The Jammu and Kashmir Council of Ministers, chaired by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, approved the upgrading of Sub-District Hospital Hazratbal in Srinagar by relaxing buffer zone restrictions under the Srinagar Master Plan–2035. The cabinet took the decision during its sixth meeting to allow long?pending expansion of the healthcare facility that had been stalled by regulatory constraints. The relaxation clears the way for enlargement of the hospital footprint and for the introduction of additional services to address local patient needs. The move is intended to strengthen secondary healthcare and reduce referrals to tertiary hospitals in the city.

The upgrade will include new infrastructure and specialised units, with planned facilities such as a blood bank and operation theatres to expand clinical capacity. The government indicated that the changes respond to public hardship caused by limited space and services at the existing hospital. The expansion is expected to improve access for residents of Hazratbal and adjoining localities.

In a parallel decision, the cabinet approved an Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) project at Achan in Srinagar with a processing capacity of 800 tonne (t) per day and an estimated cost of Rs 3.61 billion (bn). One crore equals 10 million and one hundred crore equals one bn, so the Rs 361 crore allocation converts to Rs 3.61 billion (bn) for project accounting. The facility is designed to introduce scientific systems for collection, segregation, treatment and disposal of municipal solid waste to address rising volumes from urban expansion. Officials described the project as a step to improve sanitation standards and reduce environmental pressure.

Both approvals were taken during the sixth meeting, which concentrated on urban infrastructure, healthcare services and environmental management across Jammu and Kashmir. The decisions aim to bolster secondary health provision and provide structured waste processing to meet growing urban demands. Implementation timelines and executing agencies will be finalised through normal administrative procedures.