Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that 7th Central Pay Commission allowances worth around Rs 4,800 crores have been approved for government employees of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
"Certain 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) allowances namely Children Education Allowance, Hostel Allowance, Transport Allowance, LTC, Fixed Medical Allowance that were not being given to nearly 4.5 Lakh State Government employees in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir have been approved for an estimated cost of Rs.4800 Crores, for all such employees, who are now working in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh, since the day these new Union Territories came into existence i.e October 31, 2019," Reddy said in a written reply to a question regarding development of new UTs of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, in the lower house today.
"Since the newly created UTs have come into existence, all the 7th CPC pay and allowances will be available to all the Government employees of both the new Union Territories," he said.
Reddy stated that a total of Rs.14,559.25 crores as the balance share of 14th Finance Commission grants and share of taxes that were being given to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir has been apportioned amongst the two new Union Territories.
"Out of this, Rs. 2,977.31 crores has already been released to the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and Rs.1,275.99 crores has already been released to the UT of Ladakh till date," he said.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh officially became Union Territories on October 31 this year after the government bifurcated the region as well as abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state.
He said that the Government has approved establishment of eight medical colleges in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions under the centrally sponsored scheme.
"These medical colleges, which are under various stages of implementation, will come up in the districts of Doda, Kathua, Baramulla, Anantnag, Rajouri, Udhampur, Handwara (Dist. Kupwara) in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and the district of Leh in the UT of Ladakh. The Government has also approved creation of two AIIMS like institutions in Jammu and Srinagar," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )