Spending curbs tightened, e-governance pushed

 Ban on hotel events; curbs on vehicles, travel

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Saturday announced a series of measures aimed at rationalising expenditure and ensuring fiscal prudence during the financial year 2026-27.

An order issued by the Union Territory’s Finance Department said the measures will come into immediate effect and outlined detailed guidelines to curb non-essential spending.

The order stressed that only essential seminars, conferences, workshops, and training programmes should be held, with departments encouraged to opt for virtual formats wherever possible.

Organising such events outside the Union Territory has been strongly discouraged. It also imposed a complete ban on holding meetings and conferences in private hotels and commercial venues, directing departments to use government infrastructure instead.

Expenditure on ceremonial events, branding, souvenir printing, and other publicity activities has been restricted, with departments advised to prioritise digital dissemination over printed materials.

The government has also discouraged the purchase of new vehicles. Exceptions may be allowed only with the Finance Department’s approval and subject to replacement against condemned vehicles, along with a 20 per cent reduction in fleet size. Departments have been directed to auction condemned vehicles and deposit the proceeds as miscellaneous revenue.

Strict controls have been imposed on official travel. International travel will require prior approval of the Finance Department, while domestic travel should be minimised through the use of video conferencing and virtual platforms. Officials travelling within the country have been asked to use economy class, irrespective of entitlement, where necessary.

The order also highlights the need for fuel and energy conservation, directing departments to avoid unnecessary use of vehicles, generators, air-conditioning systems, and lighting. Movement of official vehicles is to be restricted to essential requirements.

Hiring of new office accommodation has been barred without prior approval and certification of non-availability of suitable government space. Procurement of furniture has also been restricted, except for newly established offices with due approval, while old furniture is to be disposed of through public auction.

Emphasising a digital-first approach, the government has directed departments to minimise physical meetings, paper usage, and the circulation of files by maximising the use of e-Office systems and digital communication platforms.

A complete ban has been imposed on official hospitality events such as dinners, lunches, and receptions, except those hosted by the Lieutenant Governor or the Chief Minister.

The order further states that no new posts will be created, and vacant posts lying unfilled for over two years should be identified for surrender. Engagement of consultants, outsourcing agencies, and contractual staff will be allowed only after assessing functional necessity and available in-house capacity.

The Finance Department has also barred fresh financial commitments on schemes or proposals not included in the approved Budget Estimates for 2026-27. Non-priority works under the capital expenditure budget, including renovation and upgradation projects, will not receive budget releases unless specifically approved.

Administrative Secretaries have been made personally responsible for ensuring strict compliance with these measures. Finance Directors and Advisors will monitor expenditure and submit periodic compliance reports to the Finance Department, the order added.

Distributes 51,000 appointment letters

New Delhi, May 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi distributed more than 51,000 appointment letters to newly-appointed youth in various government departments and organisations at the 19th Rozgar Mela on Saturday and said that the world is very excited about India’s youth and technological progress.

Addressing the gathering virtually, PM Modi said, “Today, more than 51,000 youth have received appointment letters for government jobs and all of you are becoming key partners in the ‘Vikas Yatra’ of the nation… All of you will play a significant role in fulfilling the resolve for Viksit Bharat in the coming years.”

“To reach this point, all of you must have done a lot of preparation and hard work. I congratulate you and your family on this achievement. The contribution of parents and family in reaching this stage is very important. But it is not only the family; society also plays a very big role in your success. We do not reach here only because of ourselves or only because of our families. The contribution of 140 crore citizens of this great nation is also very significant,” he said.

Talking about his recently concluded five-nation visit, the Prime Minister said, “This was not just any tour. During this, I talked to leaders of various big companies, and everywhere, I realised one thing — the world is very excited about India’s youth and technological progress. The world wants to become a part of India’s ‘Vikas Yatra’. India is forming partnerships with different countries, and the sole motive behind this is that India’s youth gets opportunity, employment and confidence, as well as global exposure.”

