Cabinet approves 18 per cent passenger fare hike

Jammu, Mar 13: The Cabinet on Friday approved an 18 percent hike in fares for all passenger vehicles, sources disclosed.
Sources said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a Cabinet meeting here Friday morning in which several important decisions were taken. The proposals cleared by the Cabinet will go to the Lieutenant Governor for approval.
According to sources, the Cabinet greenlighted the proposal of an 18 percent hike in fares for all passenger vehicles and fixed e‑rickshaw fare at Rs 15 per kilometre, e‑auto at Rs 25 for the first kilometre and Rs 20 thereafter.
Sources said the Cabinet also gave its approval to the enhancement of allowances for Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, and the Leader of Opposition.
The Cabinet approved the proposal to amend rules to enhance their allowances for travel, medical care and housing and car loan facilities.
The Cabinet is understood to have also given its go‑ahead to the creation of 136 faculty posts (27 Professors, 109 Associate Professors) in Government Medical College Jammu and Government Medical College Srinagar.
Sources said the Cabinet has also given its consent for Ladakh to use the Jammu & Kashmir Real Estate Appellate Tribunal as a joint Real Estate Appellate Tribunal.
Meanwhile, The Jammu & Kashmir Cabinet unanimously condemned the attack on National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, sources disclosed.
Sources said that the cabinet condemned the assassination attempt on Dr. Farooq Abdullah and demanded a deeper investigation into the incident.
Dr. Farooq Abdullah had a narrow escape on Wednesday evening when a person, identified as Kamal Singh Jamwal, a resident of Purani Mandi, Jammu, approached him from behind with a pistol and opened fire.
The accused was quickly overpowered by two officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s security wing, and the shot fired by him missed the target. (KNO)