Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: The Central Government has sanctioned Rs 2,207.30 crore to Jammu & Kashmir as ‘special assistance’ during 2016-17 with a view to expediting completion of area-specific schemes.
Official sources said the Union Government has been assisting the State Governments and providing ‘Special Assistance’ with a view to expediting completion of area-specific schemes.
“This assistance is provided in view of the Government of India’s commitment to fulfilling the development agenda in backward region notwithstanding the fact that the state plan schemes including BRGF (State Component) are subsumed in larger devolution of union taxes and duties to the States in terms of recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission (FC) and are delinked from the union support with effect from 2015-16,’’ they said.
Sources said keeping in mind the special needs of the State of Jammu & Kashmir, the Central Government had released Rs.1194.37 crore during 2015-16 for completely damaged /severely damaged/partially damaged houses.
Subsequently, they added, during 2016-17, the Central Government has made a further release of Rs.2207.30 crore to the State of Jammu & Kashmir. This includes Rs.1093.34 for permanent restoration of damaged structure, Rs.313.96 crore for counterpart funding for Asian Development Bank-II loan under EAP projects of J&K Urban Sector Development Investment Programme (JKUSDIP) in order to complete the ongoing projects and Rs.800 crore for interest subvention on assistance for the restoration of livelihood for traders/self employed/business establishments etc.
“Cumulatively, the Central Government has so far released Rs 3401.67 crore to Jammu and Kashmir as Special Assistance,’’ sources said.
The Union Government has decided to provide further ‘special assistance’ of Rs 1,129.40 crore to Bihar during 2016-17 for completion of the approved ongoing projects under special plan for Bihar, an official statement said.
Including the present release of Rs 1,129.40 crore, the Central Government has so far released Rs 6,934.61 crore to Bihar, it added.
Similarly, according to the statement, the Government has used the special assistance to support the newly-formed States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
“A further release of Rs 1,976.50 crore to the State of Andhra Pradesh was made during the current financial year 2016-17,” it said.
“Further, in keeping with its commitments to support the development of backward areas of Telangana, the Central Government had provided a further ‘special assistance’ of Rs 450 crore to the State,” it added.
The statement said Tamil Nadu has also been a beneficiary of this special assistance.
“An amount of Rs 200 crore was released to the State to resolve the issues affecting processing industry in Tirupur (Tamil Nadu), for adoption of Zero Liquid Discharge by 18 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs),”it said.
According to the statement, special assistance of Rs 367.93 crore was given to Odisha during 2016-17 for funding of projects under special plan for Districts of Koraput, Bolangir and Kalahandi.
The Union Government has been assisting the State Governments and providing ‘Special Assistance’ with a view to expediting completion of area-specific schemes.
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