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| 31587 hectares degraded land treated :Qazi | | Two more timber sales centers coming up in Srinagar | | JAMMU, JAN 23
31587 hectares of land has been treated under various schemes out of which degraded forest area is 21538 hectares and the total forest area of the state is 20230 Sq. km, out of which about 50 percent (10.00 lakh hectares) is degraded.
This was stated today for Minister for Forest and Environment Qazi Mohammad Afzal in reply to a question by Nizam-ud-Din Bhat in Legislative assembly today.
The conservation/rehabilitation measures taken annually need to be considerably augmented by providing resources in the shape of manpower and funds to address the problem of degradation of the forests.
Replying another question by Mr. A.M. Sofi regarding Timber sale in Srinagar city, Minister said that State Forest Corporation has opened consumer Sale Depots Parimpora, Botakadal, Lalbazar, Batamaloo, Habbak Naseemd Bagh, Hazratbal. The allotment of timber is made on first come and first served basis. For minor repairs/renovations timber upto 50 cft is sanctioned in each case while as for fresh construction, timber is sanctioned upto the extent of 100 cft. He said the State Forest Corporation is shortly establishing two more Sawn Timber Sale Centres within the Srinagar Municipal Corporation limits at Awanta Bhawan Soura and Main Chowk Nowgam.
Replying another question by Mrs. Farida Mir, the Minister said that for development of forests, various schemes under District/State sectors and Centrally Sponsored Schemes are under implementation in the State. Under these schemes/programmes, afforestation, soil and water conservation, and other protection measures are carried out. In addition to these, rehabilitation of degraded forests in certain major catchments of the state namely Jhelum, Chenab and Ujh is under implementation under “Eco-rest oration of degraded catchments”.
In reply to a question by Mr. Amrit Malhotra, the Minister said that pursuant to the recommendations of Jammu and Kashmir PSC, the Forest Department has appointed thirty (30) Assistant Conservators of Forests under Direct Recruitment Quota. In addition, 130 Range Officers Grade-1, have also been promoted as Assistant Conservators of Forests (ACFs) during the last 22 years. However, no re-structuring of the staff strength in the Forest Department has taken place for the last 22 years.
In reply to a question by Mr. Ghulam Rasool Kar, Minister said that the Motor Vehicles Department have authorized 68 Pollution Checking Centres to check the density of exhaust fuel emission levels of the vehicles plying in the state out of which 39 centres are functional in Jammu Division and 29 centres in Kashmir division. These pollution checking centers have been equipped and upgraded with the latest type of equipments as per the up-gradation norms issued by the Government of India. Recently the Pollution Control Board has acquired two mobile pollution control Checking Vans for conducting inspections of these centers and individual vehicles of various types.
Moreover, he said that silence zones have been notified by the traffic department in both capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar for safeguard of the environment.
In reply to a question by Sofi Ghulam Mohammad regarding special Haj quota to the state, the Minister for Haj and Auqaf Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed informed the House that the Jammu and Kashmir which enjoys special status under the Indian Constitution and being the Muslim majority state is getting Haj quota as per the norms fixed by the Government of India.
In reply to another question by Mr. Lal Mohammad Sabir Minister for CAPD Mr. Taj Mohi-ud-Din on behalf of Chief Minister informed the House that the total number of dailies published in Urdu from Jammu and Kashmir state are 74 out of which 53 are published from Kashmir Division and 21 from Jammu division. He said the daily Sandesh Urdu Newspaper is a regional paper and no discrimination has been done against the daily.
Replying to another question by Miss Sakina Ittoo, Mr. Taj said that Antyodya Anna Yojana is a part of BPL category. Poorest of the poor out of the BPL lists are enlisted under AAY scheme keeping in view the incidence of poverty of a particular family. He said Centre provides rations at cheaper rates under AAY scheme and the subsidy involved is borne by centre.
Replying a clubbed question by Prof. Bhim Singh, Mr. Mohammad Rashid Qureshi, Mr. T. S. Wazir and Mr. Bilal Ahmad Khan Lodhi, the Minister for Education Mr. Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed informed the House that teaching guides known as ReTs have been engaged in terms of Government order No. 396-Edu of 2000 dated 28-04-2000. In all 30932 such ReTs have been engaged from the inception of the scheme.
He said that the ReTs are not paid any wages or daily allowances but are entitled to get an honorarium of Rs.1500 PM for the first two years and Rs. 2000 PM from 3rd year onwards. The Minister said that ReT teachers engaged under the normal scheme are working against the deficiencies assessed in the schools with reference to the existing norms. He said 7695 ReTs engaged are working against such vacancies whileas the balance number of 23237 ReTs have been engaged under SSA and 3rd teacher posts in Primary Schools under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme.
He said the engagement of ReTs is being made under the scheme authorized by the Government Order No. 396-Edu of 2000 dated 28-4-2000. In terms of the said scheme the panel of eligible ReTs has to be made by the Village Level Committee comprising two parents of the children, two persons with social standing from the village, representative of Women/SC/ST and ZEO concerned. The selection drawn by the VLC is required to be vetted by the Deputy Commissioner concerned alongwith the representative of the Directorate of School Education.
Replying to supplementaries by Prof. Bhim Singh, Mr. P.Namgial, Mr. Abdul Rehman Tukroo and Miss Sakin Ittoo, the Minister said that 4934 ReTs have been so far regularized who have completed five years of service. He assured that any complaint regarding the appointment of candidates on non-merit basis would be scrutinized and appropriate action taken against the persons responsible.
In reply to another question by Syed Basharat Ahmad Bukhari, the Minister for Housing and Urban Development Department Mr. Qazi Afzal informed the House that 75 plots of different sizes have been allotted by the government. This includes plots allotted to 14 non-state subjects who were also shifted from the city to Parimpora.
Replying another question by Mr. T.S. Wazir, the Minister said that most area of Satwari block falls under contonment, however, the drainage system of the area which falls under the jurisdiction of JMC is being upgraded by ERA under Asian Development Bank Funding.
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