J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

J & K social security scheme amended
SRINAGAR, June 1 — The state government has approved an amendment in the Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Social Security Rules, to provide revalidation of sanctions of old-age pension after the expiry of five years of earlier sanction by the competent authority suo-motu subject to certain conditions.

7 IAS officers promoted
SRINAGAR, June 1 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved the promotion of seven IAS in supertime pay scale of Rs 18,400- Rs 22,400 of IAS. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet here yesterday.

J & K social security scheme amended
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 1 — The state government has approved an amendment in the Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Social Security Rules, to provide revalidation of sanctions of old-age pension after the expiry of five years of earlier sanction by the competent authority suo-motu subject to certain conditions.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet which met here yesterday under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah. Briefing about the decision, the Chief Secretary, Mr Ashok Jaitly said the suo-motu revalidation of pension is subject to the condition that the beneficiary is surviving on the date of sanction and continues to be a destitute within the meaning of Rule 2 of these rules.

The Social Security Scheme (SSS) provides social security to destitute old persons, widows, divorcees, orphans and orthopaedically and physically handicapped children below 18 years by way of grant of monthly pension or lumpsump aid. The sanction under rules has validity for five years and under the existing rules these sanctions require renewal for which fresh applications of the beneficiaries are necessary. It was also observed that for want of speedy revalidation the payment of pension in many cases could not be disbursed and funds under the scheme were bound to be lapse every year.

Mr Jaitly said a four-member Cabinet subcommittee had been set up to examine the issue of reservation in promotion for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. It will comprise Minister for Law, Social Welfare, Finance and Transport.

He said the Cabinet had also accepted the memorandum of understanding (MoU) arrived between the health and Medical Education Department and the Cantonment Board for the reconstruction of multi-disciplinary G.B. Pant Cantonment General Hospital, Badami Bagh, Srinagar. As per the MoU arrived in January this year, G.B. Pant Hospital would be a joint venture of the state government and the Cantonment Board. There will be a joint management committee to oversee the planning, construction and management of the hospital with Health Minister as its ex-officio Chairman and president Cantonment Board as its ex-officio vice chairman. Health and Medical Education Department and the Cantonment Board will rectify the decisions of the Joint Management Committee, the official spokesman said.

7 IAS officers promoted
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, June 1 — The Jammu and Kashmir Government has approved the promotion of seven IAS in supertime pay scale of Rs 18,400- Rs 22,400 of IAS. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet here yesterday.

The IAS officers are Mr B.R. Sharma, Mr D.P. Verma, Mr G.N. Ahangar, Mr S.R. Kapoor, Mr Chaman Lal, Mr M.S. Jamwal and Mr M.A. Khan, an official spokesman said.

Briefing about the decision of the Cabinet, Chief Secretary, Ashok Jaitly said the grade of Chief Conservator of Forests in favour of Mr Vinod Ranjan, IFS, Mr P.C. Kapoor, IFS, Mr M.A. Kawoosa, IFS and the grade of Conservator of Forests to Mr Deepak Khanna, IFS and Mr Ravi Kumar Kesar, IFS has also been released.

By another decision, the Cabinet approved the promotion of Dr Shahida Begum and Dr B.A. Khan in the pay scale of Rs 14,3000- Rs 18,300 and posted them as Medical Superintendent, Chitranjan Mobile Hospital, Srinagar and Director Family Welfare, Jammu and Kashmir, respectively.

Centre to help J & K set up craft institute
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, June 1 — The Government of India would assist the state government in establishing a craft development institute in Srinagar for imparting training to local artisans engaged in the production of various handloom and handicraft items, including carpets and shawls.

This was stated by the Union Minister of Taxtiles, Mr Kashi Ram Rana, at a news conference here today. Mr Rana said the institute was expected to cost Rs 12 crore. In this institute old and ancient patterns of shawls and carpet designs would be revived. He said India exported handloom and handicrafts worth Rs 8,000 crore and out of this carpets from Kashmir constituted 25 per cent.

He said there was a great demand for Kashmri carpets, handloom and handicraft items in various world markets and the ministry would provide marketing outlets to the Kashmir artisans to minimise the role of middlemen.

The minister, who visited the three regions of the state, said Ladakh had a great potential of exporting pashmina wool. He said 30,000 kg of pashmina wool had been produced in Ladakh this year and the Ministry for Taxtiles would provide all assistance to the producers so that the annual production of pashmina wool crossed over one lakh kg mark per year.

He said the Ministry for Textiles had agreed to the suggestions made by the state government for establishing carpet processing units within Kashmir. This would help the carpet weavers to bring down the cost of production because such units outside the state would charge Rs 12 per sq feet on processing of carpets. He said the ministry would also assist the state in establishing marketing outlets for the artisans within and outside the state.

At present there are 250 centres run by the Centre and 500 run by the state government in Jammu and Kashmir for training of artisans connected with handicrafts. But there is a wide gap between the stipend paid by the Centre and by the state government. Mr Rana hinted that the parity in stipend would be restored in all centres.

He said a Rs 100 crore trade mart was being set up at Noida in UP where the exporters could have display their ware. He said steps were being taken to hold a Suraj Kund mela type exhibition in Srinagar shortly and the Cottage Corporation of India planned to hold a Kashmir promotion fortnight in December.