SRINAGAR: Jammu-Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is chairing his government's first cabinet meeting of 2025 at Civil Secretariat, Jammu on January 20.
The meeting will discuss on various issues and take a final call on some key administrative proposals, release of Dearness Allowance (DA) instalment to government employees and pensioners/family pensioners with effect from July 1 last year. It is among the 10 items that are on the agenda for the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet would also take a call to approve the implementation of a 3-tier faculty structure in Government Dental College, Srinagar, and Indira Gandhi Government Dental College, Jammu, as per the norms of the Dental Council of India (DCI) on staffing patterns.
The cabinet will also consider reform in the selection processes undertaken by the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board. The reform pertains to doing away with holding of oral test/interviews/viva-voce in respect of posts, falling in Pay Level-6. This has also been recommended by the Services Selection Board.
The amendments to Jammu and Kashmir Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017, and the J&K Excise Policy 2025 would also come up for discussion during the cabinet meeting.
Sources said the cabinet may also recommend a date for convening a budget session of the legislature in Jammu to Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.
The Omar government assumed office on October 16, 2024, after the National Conference won the first-ever Assembly polls in J&K Union Territory post Article 370 abrogation.
The cabinet in its first meeting held in Srinagar on October 19, 2024 had passed a resolution on restoration of statehood in its original form. After clearance of the resolution by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, CM Omar Abdullah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and other central leaders and handed them copies of the resolution and also demanded the early restoration of the statehood to J&K.
On August 5, 2019, centre scrapped J&K’s special status and downgraded and bifurcated erstwhile J&K state into two Union Territories – Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature) and Ladakh (without legislature).