Budget Announcements vs Reality
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU: Strange but true. A very tall announcement made by the then Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu on outsourcing of Lakhanpur Toll Plaza to make gateway of Jammu and Kashmir, corruption free and bring more revenue for the State, was confined to the budget papers only with no, or very little headway, made on it. Lakhanpur, continued to function as usual, even after over 10 months of the former Finance Minister and, according to sources, no effort was ever made for it’s privatization, though there was majority view within the then Government that it was “hub of corruption’’ and the postings of Government officers there was considered as very “prize posting’’.
“If I earn Rs 450 crores revenue from Lakhanpur, I will outsource it for Rs 500 crores. There will be net profit of Rs 50 crores revenue to the State and the gateway will be ‘free of corruption’. It will also be made the modernized Toll Plaza’’. Thus, went the statement of Drabu after presentation of the budget.
But, sources said, the tall announcement, which had hogged the limelight of not only local and national media but was talk of the town in view of “rampant corruption’’ prevalent at the gateway to J&K, remained confined to the Finance Ministry’s papers only and no headway was made to outsource it even after the Government completed 10 months on January 1 and Drabu, as per the previous schedule, was due to present his second budget on January 22. It was, however, a different matter that the budget session has now been cancelled as the previous Government ceased to exist.
Lakhanpur Toll Plaza, according to sources, continued to function as it is with no major changes, what to say of privatization, proposed or ordered in it. The officers continued to call the shots and those with “political influence’’ remained posted there or got new postings.
Sources averred that setting things right at Lakhanpur would have helped the Government in curbing corruption to a great extent and the statement of Drabu post-budget was taken very well not only in the business and trade circles but the public also, who were the sufferers of widely known malpractices at the gateway to the State.
There was general perception among the people including the genuine trade, business and industrialists that “working conditions’’ would have been different had the former Finance Minister fulfilled his commitment.
The Toll Plaza was not the only commitment made by Drabu during the budget, which remained on papers only.
There was a very significant announcement pertaining to over 60,000 casual workers. The former Finance Minister had announced that the Government would set up a high level Committee to go through the cases of casual workers and suggest measures on their regularization.
The topic was very hot at that time as PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Sham Lal Sharma in the regime of previous National Conference-Congress Government headed by Omar Abdullah had resigned on the issue of regularization of casual workers, whose number had then been estimated at over 60,000.
Drabu had announced constitution of the Committee to suggest measures on regularization of casual workers. This Committee was never set up, sources said, adding in view of this, the fate of over 60,000 casual workers continued to hang in balance with their future as bleak as it was before formation of PDP-BJP Government in March last year.
“What to say of regularization of casual workers, they were not even getting their remuneration, which was paid to them only on the occasions like Diwali, Eid and other such festivals. Some of them were working on Rs 1000 for a month,’’ sources pointed out.
Drabu had announced constitution of high level Panel comprising the then Finance Minister, Revenue Minister and Rural Development Minister on increasing remunerations of Numberdars and Chowkidars in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Numberdars and Chowkidars continued to wait for implementation of the announcement ever since it was made by the former Finance Minister,’’ sources said.
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