*GAD, Planning, Home among 20 deptts yet to furnish ATRs on 19th report
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 29: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that in Jammu and Kashmir majority of the Government departments have the habit of dumping the assurances given by the Ministers on the floor of the State Legislature for unspecified period instead of fulfillment of the commitments for the benefit of the common masses.
During any Session of the State Legislature, the Ministers give assurances and make commitments on the floor of both the Houses whenever the Legislators raise issues of immense public importance. Such assurances are generally extended while giving replies to the questions of the Members of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council.
When the Ministers give assurances on any issue, the same generate hope among the people as well as their elected representatives about their redressal in a time-bound manner. But, it is generally seen that such assurances and commitments are dumped by the concerned departments for unspecified period much to the disappointment of people and Legislators.
The general perception on the subject has been substantiated by the Committee on Government Assurances headed by Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen as its Chairman in its 20th report tabled in Legislature recently.
The Committee during the course of its deliberations observed that almost all the departments were adopting a casual approach towards the fulfillment of commitments of the Ministers made on the floor of the House from time to time particularly in respect of assurances held out in reply to Questions in both the Houses.
What to talk of other departments even the General Administration Department, Finance and Planning have been adopting non-serious approach despite the fact that they are required to set precedence for other departments by adhering to each and every issue raised in the Legislature in a time-bound manner.
Twenty departments namely Animal/Sheep Husbandry, School Education, Housing and Urban Development, Civil Aviation, Finance, General Administration, Haj and Auqaf, Health and Medical Education, Home, Horticulture, Industries and Commerce, Information, Labour and Employment, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Parks and Gardens, Planning and Development, Rural Development, Social Welfare, Technical Education and Youth Services and Sports and Transport Departments had not furnished the Action Taken Reports in respect of the assurances contained in the 19th Report of the Committee on Government Assurances (CoGA) despite the fact that 20th report of the Committee was finalized in its meeting held on December 30, 2016.
“The ATRs are awaited notwithstanding the fact that repeated reminders were issued in this behalf by the Assembly Secretariat”, the Committee said while expressing displeasure over the issue. It has impressed upon the Chief Secretary to intervene in the matter and issue strict directions to all the departments to ensure the furnishing of material sought by the Committee on Government Assurances within the stipulated time-frame prescribed under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the J&K Legislative Assembly.
“Some departments are adopting the time consuming approach in the implementation of assurances on the matters of Urgent Public Importance in utter disregard to the prescribed rules despite the fact that they were under the obligation to ensure the implementation of the commitments made by the Ministers within the shortest possible time besides communicating the action, so taken, to the Assembly Secretariat instantly for perusal of the Committee on Government Assurances”, the report said.
In respect of majority of the departments, the Committee on Government Assurance has remarked: “The remaining assurances were decided to be pursued till their satisfactory implementation”.
Stating that by not implementing the assurances of the Ministers in a time bound manner, the Government departments are doing disservice to the people, sources said, “what to talk of assurances involving huge financial or other implications, the departments are not even adhering to those assurances which can be implemented without putting any financial burden on the State exchequer”.
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