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Written by: JK Monitor News Network

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SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today launched the Pension Suvidha Portal at the Civil Secretariat here. Developed by the Finance Department, J&K in collaboration with the National Informatics Center (NIC) and the Principal Accountant General (A&E), J&K, the portal marks a significant step towards digitizing the pension sanctioning process for government employees.

The event was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary Education Shantmanu, ACS to CM Dheeraj Gupta, Administrative Secretaries of Agriculture Production Department, Finance, Information Technology, Social Welfare, Forest, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Public Works Department, Rural Development Department, Cooperatives, Law Department.

The event was also attended by Principal Accountant General (A&E) J&K along-with his team of officers, Principal Resident Commissioner J&K, MD & CEO Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd, Director General, Funds Organization/Codes/Audit & Inspection/Budget/Local Fund, Audit & Pension, Directors of Finance/Financial Advisors of all Administrative Departments, Director Accounts and Treasuries, Jammu / Kashmir, State Informatics Officer, NIC J&K and other concerned. The outstation officers and officials attended the launch via video conferencing.

The Chief Minister formally inaugurated the portal and congratulated the Finance Department, AG’s office, J&K Bank and all stakeholders involved in the initiative. Chief Minister said, “Whatever we can do to simplify the retirement process and post-retirement of our employees, I think that is a responsibility that lies on our shoulders. Employees who have served J&K and its people for long years, they deserve a simplified process. And the more we do for our employees, I think the more we need to appreciate it.”

Extending his congratulations to the officers and his best wishes to all pensioners who will benefit from the initiative, the Chief Minister said that verification of pensioners also needs to be made pensioner-friendly as every year pensioners have to prove that they are still alive and have to submit various documents and to visit offices in person. "So this initiative, I think, is something that all employees will appreciate,” he said.

Highlighting the inclusive nature of the portal, he said it also covers ex-legislators who are pensioners. “So my suggestion would be that together with the Assembly Secretariat, some sort of briefing material can be sent out to all the ex-legislators, so that they are aware of this change and how better to utilize it,” he added. Acknowledging the challenges faced by employees nearing retirement, he noted that the last few months of service are often consumed by paperwork.

He emphasized that more often than not, efforts are made to post such employees close to Srinagar or Jammu to ease their transition. “With this initiative, I believe that process will be simplified. Now, going ahead, what we must always try and do is to ensure that employees get their dues on time,” he said.

The Chief Minister also pointed out that timely disbursement of dues—such as GP fund—is a recurring concern among employees. “So for that, in the Finance Department, we are working closely to ensure that these sort of issues are resolved. But generally, clearly, the initiative that has been taken today, I think, is a welcome one,” he remarked.

Earlier, Director General Accounts & Treasuries Fayaz Ahmad Lone presented an overview of the Pension Suvidha Portal. The portal supports the digitization of pension records for 2,40,000 pensioners under the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). He added that data collection was executed through multiple modes: treasury visits for 2,31,127 pensioners, home visits for 7,002, video calls for 1,819 pensioners residing abroad, and postal notices to 9,513 individuals. The portal captures comprehensive data including name, date of birth, service details, and photographs of pensioners.

Notably, he said, the initiative has helped identify and rectify several anomalies, including pension disbursement after death in some cases, duplicate dearness allowance payments, and premature cessation of recoveries. He informed that the objectives of the portal include streamlining and digitizing pension processing, enhancing efficiency and transparency, reducing paperwork, reconciling pension disbursement with banks, and enabling real-time tracking of pension application status.

Key features of the portal include early SMS and email alerts issued eight months before an employee’s retirement, online application submission with required document uploads, and integration with JKHRMS and JKPaySys for service and salary details. It is also linked with the offices of the Accountant General and J&K Bank for seamless electronic data exchange.

The portal facilitates the issuance of PPOs, provides post-retirement services tracking, and supports online KYC updates and the use of Jeevan Pramaan for life certificate submission. The streamlined workflow involves eight stages: registration, application submission by the employee, DDO review and approval, sanction by the Pension Authority, submission to the AG’s office, authorization and PPO number issuance, payment processing by the Treasury, and final completion.

