SRINAGAR: In a novel governance initiative, the Jammu & Kashmir Government Tuesday decided to establish “excellence groups” in all the departments to facilitate di exchange of ideas among administrative secretaries and other senior officers with those who have held charge of the department in the past.
The Union Territory’s administration today said that it has decided to establish “excellence groups” under the concerned administrative secretaries in all departments of the government of Jammu and Kashmir for facilitating exchange of ideas and concepts among administrative secretaries and other senior officers, who have the charge of the department or office in the past.
“It is accordingly enjoined upon all administrative secretaries and heads of departments to establish these excellence groups and make them vibrant by organizing discussions, while inviting senior officers, who have previously worked in these departments/offices. This would foster knowledge sharing and continuity of thought and this kind of forum for argumentation would be an aid to achieve tangible results of the initiatives/programmes conceived from time to time. Present incumbents of these departments or offices,” reads a circular issued by the general administration department.
The move is aimed at improving governance and ensuring continuity in decision-making process in Jammu & Kashmir.
The GAD circular states that ideas conceptualized/ initiated by officers remain unattended due to their transfers. “It is a common observation that consequent upon transfers of senior from various administrative Secretaries and senior officers from various department departments, departmental priorities get realigned and hence initiatives conceptualized/initiated by the outgoing secretary or a senior officer, which may not get materialized during their tenure, sometimes remain unattended, thereby not yielding the desired outcome visualized by the outgoing officer,” the circular states.
The government said that creation of excellence groups “shall not only ensure materializing of fruitful ideas/initiatives, but would also foster value-addition in the governance structure, converting an idea into a tangible outcome.” (KNO)
SRINAGAR: A day-long conference on the scope and concerns of Corporate Governance was organized by Kashmir Angel Network at Islamia College.
The conference was held in three sessions on perspectives related to Introduction, Technical, and Industry, organized by the Angel network in collaboration with the Islamia College of Science and Commerce.
Irtif Lone introduced Kashmir Angel Network to the audience and its role in building up an enabling ecosystem for youngsters to undertake startups.
Speakers highlighted the need for bringing in various elements of corporate governance in all spheres of corporate management and operations.
It was further brought to notice that the apparent disconnect between Academia and industry needs to be removed to bring efficiency to industry and promote entrepreneurship among the student community.
Dr Khurshid Ahmed, the principal of the college addressed the audience and spoke about the role of Islamia College.
Chairman KAN, Shabir Ahmed Handoo presented an introductory overview of the event. Masood Hussain, a senior journalist of Kashmir talked about the macro-economic indicators and the prevalent business gaps in the market.
The technical session was graced by an eminent group of speakers, throwing light on different dimensions of corporate governance. It included Farukh Khan, CA Akeel Fayaz Mattoo, and Zubair Iqbal, former regional head of HDFC Bank.
The post-lunch session was the Industry session, and the speakers shared their experiences with the audience. Mehmood ur Rashid, Prof Seema Bashir, Irfan Zargar, M Ashraf Mir, Saad Parvez, Mahmood Ahmed Shah.
Patna: While the BJP leaders are advocating a Yogi Adityanath style of governance in Bihar, state Law Minister Shamim Ahmed has said that first it needs to close all the courts and then think of governance like Uttar Pradesh has at present.
“When BJP is in power, Bihar is having Mangal Raj and when it goes out of power, Jungle Raj comes in Bihar. Go to Uttar Pradesh and experience the governance there. If you want Uttar Pradesh like governance in Bihar, first it needs to close all the courts,” Ahmed said while interacting with media persons in Motihari.
“If all the decisions have to be taken by the chief minister, what is the need for courts,” he said.
“We have Nitish Kumar style of governance in Bihar. I admit that the crime graph has increased in Bihar but that is only due to population growth. Our DGP has taken an initiative to deploy two SHOs in one police station to check the crime graph in Bihar,” Ahmed said.
Shamim Ahmed went to Motihari to console the family members of the person who lost his life during indiscriminate firing on May 1. During the firing, four persons were also injured and are currently admitted in a hospital in Motihari.
The deceased was identified as Prince Kumar who came to Motihari to his sister’s house to attend a marriage on May 1. He was having a soft drink when three assailants opened fire on the Deva gang members who were also present at that tea stall. Prince was caught in the firing and died on the spot while Deva Kumar, Raja Kumar alias Virat, Meraj and Yash Prakash were injured in the attack.
For Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, next month’s election is of massive historical significance.
It falls 100 years after the foundation of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s secular republic and, if Erdoğan wins, he will be empowered to put even more of his stamp on the trajectory of a geostrategic heavyweight of 85 million people. The fear in the West is that he will see this as his moment to push toward an increasingly religiously conservative model, characterized by regional confrontationalism, with greater political powers centered around himself.
The election will weigh heavily on security in Europe and the Middle East. Who is elected stands to define: Turkey’s role in the NATO alliance; its relationship with the U.S., the EU and Russia; migration policy; Ankara’s role in the war in Ukraine; and how it handles tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The May 14 vote is expected to be the most hotly contested race in Erdoğan’s 20-year rule — as the country grapples with years of economic mismanagement and the fallout from a devastating earthquake.
He will face an opposition aligned behind Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, nicknamed the “Turkish Gandhi,” who is promising big changes. Polls suggest Kılıçdaroğlu has eked out a lead, but Erdoğan is a hardened election campaigner, with the full might of the state and its institutions at his back.
“There will be a change from an authoritarian single-man rule, towards a kind of a teamwork, which is a much more democratic process,” Ünal Çeviköz, chief foreign policy adviser to Kılıçdaroğlu told POLITICO. “Kılıçdaroğlu will be the maestro of that team.”
Here are the key foreign policy topics in play in the vote:
EU and Turkish accession talks
Turkey’s opposition is confident it can unfreeze European Union accession talks — at a standstill since 2018 over the country’s democratic backsliding — by introducing liberalizing reforms in terms of rule of law, media freedoms and depoliticization of the judiciary.
The opposition camp also promises to implement European Court of Human Rights decisions calling for the release of two of Erdoğan’s best-known jailed opponents: the co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party Selahattin Demirtaş and human rights defender Osman Kavala.
“This will simply give the message to all our allies, and all the European countries, that Turkey is back on track to democracy,” Çeviköz said.
Even under a new administration, however, the task of reopening the talks on Turkey’s EU accession is tricky.
Turkey’s opposition is aligned behind Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, nicknamed the “Turkish Gandhi” | Burak Kara/Getty Images
Anti-Western feeling in Turkey is very strong across the political spectrum, argued Wolfango Piccoli, co-founder of risk analysis company Teneo.
“Foreign policy will depend on the coherence of the coalition,” he said. “This is a coalition of parties who have nothing in common apart from the desire to get rid of Erdoğan. They’ve got a very different agenda, and this will have an impact in foreign policy.”
“The relationship is largely comatose, and has been for some time, so, they will keep it on life support,” he said, adding that any new government would have so many internal problems to deal with that its primary focus would be domestic.
Europe also seems unprepared to handle a new Turkey, with a group of countries — most prominently France and Austria — being particularly opposed to the idea of rekindling ties.
“They are used to the idea of a non-aligned Turkey, that has departed from EU norms and values and is doing its own course,” said Aslı Aydıntaşbaş a visiting fellow at Brookings. “If the opposition forms a government, it will seek a European identity and we don’t know Europe’s answer to that; whether it could be accession or a new security framework that includes Turkey.”
“Obviously the erosion of trust has been mutual,” said former Turkish diplomat Sinan Ülgen, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Europe think tank, arguing that despite reticence about Turkish accession, there are other areas where a complementary and mutually beneficiary framework could be built, like the customs union, visa liberalization, cooperation on climate, security and defense, and the migration agreement.
