Mayor polls deferred
The government has deferred the mayoral election of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). The election, scheduled on Thursday, was postponed after the reimposition of Covid lockdown. A government order extended the time limit of conducting the Mayoral elections by up to a maximum of three months. The post fell vacant on June 16 after the incumbent Mayor Junaid Mattu lost a vote of no-confidence. The no-confidence motion against Mattu was backed by BJP. Former Deputy Mayor Sheikh Imran, who himself was removed as Deputy Mayor in December last year in no-confidence motion, is the front runner for the post.
‘Regularise daily wagers, temporary workers’
The Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) staged a protest in Srinagar to demand regularisation of daily wagers and other temporary workers employed in various government departments of Jammu and Kashmir. Owing to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic, only five EJAC leaders participated in the protest held outside the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar. The protestors highlighted the plight of the daily wagers and other temporary workers, who have been working in various departments for over 25 years on a meagre salary. The protestors alleged that previous governments have ignored the welfare of these workers. They should be regularised to end years of discrimination and provide them with an opportunity of decent and respectable living, the protestors said.
Covid-19: Govt restricts expenditure
The J&K government has asked to restrict the overall expenditure within 40% of Budget Estimates (BE) 2020-21 up to ending September. According to guidelines, expenditure on all non-salary heads of Revenue Budget shall be restricted up to 20% of the BE, the expenditure under Capex Budget in respect of on-going works and non-construction activities shall be restricted up to 40% of BE 2020-21 by ending September 2020 except in case of PW (R&B), Rural Development, Power Development and Jal Shakti Departments.
SKIMS cancels summer vacations, leaves
With the Covid-19 cases and deaths in Valley witnessing a surge, J&K’s leading hospital Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) has cancelled the summer vacations and leaves sanctioned to staff members. “It is communicated to all faculty and staff members of the SKIMS that in view of ongoing pandemic, all leaves of any kind sanctioned to the staff members except leave sanctioned on medical grounds/maternity leave shall stand cancelled,” a statement by the hospital said. J&K has recorded 11,666 cases and 206 deaths till July 15.
Fayaz wani
Our correspondent in Jammu and Kashmir fayazwani123@gmail.com