The portal engages a wide range of stakeholders. Retiring employees can initiate and monitor their pension cases, while DDOs and Pension Authorities are responsible for verification and processing. The Accountant General’s office authorizes PPOs, treasuries handle payments, and pensioners can view disbursement details, request for revision, and apply for transfer of pension accounts online. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also handed over a settled pension case to Mr. Ragubhir, a retired employee who superannuated on 30th April this year.

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Written by: JK Monitor News Network

Category: Headlines

JAMMU: In a major crackdown on the illegal storage and distribution of banned materials, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) seized approximately 40 metric tonnes (40,000 kg) of polythene from the Narwal area, specifically from a warehouse located along Rajiv Nagar Road, late Monday evening.

The operation was led by the Corporation Commissioner Devansh Yadav, who was present at the site along with a dedicated team of municipal officials. A truck fully loaded with polythene was discovered parked at the warehouse, alongside a substantial quantity of polythene stored inside the premises. The team also uncovered a large stock of gutka packets during the raid.

Given the magnitude of the seizure, police personnel and administrative officials were called to the scene to support the operation. The team carried out a thorough inspection of the premises, including registers and equipment found within the warehouse.

Commissioner Yadav stated that the seized polythene appears to be single-use plastic, which is banned. However, the material will be sent to the Pollution Control Committee for laboratory analysis to confirm its composition. “By appearance, it seems to be single-use polythene, but we will wait for lab results to confirm,” he added.

He further mentioned that individuals present at the warehouse fled the scene upon seeing the JMC team. Investigations are now underway to identify the persons involved in the storage and intended distribution of the polythene. Authorities are also looking into the origins of the consignment and its intended recipients.

“The police will investigate who owns the warehouse and to whom this polythene was being supplied. Strict action will be taken against those found responsible,” Commissioner Yadav affirmed. This action underscores JMC’s commitment to enforcing environmental regulations and curbing the use of banned plastic materials within city limits.

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Written by: JK Monitor News Network

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SRINAGAR: In a significant move aimed at strengthening food security across Jammu and Kashmir, the Department of Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, has enhanced inclusion measures under the Public Distribution System (PDS). The information was given by Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Science & Technology, Information Technology, Youth Services & Sports and ARI & Trainings, Satish Sharma, here today while interacting with the media.

“In accordance with the Government Order No. 47-JK(FCS&CA) of 2024, the new directive mandates the inclusion of children aged six years and above in family ration cards. These children will be incorporated into relevant categories such as Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Priority Household (PHH), Non-Priority Household (NPHH), or Exclusion, in accordance with existing guidelines”, maintains the minister.

The Minister further said that in a bid to ensure no eligible citizen is left behind, the Department of FCS&CA has been directed for undertaking identification and inclusion of previously omitted eligible beneficiaries into the PDS framework, adhering to established norms.

“A notable provision of the order addresses the inclusion of widows and divorcees who were not previously covered under the system. Upon notifying the department, such individuals will be eligible for issuance of separate ration cards based on their financial status and eligibility under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)”, the Minister emphasised.

The Minister further said that the initiative reaffirms the government’s commitment towards promoting inclusive access to food and essential supplies, especially among vulnerable sections of society.

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Written by: JK Monitor News Network

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SRINAGAR: In an endeavour to ensure transparency and accountability, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Science & Technology, Satish Sharma, conducted a surprise inspection of offices of the Managing Director’s Road Transport Corporation (RTC) headquarters and Director, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Kashmir here today.

During the visit, the Minister reviewed operational and administrative records to assess compliance with government norms and efficiency in service delivery. He also interacted with the staff, encouraging open dialogue about their roles, challenges and suggestions for improvement. The officers and officials present at the RTC office briefed the Minister on key operational aspects, ongoing projects and service enhancement measures.

The Minister assured full support from the government for modernizing the SRTC and improving public transport services across the state. While interacting with the Director, FCS&CA, Kashmir, the Minister was given a brief about the activities being undertaken by the Department in order to ensure hassle-free deliverance of food grains and other civil supply services to the public.

“The objective of today’s visit was to understand the ground realities and ensure that the departments are functioning smoothly and in the best interests of the public,” said the Minister. “It is essential to maintain a culture of accountability and I commend the staff for their cooperation and dedication, he maintained”