He listed out the agreements signed during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and Italy, and said, “These agreements will directly benefit India’s youth. All these agreements come with a guarantee of a bright and capable India.”

PM Modi also highlighted the strategic partnership signed between ASML and Tata Electronics to supply and deploy advanced lithography tools for India’s first commercial semiconductor fabrication plant in Gujarat’s Dholera. The MoU was signed during the Prime Minister’s visit to the Netherlands.

In keeping with the Prime Minister’s commitment to prioritising employment generation, the Rozgar Mela is a major initiative aimed at translating this vision into reality.

The 19th Rozgar Mela was held on Saturday at 47 locations across the country. The newly recruited candidates, selected from all parts of India, will be joining various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India, including the Ministry of Railways, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Department of Financial Services, and the Department of Higher Education, among others.

Seeks accountability, corrective steps

SRINAGAR, MAY 23: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Transport Department to assess the progress achieved in road safety, traffic enforcement, technology integration and implementation of key recommendations aimed at improving traffic management and reducing road accidents across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting besides ACS PWD and Principal Secretary, Home was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Health; Commissioner Secretary, Law; Secretary, Transport; IGP, Traffic; Transport Commissioner; SIO, NIC and other concerned officers.

The meeting focused on the implementation status of the recommendations of the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety (SCCoRS), functioning of road safety mechanisms, enforcement initiatives, PM-RAHAT scheme, electronic monitoring systems and other flagship interventions being undertaken by the Transport Department in coordination with allied agencies.

Expressing concern over the recent tragic road accident in Udhampur district in which around 21 people lost their lives, the Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners to submit comprehensive Annual Action Plans regarding implementation of SCCoRS recommendations in their respective districts. He also called for fixing responsibility in the recent Udhampur accident and directed the concerned authorities to furnish detailed accident reports from each district for proper analysis and corrective interventions.

Reviewing the implementation of the hit-and-run compensation mechanism, the Chief Secretary sought detailed action taken reports in all such cases and stressed upon ensuring timely disposal and assistance to affected families.

While reviewing the functioning of the e-Challaning system, the Chief Secretary directed the concerned departments to immediately identify and address all bottlenecks hindering its successful implementation. He emphasized that technology-driven enforcement must be made fully effective to ensure greater transparency, accountability and compliance with traffic regulations.

The Chief Secretary also directed the authorities to explore the feasibility of creating a separate fund head within the Public Works Department (PWD) for rectification of accident-prone blackspots and hotspots across the road network.

He further stressed that executing agencies including BRO, NHAI and NHIDCL should also earmark dedicated resources for roads being maintained by them to undertake corrective measures in a mission-mode. He also emphasized development of passenger zones and designated stopping areas wherever feasible for ensuring safer public transport operations.

Taking serious note of traffic congestion caused by encroachments in urban areas, the Chief Secretary directed the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) to intensify anti-encroachment drives in the twin cities for smooth traffic movement and better pedestrian safety.

The meeting also reviewed safety measures concerning school transportation. The Chief Secretary directed for conducting a comprehensive audit of school buses to ensure strict adherence to prescribed safety norms and operational standards.

Reviewing the status of trauma care facilities in the UT, the Chief Secretary directed the Commissioner Secretary, Health Department to examine the upgradation of services in Government Medical Colleges for establishment of robust trauma and critical care systems.

He stressed that specialized services including Orthopaedics, Neurosurgery and Anaesthesia should remain available round the clock in these institutions. He further directed the department to submit a suitable proposal in this regard besides ensuring time-bound completion of all Critical Care Blocks being established across J&K.

With regard to implementation of the e-DAR and e-Court portals, the Chief Secretary directed the Information Technology Department to take up the matter with Director General, NIC and Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for making these systems operational in Jammu and Kashmir on the pattern of Delhi and Karnataka, considering the significant number of road accidents reported in the Union Territory.