The opposition will indeed seek to revisit the 2016 agreement with the EU on migration, Çeviköz said.
“Our migration policy has to be coordinated with the EU,” he said. “Many countries in Europe see Turkey as a kind of a pool, where migrants coming from the east can be contained and this is something that Turkey, of course cannot accept,” he said but added. “This doesn’t mean that Turkey should open its borders and make the migrants flow into Europe. But we need to coordinate and develop a common migration policy.”
NATO and the US
After initially imposing a veto, Turkey finally gave the green light to Finland’s NATO membership on March 30.
But the opposition is also pledging to go further and end the Turkish veto on Sweden, saying that this would be possible by the alliance’s annual gathering on July 11. “If you carry your bilateral problems into a multilateral organization, such as NATO, then you are creating a kind of a polarization with all the other members of NATO with your country,” Çeviköz said.
A protester pushes a cart with a RRecep Tayyip Erdoğan doll during an anti-NATO and anti-Turkey demonstration in Sweden | Jonas Gratzer/Getty Images
A reelected Erdoğan could also feel sufficiently empowered to let Sweden in, many insiders argue. NATO allies did, after all, play a significant role in earthquake aid. Turkish presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın says that the door is not closed to Sweden, but insists the onus is on Stockholm to determine how things proceed.
Turkey’s military relationship with the U.S. soured sharply in 2019 when Ankara purchased the Russian-made S-400 missile system, a move the U.S. said would put NATO aircraft flying over Turkey at risk. In response, the U.S. kicked Ankara out of the F-35 jet fighter program and slapped sanctions on the Turkish defense industry.
A meeting in late March between Kılıçdaroğlu and the U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Jeff Flake infuriated Erdoğan, who saw it as an intervention in the elections and pledged to “close the door” to the U.S. envoy. “We need to teach the United States a lesson in this elections,” the irate president told voters.
In its policy platform, the opposition makes a clear reference to its desire to return to the F-35 program.
Russia and the war in Ukraine
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey presented itself as a middleman. It continues to supply weapons — most significantly Bayraktar drones — to Ukraine, while refusing to sanction Russia. It has also brokered a U.N. deal that allows Ukrainian grain exports to pass through the blockaded Black Sea.
Highlighting his strategic high-wire act on Russia, after green-lighting Finland’s NATO accession and hinting Sweden could also follow, Erdoğan is now suggesting that Turkey could be the first NATO member to host Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Maybe there is a possibility” that Putin may travel to Turkey on April 27 for the inauguration of the country’s first nuclear power reactor built by Russian state nuclear energy company Rosatom, he said.
Çeviköz said that under Kılıçdaroğlu’s leadership, Turkey would be willing to continue to act as a mediator and extend the grain deal, but would place more stress on Ankara’s status as a NATO member.
“We will simply emphasize the fact that Turkey is a member of NATO, and in our discussions with Russia, we will certainly look for a relationship among equals, but we will also remind Russia that Turkey is a member of NATO,” he said.
Turkey’s relationship with Russia has become very much driven by the relationship between Putin and Erdoğan and this needs to change, Ülgen argued.
Turkey brokered a U.N. deal that allows Ukrainian grain exports to pass through the blockaded Black Sea | Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images
“No other Turkish leader would have the same type of relationship with Putin, it would be more distant,” he said. “It does not mean that Turkey would align itself with the sanctions; it would not. But nonetheless, the relationship would be more transparent.”
Syria and migration
The role of Turkey in Syria is highly dependent on how it can address the issue of Syrians living in Turkey, the opposition says.
Turkey hosts some 4 million Syrians and many Turks, battling a major cost-of-living crisis, are becoming increasingly hostile. Kılıçdaroğlu has pledged to create opportunities and the conditions for the voluntary return of Syrians.
“Our approach would be to rehabilitate the Syrian economy and to create the conditions for voluntary returns,” Çeviköz said, adding that this would require an international burden-sharing, but also establishing dialogue with Damascus.
Erdoğan is also trying to establish a rapprochement with Syria but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he will only meet the Turkish president when Ankara is ready to completely withdraw its military from northern Syria.
“A new Turkish government will be more eager to essentially shake hands with Assad,” said Ülgen. “But this will remain a thorny issue because there will be conditions attached on the side of Syria to this normalization.”
However, Piccoli from Teneo said voluntary returns of Syrians was “wishful thinking.”
“These are Syrians who have been living in Turkey for more than 10 years, their children have been going to school in Turkey from day one. So, the pledges of sending them back voluntarily, it is very questionable to what extent they can be implemented.”
Greece and the East Med
Turkey has stepped up its aggressive rhetoric against Greece in recent months, with the Erdoğan even warning that a missile could strike Athens.
But the prompt reaction by the Greek government and the Greek community to the recent devastating earthquakes in Turkey and a visit by the Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias created a new backdrop for bilateral relations.
A Turkish drill ship before it leaves for gas exploration | Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images
Dendias, along with his Turkish counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, announced that Turkey would vote for Greece in its campaign for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for 2025-26 and that Greece would support the Turkish candidacy for the General Secretariat of the International Maritime Organization.
In another sign of a thaw, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos and Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi visited Turkey this month, with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar saying he hoped that the Mediterranean and Aegean would be a “sea of friendship” between the two countries. Akar said he expected a moratorium with Greece in military and airforce exercises in the Aegean Sea between June 15 and September 15.
“Both countries are going to have elections, and probably they will have the elections on the same day. So, this will open a new horizon in front of both countries,” Çeviköz said.
“The rapprochement between Turkey and Greece in their bilateral problems [in the Aegean], will facilitate the coordination in addressing the other problems in the eastern Mediterranean, which is a more multilateral format,” he said. Disputes over maritime borders and energy exploration, for example, are common.
As far as Cyprus is concerned, Çeviköz said that it is important for Athens and Ankara not to intervene into the domestic politics of Cyprus and the “two peoples on the island should be given an opportunity to look at their problems bilaterally.”
However, analysts argue that Greece, Cyprus and the EastMed are fundamental for Turkey’s foreign policy and not much will change with another government. The difference will be more one of style.
“The approach to manage those differences will change very much. So, we will not hear aggressive rhetoric like: ‘We will come over one night,’” said Ülgen. “We’ll go back to a more mature, more diplomatic style of managing differences and disputes.”
“The NATO framework will be important, and the U.S. would have to do more in terms of re-establishing the sense of balance in the Aegean,” said Aydıntaşbaş. But, she argued, “you just cannot normalize your relations with Europe or the U.S., unless you’re willing to take that step with Greece.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Monday said in the last eight years, the state government has brought many radical changes for good governance.
“Ensuring the reach of every welfare and public-centric scheme is the utmost priority of the state government. No department or sector has remained untouched by the IT reforms so as to ensure transparency,” he said while addressing a gathering at the ‘Jan Samvad’ programme at Baliali village in Bhiwani district.
He is currently on a visit to Bhiwani district where he is holding interaction with the villagers.
The chief minister said the entire Haryana is like his family and as the head of the family, he always tries his best to extend every possible help and cooperation to every member.
He said that during his tenure special focus has been given on development works and adequate funds have been ensured for the meticulous implementation of every development scheme.
During his interaction at another village in Bhiwani named Bapora, the chief minister announced that now there will be no need for verification of online ‘Fard’ (land record) copy from the Patwari (revenue official). “Now, only online Fard copy will be valid and all institutions including banks will recognize online Fard,” he added. An order in this regard will be implemented in the entire state, he said, according to an official statement. At Baliali, he said that the benefits of all the public welfare policies are being ensured to grassroots levels.
While interacting with the villagers, the chief minister said that they should compare the tenure of the previous governments with that of the present dispensation. The difference will be clearly visible in terms of development undertaken including infrastructure works.
