Qaiser Jamsheed Lone chairs DRSC meeting

Reviews functioning of Transport, Cooperative Deptts

             JAMMU, MARCH 07: The meeting of Department Related Standing Committee (DRSC-I) of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council was held here today under the Chairmanship of MLC, Qaiser Jamsheed Lone to examine the Transport department.

          During the meeting, a threadbare discussion was held on the overall functioning of Transport Department and directions were passed to the concerned authorities to initiate necessary measures to improve the functioning of the said department.

          Legislators, Mohammad Khursheed Alam, G L Raina and Muzaffar Ahmed Parray attended the meeting.

Secretary, Transport Department, M Raju, Transport Commissioner, Saugat Biswas and Managing Director SRTC, Mir Afroz briefed the Committee about the working of the department besides other activities carried out by the concerned authorities to develop infrastructure of the department including expansion of fleets of buses and trucks in the department etc.

          Among others, Special Secretary, Council, Mohammad Ashraf Wani, Director State Motor Garages, Zakir Choudhary, Additional Transport Commission, Mohinder Singh, RTOs, other senior officers of concerned departments and Council Secretariat were also present in the meeting.

         A detailed assessment was made by the Committee in view of various issues pertaining to regulating the State Transport Authority and Regional Transport Authorities, ensuring mobility and connectivity for the public by providing transport facilities in all areas, creating Road Safety Awareness among the masses for safe driving, generating revenue on account of Token Tax, Permit, Registration, License fees etc.

          The Committee instructed the concerned authorities to devise an inclusive mechanism for creating enhanced infrastructure to facilitate the general public. Directions were passed for the proper execution of ban on pressure horns used by the commercial vehicles besides to put a check on over charging by the light vehicles from the passengers from Jammu to Srinagar and to other destinations. The Committee directed for strict action against the violations of set rules and norms.

          Taking a strong note of pollution, the Committee also directed the concerned to check and monitor the vehicles that are more than 15 years old and are the main cause of spreading of pollution in the state. The concerned authorities informed the Committee about the present status of such vehicles and cases referred to the concerned quarter for the final disposal in this regard.

                Later, the Committee held another review meeting of Co-operative Department and suggested several measures to further streamline the working of the department.

          Registrar, Cooperative Societies, Peerzada Hafiz-ul-lah, MD, JEKFED, Deepika K Sharma, Joint Registrar, Audit, Dr Raj Kumar Thapa briefed the Committee about the overall functioning of the department besides physical and financial achievement of the department.

          It was informed in the meeting that under the Act of 1989, there are about 1698 Co-operative Societies registered under various disciplines and undertaking business activities like fertilizers, consumer business, short term credit, housing, poultry dairy etc. Out of the above Societies, about 1000 Co-operative Societies are reported to be functional.

A detailed discussion was held on the apt implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes launched by the department including RKVY with a focus on development and strengthening of agriculture and allied sectors.

          It was also informed that there are five Apex level Co-operations viz JAKFED, J&K Coop., Housing Corporation, J&K Cooperative Union, J&K State Coop. Bank and J&K SCARDB and 107 Co-operative Marketing Societies operating at District/Block level.