Omar hikes constituency development funds of MLAs to ₹4 cr from ₹3 cr

Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced a hike of ₹1 crore in the constituency development funds for the members of Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly from ₹3 crore to ₹4 crore.

He also suggested the speaker of the legislative assembly Abdul Rahim Rather to constitute a panel from the members of the house including leader of opposition and leaders of main political parties to follow parliament’s pattern for a salary revision of the MLAs.

The current strength of the 90-member J&K legislative assembly is 88. Two seats—Nagrota and Budgam are lying vacant following the untimely demise of Devender Singh Rana and Omar retaining Ganderbal seat. He was also elected from Budgam.

“After 2015 our salaries have not been increased. We were on par with officers at ₹80,000. Today, those officers are getting ₹3 lakh, and we are still stuck there. It is an injustice with the members but the process to hike our salaries is also not correct. So, I urge the speaker to have a panel of members including LoP, leaders of main parties and follow parliament’s pattern for salary revision,” he said.

“We should come up with a structure so that salary revision is done automatically and in a transparent manner after every five years,” he said.

On CDF, he said that the hike may not be upto the expectations of the members

“I will do it from ₹3 crores to ₹4 crores,” he said amid applause by the members.

“Original JK House is on Rajaji Marg and not Prithvi Raj Marg. We couldn’t get it vacated from Army. … It is identity of J&K. We seek BJP’s help so as to construct a magnificent JK House on the lines of Rajasthan,” he said

Announces one-time amnesty for domestic consumers

He said though his government has embarked on major reforms in the power sector, he announced an amnesty scheme for domestic power consumers for another year.

“Amnesty scheme is given for one time. This is seventh,” he said.