In the recently held District Development Board meeting for Srinagar District, a major decision was taken that would place the two capital cities of the State, namely Srinagar and Jammu under a new developmental plan to be known as Capital City Development Plan (CCDP).The main purpose of the plan could be summed up as (a) coordinating all developmental agencies for each capital city and putting them under the single controlling authority of Divisional Commissioner and (b) bring both Centrally Sponsored Schemes and State Developmental Projects under one umbrella with the respective Divisional Commissioner having powers of monitoring the progress of the projects. The decision was taken to pace up the developmental progress of the city and augment the socio economic infrastructure in view of the increasing population and demands. The step would delink the development of the city from the district administration thus enhancing the efficiency of service delivery and saving the time on projects completion.
This appears a vital deviation from established administrative system in the State where in the developmental works in the two capitals usually were integral to the district plan for funding as well as for execution and monitoring.For implementation of Capital City Development Plan, the Chief Minister, who is also Minister in-charge Planning and Development Department, announced an allocation of Rs 600 crore for Srinagar city for 2017-18, which would be over and above Rs 102 crore annual plan for the district.
We presume that there is justification for treating the two capital cities not only as part of the District Development Board but also as independent units that ask for special approach to development and providing the necessary infrastructure. The capital cities are growing and expanding and there is pressure on land and on services. Srinagar is one of the most ancient cities in the country and as such it is almost like a museum and should be treated as heritage city if we want to improve and expand tourism in the Valley.
However, the arrangement of placing all developmental agencies under the control of the Divisional Commissioner for the purpose of carrying forward the task of development of infrastructure seems to be a temporary act. Once the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are in place, they would gain control of majority of developmental works with enhanced powers and coordination between different Government departments. The ULBs would have enhanced powers after their elections as compared to previous Municipalities that existed between 2005 and 2010.
All these are steps in right direction. A significant thing about the DDB Srinagar meeting was that the Chief Minister advised the elected representatives to spend most of their time in their respective constituencies and bring awareness to people about importance of peace and tranquility. The State has suffered its developmental pace and scope owing to the unrest that overtook the Valley last year. We appreciate the Chief Minister advising the elected representatives to interact with the people in their respective constituencies and ensure that the youth of the Valley are not misled into anti-social activities. The Government appreciates that the Centre did not starve the State for funds for major projects. Funding was not the problem but proper utilization of funds and within the stipulated time is the real problem. When completion of projects, especially the Centrally Sponsored Projects, is delayed, it gives set back to the pace of entire agenda of development. We have noted with satisfaction that the Chief Minister has advised all the departments to take on board the elected representatives of the people for developmental programmes because they are the best who can advise the Government on such matters.
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