Govt transfers several functions, functionaries of Jal Shakti dept to ULBs Agencies

Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday approved transfer of functions and functionaries of several Jal Shakti department divisions to Urban Local Bodies as mandated under the 74th constitutional amendment.
The amendment aims at strengthening democracy at the grass root level in urban areas through local bodies.
In an order, the Jal Shakti department approved transfer of its Jammu city public health engineering divisions (PHE), PHE mechanical divisions to the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) for operation and maintenance of water supply schemes and related infrastructure along with posts of permanent officers and and funds.
For the Kashmir Division, the government transferred the Jal Shakti (PHE) city water works division of Srinagar, a part of the Srinagar PHE mechanical division, a part of the city sub-division of Ganderbal and a part of PHE sub-division of Lalnagar to the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). The transfer to the SMC is also for operation and maintenance of water supply schemes and related infrastructure along with posts of permanent officers and and funds, according to the order. Likewise, 140 water supply schemes along with allied infrastructure have been also transferred to JMC and SMC for their operation and maintenance, besides transfer of 3,222 kilometers of distribution networks of various schemes falling within the jurisdiction of 19 municipal councils along with regular staff, and casual workers and daily-rated workers to the ULBs, it said. The Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to which the function and functionaries are transferred would be supplied bulk water supply by the Jal Shakti department at the rate fixed by water resources regulatory authority and the Jal Shakti department, the order said.It said that the Jal Shakti department would open a separate budget head for transfer of capex and opex funds to the ULBS. Besides the funds for engaging casual labourers, daily rated workers and other such employees would be transferred to the corporations who will then engage them as necessary, the order said, adding all revenues raised from water bills or fees would accrue to the municipal corporations.