ensuring the development of local areas to meet the rising housing demand, he said.
Accordingly, the spokesman said, the Srinagar Development Authority and the J-K Housing Board have been assigned the task of finalising the type designs and other modalities of these projects with a special focus on developing affordable housing on these land parcels.
Recently, during the Real Estate Summit-2022′, decisions were taken to develop housing stocks in both the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu.
In another significant move, the AC approved the waiver/exemption of fifty percent (50%) of Passenger Tax chargeable on various vehicles from 1st April, 2020 to 31st March, 2021.
The decision will address the genuine demand of the operators of commercial transport who have suffered losses on account of COVID-19 induced nation-wide lockdown and restrictions leading to non-operationalization of the public transport.
For owners of commercial vehicles, who have already deposited the passenger tax for aforesaid period in full, the excess amount paid thereof by them shall be adjusted against the liability accrued or accruable in the next financial year i.e for the time period of 1st April, 2021 to 31st March, 2022.
The AC also approved the strengthening of Corporations under the administrative control of the Power Development Department by creating various posts in view of the unbundling of the Department.
AC sanctioned the creation of 64 posts at various levels in the J&K Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (9), J&K Power Corporation Ltd. (16), Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. (18), and Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd. (21). These newly created posts include Managing Directors, Executive Directors, Law Officers, Administrative Officers, Secretaries, Account Officers, Public Relations Officers, etc.
Further, the Power Development Department was directed to notify respective Recruitment Rules at the earliest to speed up recruitment against the new posts.
Additionally, the Administrative Council also approved the creation of 09 posts under different categories in the J&K Trade Promotion Organization (JKTPO), Department of Industries and Commerce. These posts include Managing Director, Financial Advisor/CAO, General Manager (GM) Operations and Administration, Manager (Branding & Marketing/ Exports), Company Secretary, Assistant Manager (Branding & Marketing), Assistant Manager (Exports), Accountant, and Personal Assistant.
The Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organization is the nodal agency for investment promotion in the Union territory by engaging with various national and international stakeholders and serves as the reference point of the J&K administration. The newly created posts will serve the manpower need of the organization to efficiently address investment-related issues towards boosting industry-led employment generation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Farooq Khan and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.
