*Revalidation option reason behind bureaucratic slackness
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 12: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that Roads and Buildings and School Education Depart-ments, which are directly associated with the people, have figured in the list of worst performing departments as far as implementation of Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) is concerned. These departments have failed to optimally utilize the funds made available by the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department despite the fact that roads and school buildings continue to remain in pitiable condition.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that under the Prime Minister’s Development Package, an amount of Rs 2000 crore was earmarked for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure for which schematic details were submitted by the J&K Government to the Union Ministry of Finance through NITI Aayog.
In accordance with the release of funds by the Central Government, the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department vide Order No.339-PD of 2016 dated December 26, 2016 accorded sanction to the release of Rs 1093.34 crore under Capex PMDP in favour of 15 departments for utilization as per the schematic break-up. At that time, the heads of all these 15 departments were explicitly told to ensure prompt utilization of funds so that restoration of infrastructure damaged in 2014 floods doesn’t get delayed.
However, several departments particularly R&B and School Education have failed to come up to the expectations of the Government as far as utilization of funds during 2016-17 financial year is concerned. This can be gauged from the official figures released by the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
In Jammu province, the R&B Department was released Rs 20000 lakh but it utilized Rs 16358 lakh thereby leaving Rs 3641.71 lakh as unspent. However, in Kashmir province the R&B Department utilized Rs 19545.82 lakh against release of Rs 20000 lakh thereby leaving only Rs 454.18 lakh as unspent.
“In Jammu R&B Department has left huge amount unutilized despite the fact that majority of the roads in winter capital are in pitiable condition”, sources remarked while holding the elected representatives of the people responsible for poor utilization of funds as they failed to exert pressure on the department for getting the condition of roads improved.
Worst is the performance of School Education Department, which was given Rs 10022 lakh by the Planning Department for utilization during previous financial year. This department has failed to utilize even single penny of this amount thereby leaving the damaged infrastructure unattended, sources said, adding “the intensity of slackness on the part of School Education Department authorities can be gauged from the fact that even those schools where damaged infrastructure could be restored by spending less than Rs two lakh were left unattended”.
“Moreover, there are several schools where damaged infrastructure could be restored by spending less than Rs one lakh but the same were also ignored on the pretext of delayed release of funds by the Government of India”, sources said and asked how other departments succeeded in spending crores of rupees when they were given funds together with the School Education Department.
Tribal Affairs Department is also on the top of the list of worst performing department as it has failed to utilize even single penny out of Rs 126 lakh released during the previous financial year, reveal the figures of the Planning, Development and Monitoring Department. Estates Department has also failed to come up to the expectations of the Government as it utilized only Rs 100.53 lakh against release of Rs 2320.67 lakh thereby leaving Rs 2220.14 lakh as unspent.
“The slackness on the part of those at the helm of affairs in these departments is mainly because of option of revalidation of funds”, sources said, adding “they were aware of the fact that funds would get revalidated as such they would escape the wrath of the Government. Had the funds been lapsable they would have certainly geared up their men and machinery to execute the identified works”.
According to the sources, while revalidating the unspent funds the Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department Rohit Kansal has directed the heads of all the worst performing departments to ensure that funds are utilized during the current financial year so that restoration of damaged infrastructure doesn’t get delayed further.
“Even the Chief Secretary, B B Vyas, while chairing the Committee of Secretaries meeting recently, expressed serious concern over the figures of unspent amount”, they said, adding “the Chief Secretary has asked the Administrative Secretaries of all the 15 departments to ensure that funds are utilized expeditiously for specific purpose after observing all codal formalities including administrative approvals and technical sanctions from the competent authority”.
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