The State Administrative Council (SAC) under the chairmanship of Governor, Satya Pal Malik, on Sunday approved a bill providing for confiscating any Benami property in Jammu and Kashmir.

An official spokesman said that the SAC approved the ‘Jammu and Kashmir Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Bill, 2018.’

The Bill is a comprehensive law aimed at tackling Benami transactions in the State. The Bill provides for the creation of the requisite administrative structure for enforcement of the law and empowers the designated authorities to attach and confiscate any property which is held to be Benami.

Panel provisions incorporated in the Act provide for imprisonment of persons found guilty of an offence of Benami transactions which shall not be less than one year extendable to seven years, besides fine equivalent to 25% of the market value of the property can also be imposed.

The SAC also approved the “Jammu and Kashmir Governor’s Special Security Force Bill, 2018” that provides for the creation of a separate security force for the Governor and his family members.

The Bill contains provisions related to the constitution and regulation of a separate security force in the State of Jammu and Kashmir for providing proximate security to the Governor, members of his immediate family and matters connected therewith.

The legal framework related to constitution and regulation of a separate security force in the State of Jammu and Kashmir for providing proximate security to the Chief Minister, members of his immediate family and other connected matters, is contained in the Jammu and Kashmir Special Security Group Act, 2000. There is no provision contained in the said Act related to matters for providing proximate security to the Governor of State and his immediate family members. A need has been felt to have an effective mechanism in place for constitution and regulation of a separate security force in the State of Jammu and Kashmir for providing proximate security to the Governor and his family members, said the spokesman.

To fast track recruitment of 400 veterinary assistant surgeons and bring in more transparency in the overall selection process, the SAC approved the proposal of dispensing with the oral test for selection against the newly created posts of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons.  The recruitment to these posts will now be done on the basis of written test only.

Pertinently, the SAC in its meeting held on September 12 had accorded sanction to the creation of 400 posts of Veterinary Assistant Surgeons in the Animal & Sheep Husbandry Department for selection through JKPSC in a phased manner.

In another decision to strengthen the Cancer care services at the tertiary level, the SAC accorded sanction to establishment of a separate Nuclear Medicine Department in the Government Medical College (GMC), Jammu, along with creation of 13 posts of various categories, including 5 posts of faculty members, 3 posts of Registrar/ Medical Officer, and 5 posts of Paramedical staff.

The SAC also approved the creation of a separate cadre of teachers of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Rehbar-e-Taleem) who will get the pay scale of Rs 29200-92300 (L-5) under the 7th Pay Commission from September 1 in the School Education Department.  These posts shall be filled up 100% by selection out of regularized Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers (RReTs) with qualification “Graduate from any recognized University.” This cadre of teachers is created exclusively for the purpose of adjusting ReTs and will gradually get abolished over a period of time.

Hundreds of teachers engaged under the ReT scheme were demanding their permanent absorption in the education department.