Minister for School Education and Higher Education, Sakeena Itoo, today informed the House that the matter of enhancement of wages of Cooks-cum-Helpers working under the PM POSHAN (Mid Day Meals Scheme) would be taken up in the upcoming Project Approval Board (PAB) meeting.
The Minister said this while replying a question raised by Muzaffar Iqbal Khan in the Legislative Assembly. The Minister informed the House that as per the guidelines and norms of the Union Ministry for Education, with the sharing pattern of 90:10, the Cooks-cum-Helpers are being paid monthly honorarium of Rs.1000 only for preparation of single time meals.
The Minister informed that the demand for enhancement of honorarium of the Cooks-Cum-Helpers was projected during the previous meeting of PAB under the PM POSHAN scheme, but the same was not accepted with remarks that cooks-cum-helpers are uniformly paid throughout the country and the same cannot be enhanced in isolation for any state or UT.
The Minister also informed the House that there had been a provision for engagement of land donors as casual workers under SRO 520, but that has ceased to exist now and as such, there is no such policy by virtue of which employment can be provided to the land donors.
She added that School Education department is providing land compensation under the UT CAPEX BUDGET to liquidate the claims of land donors in a phased manner including those of Thanamandi Constituency. Mir Saifullah, Mehraj Malik and Balwant Singh Mankotia raised the supplementaries.
Ensure timely pension disburdenment under ISSS, IGNOAPS : Sakeena Itoo
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, today emphasized timely disbursement of pension among the beneficiaries under different pension schemes including Integrated Social Security Schemes (ISSS) and Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension scheme (IGNOAPS) in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister was replying to a question raised by Shamim Firdous in the Legislative Assembly. She informed that a detailed procedure for disbursement of pension under ISSS has been provided in ISSS Rules 2022 which is similar to the procedure for disbursement of financial assistance under IGNOAPS (CSS).
However, the payment under IGNOAPS is being done through NSAP-PPS portal. Mubarak Gul, Nazir Ahmad Gurezi, Tanvir Sadiq and Javed Ahmad Mirchal raised the supplementaries to the question.
Restrictions in place on sale, purchase of land in Khimber and Chatterhama : Sakeena Itoo
Minister for Revenue, Sakeena Itoo, today informed the House that restriction stand imposed on sale and purchase of land in Khimber and Chatterhama. The Minister was replying on behalf of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, to a question raised by Salman Sagar in the Legislative Assembly.
She informed that restrictions stand imposed since 24th April, 2024, on sale and purchase of land recorded as Shamilat Section 5 land in estates Khimber and Chatterhama. She stated that the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar is conducting enquiry into the matter as has been ordered by the Financial Commissioner, (Revenue) J&K, vide Order No: 03- FC (Rev) of 2024 dated 24-04- 2O24 issued under endorsement No: 31-37/FC-AP dated 24-04-2024.
No proposal to declare old City Jammu as Heritage City : Sakeena Itoo
The Government today said that presently there is no proposal regarding declaration of the Old City Jammu as Heritage City. Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, while replying on behalf of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to a question raised by Yudhvir Sethi, said that there is no such proposal under consideration in the department at present.
39 Health institutions functional in SMVD Constituency : Sakeena Itoo
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, today informed the House that 39 health institutions are functioning in Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) constituency besides Narayana Super Specialty Hospital is providing advanced healthcare facilities to locals in the constituency.
The Minister said this while replying to a question raised by Baldev Raj Sharma in the Legislative Assembly. The Minister further informed that 1 CHC, 2 PHCs, 5 NTPHCs and 31 Sub Centres are functional in SMVD constituency adding that Bhomag village falls under Block Medical Officer Reasi and there is no such sanctioned post of BMO Bhomag. Further, no such office building for the office of BMO is being constructed at Bhomag, she said.
The Minister also informed that a Sub Centre at Kothroo and Kroonkote is under construction under district Capex besides CHC Katra is functioning as 30-bedded SDH with 5 specialties and additional specialized services of Sinologist and Orthopaedics.
She said that as per the IPHS standard there is no provision of any specialist doctor for PHCs, adding that PHC Tote is operational and adequately staffed with both Medical and Paramedical staff.
While giving details regarding filling up of vacancies in health department, the Minister said the department appointed 365 Medical Officers and posted them in far-flung/peripheral health institutes across J&K for strengthening the healthcare facilities at grassroots level in the month of November, 2024.
She informed that the department is also in process of operating waitlist in respect of 91 selectee Medical Officers, whose services will also be utilized in the underserved areas across the J&K. The Minister added that 181 posts of Medical Officers are about to be received from Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission, which will significantly reduce the staff shortages in various health institutions.
She further informed that 292 vacancies in the non-gazetted/paramedical category from the Directorate of Family Welfare, Maternity and Child Health (MCH) and Immunization besides 290 vacancies in respect of Directorate of Health Services Jammu have also been referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (J&K SSB) for recruitment which will significantly strengthen and improve the healthcare system.
Regarding up gradation of CHC Katra to SDH or ADH, the Minister said that up gradation of any health institute will be taken under IPHC norms, if needed. Regarding staff position in healthcare institutions in SMVD constituency, the Minister said that against 184 (Medical and Paramedical) sanctioned posts, 107 have been filled up while additional NHM staff of 105 (Medical and Paramedical) has been posted in the SMVD constituency.
16 MOs posted in far-flung areas, peripheries of Anantnag; 6 MOs, 2 Dental Surgeons in SDH Shangus : Sakeena Itoo
Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, today said that six Medial Officers and two Dental Surgeons are among other dedicated staff, catering seamless healthcare services to the general public at Sub District Hospital (SDH), Shangus in Anantnag.
The Minister was replying to a question raised by Reyaz Ahmad Khan in the Legislative Assembly. She said that in the month of November 2024, 365 selectees were appointed as Medical Officers in the J&K Health & Family Welfare (Gazetted) Services, out of these, 16 were posted in the far-flung/peripheral health institutes of Anantnag district strengthening the healthcare facilities at grassroots level.
The Minister informed that there are 4 sanctioned posts of Medical Officers at Sub District Hospital (SDH) Shangus and all four posts are in position. Besides, 2 Medical Officers under the National Health Mission (NHM) are also serving at SDH Shangus.
Besides, sanctioned posts of 2 Dental Surgeons for SDH Shangus are also in place, she added. The Minister added that specialist posts were created for SDH Shangus, however, later vide Government Order No. 875, dated 06.09.2002, these posts were kept in abeyance.
She informed that the up gradation of health institutions mainly depend upon multiple parameters vis; population, infrastructure, distance from nearby Health institutions, work load and fulfilment of conditionality of IPHS norms-2022 and circular instructions of the Government issued from time to time.