Bhat Imran

Srinagar, June 17: Amid Coronavirus crisis, the J&K administration Wednesday said that the private schools in Kashmir valley were violating the orders of Government Fee Fixation Committee (GFFC) by charging tuition fee as well as miscellaneous fee in the name of tuition fee.

The government warned the private schools of strict action in terms of relevant provisions of Law in case of any violation found against the school management.

According to the circular issued by Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK), a copy of which is in possession with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), complaints against various private schools were pouring of charges of miscellaneous and other charges.

The government order states that the administrative department has issued instructions to private schools in view of COVID-19 pandemic in Jammu and Kashmir with the directions that the last date of deposit school fees is extended up to April-30 without any late fees and no school shall either charge any fee for the online Lecturers or assignments or shall link the result of the child on the basis of home assignment.

“The Management bodies of all CBSE or BOSE affiliated private schools of UT Jammu and Kashmir were directed to issue appropriate directions in this regard,” it reads.

It was also mentioned that the administrative department in a circular issued on May-14 has directed to charge only tuition fee shall from students on monthly basis instead of quarterly basis for the lockdown period

The government further said that it has also ordered that “No fee hike shall be made during the academic session 2020-21. Annual fee, if any, can be charged monthly on a pro-rata basis, after schools reopen. No School shall deny access to online education material or classes to poor or deserving students unable to pay school fees due to the prevailing situation.”

In an order, DSEK said that GFFC on January- 28- last year has already regulated and fixed the fee of private educational institutions of JK wherein it was directed that the tuition Fee (monthly basis) which be reflective of the recurring expenditure being incurred for running the school such as the salary of staff, electricity bill, water supply bills etc.

“Annual fee which includes the annual depreciation of the investment made for setting up of the school clubbed with repair and maintenance costs and may also include all other one time fees such as examination fee, computer fee, sports fee etc wherever applicable,” it said.

The government also said that the GFFC has also ordered that the transport fee shall be charged only from the students availing the transport facility of the school on an actual basis.

Keeping in consideration the notifications and orders, “Complaints are pouring at DSEK that the school management are charging tuition fee as well as miscellaneous fee under the caption of tuition fee which totally contradicts with the GFFC order,” reads the order.

The government directed the recognized private schools to adhere to the instructions in letter and spirit while collecting the monthly tuition fee during the lockdown period of COVID-19 pandemic, “In case of any violation, action shall be initiated against the school management in terms of relevant provisions of law,” the government said—(KNO)

Jammu, June 17: The Government today issued an order for the different departments to function their headquarters along with the records for the forthcoming Annual Darbar Move-2020.

The General Administration Department order said that in continuation to the Government Order No. 626-JK(GAD) of 2020 dated 08.06.2020, it is hereby ordered that the Departments shall primarily function from the headquarters alongwith the records in the following manner:

The Departments whose headquarters will move to Srinagar include Civil Aviation,  Culture,  Estates, Finance,  Floriculture, General Administration,  Horticulture, Higher Education, Hospitality & Protocol, Industries & Commerce,  Information Technology,  Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs,  Labour & Employment,  Public Works,  Social Welfare,  School Education,  Skill Development,  Tourism , Youth, Services & Sports.

While as Animal/Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries , ARI & Trainings, Cooperative, Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation Reconstruction, Election, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs,  Forest, Ecology & Environment , Health & Medical Education, Home, Housing & Urban Development, Information, Jal Shakti, Planning, Development & Monitoring, Power Development, Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Transport and  Tribal Affairs will function from Jammu Secretariat.

Likewise, Agriculture Production and Science & Technology would function from both Jammu and Srinagar Secretariats. –(KNO)

Srinagar, June 17 : The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday ordered that 19 departments will function primarily from Srinagar secretariat and 18 from Jammu secretariat.

According to an order issued by General Administration Department, Civil Aviation, Culture, Estates, Finance, Floriculture, General Administration, Horticulture, Higher Education, Hospitality & Protocol, Industries & Commerce, Information Technology, Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Labour & Employment, Public Works, Social Welfare, School Education, Skill Development, Tourism and Youth, Services & Sports department will function from Srinagar secretariat.

The order, a copy of which is in possession with news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) states that Animal/Sheep Husbandry & Fisheries, ARI & Trainings, Cooperative, Disaster Management Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, Election, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Forest, Ecology & Environment, Health & Medical Education, Home, Housing & Urban Development, Information, Jal Shakti, Planning, Development & Monitoring, Power Development, Revenue, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Transport and Tribal Affairs departments shall function from Jammu secretariat.

It further states that Agriculture Production and Science & Technology departments shall primarily function from both Jammu and Srinagar secretariats—(KNO)

Jammu, June 17: In a major relief to government job aspirants, the Jammu and Kashmir Government today announced new probationer and fixation of tenure rules for fresh appointments under its Statutory Order (SO) 192.

A notification issued here in this regard by the General Administration Department (GAD) said: “In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to Article 309 of Constitution of India, the Lieutenant Governor hereby directs that notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956, or any other rule, notification, recruitment rules of any service or any order in force, the conditions of probation, pay and allowances and fixation of initial tenure of a person appointed to any post under the Government of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir after coming into force of this Notification shall be governed by the following rules, namely.”

According to the notification, the new rules would be called as Jammu and Kashmir Probationer (Condition of Service, Pay and Allowances) and Fixation of Tenure Rules, 2020. It added that these rules shall come into force from the date of notification.

The notification further read that no person shall be eligible for confirmation as a member of a service or class till he has been on probation in such service or class continuously or in aggregate for a period of two years:

“Provided that nothing shall debar the Government from extending the period of probation of a probationer who has failed to acquire the prescribed qualification or to pass the prescribed test provided that the period shall extend in no case for more than two years,” it read.

“Provided further that the Government may extend the period of probation of a probationer for another two years under these rules, if the probationer fails to meet the requirements or standards of the job.”

During the period of probation, it said, the appointee under these rules shall be entitled to the minimum of pay level applicable to the post against which he is appointed.

“Every appointee under these rules shall, after completion of probation, be entitled to fixation of pay in the pay level applicable to the post against which he is appointed.”

“ The appointee under these rules shall be entitled to annual increment, Dearness Allowance, House Rent Allowance and City Compensatory Allowance or any other allowance sanctioned by the Government after successful completion of the probation period:  Provided that the appointee shall be entitled to benefits under the Medical Attendance Rules and Leave Rules from the date of his appointment itself.”

On Suspension/Discharge during probation, the notification said that at any time before the expiry of the period of probation, the appointing authority may suspend the probation of a probationer and discharge him from the service for want of vacancy; and at his discretion, terminate the probation of a probationer and discharge him from service.

It added: “If within the prescribed period of probation, the probationer fails to acquire the prescribed qualifications or to pass the test, if any prescribed, or to acquire such other qualifications as may be considered by the Government to be equivalent to said special qualification or special posts, the appointing authority shall forthwith by order, discharge him from service. “

It further said that if such probationer has appeared within the prescribed period of probation for any such test or any examination in connection with the acquisition of such qualification having passed all other tests and acquired all the other qualifications, and the results of the tests or examinations for which he has so appeared are not known before the expiry of such period, he shall continue to be on probation, until the publication of the results of the tests or examinations for which he has appeared or the first of them in which he fails to pass, as the case may be. In case the probationer fails to pass any of the tests or examinations for

“One which he has so appeared, the appointing authority shall forthwith by order, discharge him from the service. “

Where a probationer has, before he commenced his probation, already acquired any special qualification or passed any special test or has acquired such other qualification as may be considered by the Government to be equivalent to the said special qualification or special tests, he shall not be required to acquire such special qualification or to pass such special test again within the period of his probation, it read.

The condition of probation, the notification added, if at the end of the prescribed period of probation, the appointing authority considers the probationer to be suitable for membership, it shall as soon as possible, or in cases falling under sub-rule(3) of rule 4 of these rules as soon as possible after the probationer has passed the tests and examinations for which he has appeared, issue an order declaring the probationer to have satisfactorily completed his period of probation, except in cases where the period of probation has been extended under rule 2 of these rules. On the issue of such order, the probationer shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed his period of probation on the date of the expiry of the prescribed period of probation.

“In cases not falling under sub-rule (3) of rule 4 of these rules, if no order is issued, by the appointing authority under sub-rule(1) of this rule within ninety days after the expiry of the prescribed period of probation, the probationer shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed his period of probation on the date of the expiry of the prescribed period of probation, except in cases where the period of probation has been extended under rule 2 of these rules.”

“ If the candidate has passed the tests and examinations for which he has appeared and no order is issued under sub-rule(1) by the appointing authority within ninety days after the expiry of the prescribed period of probation or within thirty days of the publication of the results of such tests and examinations, whichever is later, the probationer shall be deemed to have satisfactorily completed his period of probation on the date of the expiry of the prescribed period of probation, except in cases where the period of probation has been extended under rule 2 of these rules.,” it said.

The notification further said that the there would be fixed tenure of five years on initial appointment.

“The appointee under these rules shall have to necessarily work for a period of five years on the post against which he has been initially appointed and such appointee shall not be eligible for transfer for whatsoever reason during the period of five years: Provided that any person appointed against any available vacancy on the basis of being a Resident of Backward Area, adjoining Line of Actual Control or International Border shall serve in such areas for a period of not less than seven years. “

The authority competent, it said, to entertain an appeal under the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956 may revise any order discharging a probationer under any of the provision referred to in these rules, on an appeal filed within ninety days of the date of receipt of such order by the probationer concerned.

“When an order discharging a probationer is set aside on revision under sub-rule (1) of this rule and the probationer is restored to the service, the period on and from the date of discharge to the date of such restoration may be treated as duty by the appointing authority except for purposes of probation. The period of probation undergone by such probationer at the time of his discharge shall, however, count towards the period of probation prescribed by the rule applicable to him.”

“ Such probationer may during the period on and from the date of his discharge to the date of his restoration be paid such pay and allowances not exceeding the pay and allowances to which he would have been entitled if he had not been discharged as the authority passing the order under sub-rule (1) may determine,” it added.

The other conditions of service including seniority, age, qualification, discipline, conduct and other allied matters shall be governed by the recruitment rules of the service to which the post to which the person has been appointed belongs, besides other rules, regulations, other rules, regulations, and orders in vogue in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the notification mentioned.

The Government, in General Administration Department, may exempt any class/category of post or service from the provisions of this notification and for such class/category of post or service, the provisions of these rules contained in the come Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1956 shall apply, the notification added –(KNO)

Jammu, June 17: Meeting the long pending demand of its employees recruited under the Jammu & Kashmir Special Recruitment Rules, 2015, (SRO 202), the government today amended it by issuing Jammu & Kashmir Special Recruitment (Amendment) Rules, 2020.

These rules have been issued by the order of the Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of J&K.

The rules 8, 9 and 10 of the earlier order have been amended by virtue of which the probation, fixed pay and allowances of the existing employees working under these rules has been granted only after the expiry of two years instead of five years mentioned earlier.

Moreover, the newly inserted rule 13 of the amended rules specify that employees who have had more than two years of service will also get the notional benefit up to 30.6.2020 and monetary benefit with effect from 1.7.2020. Those employees who would complete their probation after 1.7.2020 as per the amendments made by the Jammu and Kashmir Special Recruitment (Amendment) Rules, 2020, shall be entitled to monetary benefit from the date of completion of their probation period.

The amendment further envisages that no future recruitments shall be made under these rules as government has already notified the Jammu & Kashmir Probationer (condition of service, pay and allowances) and fixation of tenure rules, 2020 for future recruitments –(KNO)

Precious Kashmir News
Jammu, June 17: The Jammu & Kashmir has been conferred with three prestigious Deen Dayal Upadhyay Sashaktikaran Puraskar (DDUPSP) awards for its outstanding contribution to the socio-economic development of the Gram Panchayats across the Union Territory.

The awards conferred by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj were given to three different panchayats of the two districts viz. Rajouri and Pulwama.

Panchayat Rathal, (Block Rajouri) and Panchayat Badakana, (Block Thana Mandi) of District Rajouri and Panchayat Meej, (Block Pampore) of Pulwama district were adjudged the best performing panchayats in recognition of their work in improving the delivery of services to the public like sanitation, natural resource management, maintaining record, construction of PMAY(G) houses, data management, implementation of agriculture-related schemes, electricity coverage etc.

Pertinent to mention, J&K government was earlier awarded three different national awards by the Union Ministry under Nanaji Deshmukhh Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar (NDRGGSP), Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) Award, Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award appreciating the good work done at different levels in the UT.

Hailing the efforts of the department, in general, and Sarpanchs of these Panchayats, in particular, the Secretary to Government, Department of RD & Panchayati Raj, J&K, Sheetal Nanda, said, “These Panchayats have adopted best practices in all the parameters, including providing piped water to the residents, maintaining record, giving scholarships to eligible students, providing employment to poor and marginalised residents of their respective panchayats, etc.  She urged other panchayats of the UT to emulate their best practices for the benefit and welfare of the general masses.

She congratulated Sobia Shaheen, Sarpanch Badakana, Block Plangarh, Abdul Rehman, Sarpanch Rathal, Block Rajouri, and Naseer Ahmad Khanday, Sarpanch, Meej, District Pulwama.  The Secretary also hailed the efforts of the concerned District Panchayat Officers, Abdul Khabir, and Mir Nasrool Hilal Jerri for their tireless dedication in achieving this feat.

New Delhi, Jun 17: The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Centre over the loan moratorium issue, saying that the Central Government cannot raise its hands in helplessness and deferred the hearing till the first week of August.

Hearing a petition, filed by one Gajendra Sharma, seeking appropriate directions on waiving of interest during the moratorium period, the apex court said, ‘Centre can’t now say it is between banks and customers. If you announced moratorium, you must ensure the benefits are given to customers purposefully.’

‘You (Centre) took time to find a way out, but nothing has happened. Centre can’t leave it to banks now,’ observed the three-judge bench, headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, and also comprising Justices MR Shah and SC Kaul.

The Court asked the Centre to clarify whether the banks can charge interest on deferred interest on the outstanding loans, or the Centre can burden this.

Senior Advocates Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi, representing the banks, sought that the SC hear this case only after three months.

Srinagar, June 17: Authorities on Wednesday detained Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Nazir Ahmad Yattoo, after he tried to hoist the flag of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State at clock Tower (Gantaghar) in the commercial hub in Lal Chowk.
Witnesses told KNO that Yattoo appeared in Lal Chowk area this afternoon and attempted to hoist the flag of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State. Yatoo was intercepted by the police and detained.

New Delhi, June 16: In a massive scale up of conflict in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh, about 20 Indian Army soldiers were killed during a violent face-off with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China on Monday.

According to sources, the Chinese side has suffered around 50 casualties.

”The Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged at the Galwan area, where they had earlier clashed on the night of 15/16 June 2020. 17 Indian troops who were critically injured in the line of duty at the stand off location and exposed to sub-zero temperatures in the high altitude terrain have succumbed to their injuries, taking the total that were killed in action to 20,” the Indian Army said.

The Army further said that it is firmly committed to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation. No firing had taken place during the face-off.

”The Indian troops were attacked by rods and stones,” sources said.

The number of casualties suffered by the Indian Army revealed the extent and scale of the conflict, which has escalated over the past two days.

Meanwhile, high-level meetings in Defence establishments were held on Tuesday night. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to review the prevailing situation in eastern Ladakh, where the face-off between troops of India and China has continued since early May.

India has accused China of failing to adhere scrupulously to the June 6 agreement, reached between senior military officials of the two countries for de-escalation of the situation in Eastern Ladakh.

In the first official reaction to the violent clashes with the Chinese troops that left three Indian Army personnel dead, the External Affairs Ministry said that both sides suffered casualties that could have been avoided, had the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side.

Official spokesperson of MEA, Anurag Shrivastava said, ”Given its responsible approach to border management, India is very clear that all its activities are always within the Indian side of the LAC. We expect the same of the Chinese side.”