JAMMU: First Cabinet meeting of the year 2025 will be chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Civil Secretariat here on January 20.
After taking over on October 16, 2024, the Omar Abdullah Government has held a couple of Cabinet meetings but this will be first meeting of the year 2025. The Cabinet meeting is scheduled at 4 pm on Monday.
Release of Dearness Allowance (DA) installment to the Government employees and pensioners/family pensioners with effect from July 1, 2024 topped 10 items on agenda of the Cabinet, officials told the Excelsior.
A day before, the Government employees tried to take out protest demonstration in Srinagar demanding release of pending DA installment and other issues.
Officials said the revised DA is likely to be approved by the Cabinet for the Government employees, pensioners and family pensioners with effect from July 1, 2024. This will fulfill demands of the Government employees and pensioners who have resented delay in release of the DA installment.
Implementation of 3-tier faculty structure in the Government Dental College, Srinagar and Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu as per the norms of Dental Council of India (DCI) on staffing pattern will also be taken up by the Cabinet.
Most of the Dental Colleges have implemented three-tier faculty structure i.e. Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors as against four-tier structure beginning Lecturers.
As per the officials, the Government is expected to give nod to four-tier structure to bring faculty in the Dental Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar at par with most of other Dental Colleges across the country.
The Cabinet will also consider another significant reform in the selection processes undertaken by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board.
The reform pertains to dispensing with holding of oral test/interviews/viva-voce in respect of posts, falling in Pay Level-6. This has also been recommended by the Services Selection Board.
“Dispensing with the interview for some of the posts is one of the major steps for ensuring free and fair selection process in a transparent manner based only on the written test,” the officials said.
They added that Jammu and Kashmir Excise Policy 2025 is also one of the agenda items and will be taken up by the Cabinet. The Excise Policy has to be announced by the Government in the next few days to give enough time to the Department for new vends.
Yet another important item of the Finance Department to be taken up in the Cabinet meeting includes amendments to the Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.
Various projects/schemes will be taken up by the Cabinet for discussion and administrative approval including some post facto. They include dumpsite remediation through bio-mining/bio remediation of 11.00 lakh MTs of legacy waste at Achan dumping site, Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 60.50 crores (Rs 33 crores from 14th Finance Commission and Rs 27.50 crores from Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0).
Project Pollution Abatement and Conservation of river Jhelum at Chuntkul and Gawkadal areas in Srinagar at an estimated cost of Rs 6445.68 lakh (Rs 6380.68 lakh under National River Conservation Plan) is also listed in the Cabinet for administrative approval.
Pollution Abatement and Conservation of River Banganga at Katra town at an estimated cost of Rs 92.10 crore, also under National River Conservation Plan will be taken up by the Cabinet for administrative approval, the officials said.
They said construction of new hospital block for emergency operation theatre at SMHS hospital Srinagar has been listed in the Cabinet meeting for accord of post facto administrative approval.
Most of the Cabinet proposals have to be sent to the Lieutenant Governor for approval.
Officials said other than the agenda, the Cabinet is likely to recommend date for convening budget session of the Legislature.