At his ‘Jan Samvad’ programme at Tigrana and Dhanana villages, Khattar said the compensation for crop loss of farmers caused by the recent rains and hailstorms will be given by the government by May after getting Girdawari (field inspection) done.
He also visited the residence of boxer Nitu Ghanghas at Dhanana village in Bhiwani and extended greetings on her achievement for adding a world championship title to her name.
The chief minister said that several steps are being taken to groom talent in sports, which is why players of Haryana are bringing laurels at the world level. He also visited the residence of Vir Chakra awardee Mathan Singh who was martyred in the 1965 war and met the family before holding the Jan Samvad programme in Bapora village, Bhiwani district.
The chief minister also met the families of four more martyrs. He said the people of the country are proud of such brave sons who laid down their lives for the nation.
“Haryana has been the land of brave soldiers,” he added.
“Whether it is war with China or Pakistan or fighting terrorists, these brave sons made supreme sacrifice for their motherland. Today, a strong India is being built because of the sacrifices of the brave soldiers..,” he said.
Bhiwani’s railway junction is named after Mathan Singh.
According to the statement, “Rifleman Mathan Singh was martyred in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and was awarded with Vir Chakra. Bhiwani’s railway junction is named after him,” it said. It further said Bapora is the village of martyrs and soldiers.
Former Army Chief, General V K Singh is also from Bapora village, who is currently a minister in the Central Government.
In the 40 years of its existence, the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), a deemed university, has emerged as a key research and healthcare facility for the well-being of people within and outside Kashmir. While the scope of improvements is vast, interventions in its autonomous character may neither go well with the society it serves nor the institution it has evolved into, reports Yawar Hussain
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on one of his initial visits to SKIMS after the institute started functioning. Sheikh was the Chief Minister.
For millions of people within and around Kashmir, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) is the only go-to place for sickness. Over the last around 40 years, it has emerged as a major institution that apart from treating millions of people is a major address for research and medical education.
“The work done at SKIMS on viral hepatitis, iodine deficiency, and influenza is global in nature and some of the world-shaking treatments in gastrointestinal bleed and other things that started here are now in vogue the world over,” a senior doctor who has spent his entire career at SKIMS said. “Can you believe that one of our seniors has 72000 citations in his field?”
SKIMS has time-tested collaborations in research with some of the best health research institutions in the world. “The importance of the work done at SKIMS is acknowledged to the extent that SKIMS incumbent director is the vice chair of Middle-East and Africa Influenza Surveillance Network (MENA-ISN) despite the fact that it has nothing much to do with Jammu and Kashmir,” the doctor said.
On the patient care front, SKIMS, insiders say has many firsts in the region. “We have 500 transplants to our credit and we have started bone marrow transplant as well,” the doctor said. “Our only problem is that the brand that SKIMS has emerged into is triggering massive footfalls and we neither have a right nor an ethical ground to stop it. It sometimes leads to problems.”
The Genesis
For a political restart, it was a key confidence-building measure (CBM) After the release of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference’s founder and Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah from years of captivity and just ahead of the Indira Abdullah Accord on February 24, 1975, the Sher-i-Kashmir National Medical Institute Trust (SKNMIT) was floated on May 19, 1973 by some of his friends for setting up a hospital in Srinagar’s Soura, the ancestral residence of Kashmir’s towering leader.
SKIMS Launch: In sitting row are Late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, Late Dr Ali Jan and Dr Ajit Kumar Nagpal (the first director of SKIMS)
The SKNMIT’s creation paved the way for the commissioning of the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) a decade later. However, the construction of the premier health facility was not as smooth as the dates suggest.
In 1972, Jammu and Kashmir’s Housing Department acquired land measuring about 1000 kanals at Zoonimar village for the construction of a housing colony. Alternatively, the Jammu and Kashmir government had also been working on a plan of building a 500-bedded hospital at Soura.
The ‘Court’ History
The details of the evolution of this super-speciality hospital are part of a 2004 judgement of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court delivered in a petition challenging the government’s 2003 decision of taking over the hospital. It said some friends and admirers of the late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah had a meeting on November 21, 1972, in which they decided to set up a public charitable trust for the establishment of a Medical Institute at Srinagar.
In December 1972, Sheikh personally approached the Chief Minister, informing him that, on his birthday, some of his friends and admirers had presented to him a sum of Rs 1.5 lakh for instituting a benevolent trust and that the consensus was on building a hospital. He sought the cooperation of the State Government and requested for leasing out 230 kanals and 13 marlas of land situated to the West of Soura, acquired by the Government and the Government dispensary that existed at Soura, adjacent to the land in question, as also a contribution towards construction and maintenance of the hospital. Sheikh was made the lifetime Chairman of the Trust and Syed Mir Qasim, the then Chief Minister of the State, was one of the ten trustees.
The State Cancer Centre at SKIMS in Srinagar. KL Image: Masood Hussain
However, Dr Ajit Nagpal, the founder Director of SKIMS said that the idea was conceived by Sheikh Abdullah in 1976 so that the long-pending health needs of Kashmir are met, which got instant approval from Indira Gandhi. Gandhi is said to have been in the mood to reward the Sheikh for signing the accord.
“I was deputed as the Director, SKIMS, from the PGI, Chandigarh,” remembers Dr Nagpal. “Indira Gandhi got advisers from all over the country for establishing the institute and setting up state-of-the-art facilities there.”
One of the key officers involved in the making of the SKIMS was Narinder Nath Vohra, then a young civil servant, who later became Delhi’s Kashmir interlocutor from 2003 to 2008 and later the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir twice till 2018. He was handpicked for the project by Gandhi. He would often fly on weekends to oversee the implementation.
Following Shiekh’s request, the Qasim government through order No 872-HD of 1973 sanctioned the leasing out to the Trust of 292 kanals and 8 marlas of land comprising khasra Nos 415, 423, 424, 422, 5381/421, 5582/421, 425, 426, 429, 432, 430, 431, 433, 434, 416, 417, 418, 419, 437, 438, 411, 412, 413, 414, 388, 5379/390, 5380/390, 391, 392, 389, 394, 410, 405, 407, 408, 409/1, 409/2, 406, 398, 399 situated at Zoonimar for a period of 40 years at a consolidated rent of Rs 101 per annum.
“Earlier to that, vide Government order No 627-HD/G of 1973 sanction was accorded to transfer of Government Dispensary situated at Soura comprising main dispensary building, its kitchen block, chowkidar’s shed along with land underneath and appurtenant thereto, to the Trust,” the Jammu and Kashmir High Court’s 2004 judgement has recorded.
However, the judgement mentions that no lease deed was executed between the government and the trust in 1973. In May 1974, the government through order no 232-MD/G of 1974 sanctioned allotment of another government property, namely, the Drug Research Laboratory situated at Moulana Azad Road, Srinagar, to the Trust on rent which was to be decided later.
In February of 1975, the SKNMIT Chairman, Sheikh took over as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Congressman Syed Mir Qasim, following the accord, stepped down and paved way for Sheikh’s takeover of the Congress majority house.
Immediately after, the High Court records that RK Sawhney, the then Secretary of the Trust, wrote to Sheikh on May 22, 1975, requesting him to amend Government Order No 872-HD of 1973 so that the trust can be made absolute owner of the 292 kanals and 8 marlas of the land at Zoonimar.
SKIMS Soura
Sheikh government sought the opinion of its law department, which highlighted that the land could only be transferred to the Trust if the Transfer of Property Act is amended. In follow-up, the Health Department processed a memorandum for the cabinet which was approved by the Cabinet on February 17, 1976. This paved the way for amendment of the Transfer of Property Act, Samvat 1977 on the proposed lines.
