JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet on Thursday approved a series of key proposals, including the Excise Policy for 2026–27 aimed at generating additional revenue of Rs 127 crore, clearance for pending works on the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra track, and the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for operation and management of the proposed Cruise and Urban Water Transport System on River Jhelum.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Civil Secretariat, lasted over one-and-a-half hours.
The decisions taken by the Cabinet will now be forwarded to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for formal approval.
Sources said that cabinet also approved the draft of the Lieutenant Governor’s Address to be delivered on February 2 at the commencement of the Budget Session of the Legislature.
The Cabinet further cleared certain welfare measures promised in the National Conference’s election manifesto for inclusion in the Annual Budget for 2026–27, which will be presented in the Assembly on February 6 by the Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio.
According to sources, the Excise Policy for 2026–27 largely mirrors the existing policy, with select measures introduced to enhance revenue without increasing the number of liquor vends. The government has reiterated that no new vends will be opened. The Excise Department will conduct the auction process in advance to ensure smooth implementation from April 1, 2026, as the current policy expires on March 31, 2026.
The Cabinet also authorised the Tourism Department and the Public Works (R&B) Department to sign an extended Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Project Beacon, for completion of crucial works on the Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra tracks. The BRO has reportedly reduced the estimated cost of the project from Rs 230 crore to Rs 170 crore.
In another significant decision, the Cabinet approved the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle for managing the proposed Cruise and Urban Water Transport System on River Jhelum. The SPV will have an initial equity contribution of Rs one lakh each from the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the Transport Department, Jammu and Kashmir.
The SPV’s Board of Directors will include representatives from both IWAI and the Transport Department, while day-to-day operations will be handled by a professional management team.
Other approvals included the construction of a residential school for children of migratory populations at Doombwani in Shopian district at an estimated cost of Rs 2,761.30 lakh, restructuring of the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (JKPCC), and resolution of a long-pending dispute between the J&K Cooperative Housing Corporation Limited and the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) through the Government of India’s Administrative Mechanism for Resolution of Disputes.
The Cabinet also cleared promotions of Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers to various scales and approved a one-time relaxation for probationers belonging to the 2012-II to 2020 batches. Several other promotion-related proposals were also approved during the meeting, sources added. (KNC)
