Key proposals approved for upcoming Budgest session

The Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister (CM) Omar Abdullah on Monday evening, proposed that the upcoming budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will begin in early March and last for three weeks. This will mark the first Assembly session held in Jammu after the abrogation of Article 370.

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In addition to the budget session proposal, the Cabinet discussed several other important matters, including the deaths in Badhaal village, the pending Dearness Allowance (DA) payments for government employees and pensioners, and the construction of a new hospital block for the emergency operation theatre at SMHS Hospital, Srinagar.

The Cabinet is also reported to have proposed an increase in the honorarium for Special Police Officers (SPOs). It also approved a proposal to dispense with oral tests and interviews for posts in pay level-6, as recommended by the J&K Service Selection Board. However, all these proposals remain subject to clearance by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

Furthermore, the Cabinet gave administrative approval to key proposals from the Housing & Urban Development Department. These included the remediation of 11 lakh metric tons of waste at the Achan dumping site in Srinagar through bio-mining/bio-remediation, as well as pollution abatement and the conservation of River Banganga in Katra Town, among other initiatives.