The government informed the Legislative Assembly today that there is no proposal to de-notify the Seer-Hamdan Municipal Committee. Replying on behalf of the Chief Minister, Minister for Education Sakeena Itoo informed the House that the process of notifying Seer-Hamdan as a Municipal Committee (MC) began in 1996 following recommendations of the District Development Commissioner, Anantnag.
After completing the necessary formalities, she said, a notification inviting objections to declare Seer-Hamdan as a town was issued vide SRO-190 dated 11-07-2005 and subsequently, Seer-Hamdan was notified as a Municipal Committee vide SRO-290 dated 04-07-2006.
“Since creation of the Municipal Committee, significant infrastructure development has taken place in the town,” the Minister informed the House during Question Hour of the ongoing Budget Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly. In reply to a query raised by MLA Anantnag East Reyaz Ahmad Khan, she stated that the projected current population of Seer-Hamdan is approximately 11,064, compared to 8,233 recorded in Census 2011, reflecting steady demographic growth.
Highlighting the town’s strategic and developmental importance, she said Seer-Hamdan lies on the route to the Shri Amarnathji Shrine. She added that the broader policy framework across the country envisages strengthening and upgrading the Urban Local Bodies, including the transition from rural to urban status and from Municipal Committees to Municipal Councils.
Further, she said that during the Municipal Elections 2018 and subsequent By-Elections 2020, all wards of MC Seer-Hamdan elected their respective representatives, reflecting sustained public participation in urban governance. The Assembly was also informed that Municipal Committee Shangus was de-notified by the Government vide SRO-126 dated 22-03-2013.
Following its abolition, the Minister said, regular staff borne on establishment of the Municipal Committee at the time of de-notification was redeployed to the nearby Municipal Institutions for optimal utilization of their services. Movable assets of the erstwhile Municipal Committee were also distributed or transferred to other Municipal Institutions/offices as per functional requirements.
At the time of abolition of MC Shangus, she said, ten (10) CPW (Sweepers) were working in the Committee who had been engaged purely on a temporary and need basis, and such engagement did not confer any right or claim for regular appointment.
However, she added that after five years of abolition of the Municipal Committee, these 10 CPWs approached the High Court by filing SWP No. 2050/2018 titled Mohammad Ashiq Sheikh & Others vs. State of J&K seeking absorption/engagement as sweepers, which is not being considered. MLA Pahalgam Altaf Ahmed Wani raised supplementary question, which was replied to by the Minister.
J&K govt adopts Pro-labour, pro-gender policies in contractual, regular engagements
The government has adopted pro-labour and pro-gender policies in its contractual and regular engagements in Jammu and Kashmir, Minister for Health and Medical Education, Sakeena Itoo, stated today in the Legislative Assembly. Responding on behalf of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, she was replying to a question by Legislator Shagun Parihar on ‘Maternity Leave Benefit’.
She added that the service conditions of women employees working under different government schemes are being governed by the guidelines of these schemes or as per the terms of agreement/conditions of the contract of engagement.
The Minister further informed that for the social security and welfare benefits for all contractual employees, the J&K government has prescribed annual 15 days casual leave with wages/honorarium, 30 days leave without honorarium on account of accident and illness and 180 days maternity leave without honorarium. Legislator, R.S Pathania raised supplementary question.