Srinagar, Jan 30, Jan. 31 -- The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to allocate a portion of panchayat grants for the operation and maintenance of solid waste management systems, aiming to improve sanitation in rural areas across the Union Territory. The Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, is expected to announce the proposal in the upcoming budget session starting February 2. Since the rollout of solid waste management, the Rural Development Department (RDD) and Rural Sanitation Department (RSD) have invested heavily in infrastructure across 4,291 panchayats in 287 blocks. This includes 113 Plastic Waste Management Units (32 functional), 1,453 vehicles for waste transport, and 2,800 segregation sheds costing Rs 7 lakh each. However, inc...