Kashmir Impulse Desk
Jammu, Nov 13
The cabinet on Friday approved policies on hydropower development and urban asset monetisation, besides clearing land allotments for three fruit markets and a power grid station in north Kashmir.
The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Jammu, was the first full-strength cabinet sitting since four ministers were inducted on October 27.
Sources said the cabinet approved the Jammu and Kashmir Hydropower Policy-2026, aimed at attracting private investment in projects with a capacity of up to 100 megawatts under the Independent Power Producer and Public-Private Partnership models.
It also cleared the Urban Asset Mapping and Monetisation Policy-2026, prepared by the Housing and Urban Development Department.
The policy seeks to identify and map assets owned by urban local bodies and optimise their use to generate additional revenue for civic infrastructure and public services.
The cabinet also approved the e-auction of the Sumcham Padder mineral block in Kishtwar district through the Union Ministry of Mines for granting an exploration licence for copper, nickel and associated mineralisation, sources said.
In another decision, it cleared the transfer of 32 kanals of Shamilat land at Nadikhai and Poshwari in the Hajin area of Bandipora district to the Power Development Department for construction of a grid station.
The proposed facility is expected to strengthen the electricity distribution network in the area.
The cabinet also approved land allotments for establishing fruit mandis at Pattan, Tral and Kulgam to improve marketing infrastructure for growers and facilitate the movement and sale of agricultural produce.
Cabinet Minister Javed Ahmad Rana said the meeting considered proposals relating to land required for power projects being developed under the public-private partnership model, agricultural and fruit markets, and the Subsidiary Intelligence Bureau.
He said certain promotion-related cases were also considered.
Rana said the regularisation of daily wagers was not discussed and had not been included in the Cabinet agenda.
The issue has remained a longstanding demand of daily wagers and other temporary workers employed in government departments across Jammu and Kashmir.
He also said the rehabilitation of traders affected by fires at Jammu’s Warehouse Market and Shiv Market did not figure in the meeting.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and ministers Ali Mohammad Sagar, Sakeena Itoo, Javed Ahmad Rana, Javid Ahmad Dar, Mir Saifullah, Shamim Firdous and Altaf Ahmad Wani attended the meeting.
The October 27 cabinet expansion brought four ministers – Sagar, Saifullah, Firdous and Wani – into the Council of Ministers, taking its strength to the maximum permissible nine, including the Chief Minister.
Satish Sharma was dropped in the reshuffle.
