J&K’s plan finalisation meet tomorrow
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 11: A strong 21 member delegation from top brass of State administration would accompany Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during final annual plan meeting of the State with Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Ahluwalia at Yojana Bhawan in New Delhi on July 13.
Official sources told the Excelsior that annual plan of the State for current financial year of 2012-13 would be clinched in the final meeting between Mr Abdullah, who also holds the charge of Planning Department and Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather with Mr Ahluwalia in an hour long meeting starting 3.30 pm on July 13.
Prior to the meeting, the top bureaucrats would have one round of meeting with the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman in which financial needs of the State on various counts would be discussed and given a final shape. The talks between State bureaucrats with Mr Ahluwalia, his Advisors and Members would take place in the morning of July 13 followed by the final round between the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister with the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman.
The State had two meetings with the Planning Commission Advisors and Members on December 15, 2011 and June 12, 2012 in which the top brass of the State administration had explained in detail the requirements of the Government for 2012-13.
The State Government has sought Rs 7300 worth plan for current financial year as against Rs 6600 crore of 2011-12, a step-up of 10 per cent during this year as compared to last fiscal and Rs 700 crore under the Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP).
The Government has also asked for a special power reforms grant to improve power scenario in the State and devise a system to check Transmission and Distribution Losses. The Planning Commission could convey a decision on the special power reforms grant or refer the matter to the Finance Ministry.
The 21 members delegation, which would accompany the Chief Minister, included Jaleel Ahmad Khan, Economic Advisor to Government, Madhav Lal, Chief Secretary, Iqbal Khanday, Principal Secretary Finance, BB Vyas, Principal Secretary Planning, Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary Housing, Sudhanshu Panday, Principal Secretary Power, Atal Duloo, Commissioner/Secretary Tourism, Umang Narulla, Commissioner/Secretary Forests, Shantmanu, Commissioner /Secretary Industries, Shaleen Kabra, Commissioner/Secretary Agriculture.
Bipul Pathak, Commissioner /Secretary Information Technology, Tanveer Jehan, Commissioner/Secretary PWD, BD Sharma, Commissioner /Secretary, PHE, Farooq Ahmad Peer, Commissioner/Secretary, Rural Development, Yedullah, Commissioner/Secretary, Labour and Employment, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Secretary Health and Medical Education, Farooq Ahmad Factoo, Secretary School Education, Vinod Koul, Secretary Technical Education, Gazzanfer Hussain, Secretary Higher Education, M A Bukhari, Secretary Animal/Sheep Husbandry and Shahzada Bilal Ahmad, Joint Director (Coordination), Planning and Development Department.
Last year, the State’s annual plan had been finalized on June 18. This means that this year, the plan finalisation has been delayed by 25 days.
Sources said Omar Abdullah, who also holds the charge of Planning Department, would be asking for Rs 7300 crore worth annual plan for current financial year and Rs 700 crore under PMRP besides separate amount under different Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Last year, the State had been given Rs 6600 crore under annual plan and Rs 1200 crore for PMRP. This year, the State had sought 10 per cent step up in the plan as compared to last year on the ground that the Government had been able to nearly utilize full plan during 2011-12. However, the State has sought less share under PMRP from Rs 1200 crore of last year to Rs 700 crore this year as it hadn’t been able to utilize nearly 50 per cent amount last year. Moreover, a number of projects under the PMRP have already been completed.
The State Government was confident that the Chief Minister would be able to clinch Rs 7300 crore annual plan and Rs 700 crore PMRP for 2012-13 to accelerate development works in the State.
The State Government in its annual budget for 2012-13, presented in the State Legislature in first week of March this year by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, had projected Rs 7300 crore worth annual plan and Rs 700 crore under PMRP for current financial year.
Follow our WhatsApp channel