There were a lot of turns and twists. The court held that on August 27, 1976, the Sheikh government through order No 214-ME transferred Kashmir Nursing Home, Gupkar road, Srinagar along with its land, buildings and annexe and all its assets, including equipment, to the Trust on the condition that it shall use the premises solely and exclusively for maintaining a Nursing Home and shall provide adequate representation to the government on its Management Committee.
On August 5, 1977, Revenue Secretary was appointed as the coordinator on the land transfer case. The approved cabinet memorandum, however, said the properties to be transferred to the Trust would be a donation from the Jammu and Kashmir government. An order was issued in 1978. “Though there was no formal deed of transfer of the aforesaid properties to the Trust executed yet, the Trust got the aforesaid properties mutated in its name in the revenue records,” the High Court judgment recorded.
On January 18, 1977, the government renamed the 500-bedded hospital as Institute of Medical Sciences. It followed an agreement, the other day, which termed the SKIMS as a “joint venture”. The agreement laid down the constitution of an all-powerful Governing Body with the Chief Minister as Chairman; cabinet ministers as members; as the Trust nominated four members to the body.
The hospital started functioning in 1983. The 2004 judgement, however, said that the entire funds were mobilised by the government.
There were many players in establishing the SKIMS. One of them is a legend. Dr Ali Muhammad Jan. A household name, he turned down the post of Principal Government Medical College, Srinagar, and instead remained busy with the Trust of which he was Vice Chairman.
Launch and Growth
On December 5, 1982, the Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Science was formally inaugurated with an Outpatient Department and a 150-bed in-patient service.
This Institute soon started to flourish and the first batch of postgraduate students was enrolled in 1984 due to the hard work, grit and determination of its Director, Professor Anand. He retired in December 1985.
Dr Karan Singh being briefed about the construction of SKIMS when the multi floor structure was coming up.
Dr Nagpal, its founding Director said that Indira Gandhi in 1976, sent a team of 56 doctors outside Jammu and Kashmir to get trained in various specialities. “At the same time, Indira Gandhi got a group of reputed doctors from all over the country for heading faculties like neurosurgery, anaesthesia and cardiac surgery.”
Subsequently, the government relaxed norms for the Kashmir girls to undertake nursing courses. A scholarship of Rs 600 per month was offered to attract girls towards the nursing profession and strengthen medical assistance staff at the SKIMS.
“It was a Herculean task, but by the time we had the SKIMS building ready in 1982, the Board of Directors interviewed freshly trained doctors and inducted them into the staff,” said Dr Nagpal.
“I joined SKIMS on January 1, 1982. Back then, most of its faculty was from other states of India. I have been involved in establishing the first services at the hospital,” Dr M Sultan Khuroo, who eventually became the Director at the peak of militancy, said. He credits Dr Nagpal with building the institute structurally, and monetarily and envisioning it to be a tertiary care hospital. “Besides him, his successor, Dr BK Anand catapulted it to function as one of the best institutions in the country. There were 150 doctors under Anand.”
A Medical College
In 1989, the Jhelum Valley Medical College was started by the Trust as a private entity. However, in 1998, Farooq Abdullah-led government took over the college and named it as SKIMS Medical College, spread over around 400 kanals in Bemina.
“The trust started the hospital in 1993 but it did not pick up. The college had been running for seven years with three batches already graduating. The graduates of this college were unable to get any job or go for post-graduation pending the MCI recognition. To safeguard the interest of students the newly elected government of Dr Farooq Abdullah in a historic decision took over and attached this institute with the SKIMS Soura in 1998.”
An operation in progress. This is a well-equipped operation theatre of 1980s that is still n service.
The then Director SKIMS Soura, Dr Mehraj ud Din appointed Dr Yaqoob Khairadi as vice principal, which paved the way for the recruitment of faculty, nursing staff and other paramedical staff in various departments. Prof M Afzal Wani the next principal laid the foundation of new hostels and made policy decisions for the college.
Following the takeover by the government, the dysfunctional departments were streamlined and the plan was made to develop the whole campus on the requirement of a full-fledged Medical College based on MCI requirements.
Earlier on August 19, 1983, the government through an act of legislature had accorded the deemed university status to SKIMS.
“Its growth was swift. Till 1989 it grew much faster than any other health facility in India. We worked extraordinarily hard to make turn it into Deemed University. There were many medical procedures which set precedent in the institution itself,” Dr Khuroo said.
Tumultuous 1990s
In the tumultuous 1990s, the SKIMS played a crucial part in emerging as the last address for survival, especially for trauma patients. There were days when the bullet-hit or the splinter-splattered people would not get beds in the hospital and doctors had to work non-stop round the clock.
“During the 1990s, SKIMS doctors despite being ill-treated at their hospital by unwanted guests performed their duties with full dedication and sincerity,” the erstwhile adviser to Lt Governor, Farooq Khan told the gathering on SKIMS 37 Raising Day. He was a police officer heading the encounter-insurgency unit. “I personally know that during the turbulent ’90s, the institute (SKIMS) was affected very badly. Most of you who were there in the 90s may recall who used to run the institution. It was not the Director SKIMS. Some unwanted guests sitting in one of your rooms used to virtually run the show…SKIMS professionals were maltreated, they were harassed, but they continued to perform their duties. That tells you about fabulous work their teachers have done, who had trained them.”
Dr Khuroo said that unfortunately, after the 1990s the faculty plummeted from 250 to less than 60 as many migrated. “At times it plummeted to 40.”
To cater to footfall with fewer human resources, according to Khuroo, they had to get people vertically within the state at a fast pace as it was an urgent need.
“We could not repair equipment as people were unwilling to come to Kashmir and even buy new ones. We were badly affected due to it,” he said.
During his tenure as Director SKIMS, times were hard. “The local faculty kept the institutions functional along with thousands of employees. Many people including myself had to migrate in 1996 besides Pandits due to deteriorating security conditions. The local young faculty kept it functioning.”
The 1990s meant trouble from various quarters for the doctors and paramedical staff. Many times, SKIMS employees had to reach the hospital in the night hours amid curfews in place.
“During the early 1990s, being involved with tertiary care meant a call at any time of the hour. There were times when I left home early in the morning and come late. The security officials along the route would threaten me with a gun pointed towards me till I showed my identity card,” a senior SKIMS doctor wishing anonymity said. “During that era, the infrastructure became dilapidated, however, the government chipped in. We kept the ship sailing and prevented it from sinking.
In the early 2000s, the Mufti Sayeed-led coalition government took over the affairs of the hospital after rescinding the government orders from the 1970s.
The decision was challenged in the court but the judiciary sided with the government. A few patches of land initially granted by some members of the Abdullah family had been compensated while they had turned the Drug Research Laboratory at Maulana Azad Road into the Ali Jan Shopping Complex. The Court said the Trust’s desire to lease out the Kashmir Nursing Home to a third party had led to the Mufti government’s rescinding of the series of 1970s government orders.
Present Status
In July 2022, the government reconstituted SKIMS Governing Body with Lt Governor as chairman. The other members of the body include his Advisor(s) the Chief Secretary, the Union Health Secretary, the Secretary, the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology Government of India; the Director, AIIMS New Delhi (or one of his Deans in the absence of Director, AIIMS); Principal, Government Medical College Srinagar; Principal, Government Medical College Jammu and Principal SKIMS Medical College Bemina as its members.
Currently, SKIMS is manned by 5000 odd employees and incorporates more than 50 departments. The medical faculty of each department consists of Professors, Additional Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, and Senior and Junior residents where the senior-most professor functions as the head. The hospital is catering to 20,000 patients in 24 hours. Currently, the institute has 1200 odd-bed capacity with a requirement of 1000 beds still felt to cater to patient demand.
