State Cabinet meeting Tuesday: 73rd Amendment Report, BDC Elections, Changes In Admn On Agenda

KL Desk

Jammu

The Jammu and Kashmir state cabinet, for the first time after the recent reshuffle, is scheduled to meet Tuesday morning at the civil secretariat in Jammu.

The meeting is believed to have some important matters on agenda while the 17 member cabinet will have six new faces inducted into the cabinet after the January 15 reshuffle.

According to sources, the report submitted during the recent coalition coordination meeting by the state Congress on the incorporation of provisions of 73rd amendment of the Indian constitution in the state Panchayati Raj Act will be tabled for discussion. “The meeting is scheduled for 10 am on Tuesday. Apart from discussion on the recommendations of the congress committee report, the security situation in the backdrop of attacks on panchayat members and LoC tension are also framed for discussion during the meet”, the sources told KNS.  They said the issue of elections for the Block Development Councils (BDC) will also be discussed during the meet with finalization of dates also expected in wake of a lot of pressure on the government to empower the grass root institutions.

Meanwhile, another key matter on agenda would be the decision on appointment of new Chief Secretary of the state in wake of the present incumbent Madhav Lal’s term due for expiry next month.

“There could be minor changes in administration which are expected”, the sources said adding names of some senior bureaucrats including Iqbal Khanday are under active consideration of the government for the top bureaucratic slot of the state. However, the sources gave an indication of massive reshuffle in the state’s police and civil administration after January 26 republic day celebrations are over.

Pertinently, the new entrants into the cabinet include Saifullah Mir, Choudahary Ramzan, M Akbar Lone, Ajay Sadhotra, G A Mir and Ab Majid Wani. The meeting scheduled for last week had been postponed at the last moment in view of resentment among some members over the reshuffle.

R S Chib, S S Salathia, Kamar Ali Akhoon, A G Malik and Agha Ruhulla had been dropped by the coalition partners during the rejig in an effort to give a new face to the state cabinet.