*Source of funding too remains undecided
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 28: In an outcome of lack of proper planning and coordination, the cost of the much talked about Basmati village project has increased by Rs 2 crore even before the start of the work on ground despite lapse of more than 10 months. Moreover, the concerned authorities are still groping in dark about the source of funding in the absence of which even single activity is impossible.
The dream of first ever Basmati cluster village in Jammu was shown to the people by the previous PDP-BJP Coalition Government in the Agenda of Alliance, which was unveiled on March 1, 2015. It was specifically mentioned in the category of key developmental initiatives that creation of such a village would go a long way in promotion of Basmati of Jammu.
Thereafter, the previous Government while presenting Budget on March 22, 2015 put a seal of approval by stating that the village will have all the facilities from growing, packaging and branding of Basmati. However, the dream has yet not become reality mainly because of lack of proper planning and coordination.
As there was no earlier discussion on Basmati village between the Departments of Finance and Agriculture Production, even planning had to be started after the Budget announcement and after hectic efforts the concerned authorities of the Agriculture Department formulated a project for promotion of organic Basmati Cluster Village in R S Pura belt of Jammu district for the benefit of farming community and submitted the same to the Administrative Department for further necessary action.
“Long time was consumed in the process of seeking queries by those at the helm of affairs in the Agriculture Production Department from the subordinate officers on various aspects including cost benefit analysis, comparative study of organic and inorganic farming, introduction of modern technology and scope of organic farming in Suchetgarh-Korotana Basmati Rice Cluster”, sources said.
After completion of this lengthy process, all of a sudden the Department of Agriculture Production found it appropriate to seek consultations of the scientists of Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST-Jammu), which otherwise should have been conducted at the time of preparation of Detailed Project Report.
After examining the DPR, the SKUAST scientists/experts made some suggestions and the same were incorporated by the officers of the Agriculture Department and then a revised DPR was formulated for the consideration of those at the helm of affairs in the department. While going through the revised DPR, the necessity of having proper Benchmark Survey Data was felt and again the file was sent down the line for this exercise, which however, is yet to begin.
Earlier, the project was proposed to be completed at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore but now the cost of the project in the revised DPR has gone up to Rs 5.5 crore, sources said, adding the escalation of Rs 2 crore is notwithstanding the fact that work on ground has yet not begun.
In this way, the much talked about project continued to remain on papers despite lapse of more than 10 months, sources said, adding “even the concerned authorities of Agriculture Production Department are groping in dark about source of funding this project as no formal commitment has been received from the Finance Department in this regard”.
Non-holding of consultation with the Agriculture Production Department before announcing establishment of Basmati Cluster Village in the Budget is responsible for the delay of more than 10 months, sources said, “had this imperative exercise been completed well in time the fate of the project would have not been hanging in balance”.
“All this clearly indicates that lack of planning and coordination is at its peak in the administrative circle of J&K”, sources said.
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