JAMMU, MARCH 22 (KNS): The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today passed the Demands for Grants amounting Rs. 154531.84 lakh for Forest, Ecology & Environment, 157671.32 lakh for Irrigation & Flood Control Department, Rs. 350126.57 lakh for PHE (Jal Shakti) and Rs. 44,299.17 lakh for the Tribal Affairs Department.
The House passed the Demands for Grants through a voice vote on Saturday evening.
Earlier, during the day, the Assembly discussed the Demands for Grants and Members of the House put forth their views and suggestions.
Winding up the discussion on Demands for Grants, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, extended his gratitude to the MLAs for their valuable suggestions and constructive observations on the demand for grants.
He said that inputs reflect the collective commitment of this House towards ensuring sustainable development, environmental conservation and welfare of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
He said that the government is fully committed towards addressing the concerns raised while ensuring efficient utilization of resources to meet the aspirations of the people.
While speaking regarding the Jal Shakti department, Rana said that government is determined towards providing "Har Ghar Nal Se Jal" to all rural households and is utilizing resources from Jal Jeevan Mission, NABARD and UT Capex to provide fifty five (55) litres of clean drinking water per capita daily, conforming to BIS 10000 and 10500 standards.
“In order to achieve this objective, J&K has planned the execution of 3253 Water Supply Schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 13344.25 crore to provide new tap water connections as well as to upgrade the existing connections, provided under erstwhile programs, to make them JJM compliant by raising the new infrastructure as well as retrofitting the existing infrastructure, wherever required,” informed the Minister.
Reflecting on the achievements, he informed that major strides have been made in implementation of the Mission during the past 02 ½ years and more than 1400 (43%) Water Supply Schemes have been completed till date and out of remaining 1853 schemes, about 1500 schemes have recorded a progress of more than 50 percent.
Regarding the expenditure incurred, he said that it has picked up from Rs 441 crore on ongoing works in initial 03 years to 6560 on new works, in the past 03 years.
“J&K which languished at the bottom is now figuring at 5th in the overall functionality assessment conducted by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI, through a third-party agency. The overall functionality of J&K has improved from 53 percent in the year 2022 to 74 percent in 2024,” he said. He added that J&K is ranking first in the Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance at the National level.
“All the 22 water testing laboratories at the UT and State Level have been NABL accredited for a robust water quality monitoring mechanism,” he added.
Field Testing Kits (FTKs) have been distributed among the local communities for conducting tests of water samples on their own, for which more than 37000 women have been trained for use of FTKs.
Rana said that every measure has been taken to ensure that the quality of pipes is appropriate and the quality check through reputed agencies is being done at the manufacturing site and by the Departmental Committee on receiving the material at the central stores.
The Minister said that transparency, accountability and quality control mechanism in implementation of the Mission has been given top priority and a slew of measures have been taken to ensure the same.
Rana also gave details about the funds allocated for Water Supply Schemes under other sources like NABARD Schemes (PHE Sector), Water Supply Scheme AIIMS Awantipora and AIIMS Vijaypur.
“The department is purchasing 10 fresh tankers to augment the existing fleet to ensure the department is better equipped to tackle water shortages and meet the needs of our citizens” he maintained.
Talking about the Irrigation and Flood Control Sector (I&FC), he said the department is committed towards expanding the irrigation coverage, supporting the farmers who cultivate Kharif and Rabi crops through existing infrastructure upkeep, enhancing irrigation potential, and implementing new projects.
He said that to increase the area under assured irrigation, we're collaborating on strategic initiatives, with Major irrigation projects funded under PMKSY-AIBP and Minor Irrigation Projects covered under PMKSY HKKP.
Rana further said that under NABARD loan assistance, 12 projects amounting Rs 177 crore have been cleared under RIDF 30. These projects comprised 8 irrigation sector projects and 4 flood sector projects, all set to commence in 2025-26. He called for a collaborative approach to work together to create a water-secure future, for the present times and for generations to come.
While talking about the Forest, Ecology & Environment, Javed Rana said that the department is set to achieve the target of planting 150 lakh plants during the year 2024-25 under the programme “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, launched by Prime Minister. He said that the department's continuous efforts have led to positive results, as J & K recorded a net increase of 91.25 sq. km in forest and tree cover as per the Indian State of Forest Report 2023.
“During the current financial year, 16.251 lakh cft Timber was extracted and 13.67 lakh cft supplied by the J&K Forest Development Corporation. Further, 1.09 lakh cft timber has been supplied from Concessional Timber Sale depots and Fair Price Supply Divisions in 2024-25,” he said.
The Minister also said that the department is updating the State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) to address regional climate projections. This included assessing the sector and community vulnerabilities and integrating adaptation and mitigation strategies for resilience. The plan outlines 55 mitigation and 98 adaptation measures to be implemented by various departments by 2030, he said.
Regarding implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006, Rana said that 6,058 claims have been settled in J&K, comprising 348 individual and 5,710 community forest rights claims.
To ensure systematic forest land diversion for development activities, cases are processed online through the PARIVESH portal. “So far, 2,775 forest clearance cases have been received, with 1,159 Stage-I approvals and 507 final approvals granted, leading to the diversion of 629.95 hectare,” he said.
The Minister said that the J & K Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC) has taken key steps to improve the Ease of Doing Business by extending the Consent validity period for industries and adopting a revised industry classification.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
“The validity of Consent to Operate has been increased from 8 to 10 years for Orange category industries and from 12 to 15 years for Green category industries, while Consent to Establish is now valid for 5 years, extendable by 2 years. The revised classification, adopted in January 2025, promotes cleaner industries by reclassifying less polluting units to the Green category and placing pesticide formulation units under the stricter Red category,” he said.
