JAMMU, JANUARY 17 (KNO) : Terming Revenue Department as the backbone for successful administration, Minister for Revenue, Hajj & Auqaf and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri today said that timely and relevant interventions are important to keeping up with the times and ensuring healthy public service delivery.
The department is consistently evaluating various land reform schemes, changing developmental strategies and taking necessary steps to strengthen the department.
“The process of preparation of Records-of-Rights with the introduction of latest technology and replacing age old chain system with the metric system is one of major initiatives to upgrade the public service delivery in the state,” the Minister said while replying to the discussion on Demand for Grants of Revenue, Hajj & Auqaf and Parliamentary Affairs Departments in the Legislative Assembly.
Welcoming the relevant points raised during the discussion, the Minister said that inputs from legislators present the on-ground needs of public and are essential to help department achieve progressive growth.
With regard to the initiatives announced for the department in the Budget 2018-19, the Minister thanked Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and the Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu for recognizing the concerns of the department especially in respect of mobility of various field officers. He expressed gratitude for budgetary announcements including keeping provision of Rs 10 crore for infrastructure improvement, creation of Revenue Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF). “This fund will go a long way in filling the infrastructural gap in the field”, he added.
With regard to operationalization of newly created Administrative Units in the state, the Minister said that to make these units functional, 140 Girdawars were assigned the charge of Naib Tehsildars as stop-gap arrangement and similarly 49 Naib Tehsildars were placed as Tehsildars as stop gap arrangement.
Further to strengthen the department’s field presence, the department has referred 51 posts of Tehsildars to JKPSC and 156 posts of NTs to JKSSB, the Minister said adding that process for filling up of promotion quota posts will also be taken up at the earliest.
Regarding land acquisition process for proposed Ring Roads in Jammu and Srinagar, the Minister informed that 123 villages fall in the alignment of the proposed Ring Roads and area of around 12000 kanals approximately is required for these projects. 105 declarations/awards have been issued in respect of Ring Roads and National Highway 44 by the department, he said.
The Minister said Revenue Conferences are also being conducted at the District headquarters to sensitize the revenue field functionaries to ensure transparency and expeditious public delivery.
For establishment of Patwar Khanas, all Deputy Commissioners have been directed to identify 5 marlas of land in each Patwar Halqa, besides submitting a proposal for rationalization of the existing Patwar Halqas, the Minister informed.
“The digitization of land records under comprehensive initiative, Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme (DILRMP) is also being undertaken in a phased manner to bring much needed transparency in land mapping at individual and institutional level”, the Minister informed. In Phase-I, Jammu and Srinagar district will be covered as part of which a total of 16461087 Revenue documents have been scanned and total of 39,920 Revenue maps have been scanned, 447 maps digitized and 4594 Ground Control Points (GCPs) have been installed.
Regarding implementation of J&K State Lands (Vesting of Ownership Rights to the Occupants) Act, in the State, the Minister informed that the said Act is implemented across state except Leh and Kargil Districts. Around 200053 applications were received in various offices out of which 10073 applications stand disposed of, he said.
Regarding functioning of Evacuee Property department, the Minister said that strenuous efforts are undertaken for retrieval of land, besides, the department has also prioritized various projects as desired by Chief Minister to be taken in hand for execution in Phase–I for the year 2018-19 including construction of Community Hall in Samba, residential flats at Dhamwal in Jammu, office cum shopping complex at Sunderbani and residential flats at Purkhoo in Jammu, he said.
In Kashmir, the proposed projects are construction of residential flats at Hyderpora and Zewan in Srinagar, community hall at Harwan and marriage hall at Indira Nagar. EP department has generated income to the tune of Rs 80 crore in Jammu and Rs 77 crore in Kashmir division, he added.
Veeri informed that a committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary to look into arrears of outstanding dues against various government and other organizations.
Enumerating the achievements of Auqaf department, the Minister said that during the last fiscal upto December 2017, the department has generated the income to the tune of Rs 1741.35 lakh and expenditure for the said period is Rs 1329.82 lakh.
The Minister said that the Wakaf Council with its mandate has created various public utilities in the state for benefit of beneficiaries and other amenities, besides various proposed projects, which are being discussed at various levels for early initiation including establishment of educational institutions, boarding schools for needy students, construction of sarais/flats/banquet halls/shopping complex at different locations.
It is also proposed to establish corpus fund for poor and needy of beneficiary community as grant of financial aid to the patients suffering from life consuming diseases.
Highlighting the initiatives taken for the legislators by Parliamentary Affairs Department, the Minister said that the House Building Advance and Car Advance has been enhanced from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10, besides, travelling allowance to the members has also been enhanced from Rs 1 to Rs 1.5 lakh.
Veeri further informed the House that the Cabinet has approved enhancement in sitting allowance of members from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000, bill for will be introduced in the current session of LA. Former legislators who are pensioners have also been covered under Group Insurance Scheme, he added.
Regarding status of construction of new Legislature Complex at Jammu, the Minister said that work for said project is underway and an amount of Rs 28.61 crore has been released during 2017-18 adding that New Legislature Complex is expected to be completed by end of October 2018.
Later, the House passed the grants of Revenue, Hajj and Auqaf and Parliamentary Affairs for the year 2018-19, which were moved by the Minister, amounting to Rs 59626.84 lakhs with voice vote.
Earlier 30 Members participated in the discussion on Demand for Grants of the Revenue, Hajj and Auqaf and Parliamentary Affairs Departments and raised various issues concerning these Departments. They include Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mohammad Khalil Band, Choudhary Sukhnandan Kumar, Aijaz Ahmad Khan, Hakeem Mohammad Yasin, M Y Tarigami , Main Altaf Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Javid Hassan Beigh, Pawan Kumar Gupta, Rajesh Gupta, Deldan Namgyal, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Kuldeep Raj, Abdul Rahim Rather, R S Pathania, Mohammad Amin Bhat, G M Saroori, Choudhary Qamar Hussain, Shamim Firdous, Javid Ahmad Rana, Vikar Rasool Wani, Asgar Ali Karbalie, Usman Majid, Sheikh Ishfaq Jabbar, Shah Mohammad Tantray, Raja Manzoor Ahmad, Mubarak Gul, Abdul Majid Larmi and Yawar Ahmad Mir.(KNO)