Jammu – November 13, 2026: In the first formal ministerial conclave convened in the winter capital following the resumption of Civil Secretariat offices in Jammu, the Jammu and Kashmir Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to deliberate and sanction a series of transformative policy frameworks spanning clean energy generation, public asset optimization, and strategic mineral extraction.
High on the legislative docket is the definitive ratification of the J&K Hydro Power Policy 2026. The blueprint is engineered to dismantle regulatory hurdles, stimulate private sector capital participation, and establish streamlined Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and Independent Power Producer (IPP) mechanisms for constructing run-of-the-river hydroelectric installations of up to 100 megawatts across the region’s river basins.
Complementing energy reforms, the Cabinet deliberated the official notification of the J&K Urban Asset Mapping and Monetization Policy 2026, establishing GIS-enabled digital registries across urban local bodies and municipal corporations to unlock dormant economic value and curb unlawful land encroachments.
A major commercial milestone on the agenda involves according formal executive sanction for the e-auctioning of an exploration license in respect of critical minerals—specifically copper, nickel, and associated mineralization—situated in the Sumcham Padder block of Kishtwar district. Identified through geological field mapping by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) pursuant to Section 10 BA of the MMDR Act, the competitive auction through the Union Ministry of Mines represents a pivotal shift toward developing high-value mining industries in the Chenab Valley.
The Cabinet also cleared strategic real-estate and administrative allotments, including the transfer of four kanals of land in Devalgam (Kokernag) to the Home Department for establishing a Special Operations Group (SOG) counter-terror camp; 32 kanals in Bandipora to the Power Development Department for a high-voltage grid sub-station; along with revenue and veterinary clinic parcels in Budgam and Anantnag.
All policy determinations ratified by the elected council of ministers are submitted to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for statutory constitutional assent.
Published by True Roots Media