SKIMS, a deemed university offers post-doc degrees including Doctorate in Medicine (DM) courses; Magister Chirurgia courses; Doctorate of National Board courses; Doctor of Philosophy courses. At the PG level, the SKIMS offers Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Master of Surgery (MS) courses in all the major medical departments. Besides, the institute offers Master of Science courses as well as Bachelor of Science courses. At the undergraduate medical courses level, the SKIMS offers MBBS; MSc Nursing and BSc Nursing courses.
In 1988, the Journal of Medical Sciences (JMS) was started by SKIMS, which publishes in all categories of medical research work, together with invited articles/editorials from the doyens in varied specialities (native and abroad).
A former SKIMS Director, wishing anonymity said during his tenure he never had to deal with any of the Chief Ministers but only with the governors. “To me personally, the stripping of autonomy will not impact its functionality as the institute itself is a force to reckon with,” he said.
Recently when the LG administration asked the SKIMS to route its files through the health department, it was angrily reacted from various sides. “SKIMS should be a college now. That is what is happening to everything in Kashmir. First the university’s academic independence and now this institute,” former minister Naeem Akhter said. “The roller is on. They are trying to have a bonsai garden and reduce people to Lilliput size. It was a deemed university with autonomy.”
The Director, according to Akhtar, never reported to Health Department in the past as it had direct contact with the Chief Minister. Off late, the SKIMS Raising Day on December 5, has been a lacklustre event.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Dr AK Mehta formally inaugurated the SKIMS Cath lab on February 11, 2023.Pic: SKIMS
Even the veterans who have served the institution for their entire life are concerned. “Once the autonomy goes, the SKIMS will be reduced to a medical facility,” Dr Shikeh Aijaz Ahmad, former head of the oncology department said. “While we expect that the institution must grow, I am unable to understand why there are efforts to undo a medical university.
Insiders, however, said the situation on the ground has not changed. “It was way back in 1997 when SKIMS was tagged with health and medical education,” one insider in the government said. “However, it did not impact the status of the Director who remained ex-officio secretary to the government. It has not even changed now even though there were at least instances in the recent past when the ex-officio secretary status was stripped from the director.” If these insiders are to be believed then the files are still directly submitted to the Chief Secretary and not routed through Secretary of Health.
The Research Side
What makes the SKIMS different is that a lot research is also transacted while treating the patients. In 2020, when Stanford University came out with its list of the world’s top two per cent scientists, there were four Kashmiris – among whom, two were from SKIMS – gastroenterologist Dr Khuroo, and pulmonologist Dr Parvaiz A Koul – one a former director and another, the incumbent director.
In 2015, Dr Sameer Naqash, prominent Surgeon head of the upper GI Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic surgery unit at SKIMS was invited as a guest speaker at Prestigious International Gastric Cancer Congress, the highest international forum on gastric cancer in the world, which was held in Verona, Italy.
In January 2022, Hyder Mir, Scientist ‘C’ while working on Global Influenza Hospital Surveillance Network at SKIMS bagged the 2021 first MENA-ISN Research Award for his paper.
Dr Manijha Yaqoob, a Physician Scientist at Roche USA, started her successful medical professional from SKIMS.
“There are countless instances of SKIMS doctors making small or major intervention that is part of medical practices,” one doctor said. For commoners in Kashmir, however, it is the last address for a healthy survival or a dignified death. A general belief on the ground is that disturbing the autonomy of a major health facility is not a good idea.
Performing many firsts in the medical field in Jammu and Kashmir, the SKIMS is faced with two All India Institute of Medical Science facilities coming up, one each, in Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Would the clipped autonomy help SKIMS sustain its numero uno status or not, only time would tell.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak marked 100 days in office last month. The International Monetary Fund and UK economists predicted that the UK economy would continue to shrink, despite the PM’s best efforts to stabilize the country’s markets.
The same report predicted that China and India’s economies would account for more than half of GDP growth and stated that the UK would be the only country with an economy in recession this year. Experts expect that there will be a 0.06% overall reduction in the UK economy this year, and various cabinet members are citing several reasons for the shrinkage.
In February, their independent Office Of Budget Responsibility warned that the recession would last at least through 2023. The UK’s economic situation is deteriorating over many factors, including the increased price of heating, gas, and oil due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the fallout from Brexit, and the fact that the country’s economy never quite recovered after Covid-19 shutdowns.
Additionally, annual inflation hit 11.1% in October and stayed at 10.5% in December, the highest in four decades. It is important to note that the overall GDP increased by 4% in 2022. However, the UK remains the only G-7 country not to recover its output after the pandemic fully.
While Sunak blames outside forces like the Russian invasion, other experts point the finger at Brexit, which has caused much lower trade exports with the rest of Europe. The British PM focuses on expanding trade with other countries, including India. Over the last year, the UK and India have had six rounds of talking over trade and investment agreements that would boost trade by billions of dollars in both countries. While this much-needed trade agreement will help boost the economy overall, the UK has a long way to go before the government can quell its economic woes.
As with any recession, unemployment is up, and so is inflation, further infuriating labourers, who have already organized dozens of strikes – which conservatives in the government blame for some of the economic stagnation. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the UK recorded the highest number of working days lost in over 30 years in 2022. Transportation, teaching, and healthcare industries have been the most affected. With inflation continuing to rise, workers demand better conditions and higher pay. While some contracts have been negotiated, the strikes will continue as the Prime Minister and this government refuse to budge on pay raises in the public sector. Earlier in February, over half a million teachers, train drivers, and other civil servants organized a walkout, the largest coordinated labour strike in a decade.
As the labour unions persist, members of Sunak’s own party immediately proposed a round of tax cuts, which they promise will stimulate the economy, especially job growth. Sunak has so far refused either party, saying that raising pay for workers will cause inflation to rise and that the “best tax cut right now is a cut in inflation.”
As the workers who have jobs walk out due to economic inequality, employment is falling across the private and public sectors, which economists predict will continue into 2023. This creates its own concerns. As residents fail to believe in the country’s economy, the black market economy always sees a boost. Currently, the UK is already dealing with the black gambling market. Numerous offshore casino sites that aren’t under UK regulations and therefore, not a part of GamStop, and are currently not being taxed. Increasing illegal goods/services and off-the-books jobs is another worry for lawmakers as small businesses try to avoid taxation. According to a report published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), these black market businesses cost the UK over 150 billion euros every day, says a report published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA). Of course, this is a problem all over the EU, where over 30 million people work or run businesses without paying taxes.
The rising cost of imports, like food and energy, has particularly alarmed families across the UK. In combination with rising inflation, it caused a curb on spending, leaving the country in a loop where they can’t quite stimulate new growth. With nothing in the works to address those families, Sunak’s government has instead focused on new trade with Ireland and India in recent weeks. A dispute over trade routes in Northern Ireland has added to rising costs and completely shuttered Belfast’s government, which Sunak seeks to alleviate. The PM says some progress has been made, but any concessions will likely anger his own party.
With two years left until reelection season and crushing economic predictions, Rishi Sunak will have a long fight ahead of him if he stands a chance of keeping his position. While Sunak is downplaying the role of Brexit, which he has been a long-time supporter of, many across the country are now finding that the economic fallout deeply affects every corner of the economy. With decreased foreign investment after the event, European and American companies have continued to resist investment opportunities in the UK.
Instability in the economy is the number one reason many companies pulled their investments. Then, last year, Liz Truss produced several (now abandoned) unpopular plans to cut taxes, which angered critics and caused further divestment. As she left her very short-term, most investors pulled out again, causing the economy to plummet. Though this up-and-down has remained chiefly quiet as Sunak’s continued leadership is once again signalling that it may be safe for foreign companies to reinvest, these new economic reports may further deter this.
