Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali today chaired a meeting to discuss and review the status of projects of Tribal Affairs Department at Kargil.Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, Abdul Majid Bhat, Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan and Mohammad Ali Chandan, Councilors LAHDC, Kargil, Director Tribal Affairs, Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad and representatives of various student Associations from Jammu, Srinagar and Chandigarh officers of the Tribal Affairs Department attended the said meeting.Abdul Majid Bhat, Secretary, Tribal Affairs enumerated various ongoing programmes of the Tribal Affairs Department in Kargil. He informed the Chairman that a model residential school stands sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 16.00 Crore out of which an amount of Rs. 4.00 crore has been already released. Director, Tribal Affairs said that formal DPRs of the project are still awaited. In this regard, the Chairman gave on spot directions to the Deputy Commissioner, Kargil to ensure early submission of DPR’s with formal technical clearance for ensuring early execution of the Eklavya Model Residential School.Besides, the Secretary informed that funds to the tune of Rs. 2.42 crore have been released for Model Village, Rs 2.42.00 lacs have been released for ST Hostel at Government Degree College, Kargil and an amount of Rs 14.53 Lakh has been released for establishment of Sheep units. Moreover, it was assured that on the pattern of Leh a model Milk village will be developed in District Kargil.
Regarding the issue of residential accommodation for the Kargil Students at Jammu and Srinagar, the Chairman informed the functionaries of the Tribal Affairs that a Boys Hostel out of the funds from District Plan has been constructed by the LAHDC Kargil at Channi Himmat, Jammu and land measuring about 5.00 Kanals for construction of a Girls hostel at Sidhra Jammu has been acquired. But the main concern of the students is that there is no maintenance of the said building and there is scarcity of facilities in comparison to other hostels like Gujjar and Bakerwal Hostels.Abdul Majid Bhat suggested the Chairman to handover the buildings of the boys’ hostel Jammu/Srinagar and Girls Hostel Srinagar and land for Girls Hostel at Jammu to Tribal Affairs Department and assured that it will take care of the building and other facilities to the students which includes food, Bedding and modern computer labs and library facility for the students. Secretary and Director Tribal Affairs assured that on the analogy of Gujjar Bakerwal Hostels these hostels will be exclusively reserved for ST students of Kargil.The Chairman assured that he will take up the matter with the LAHDC, Kargil personally and stressed upon the representatives of the Students to pursue the matter and persuade the LAHDC, Kargil to handover the said hostels to Tribal Affairs Department for better management and provision of facilities to the students.
Other contentious issue confronted by the students was the issue of scholarships; the students complained about the delay in release of scholarships and also desired that the amount of the scholarship should be enhanced.Director, Tribal Affairs informed the Chairman that the department has prioritized the cases of current year and the pending issues of delay and omission and commission of records etc will be taken for resolution within a fortnight. Further it was given to understand by the Secretary Tribal Affairs that to overcome the problems faced by the students and to minimize the complaints whole system of Scholarship has been computerized and the process will be completed online.The Chairman directed the representatives of the students to collect all complaints regarding pending scholarship at their respective places i.e. Jammu, Srinagar, Chandigarh and Delhi etc and liaison with department for their resolution. Director, Tribal Affairs stressed upon the students to ensure that the cases for scholarship should be formally verified by the concerned institution. He assured all possible help to resolve the pending cases of the students brought to his notice. Regarding the query of students about the extension of date for submission of scholarship forms he graciously informed that students who have not filled up their forms can also apply for the same.