Emphasizing the importance of scientific road safety management, the Chief Secretary also directed for extensive training of stakeholders under the i-RAD system and called for comprehensive auditing of roads across Jammu and Kashmir to identify deficiencies and undertake timely remedial measures.

The Secretary, Transport Department, Avny Lavasa apprised the meeting that the J&K Road Safety Policy-2025 had already been notified and a detailed Road Safety Action Plan Matrix formulated with clearly defined timelines and responsibilities for various departments.

She added that the action plan envisages interventions including black spot rectification, strengthening of traffic control systems, road safety audits, bus route restructuring, parking policy implementation, installation of crash barriers and scientific traffic calming measures.

The meeting was further apprised that district-level road safety committees have significantly intensified their functioning, with the number of meetings rising from 18 held till March this year to 35 meetings conducted by mid-May across districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Transport Commissioner, Vishesh Paul highlighted that under the Road Accident Victim Fund, an amount of Rs 1226.10 lakh had been received so far, out of which Rs 1218.10 lakh was released to districts for providing timely assistance to accident victims and their families.

He further informed that under the hit-and-run compensation mechanism, financial assistance is being extended in accordance with Government of India guidelines and cases are being regularly monitored by district administrations.

Reviewing enforcement measures, the department informed that e-Challan systems integrated with Instant Payment Gateway (IPG) had been implemented across the Union Territory, enabling fully digital enforcement by the Motor Vehicles Department and Traffic Police.

The meeting was informed that enforcement activities by the Motor Vehicles Department had witnessed a substantial increase over the past three years, including seizure of vehicles, suspension of driving licences, blacklisting of vehicles, cancellation of registration certificates and cancellation of route permits against violators.

The Chief Secretary also reviewed the operational status of Integrated Traffic Management Systems (ITMS) in Jammu and Srinagar. The meeting was informed that all ITMS equipment in Jammu had become fully operational since June 2024, while Srinagar ITMS was functioning successfully after rectification of initial technical issues. Hundreds of cameras including ANPR, RLVD, PTZ and surveillance cameras have been installed under these systems to strengthen electronic monitoring and automated enforcement.

It was further informed that over 5.34 lakh challans had been issued through ITMS Jammu since June 2024, while more than 60,000 challans had been generated through Srinagar ITMS since December 2024, resulting in substantial fine realization and improved enforcement coverage.

The meeting also discussed capacity-building initiatives undertaken under the i-RAD programme. The department informed that extensive training programmes had been conducted for stakeholders from Police, Health and Public Works departments to ensure timely and accurate data entry on the i-RAD portal for better accident analysis and future planning.

Reiterating the commitment towards safer roads and efficient mobility, the Chief Secretary called for close coordination among all departments and agencies to ensure effective implementation of road safety initiatives and reduction in accident fatalities across the Union Territory.

Shirdi, May 23: Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan on Saturday asserted that future wars will be fought across multiple domains, including land, sea, air, cyberspace and cognitive warfare, with technology emerging as the defining factor in military success.

Addressing a gathering during the inauguration of a defence manufacturing unit in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, Gen Chauhan said modern warfare is rapidly evolving beyond conventional manpower and platform-centric operations.

He highlighted the growing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones, robotics, cyber systems, autonomous platforms, space technologies, precision-strike weapons and information dominance in shaping future battlefields.

“Future conflicts will be multi-domain in nature where land, sea, air, cyberspace and cognitive warfare will operate in an integrated manner,” the CDS said.

Gen Chauhan emphasized that future battlefields would extend beyond geographical boundaries into digital ecosystems, cyber infrastructure and information networks.

He further stated that nations capable of rapid innovation, faster defence production and quick adaptation by armed forces would gain a strategic edge in future conflicts.

The CDS also underscored the importance of technology, speed and innovation as key determinants of success in military operations in the coming years. (KNC)