In current opinion polls, the Conservative party is trailing the Labour Party by about 20 points, and some election experts are already predicting Sunak’s defeat. With local elections looming in May and polls showing a disgruntled populace that wants a change in leadership, the UK’s economy may not recover as quickly as the country’s leadership hopes.
Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said his government is not afraid of criticism and will keep introducing governance reforms.
His comments came in the wake of opposition parties targeting the state government’s flagship Parivar Pehchan Patra (family ID) scheme and several sarpanches opposing the e-tendering system in development works in rural areas.
“We are not afraid of criticism, will keep introducing governance reforms. We took challenge of bringing changes in system. We will not be deterred by the opposition to our good works,” he said in his two-hour reply to the debate on the Budget in the state assembly.
The CM, who also holds the finance portfolio, had presented the state Budget for 2023-24 in the assembly last month.
The Budget was unanimously passed in the House after the chief minister’s reply on its estimates.
Khattar had on February 23 presented the Rs 1.83 lakh crore Budget, announcing many new initiatives while laying emphasis on various sectors especially social and agriculture and also proposed no fresh tax.
During his reply, Khattar announced that now MLAs can spend an amount of Rs 2 crore being given under the ‘Vidhayak Adarsh Gram Yojana’ for the development works in the urban areas as well.
“Earlier the MLA used to spend the said grant in rural areas only but now this amount can be used for the development works in the urban areas as well,” he said.
He also announced to rename this scheme as ‘Adarsh Nagar Evam Gram Yojana’. The director, panchayat will be the nodal officer for this, he said.
Khattar also announced that the women’s college to be constructed at Balsamand, Hisar will be named after former chief minister late Bhajan Lal.
He also said that apart from already announced 4,000 playway schools in the year 2022-23, an additional 4,000 such schools would be further opened in the state.
He took on Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was not present in the House due to illness, saying the former CM has been giving contradictory figures about state debt.
The CM also touched upon steps taken for water conservation. Water table is going down every year, he said, while adding the government has started several schemes to conserve water.
During Khattar’s reply, some Congress members kept interrupting him on various issues.
He sought to clarify the definition of debt, and said that in the public debt three different heads are included. The Opposition should not confuse one with the other while calculating the final debt figures, he said.
The State Public Enterprises loan figure in 2014-15 was Rs 69,922 crore, while in the year 2021-22, the figure was Rs 47,211 crore. The debt graph of the state at present has declined, he claimed.
Khattar said Haryana is in the third position in the country in terms of investments after Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The chief minister said that for 2023-24, Rs 7,314 crore was allocated for agriculture and allied sectors, which is 3.9 per cent of the total Budget.
He stated that in 2014-15, the total allocated budget for this sector was Rs 2,156 crore which was only 3.4 per cent.
Responding to an issue raised by the Opposition regarding why Haryana gets less financial help from the Centre as compared to neighbouring states, the chief minister said the Centre follows the formula that “the more progressive a state is, lesser the financial grant will be”.
He said the government is focused on making panchayats and civic bodies financially independent. They have been directed to prepare their budgetary allocation and ensure the same is spent on carrying out various development works, he said.
Khattar also said that the local audit system would be meticulously implemented. Whatever public money will be spent on development works, local audit would be conducted for the same, said the chief minister.
He said that before finalizing the Budget, suggestions from all the stakeholders were taken, and out of around 700 suggestions, those which were feasible have been incorporated.
J&K Govt will construct Smriti Bhawan in the memory of martyrs of PoJK. Steps will be taken to regularize the colonies of displaced families. It is our responsibility to secure their rights & build an enabling environment to fulfill aspirations of young generation from the community: LG
Jammu, Mar 06 (GNS): Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha inaugurated LG’s Special Governance Camp for Displaced Persons of PoJK, today at Sports Stadium, Bhour Camp.
The drive aimed to take the welfare schemes to every house and ensure coverage of all beneficiaries under Centrally Sponsored Schemes & UT Schemes will be held at Udhampur, Rajouri, Jammu, Poonch and Kathua.
“Displaced families of PoJK have suffered a lot. Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji understood their sufferings and made arrangements for their financial support and settlement. We have organized this camp on the direction of Hon’ble Prime Minister to saturate social security schemes, handholding of youth so they pursue their dreams of becoming entrepreneurs and ensuring that they can avail all facilities like other citizens. Steps will be taken to regularize the colonies of displaced families,” said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor announced that the J&K Government will construct Smriti Bhawan in the memory of martyrs of PoJK. Every effort will be made to preserve and promote the culture & traditions of displaced families. Land has already been identified and soon the construction work will start, he added.
The Lt Governor also paid homage to the brave civilians who were martyred in the October 1947 militant attack by Pakistan. We remember their supreme sacrifices & understand pain & sufferings of displaced families. It is our responsibility to secure their rights and build an enabling environment to fulfill aspirations of young generation from the community, observed the Lt Governor.
“PoJK is an integral part of India. Commitment made in Parliament regarding PoJK will soon be fulfilled by the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Amarnath,” said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor said, the development of new J&K is incomplete without complete integration of PoJK Displaced Persons in the mainstream development. We are committed to ensuring the welfare and well-being of all so they can realize their true potential & contribute in nation building, he noted.
We had started outreach programmes in 2021 for families living outside UT so that no one is left behind in any welfare scheme & focusing on skilling, self employment, social assistance, scholarships, sports, financial inclusion to aid economic development & financial stability, the Lt Governor said.
The Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Mantra of “Vanchito ko Variyata” is guiding our developmental journey. In the last 30 months, we have ensured governance is inclusive, transparent, effective and accountable and provides equal benefit & equal opportunity to all, the Lt Governor observed.
On August 5, 2019, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ended the decades-long injustice, and provided equal opportunities to Valmiki, Gorkha, Safai Karamcharis communities and displaced persons, noted the Lt Governor.
“Families from West Pakistan were facing discrimination for many decades. Several communities were denied voting rights and other rights of citizens as enshrined in the constitution. Many generations were treated as second-class citizens. After August 2019, they were given equal rights and equal opportunities are being provided to all, said the Lt Governor.
The Lt Governor expressed gratitude to the Hon’ble Home Minister for making 7 sub-schemes an Umbrella Scheme under “Relief and Rehabilitation of Migrants and Repatriates” and extending the welfare schemes till 2025-26, he added.
More than 21,000 domicile certificates were issued through camps in Delhi, Chandigarh, Himachal, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand. We will continuously run such camps in Jammu Kashmir and other states/UTs so that all the affected families can get the benefits of government welfare schemes, informed the Lt Governor.
Under ‘One Time Central Assistance’ for the Displaced Persons of PoJK, 33,636 cases were approved and an amount of Rs 1452.33 crore was distributed. This scheme ended on 3st March last year. Somehow, more than 5000 families could not submit the claim within the time frame. The issue will be taken with the Central Government, the Lt Governor noted.
The Lt Governor further assured that all pending issues of POJK’s displaced families will be resolved.
The Lt Governor urged the talented youth to avail the benefits of youth-oriented programmes run by the government. Mission youth will extend benefits of all 17 schemes. Sports Council will provide opportunities and all possible help to the promising players in various sports disciplines, he further added.
Dr Deepak Kapoor, President, PoJK Visthapit Seva Samiti expressed his gratitude towards the government for making dedicated efforts for the welfare of the PoJK Displaced persons.
Sh Ramesh Kumar, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu; Sh KK Sidha, Commissioner, Relief & Rehabilitation and other senior officers were also present.(GNS)
Abandoned many times in the recent past, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has started the process of imposing a property tax that is estimated to fetch Rs 150 crore and augment the resources of the urban local bodies. The move triggered a chain reaction, Khalid Bashir Gura reports
Within days after bulldozers halted the high-pitch anti-encroachment drive, Manoj Sinha-led Jammu and Kashmir administration issued property tax notifications on February 21, 2023, triggering another row. However, this is restricted to urban areas where according to the 2011 census, Jammu and Kashmir’s 27 per cent of population lives. The Housing and Urban Development has notified that it will
assess and collect property tax at five per cent of Taxable Annual Value (TAV) for residential properties and six per cent for commercial properties within the jurisdiction of urban local bodies (ULBs) from April 1, 2023.
