 Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, July 30: In order to overcome acute shortage of accommodation for Government employees and lay base for creation of productive assets, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today ordered constitution of a high-level Committee which will examine and submit recommendations for effective utilization of land sites presently available with the Government for building infrastructure.
The Committee will be headed by the Principal Secretary, Planning & Development Department and will have Administrative Secretaries of Estates, Finance, Home, R&B and Revenue Departments as its Members. It will submit its recommendations on September 1, later this year for consideration and approval of the Government. The Chief Minister gave these directions here today while chairing a high-level review meeting on the future projects for creation of accommodation by the Estates Department. Minister for Revenue, Javaid Mustafa Mir, Minister for Public Works, Floriculture, Gardens & Parks, Syed Altaf Bukhari, Chief Secretary, Iqbal Khandey, Principal Secretary, Planning, B. R. Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas and the Administrative Secretaries of Finance, H&UDD, R&B and Revenue Departments, besides Director Estates attended the meeting. Highlighting the need to build durable assets to overcome shortage of accommodation, the Chief Minister said optimal use of available sites for construction of quarters and flats needs to be ensured. "The Committee will have to suggest how best we can use the land at various sites so that productive assets which are self-sustained by the Estates Department are created on ground," he added. The Committee, which will submit report within four weeks, will work on broad contours by ensuring that ownership of properties remain with the State Government and bids will be entertained only from local players. Earlier, the Chief Minister was informed about the acute shortage of government accommodation, both at Jammu and Srinagar, compelling the Estates Department to book hotels and private residential houses. The Estates Department is able to provide official accommodation to only 2600 employees while as there is a shortfall of 6000 to meet its immediate requirement, the Chief Minister was informed. |
