DPR preparations for Razdan Pass Tunnel to commence shortly: Deputy Chief Minister

JAMMU, FEBRUARY 19: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary, stated in the House that preparations for the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 8-km Razdan Pass Tunnel in Bandipora district will commence shortly.
The Deputy Chief Minister was replying to a question raised by Legislator, Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), in the Legislative Assembly.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the project Tunnel at Razdan Pass shall facilitate all weather connectivity to the strategically important border constituency, Gurez.
He said that construction of Tunnel at Razdhan Pass has been endorsed by MoD (Ministry of Defense) to provide all weather connectivity.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the regular snow clearance is being done by BEACON for providing connectivity to Gurez sector. He added that the road is kept closed for nearly one month and partially closed during winters due to snowfall and for safety of road users.
Department focusing on strengthening of existing healthcare facilities as per IPHS-2022 norms: Health Minister
Says construction of 50-bedded additional block at Pahalgam Hospital steadily progressing
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, today informed the House that the department is presently focusing on consolidation and strengthening of the existing healthcare facilities broadly as per IPHS-2022 norms to improve the healthcare services across Jammu and Kashmir.
The Health Minister stated this in reply to a question raised by Legislator Altaf Ahmad Wani (Kaloo) in the Legislative Assembly.
The Minister said that as per IPHS norms 2022 districts with less than 5 lakh population with a functional District Hospital (DH) do not need a Sub District Hospital (SDH, districts with populations between 5-10 lakh can have one SDH and thereafter, one SDH for every 10-lakh population can be considered for the provision of comprehensive secondary care health services.
She added that, as per this criteria, district having a population upto 20 lakh can have one DH and two SDHs, whereas each district of J&K has more SDHs than the admissibility as per IPHS-2022.
The Health Minister further said that the department has accorded sanction for up-gradation of NTPHC Pahalgam to the level of 50 bedded Hospital along with creation of 26 posts of different categories. She added that against the sanctioned strength of 38 posts, 17 posts of doctors and para-medics have been filled up, which included 03 Consultants, 01 Medical Officer and 01 Dental Surgeon.
The Minister also said that efforts are afoot for filling up of vacancies through recruiting agency besides ensuring promotions. She added that during the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, availability of doctors, paramedics and other support staff is significantly enhanced as per actual requirement.
She further said that the construction of 50-bedded block at Pahalgam Hospital is steadily progressing. She added that an additional block for the hospital is under construction at a cost of ₹1889.90 lakh against which ₹1100.00 lakh expenditure has been incurred.
She said that during the current financial year 2025-26, an amount of ₹340.00 lakh has been released to the executing agency out of approved allocation of ₹400.00 lakh. Besides, additional funding is also approved under SASCI to speed up the pace of work.
“Truss work is complete and finishing works are in progress. The equipment shall also be made available in a phased manner in line with requirements of the hospital within budgetary resources”, she said.
Giving further details,, the Minister said that the department is not considering establishment of Trauma Hospital between Qazigund and Pahalgam, as these institutions require specialised manpower and other allied support staff besides high end equipment and modular operation theatres. She added that two Trauma Care facilities, Trauma Hospital Qazigund and Trauma Centre at Government Medical College Anantnag, are available en-route Qazigund and Pahalgam to meet the trauma related and other healthcare requirements. She said that Trauma Hospital Bijbehara, 4 km away from Khanabal-Pahalgam-Qazigund road, is also available.
During the annual Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra, the Health Minister said that health camps are being established to provide medical facilities to the pilgrims. These included augmenting hospital men, machinery and ambulance services in the existing health institutions like PHC Mattan (additional block under construction), SDH Seer Hamdan, PHC Aishmuqam and 50-bedded Hospital Pahalgam.
She apprised the House that PHC Aishmuqam has already been made operational on 24×7 basis to cater to the medical needs of devotees visiting Ziyarat of Sakhie Zain-U-Din Wali (RA) Aishmuqam.
BRO to take up blacktopping of Sua- Pargwal road: Deputy Chief Minister
Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary today informed the House that the blacktopping of the road project from Sua number 1 to Pargwal in Akhnoor shall be taken up by the Border Roads Organization (BRO).
This was informed by the Deputy Chief Minister while replying to a question raised by Legislator Mohan Lal in the Legislative Assembly.
