SRINAGAR, AUGUST 10: The UT Administration on Saturday decided to initiate renovation of Assembly Complex both at Srinagar and Jammu so as to keep them ready for holding their session after the conduct of Legislative Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.
Significantly, this followed a statement by the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar that “now the time has come when you people shall be given your own government through the assembly elections.
“Now the time has come to take forward the dreams you people had shown us by turning up in large numbers and standing in long queues at polling stations during the recent Lok Sabha elections and give you your own elected government through (assembly) elections,” he said.
The Chief Election Commissioner, who was accompanied by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and SS Sandhu, however, did not give the time line within which the electoral process will be completed.
Meanwhile, according to an official statement issued here, a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo was held to draw a plan for making Legislative Assembly complexes at both Srinagar and Jammu ready for holding its sessions after holding of elections here in the UT.
Those present includes Principal Secretary, Estates; Principal Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, IT; JK Resident Commissioner, Delhi; Secretary, R&B; Secretary, Transport; Secretary, Law; Secretary, Legislative Assembly; Director, Estates, Kashmir and other concerned officers.
During this meeting the Chief Secretary impressed upon the concerned to taking immediate steps for renovation/refurbishing of these Assembly complexes at both Srinagar and Jammu in a time-bound manner.
He reiterated that the facilities like functionality of Sound System, Internet Connectivity, fire Safety, functionality of lifts, giving facelift to the buildings and provisioning of allied amenities should also be taken in hand and completed at an earliest.
He asked for looking into the steps to renovate the Chambers of Speaker, Dy Speaker, Leader of Opposition as well besides making provisions for their official vehicles and residential accommodations.
Dulloo also called upon the concerned to carry out repairing works of the MLA Hostels in both the cities. He made out that all the amenities required should be installed within the available time window till culmination of assembly elections, as and when announced by the Election Commission of India.
He observed that pre-emptive steps should be initiated on part of administration to make preparations ahead of the elections so that there are no hindrances in smooth functioning of this pillar of democracy once it gets formed after conduct of elections here in J&K.