Unlike the rest of the country, no property tax was ever imposed in Jammu and Kashmir. There were some efforts between 2010 and 2018 but the stiff opposition frustrated the idea.
Months after reading-down Article 370, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in October 2020 allowed the UT administration to impose a property tax. Well before it could trigger a crisis, Lt Governor insisted that “there is no proposal to impose the property tax in Jammu and Kashmir”. In June 2021, the Badami Bagh Cantonment Board (BBCB) started levying property tax in areas under its jurisdiction in Srinagar but it was not collected.
Now, when almost all districts across Jammu and Kashmir have started working on the notification, almost everybody from Kanak Mandi in Jammu to Old Town in Baramulla is seeking the withdrawal of the notification. Being seen as “arbitrary and undemocratic and anti-people,” trade, politics and lawyers have all opposed the idea.
Property Tax
All municipal bodies across the world levy a property tax. It is already in vogue in the rest of India. Officials in Jammu and Kashmir expect to raise Rs 150 crore in 2023-24 and pump the funds into moribund municipal bodies currently managed by people who were “elected” to the office by controversial elections. Interestingly, the municipal corporations in Srinagar and Jammu have rejected the idea insisting the proposal was supposed to be mooted from them.
Officials said the tax collections will enhance the resources of urban local bodies, which have not been able to deliver as the revenue from other sources accounted for less than 15 per cent of their operational expenses. The property tax policy will enable urban local bodies (ULB) to get enhanced central devolutions and improve their services.
The tax will be 5-6 per cent of the taxable annual value (TAV) of the properties, a base calculated on basis of nine variables – the type of municipality, built area, land value in line with the J&K Preparation and Revision of Market Value Guidelines Rules, 2011, as on the first day of the block, the number of floors, usage type, construction type, age of the property, given slab of the area, and the occupancy status. It will be in vogue for three years and will be calculated annually with a 1000 sq ft area exempted from the tax.
As per Act, 10 per cent rebate can be availed by early submission of property tax. A person liable to the property tax shall be liable to give to the officer authorised in this behalf particulars of property and tax due by May 30 financial year and the second instalment of tax shall be furnished by November 30 along with proof of receipt of the first instalment.
All places of worship, cremation and burial grounds stand exempted. No tax will be levied on vacant land not attached to a structure or building; or municipal property. The properties owned by the government of India and the J&K government are also exempted. But a service charge at three per cent of the TAV will be payable in respect of such properties.
According to the notification, in case of failure to pay tax, a penalty of Rs 100 or one per cent will be imposed as the maximum amount shall not exceed Rs 1000. “Failure to file return in due time, unless prevented by sufficient cause, will result in a penalty of Rs 100, or 1 per cent of the tax due, whichever is higher, for every month of default, without prejudice to the interest due for the delay in payment,” it reads.
Land Costs
In the evaluation of the land value, the rates that are fixed under the law for particular areas will be fundamental. Many years back, the government felt a serious requirement of having a basic ceiling for the value of the land resource in urban as well as rural areas. Every few years, the top officials in a district sit and evaluate the costs of land on basis of its real market worth for residential as well as commercial purposes. These costs are basic. Once a property is changing hands, the purchaser has to pay the stamp duty strictly as per the minimum prices set by the committee. This process has improved the stamp duty collections.
The growth of revenue in the stamp duty collection has shown a steep hike of 56.12 per cent as the total collection made has reached Rs 425 crore in 2021-22 against Rs 272.22 crore recorded during 2020-21. It is expected to be better by the end of the current fiscal.
These land rates will now be basic to the evaluation of property tax the same way as it has been for the registration of immovable assets for requirements of stamp duty.
Reactions
The decision triggered a row as political parties opposed the move tooth and nail and have demanded its immediate withdrawal. The common refrain across political classes is that it is untimely and its legitimacy in absence of an elected government is a question mark. They justify the opposition to the idea on basis of the economic downturn after 2019, owing to various factors including Covid19, political instability, inflation, and unemployment.
NC and Congress, now vehemently opposing the move, initiated the bills for the imposition of property tax in 2010 and managed its passage in the erstwhile assembly. A subsequent bill for setting up the property tax board was cleared in 2013. However, the process was binned as the government feared the move will have serious fallout on the electoral prospects in the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly polls.
“No taxation without representation, why should people in J&K pay state taxes, including the proposed property tax, when we have no say in how our government is run and no say in the decision-making of J&K?” Omar Abdullah, in whose era the bills were initiated, said in a tweet. “We are expected to be mute spectators to all unjust decisions by Raj Bhavan.”
NC’s Jammu president, Ratan Lal Gupta terms the tax as Jaziaand insists the peoples’ paying capacity has dipped to an all-time low. He sees it as the move to “impoverish” and make “lives miserable”. He said for allaying the distress of the people, there should be elections and decisions on property tax will be taken by representatives of the people.
Jammu and Kashmir is without an elected government since 2018 summer – almost 56 months.
Congress president Vikar Rasool sees the tax as an “injustice” for people who are battling high rates of inflation, unemployment and low business due to government policies. It is like an emergency, he added.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir are being oppressed and are distressed economically and politically. There is terrorism in J&K unlike in the rest of the country. There should be elections and such decisions should be left to elected governments,” Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said. “
It is like a dictatorship procedure. Taxation is not new to Kashmiris as we have been paying taxes in different shapes since Maharajas times. But this time the economy is derailed and the orders come from the top which renders ULBs useless,” added GA Mir, former JKPCC president.
Former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti said the tax was part of the BJP’s larger agenda of impoverishing the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“These tactics are to keep people of Jammu and Kashmir under never-ending stress and trauma so that they can’t focus towards their genuine demands,” PDP spokesperson Mohit Bhan said. “Imposition of local taxes is the prerogative elected representatives of Municipal Corporation or Panchayats and such arbitrary orders prove the administration has no regard for any institution and they just want to bulldoze everything which comes in their way.” Bhan said the government orders are like earthquakes and floods.
People’s Conference president Sajad Gani Lone alleged the government of perpetrating economic euthanasia. “Property tax in aftermath of -an year lost post-2019, a couple of years lost in Covid is – seems determination to turn every stone that can be turned to ensure economic euthanasia. Governments have pumped billions worldwide to bump start ailing economies,” Lone tweeted. His party colleague Basharat Bukhari regretted that while in the rest of the world, governments are offering packages and creating employment opportunities post-pandemic, it is completely vice versa in Jammu and Kashmir.
Apni Party said the “unprecedented and big decision” should not be taken by LG administration and should ideally be left to an elected government.
“This is a return gift by the BJP to the people, who voted for them,” Harsh Dev, who returned to his Panthers Party said. “It has imposed so many taxes in the past like GST and created inflation in the country as the security situation is adverse, the unemployment in J&K is the highest in the country, and the economy is in shambles.”
Terming the decision as “arbitrary and undemocratic,” CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami said levying property tax in the absence of an elected government is quite unconstitutional. “Whatever elected formations exist on the ground, they have to decide. Why are they depriving these ULBs of their own legitimate rights of decision-making? The process of collecting tax and deciding the values of the tax is the sole prerogative of these institutions. How does an officer in Raj Bhavan know the terrain in Habba Kadal,” Tarigami said as he demanded elections in the UT if according to government claims, all is well.
