*Free flow of funds for police modernization sought
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 28: The Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored Schemes has endorsed all the major demands of the Jammu and Kashmir projected by the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog headed by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi would take final decision on the recommendations in near future.
The Sub-Group comprising Chief Ministers of 10 States and headed by Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh was constituted by the Prime Minister on March 9, 2015 in pursuance to the decision taken in the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog held on February 8, 2015.
The mandate of the Sub-Group was to examine the current Centrally Sponsored Schemes and recommend measures for ensuring that their implementation is streamlined in order to achieve the intended objectives and to strengthen the national developmental agenda.
After series of deliberations, the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers yesterday presented its final report to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Manipur, Rajasthan, Telangana and the Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Islands were present on the occasion.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that Sub-Group has endorsed the major demands of the Jammu and Kashmir vis-à-vis rationalization of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and the Group has suggested division of Centrally Sponsored Schemes into two broad groups—the first group comprising of national development agenda that includes legislatively backed schemes such as MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Mid Day Meal while as the second group comprises of schemes for social protection and social inclusion.
They informed that Sub-Group of Chief Ministers has taken in right perspective the concern of the J&K over lack of flexibility in Centrally Sponsored Schemes. “The Sub-Group has endorsed the stand of J&K vis-à-vis uniform funding in the Central-State ratio of 90:10 for all the Centrally Sponsored Schemes as at present the pattern of assistance under these schemes varies and in number of schemes the funding pattern isn’t as per Special Category Status”, sources said, adding “in certain schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the funding pattern is 65:35 and in Indira Awas Yojana and Mid-Day Meal Schemes the same is 75:25”.
Sources further informed that Sub-Group has also put weight behind the demand of the J&K regarding greater flexibility in view of hilly and tough terrain of this border State, limited working season and gaps in physical infrastructure.
“The J&K has also recommended release of full funding at the beginning of the year instead of the current installment-wise pattern on the ground that State doesn’t have a year-long working season on the pattern of other States of the country”, sources said, adding “all these aspects have been made ground for flexibility in the Centrally Sponsored Schemes”.
As far as uniform funding pattern is concerned, the State Government has mentioned that the construction cost varies from region to region in J&K because of hilly and tough terrain and climatic conditions as such State was finding it difficult to provide more than 10% share in those schemes where the funding pattern is not 90:10, sources said.
“The Sub-Group of Chief Ministers has supported the demand of J&K regarding unhindered flow of funds under Police Modernization Scheme of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs”, sources said, adding “the J&K has explained to the Sub-Group that because of one or the other reason there is delay in furnishing of Utilization Certificates under this scheme and this leads to blocking of funds by the Union Government for this crucial sector”.
“There is no intentional delay in furnishing of Utilization Certificates and blocking of funds for this sector cannot be justified especially in view of the fact that J&K needs special focus from security point of view”, sources said quoting the stand taken by the J&K in the Sub-Group. It is pertinent to mention here that during the current financial year the State has not received funds under Police Modernization Scheme because of delay in submission of UCs of previous year as a result of which all the activities required to be carried out in strengthening police force have come to the grinding halt.
Disclosing that J&K’s stand on Police Modernization Scheme has also been endorsed by the Sub-Group, sources said that the report of the Sub-Group would be thoroughly debated upon in the NITI Aayog headed by Prime Minister before final decision, which is expected in near future.
They said that a detailed exercise was carried out by the State Government before projecting its case before the Sub-Group of the Chief Ministers and inputs were received from all the departments dealing with the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
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