Jammu, Feb 10: Stating that the outsourcing of government jobs is a social and economic disaster, Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday questioned the government over its promise of providing 12 LPG cylinders to economically weaker sections (EWS).

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Lone said that the political imprint is missing in the budget.

“When an elected government comes to power, the budget carries a political imprint. However, this budget is a typical bureaucratic budget without any political imprint,” Lone said.

Lone questioned the government’s announcement of providing six gas cylinders to each household, saying that it does not match its election manifesto.

He said the government had not only left out 14 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) families -now reclassified as priority households—but was also collecting the cost of gas cylinders indirectly by reducing the rebate on diesel.

“In your manifesto, you promised to provide 12 gas cylinders to each EWS household. We have two lakh AAY families. Apart from these families, we have 14 lakh BPL households, whom we now call priority households. As per an order issued in 2018, the nomenclature of BPL was changed to priority households,” he said.

Questioning the government over leaving out BPL families from what it terms a mega announcement, Sajad sarcastically remarked, “When did BPL families become economically stronger? They are still economically weak.”

He said the government would require Rs 1680 crore annually to fulfill its promise of 12 cylinders to each EWS household.

“The actual monetization of the promise over five years is Rs 8500 crore, but you will provide them only Rs 120-130 crore annually. In the next three years, you will provide them Rs 350–400 crore against a promise of Rs 8500 crore,” he said.

He added that the so-called mega announcement of free gas cylinders has come at the cost of the poor. “The rebate on diesel has been reduced. You will collect Rs 250 crore from the poor but pay them back Rs 120 crore, saving Rs 130 crore,” Lone said.

Sajad said the outsourcing of government jobs is a social and economic disaster.

“In response to my question, the government revealed that 24,000 jobs have been outsourced. You have not done this; this has been done by Babus,” he said.

Lone questioned the government for failing to end the practice of outsourcing jobs.

“Why do you go along with them? When you were against everything under Governor’s rule in the past five years, why are you doing the same now? Why are you not reversing and negating it now?” It will wreak havoc on the society,” he said. —(KNO)

Srinagar, Feb 10: The Jammu and Kashmir government has attributed the staff shortage in the J&K Forest Development Corporation (JKFDC) to a recruitment ban that has been in place for over two decades.

Responding to a query in the House, the Minister in charge of Forest, Ecology & Environment said a hiring ban was imposed after a decision taken in the Budget Cabinet meeting on August 22, 2000.

Subsequently, the JKFDC Board of Directors, in its 56th meeting on January 5, 2004, resolved that no fresh appointments would be made in the corporation.

Detailing the current manpower status, the minister said the corporation has a total of 1,323 employees, including 23 gazetted officers, 333 non-gazetted staff, 182 Class IV employees and 785 helpers.

On coordination gaps, the minister maintained that there is proper coordination between JKFDC and other wings of the Forest Department, particularly in timber extraction and its distribution among beneficiaries—(KNO)

Srinagar, Feb 10: A mentally unsound person succumbed to his injuries after being hit by a car in the Chanapora area of Srinagar on Monday, officials said.

An official said that the unidentified person was struck by a Swift Dzire vehicle bearing registration number JK01AU-0385 near Chanapora Srinagar on Monday morning.

He said, the injured individual was shifted to SMHS Hospital Srinagar, where he later succumbed to his injuries, the official said.

Police have registered FIR No. 16/2026 at Sadder Police Station under relevant sections, and an investigation has been taken up. The victim is yet to be identified, the official added. —(KNO)

Srinagar, Feb 10: The Fee Fixation and Regulation Committee (FFRC) has directed private schools not to charge any transport fee during winter or summer vacations if transport facilities are outsourced or hired from third parties.

In a fresh circular issued by chairman FFRC Justice (Retd) Sunil Hali, the schools have been warned of strict action including penalties and de-affiliation, for non-compliance of the instructions.

The circular has been issued after the committee received complaints that several private schools were collecting transport charges during vacations despite not owning their transport facilities.

“Some schools operating buses through contractual arrangements with third parties are charging up to 50 percent of the transport fee during vacation periods, in violation of existing orders,” the fresh circular reads.

As per the circular, FFRC through its order issued on June 30, 2025, has stated that the schools that do not own and operate their transport facilities are explicitly barred from collecting any transport fee during vacations.

“It is hereby directed that private schools shall charge 50 percent transport fee only where the transport facilities are owned and operated by the school itself,” FFRC circular reads.

It reads that no transport fee shall be charged during the winter or summer vacations, in case where the transport facilities are outsourced or hired from third parties and are operated under a contractual agreement

“Any fee collected by the private school on this behalf shall be refunded to the parents forthwith, failing which appropriate action under law shall be taken against the school, including imposition of a penalty of one percent of the total revenue and also de‑affiliation of the school,” the FFRC circular reads.

“This order must be strictly complied with by the private schools.”