The State Administrative Council which met here today under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik approved the ‘Decentralized Policy for Procurement of Supplementary Nutrition’ under the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) Scheme to bring transparency, accountability and greater involvement of community. The policy shall be effective from the procurement year 2019-20.
Under the Policy procurement of nutrition items will have to be strictly as per recipe menu displayed in the Anganwadi Centres and to be preferably procured from Super Bazaar/Cooperative Stores/Fixed Price Shops/Registered Local Shop keepers on the rates not exceeding the rates notified by FCS&CA.
The new policy has been framed as per the delegation of powers of Panchayati Raj Institutions under the amended Panchayati Raj Act. Under the revised policy, supplementary nutrition shall be procured at Halqa Panchayat/Municipal Ward level.
Based on suggestions of all the stakeholders and analysis of procurement models followed in different States particularly in the States of Kerala, Uttarakhand and Odisha, procurement process under the scheme has been decentralized to the Anganwadi level except for Rice and Wheat which will continue to be procured from Food Corporation of India (FCI) through Department of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
The procurement at Anganwadi level will be made under the supervision of respective Panchayati Raj Institutions as per the delegation of powers to Panchayati Raj Institutions under the amended Panchayati Raj Act.
The procurement process will be ensured through various Committees including Procurement Committee-Rural, Procurement Committee-Urban and a Recipe Committee, under the chairpersonship of Sarpanch, Municipal Councillor/Corporator and District Programme Officer respectively.
A District Level Monitoring Committee under the District Development Commissioner (DDC) with representatives from line Departments will on monthly basis review the progress of implementation of nutrition programme under ICDS and submission of report to Mission Director, ICDS, for pointing out any deficiency, and give necessary recommendations for improvement/strengthening of the present policy; resolve inter-departmental issues ,if any, at District Level and supervise & monitor procurement, expenditure, quality control, hygiene, and other related issues.
TOLL TAX EXEMPTION FOR SPECIAL DEV PROJECTS:
The SAC today accorded sanction to the exemption of Toll Tax on machinery, equipment and key input materials being brought to the State for special projects like those under PMDP, National Highways, Airports, Railways, Educational and Medical Institutions etc.
Such exemption will only be granted if the executing organ of the Central Government or the State directly seeks such exemption in advance specifying numbers or volume of machinery, equipment or key input materials being brought. Such exemption will not be granted, if applied directly by the contracted executing private firms.
Pertinent to mention is that Toll Tax on machinery, equipment or key input materials being brought into the State for the execution of important projects adds up to the cost of the project, which was not originally envisaged.
“Since all prestigious projects are almost 100% centrally funded in the absence of State’s own resources, therefore, it makes sense that the State plays a facilitating role by not levying additional tax on machinery, equipment or key input materials being brought into the State for execution of these projects,” an official spokesman said.
SAC APPROVES DIVERSION OF 57 HA FOREST LAND:
The SAC approved diversion of around 57 ha of Forest land in various parts of the State for undertaking developmental activities in the roads, drinking water, electricity, Railways and Fire & Emergency sectors.
The SAC also approved a proposal for diversion of Forest land for construction of Degree College at Sunderbani in Nowshera Forest Division keeping in view the importance of the project from public standpoint.
The diversion of Forest Land has been approved in pursuance to the recommendations of the 111th and 112th Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) meetings held on 04-01-2019 and 21.01.2019 respectively under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary.
The proposals cleared today include use of forest land for upgrading to Chenani – Sudhmahadev section of National Highway-244, widening / upgradation of R.S pura- Suchetgarh road, Water Supply Scheme at Baba Reshi Cheerdara, Transmission line from Alustang – Leh for installation of Towers, construction of Fire and Emergency Station in Ramnagar, erection of Cell Phone Towers and providing Telecom Services in Kishtwar and Udhampur Districts, construction of PMGSY roads in Poonch, Rajouri and Bandipora Districts, construction of 1640 M Span bridge over River Chenab at Sajwal/Jourian and other critical infrastructure of Army and GREF.
INFRASTRUCTURE DEV APPROVED FOR SHEEP BREEDING FARM KHIMBER:
The SAC also accorded administrative approval to the construction of required infrastructure at an estimated cost of Rs 35.80 Crore at the Sheep Breeding Farm Khimber, Srinagar under NABARD Tranche XXIV.
Sheep Breeding Farm at Khimber shall have state of art infrastructure & in- house fodder production for livestock. It shall serve as major Germ Plasm Centre/Mother Stud Farm of the State and elite rams produced at the farm shall be distributed for genetic upgradation of local livestock enhancing mutton/wool production besides creating avenues for employment through establishment of sheep rearing units.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Department had a Sheep Breeding Farm at Dachigam. In 2017, the Sheep Breeding Farm at Dachigam along with its immovable assets was transferred to the Forest, Environment & Ecology Department.
After inspecting various sites, land at Khimber, Srinagar was found suitable for relocation of Sheep Breeding Farm. The land measuring 629 Kanals and 7 Marlas at Khimber has been transferred to Animal and Sheep Husbandry department for establishing a Sheep Breeding Farm vide SAC decision No 01.01.2019 dated 04.01.2019.
SAC APPROVES TIME BOUND PROMOTION FOR VETERINARY DOCTORS:
The SAC accorded sanction to the grant of 3rd Time Bound Promotion in favour of Veterinary Doctors.
The Time Bound Promotion scheme was introduced in the Animal/sheep Husbandry Department in February, 2004.
The scheme provides that veterinarians with more than 10 years service in respect of BVSC and more than 7 years service in respect of posts graduates will be entitled for first Time Bound Promotion. Veterinarians with 15 years of cumulative service are entitled to 2nd Time Bound Promotion.
Vide Government Order No. 03-ASH of 2010 dated 01.01.2010, sanction was accorded to the grant of dispensation of 3rd Time Bound Promotion to the eligible Veterinarians who rendered 20 years of cumulative service to the pre-revised pay scale of Rs. 14300-18300 revised to Rs. 37400-67000 with grade pay of Rs. 8700 at par with Assistant Surgeons of Health Department. However, retired doctors who completed 20 years of cumulative service before 01.01.2010 could not be covered under the scheme for having already superannuated from service.
Aggrieved by the Government order dated 01.01.2010, a group of retired veterinary doctors (Petitioners) filed a number of SWPs in the Hon’ble High Court. The High Court disposed of the SWPs with the directions to the State Government to accord consideration to the petitioners claim.
The SAC after considering various aspects and in view of the court directions accorded sanction to the grant of 3rd Time Bound Promotion notionally w.e.f 01.01.1996 and monetarily w.e.f 17.02.2004.
SAC APPROVES TRANSFER OF LAND FOR ESTABLISHING KV SCHOOL AT DODA:
The SAC accorded sanction to the transfer of State land measuring 100 Kanals and 14 marlas situated in Village Jodhpur, Tehsil and District Doda to the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan on lease basis for establishing a Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) School at Doda.
2 IPS OFFICERS PROMOTED:
The SAC accorded sanction to the promotion of IPS officers Sudhanshu Verma and Sandeep Gupta of 2015 batch to the Senior Time Scale of IPS (Level 11 in the Pay Matrix) w.e.f 01.01.2019.