Jammu, Dec 6:
As a part of on-going pre-budget exercise, Principal Secretary Finance, Navin K Choudhary today chaired two separate meetings to discuss the budget proposals of the Departments of Health & Medical Education, SKIMS, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs including Elections for the financial year 2019-20. Principal Secretary Health & Medical Education, Atal Dulloo, Chief Electoral Officer, Shaleen Kabra, Secretary Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Achal Sethi, Secretary Legislative Assembly, R L Sharma, Registrar General J&K High Court, Sanjay Dhar and senior officers of the respective departments were present in the meeting. The Srinagar based officers including, Director SKIMS, Dr Omar Javaid Shah and Principal JVC Bemina, Dr Riaz Untoo participated through Video Conferencing. Team of senior officers from Finance Department comprising, Director Budget, Imtiyaz Ahmed Wani, Directors Expenditures, Shabir Ahmed Khan, Parvez Ahmed Kakroo, Joint Director Budget, Raman Kumar Gupta and others attended the meetings. While considering the next year’s budgetary requirements of the Health & Medical Education and SKIMS Soura, the Principal Secretary Finance said that this vital sector is topmost priority of the Government and every possible step will be taken for further strengthen the infrastructural and other facilities for the smooth functioning of wide network of health institutions across the State for the overall benefits of patients. He urged the Principal Secretary Health & Medical Education and all HoDs to identify their priorities like procurement of equipment and machinery, critical ambulances, commissioning of newly sanctioned medical colleges and para-medical colleges and schools. He also called for paying focused attention to strengthen the medical facilities and deployment of critical care ambulances in the hilly and far-flung areas and along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to ensure immediate medical attention to accidental cases and people of these areas. Appreciating the concerns of the Principal Secretary Health & Medical Education regarding the paucity of doctors and para-medical staff, especially to run the new colleges, Navin assured to support all tangible proposals of the Department and providing necessary funding. He also agreed to earmark token funding for the makeshift arrangements to start the functioning of the new colleges from the next year. Describing the SKIMS as premier institution of the Jammu and Kashmir, Navin said this institution is catering the huge flow of patients from all corners of the State and doing excellent work. He assured to fill the gaps with regard to creating more infrastructural and other facilities to meet the increased work load of the institution. He called upon the management to prioritize areas and further action plan to upgrade facilities and accordingly the Government will provide adequate funding for this important institution. The budget proposals and functioning of the Departments of Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, including Elections were also discussed in detail and the Principal Secretary Finance assured the concerned to accommodate their all genuine requirements.
