![AC Approves Rs 61.78 Cr Project for High Court](https://kashmirobserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/LG-Manoj-Sinha-Administrative-Council-meeting-1024x298.jpeg)
Srinagar- The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the Chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha approved the revamping of the ICT Setup and Video Conferencing Project of the High Court of JK at an estimated cost of Rs.61.78 Crores.
The project shall be executed after considering the observation of the Technical Appraisal Committee (TAC) and in Principle agreed by the High Court. The High Court may consider reimbursement of the amount under e-Court Mission Mode Project-II as per procedure provided therein.
This project has been necessitated by the fact that recent times have noticed a paradigm shift for legal proceedings. The physical presence has been getting replaced by virtual presence through the use of newer technologies. Digital transformation is helping to improve the justice system and it is expected that virtual collaboration should remain a permanent part of it.
The instant project includes various interventions like Hybrid Courtrooms, Connected Courts, Next Generation Network, Connectivity, Audio Setup etc. that incorporates both in-person and online aspects of Court communications. The aim and objective of the project is to provide speedy justice to the litigants of the UT at lower cost.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to LG attended the meeting.
AC approves absorption of 145 employees of Centaur Hotel
The Administrative Council (AC) also approved absorption of 145 permanent employees of the Centaur Lake View Hotel, Srinagar in Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation Ltd (JKCCC) and Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation Ltd, Srinagar (JKTDC) with effect from 01.03.2023 instead of 22-05-2023.
This is in pursuance to the process of outsourcing of the assets of Tourism Department. Administrative Council in its decision dated 22-05-2023 had approved absorption of these employees with effect from 22-05-2023 and Government Order No. 86-JK(TSM) of 2023 dated 12.07.2023 was issued in this behalf.
The matter was examined by a high powered committee constituted under the administrative mechanism for resolution of disputes by Department of Legal Affairs, Govt of India and recommended by the Committee constituted by GAD vide Government Order No. 536-JK(GAD) of 2023 dated 02.05.2023 and also as per the concurrence of the Finance Department.
AC gives nod to IFAD funding for sustained increase in the income of rural households
The Administrative Council (AC) also took note of the Project Design Report (PDR) on Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture and Allied Sectors Project in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (JKCIP) and progress made by the J&K Agriculture Production Department till date.
As per the proposal JKCIP shall be implemented in J&K in 90 Blocks across all 20 Districts over next 7 years with the support of International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to the tune of 100 million USD. The goal of the project is to contribute to the sustained increase in incomes of rural households by improving the competitiveness of farming operations.
The project objective is to improve the competitiveness of the famers through a value chain approach covering production, value addition and marketing coupled with business incubation with start-up/agri-enterprise support.
The total outreach of the project will be 300,000 households of which 141,000 will be women (47%), 90,000 youth (30%) and 30,000 vulnerable communities (SCs/STs) (10%) in total reaching 1.5 million individuals.
The project will have four interlinked components: (i) Climate-smart and market-led production; (ii) Agri-business ecosystem development support; (iii) Support to vulnerable communities; and (iv) Project Management.
The project will support the establishment of 45 new FPOs and strengthening of 56 existing FPOs. It will also support the training of 1,085 trainers and 16,200 farmers, 800 water management systems, 1,650 protected cultivation units and the expansion of niche crops in 2,805 ha covering 14,025 farmers.
The project, in consonance with the mainstreaming priorities of IFAD, supports the most vulnerable groups comprising STs, SCs, and fisher folks to diversify their livelihood options and to increase their levels of income.