The newly formed Democratic Azad Party (DAP) also voiced its concern about taxation and questioned the timing. There is a need to understand that for the past three decades, the people in Jammu and Kashmir have suffered in every aspect due to militancy, Azad said. This has triggered unemployment and weakened the economic condition. “I can only say that the time is not apt for the move because of the economic conditions of the people here,” he said.
BJP state spokesman Altaf Thakur said that tax is being paid in every city of India. “In J&K it was in vogue during 1962 and 1982 when these regimes were ruling who are vehemently opposing it. However, we are also requesting LG to defer its imposition as the UT has been going through a bad phase due to militancy for the last three decades which weakened UT’s economy,” he said as it is not the right time.
Bar Associations
The political class apart, other sections of society reacted to the development as well. There were protests in certain towns. Normally, the lawyers were the first to come to the streets. The reaction was vocal in Jammu, unlike Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association’s outgoing president MK Bhardwaj asked the administration to withdraw the notification.
Terming it “tax terrorism”, the president asked the administration to stop pursuing “anti-people” policies in Jammu and Kashmir. “Jammu and Kashmir can’t be equated with other UTs or states in the matter of taxations, especially when no facilities of the like are available here,” he said urging the government to raise the economic status of people first. The bar association at Jammu suspended work for a day. “We have an anti-encroachment drive where the people in possession of land for over decades together are deprived of their land,” they said.
Trade followed the lawyers. Newly appointed Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry President, Javid Ahmad Tenga said, the trade body is assessing property tax. However, he said it is not the right time to impose it as people’s financial conditions are not good. Jagmohan Singh Raina, who is also part of the KCCI body said, as central laws are being applied to J&K, the process is being carried out without local consensus.
“We have for long being governed by bureaucrats,” Shakeel Qalander, a former FCIK president said. “They don’t consider the reality on the ground while formulating policies. Even though this property tax is being imposed everywhere, we are an exception as we had to unlike others grapple with turbulences for decades as well natural disasters like floods and pandemic.”
Unlike Kashmir, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jammu was vocal. “Chamber is of the firm opinion that this order of imposition of property tax should be withdrawn by the government to give a sigh of relief to the people of Jammu and Kashmir”, Chamber President Arun Gupta said. “If the government fails to understand our feeling than we shall have no other option but to go for a bandh call by consulting civil societies, bar association and others”.
Last year, Gupta said the idea of imposing the tax was mooted but the Chamber opposed it and the idea was shelved.
Miffed Mayors
Srinagar’s Mayor, Junaid Azim Mattoo said that the decision was not approved by elected ULBs and thus the SMC will explore ways to contest this ‘arbitrary move’.
“Imposition of Property Tax in J&K is ironically violative of municipal empowerment as this has neither been deliberated upon, nor approved by elected ULBs. While SMC will explore ways to contest this arbitrary move, I am writing to the Hon’ble LG seeking a withdrawal of the SO,” Mattoo tweeted
Similarly, his deputy, Parvaiz Ahmad Qadri urged people not to panic over property tax. “People need to understand that the proposal has to be first passed by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation. We are rejecting it even before its arrival. It won’t get the consent of corporators. People should not panic,” he tweeted.
Qadri said the tax was not implemented since 2000 despite being a law in vogue. “Why do we need to take money from people? If the UT had been developed then we may have asked for taxes but even the basic amenities like sanitation, drainage, and street lights are not even working,” he rued.
Asked that the tax collections are supposed to add to the ULB resources, the deputy mayor said that there is no dearth of funds but bureaucrats lead the resources lapse. “Last year, only 30 per cent of funds could be utilized in the city and the rest lapsed. The files in which we had proposed plans gathered dust till March. They give approval at the eleventh hour when we have no time to meet a deadline,” he claimed.
Unlike his counterparts in Srinagar, the mayor in the winter capital termed it as a reformative move.
Jammu Mayor, Rajinder Sharma said that it has been imposed across the country except for Jammu and Kashmir and local body institutions need their revenue generation resources. “Our grants are linked to this resource. If we do not get property tax, the centre will not fund us liberally. The Centre has funded crores of rupees to each ward, unlike the past. We must now get independent,” Sharma said. “The Property Tax has been imposed by the Administrative Council of the Union Territory and not by the JMC. In a democratic set-up, the Administrative Council has superseded us and they have the power to do so.”
Progressive Taxations
In response to the widespread reaction, Jammu and Kashmir Housing and Urban Development Secretary, H Rajesh Prasad talked to the media in Jammu. He indicated the expected Rs 150 crore collection will improve municipal services. He said the residents were imposed the least tax slabs if compared to the rest of the country.
“Better municipal services are expected to attract more investment and encourage more people to set up businesses in Jammu and Kashmir. Revenue generated from Property Tax will be used to improve infrastructure, build new parks and playgrounds and maintain the already existing facilities which will significantly enhance the services provided by municipal bodies,” Prasad said.
Prasad said that tax rates are notified in such a way that its implications are progressive in nature with minimum implication to small businesses and households as according to him, it is to be levied annually and can be paid in two equal instalments, it will not be burdening common citizens.
A day after issuing the notification, the government said the tax rates were one of the lowest in the country – almost half that of Himachal Pradesh, and one-fourth to one-sixth, overall, of other states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Delhi.
The tax rates are 25 per cent lower in the municipal councils and 50 per cent in municipalities. “Residential property with built-up area up to 1500sftare also discounted ensuring relief from Lower Income Group and Middle Income Group category residential houses. Similarly, small commercial establishments especially shops up to the size of 100sqft and 200sqft are also provided relief with very minimal tax implications,” the spokesman said.
The debate is on. Deputy Commissioners have started the process of implementation of the notification. Some Deputy Commissioners said most of the towns in their jurisdiction will be impacted by the new tax to less than half indicating that Srinagar and Jammu cities will be the major source for Property Tax collections. LG Sinha also reacted. His last statement on the issue was a question: “In Jammu and Kashmir, people pay to use internet data, buy I-phones and play videos; I wonder why there is a hue and cry over the imposition of property tax?”
Post Script
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha spoke on the issue of property tax after fierce reaction against the idea from political class and the business in Jammu and Kashmir.
“This is the lowest property tax rates that are being imposed,” Sinha told reporters on the side-lines of a function at SKICC on February 27, 2023. “It is almost one-tenth of what is in vogue in Shimla, Dehradun and other places.”
Offering statistics, Sinha said there are 5,20,000 residential structures in Jammu and Kashmir’s urban space. Of them, 206000 have a built-up area of 1000 sq ft which are already exempted. In 203600 residential structures which are built above 1000 sq ft but below 1500 sq ft will have to pay Rs 1000 a year. Of these 203600 houses, he said in almost 80 per cent of the structures, the owners will be paying no more than Rs 600 a year.
Sinha said there are 101000 shops across Jammu and Kashmir and 46 per cent of them fall under a 100 sq ft area and will have a minimum of Rs 700 a year. There are only 30000 shops which are spread over less than 2000 sq ft. These will be paying Rs 2000 a year.
“Nearly 75 to 80 percent of the population of JK will be exempted from the Property Tax. Those who are falling under the purview of Property Tax are trying to create chaos and confusion among the common masses”, the Lieutenant Governor reiterated on March 2.
Sinha said the citizens across the country are paying Property Tax. Property Tax proposed for Jammu and Kashmir is one-tenth of Shimla-the capital of neighbouring Himachal Pradesh”, he said and pointed out that on an average Rs 900 to Rs 1000 to be paid annually as Property Tax.
LG said that aim of proposing this tax is to develop the cities of Jammu and Kashmir. “Every year government grants funds worth Rs 900 crores to the urban local bodies of JK. Property Tax will be directly deposited to the concerned urban local bodies for the overall growth and development of the area,” he added.