Talking about Wular Lake, the largest freshwater wetland in Asia and a Ramsar site, Rana said that it is undergoing major restoration with a focus on ecotourism and local livelihoods.
Given the growing challenges of soil erosion and water scarcity, the Minister said that soil and water conservation has become crucial. “Check dams, slope stabilization, and water harvesting structures are planned in coordination with Agriculture, Rural Development, and Irrigation & Flood Control Departments to recharge groundwater and prevent erosion,” he asserted.
The Minister also highlighted the need for conservation of Wildlife saying that the Wildlife protected areas are being managed scientifically with approved plans, regular patrolling and strict enforcement of the Wildlife Protection Act.
“The Department of Wildlife Protection has set up 42 control rooms across J&K to prevent poaching and human-wildlife conflicts. To strengthen manpower across all wings, the Forest Department is ensuring timely recruitment through selection agencies and fast-tracking promotions,” he added.
The Minister said that the Kashmir Forest Training School is being upgraded to improve infrastructure and increase training capacity. A proposal for financial assistance will be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, he added.
Regarding the Tribal Affairs Department, Javed Rana said that the government pursues integrated Social, Economic, Educational, Cultural Development of tribal communities through several schemes. He said that the department is mandated to conduct research studies and document tribal-related matters. He said that the department envisages welfare of tribal population through key schemes and programs.
Rana said that the tentative budget provision for Dharti Abha Janjatiya Gramin Utkarsh Yojana (DA-JGUA) for the financial year 2025-26 is Rs 30.44 crore. “The Scheme included 25 interventions from 17 departments and will initially cover 393 villages in 20 districts with at least 50 percent ST population or 500 ST individuals,” he said.
The Minister said that J&K Tribal Research complex has been established at Khimber Srinagar with a cost of Rs 11.50 crore which aims to serve as a think tank for tribal development with a focus on research, cultural preservation, capacity building, and awareness programs.
In the upcoming financial year, the Tribal Research Institute (TRI) Jammu and Kashmir will expand its efforts in Research, Cultural Preservation, and Socio-economic Development of tribal communities. “Key initiatives included comprehensive ethnographic studies, a digital tribal archive, and a National-level tribal festival to showcase heritage and foster economic opportunities,” maintained the Minister.
He said TRI will also promote Tribal entrepreneurship, integrate tourism with heritage conservation, and strengthen the implementation of the Forest Rights Act through advisory roles.
To promote education among the tribal students, the Minister informed that the department operates 28 hostels housing 2,885 students. “Five new hostels are ready to be functional with 25 more hostels under construction at an estimated cost of Rs 89.21 crore, of which, five shall be completed during 2025-26,” he added.
The Minister said that six Eklavya Model Residential Schools (ERMS) have been made operational in Poonch, Rajouri, Kulgam, Anantnag and Bandipora and 11 more have been proposed for establishment during 2025-26 for providing quality education to ST children in remote areas.
He also said that a scholarship amounting Rs 12 crore shall be provided to around 16000 ST students under Post- Matric Scholarship and Rs 2.43 crore to 8100 ST students under pre-matric scholarship (8th& 9th classes ) and Rs 12 crore to 1.5 lakh students under pre-matric category.
Javed Rana said that three Transit accommodations for the transhuman tribal population at Thanamandi (Rajouri), Dalwas (Ramban) and Dubjan (Shopian) shall be completed during 2025-26 with a cost of Rs 7.95 crore.
For effective implementation of Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY) through JKRLM, the Minister said that an amount of Rs 14.57 crore shall be transferred to JKRLM. In order to strengthen medical facilities in Tribal Units, six Mobile Medical Units are being procured at a cost of Rs 4.52 crore.
The Minister informed that 10 Milk Villages are targeted for completion during 2025-26 with an allocation of Rs 800 lakh covering 410 ST beneficiaries.
For providing quality education to the Tribal children on modern lines, the Minister said that 50 schools in tribal areas shall be upgraded as Smart Schools with the facilities of Interactive Whiteboards & LED Panels, Digital Podiums, Smart Libraries, RO Drinking Water & Sports equipment with an estimated cost of Rs 3.0 crore.
The department will work to augment the manpower at all levels and will undertake steps for completion of the Tribal Bhawan and Museum in Jammu during the year 2025-26. He said that the Tribal Affairs Department will also coordinate formulation of Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) by various government departments in terms of guidelines of NITI Aayog.
The cut motions on Demands for Grants were withdrawn by the MLAs.
Legislators, Shamima Firdous, Mian Mehar Ali, Chander Prakash Ganga, Mir Saifullah, Ghulam Ahmad Mir, Choudhry Vikram Randhawa, Abdul Majeed Bhat, Altaf Ahmed Wani, Mohan Lal Bhagat, Engineer Khursheed Ahmed, Vijay Kumar Sharma, Basheer Ahmad Shah Veeri, Dr. Mohammad Sajjad Shafi, Muzaffar Iqbal Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Yudhvir Sethi, Javaid Iqbal Choudhary, Mehraj Malik, Choudhary Mohammad Akram, Mohd Shafi Uri, Reyaz Ahmad Khan, Shagun Parihar, Ajaz Ahmed Jan, Thakur Randhir Singh, Dr Rameshwar Singh, Salman Sagar, Arvind Gupta, Peerzada Muhammad Syed, Mir Muhammad Fayaz, Ali Mohammad Dar, Sunil Bhardwaj, Saifuddin Bhat, Sheikh Khursheed, Baldev Raj Sharma, Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, Zafar Ali Khatana, Dilip Singh Parihar, Irfan Hafiz Lone, Balwant Singh Mankotia spoke on the Demand for Grants and put forth their views and suggestions.
Later, the House passed the Demand for Grants moved by Javed Rana by voice-vote.(KNS)