MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 15: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir cabinet on Saturday approved Rs77.45 million special Eid relief package for the people affected by Indian shelling along the Line of Control.

The cabinet meeting, presided over by AJK premier Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan, decided to provide one wheat-flour bag, costing Rs730, to every family living in the Neelum and Leepa valleys while giving Rs300 each to 191,872 affectees living elsewhere within one-kilometre radius of the LoC.

The cabinet was informed that there were 23,600 and 3,652 families in Neelum and Leepa valleys, respectively, respectively.

Sources said funds for the package would be arranged from different departments, including the already available Rs30 million provided by the AJK Council for the affectees.

The cabinet also approved a summary to shift the administrative control of the educational institutions in Kashmiri refugee camps to the AJK education department, after it was learnt that of the total 30 refugee teachers in 16 camps under the rehabilitation department, eight were getting BPS-7 salaries while the rest were getting a lump sum of Rs500 per month. The cabinet decided that all of them would be given grade-7 salary from the budget of the education department.

The cabinet also approved an act to regularise the working of private security companies in the AJK under directives of the federal government. The companies already functioning under no- objection certificates granted by the AJK government were advised to apply for the licence within the next 30 days of the commencement of the act.

The AJK cabinet also approved Rs1,000 raise in the salaries of police constable and head constables with effect from Dec 1.

A monthly raise of Rs850 was also sanctioned for the lower staff of AJK prisons from same date. The AJK premier directed the finance department to provide adequate funds in the police budget as a technical supplementary grant.

The cabinet also approved a change in the police’s investigation procedure, authorizing the local SP, DSP and SHO to head the investigation process in their respective jurisdictions.

Earlier, through a notification issued in April last year, the investigation staff was segregated from the district police. However, a cabinet sub-committee had reported that the new system could not properly deliver as the local SP, DSP and SHO had no involvement in the investigation process.

A summary calling for measures to increase the working capacity of secretariat employees was deferred till next meeting allegedly because of a conflict of opinion among the cabinet members.

The AJK cabinet also adopted some resolutions, one of which urged the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference leaders to maintain unity and harmony in their ranks.