He said that the road from Sua number 1 to Pargwal is proposed to be handed over to BRO for upgradation and blacktopping. Besides, the formal transfer from PW(R&B) Department to BRO is under process.
Govt ensures ex-gratia assistance for human casualties in wildlife conflict: Forest Minister
Adequate compensation or ex-gratia relief is provided in cases of human injury or loss of life under the prevailing policy framework on human–wildlife conflict in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
This was stated by Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, while replying to a question raised by Legislator Sajad Shaheen.
Legislators, Choudhary Mohammad Akram, Balwant Singh Mankotia, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone and Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi raised supplementary questions on the subject. They urged the government to provide adequate relief measures and ensure inclusion of the agriculture sector and livestock under the relevant schemes to safeguard farmers’ interests.
Responding to their concerns, the Minister said that currently there is no approved policy or budgetary provision specifically earmarked for compensation of livestock losses due to wildlife attacks in the Union Territory. However, he said that the government is in correspondence with the Animal Husbandry Department to provide compensatory support to the farmers in case of loss of animals.
He said that the Forest Department is in talks with the Agriculture Department and other concerned authorities regarding the inclusion of additional crops under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) in case of damage by the wild animals.
Budgam Ring road drainage system functioning well: Deputy Chief Minister
Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Choudhary today said that the drainage system was functioning satisfactorily to facilitate proper disposal of surface and sub-surface water near Ring Road in Budgam.
The Deputy Chief Minister was replying to a question raised by MLA, Ali Mohammad Dar in the Legislative Assembly.
He said that that a detailed technical assessment for drainage and cross-drainage structures was carried out at the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage, pursuant to which adequate provisions were incorporated in the design.
He said that as many as 148 Box Culverts, 107 Hume Pipe Culverts (HPCs) and 24 Minor Nallah Bridges (MNBs) were incorporated to facilitate proper disposal of the water.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that presently there is no persistent issue of water-logging at the box culverts on the newly constructed Ring Road including Khanda, Kuzwaria, Bugam, Wathora and other locations.
However, he said that temporary accumulation noticed during the construction phase of the Greenfield project was addressed after completion of the structures and the drainage system is functioning satisfactorily.
He further said though there are no reports of water logging issues, however, if required the same shall be addressed through measures including additional constructions.

NTPHC Haripora functioning in Govt building, land being identified for Sumbal centre: Sakeena Itoo
Minister for Health & Medical Education Sakeena Itoo today informed the Legislative Assembly that NTPHC Haripora is already functioning in a three room government building of Health Department.
She was replying to a question raised by MLA Kangan Mian Mehar Ali during the Question Hour of the ongoing Budget Session.
The Minister informed the House that augmentation, if any, may be considered in the interest of patient care, as and when such need arises.
She further said that for construction of a building for NTPHC Sumbal, which is currently functioning in rented accommodation, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal has been requested to identify suitable land.
“As of now, no funds have been sanctioned or proposed for construction of the NTPHC building, which shall be considered after the formal transfer of encumbrance-free land and availability of budgetary resources in a phased manner,” she added.
4142 Kanal land transferred for Industrial Estates in Anantnag: Deputy CM
As many as, 13 land patches comprising 4142. 43 kanal of land have been transferred to the Industries and Commerce department for establishment of Industrial Estates in Anantnag district.
This was informed by the Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary while replying to a question raised by Legislator Abdul Majeed Bhat in the Legislative Assembly.
He said that the land patches are located at various locations like Pahalgam, Bijbehara, Dooru, Shangus, Mattan and other spots in Anantnag district.
However, the Deputy Chief Minister said as of now no Industrial Estate exists in Anantnag West Constituency and no such proposal is under consideration in the department.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the government is committed to bolster Industrial sector to accommodate unemployed youth and address unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir.
Govt initiates liquidation of J&KSCARD Bank; assures protection of depositors’ interests: Javid Dar
Minister for Cooperatives, Javid Ahmad Dar, today informed the House that the J&K State Co-operative Agriculture & Rural Development Bank Ltd. (J&K SCARD Bank), established in 1962 under the Jammu and Kashmir Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, is not registered under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 and therefore does not fall under the purview of the Reserve Bank of India.
The Minister stated this while replying to a clubbed question raised by Legislators Dr. Rajeev Kumar Bhagat, Vikram Randhawa, Surjeet Singh Slathia and Vijay Kumar.
He said that the Bank is presently under the control of the UT Government through the Registrar of Co-operative Societies (RCS) and the Administrative Department of Cooperatives.
The Minister further said the Bank has not been declared bankrupt and the Government has initiated the process of liquidation in accordance with the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Co-operative Societies Act, 1989 due to prolonged financial and operational distress.
The Minister explained that the Bank’s financial stress developed gradually due to accumulated losses, weak governance and internal control systems, poor loan recovery and liquidity pressures. He added the situation worsened due to inadequate refinance support from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and limited financial assistance from the UT Government, as the Bank was largely dependent on refinance and government support and as a result, liabilities exceeded assets, severely affecting the Bank’s ability to meet depositor obligations.
The Minister said that the Bank has stopped payments of matured fixed deposits, including at Bishnah Branch, due to acute liquidity constraints, leaving several depositors awaiting disbursement. He informed the House that the repayment of depositors forms part of the overall liquidation and depositor-protection framework approved by the Government. He also said that a comprehensive Know Your Customer (KYC) verification exercise covering all branches, including Bishnah has been completed to authenticate depositor claims.
The Minister said that upon issuance of winding-up order and appointment of Liquidator(s), duly verified claims will be settled in a phased manner strictly as per statutory provisions and the prescribed order of priority.
He further stated that the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) mechanism has not been invoked as it applies only to banking institutions registered under the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, adding that J&K SCARD Bank is not covered under the Act.
Reaffirming the Government’s commitment to safeguarding depositor interests, the Minister said that a detailed projection of depositor liabilities has been compiled and submitted to the Government for consideration, including provisioning through the budgetary process in accordance with law.
36 Health Sub Centres, PHCs functioning in Reasi Constituency: Health Minister
Minister for Health & Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo today informed the Legislative Assembly that 36 Health Sub-Centres and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) are functioning in Reasi constituency, with 175 personnel currently in position at these institutes.
The Minister was replying to a query raised by Legislator Kuldeep Raj Dubey, regarding the status of health facilities in the constituency.
She stated that out of the sanctioned strength of 163 regular staff, including MLPs, FMPHWs, sanitation workers and other categories, 101 are presently in position. Similarly, out of 78 sanctioned staff under the National Health Mission (NHM), 74 have been deployed in these health centres.
The Minister further informed the House that three medical/paramedical staff members have been attached or deployed at places other than their original postings, with special reference to the Reasi constituency.
She also said that the villages of Drabi Panchayat, Harotekote and Dhakikot Panchayat (Dhakikote) currently do not have any Health Sub-Centre or PHC.
“However, these areas do not meet the minimum criteria required for establishment of Sub-Centres/PHCs as per IPHS norms 2022,” she added.
16 Water Supply Schemes approved for Khawas block under JJM: Javed Rana
The villages of Khawas Block, including Kanthol and Marutha in Budhal Constituency, are being covered under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to ensure provision of safe and adequate drinking water.
Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana informed this while replying to a question raised by Legislator Javid Iqbal in the Legislative Assembly today. He stated that 16 Water Supply Schemes (WSSs) have been approved under JJM for the area.
He said that four schemes have been completed, while the remaining are at various stages of execution.
The Minister informed that despite ongoing works, the region has experienced prolonged drought-like conditions in recent years, coupled with scanty rainfall, leading to depletion of certain water sources during peak summer months. He informed that the borewell source of WSS Budhal has also been adversely affected, impacting sustainability and resulting in acute shortages in some habitations during the lean summer period. However, he said that as an interim measure, drinking water requirements are being met through water tanker services.
To address the long-term source sustainability, three Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) namely WSS Badhal-B, WSS Kotecharwal, and WSS Kotranka have been prepared and are under consideration. These projects will augment the existing schemes and extend coverage to left-out and higher-altitude habitations, stated the Minister.
28,186 AWCs operational in J&K: Sakeena Itoo
Minister for Social Welfare Sakeena Itoo today informed the House that 28,186 Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) are currently operational in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister stated this in reply to a question raised by Legislator Arjun Singh Raju regarding Anganwadi Centers in the Legislative Assembly.
The Minister informed the House that 26,937 AWCs are operating from rented premises. She added that construction of permanent buildings for AWCs shall be considered in a phased manner, subject to the availability of funds and land.
The Minister further said that the matter regarding opening of new Anganwadi Centres that fulfill the criteria would be examined for submission to GOI.