With objective of transforming the youth of the country into a technically oriented manpower, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development conceptualized the scheme of opening polytechnic colleges in all the States of the Union of India. The aim was to raise a well trained and highly motivated segment of technocrats in the country. A carefully planned scheme was devised and the State of Jammu and Kashmir bagged 18 Polytechnic Colleges under the Coordination Act Plan for Skill Development of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Even the districts where these colleges would be established were also identified as Doda, Kathua, Kishtwar, Poonch, Ramban, Reasi, Samba and Udhampur in Jammu province and Anantnag, Bandipore, Baramulla, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, Kupwara and Shopian districts of Kashmir valley. Obviously, the thrust of the scheme was to cater to comparatively more under-developed areas of the State. There was clear financial commitment on the part of the Central Government also. The Ministry of HRD, under this scheme, committed one-time financial assistance of Rs 12.30 crore for each Polytechnic College for civil works and equipment, machinery and library etc. Acquiring of land was left to the care of the State Government. Further it was said that the State Government would meet 100% recurring expenditure and non-recurring expenditure beyond Rs 12.30 crore.
As it happens, the State Government, while accepting to launch the scheme of the Ministry of HRD, did not acquire the land in identified districts for quite long time. Not only that, the State Government also failed to move the Union Ministry of HRD for release of funds. Thus both of these pre-requisites remained unattended. As late as 2012-13, some of the proposed colleges began teaching work in private accommodation or unused Government accommodation as make shift arrangement. However, the Government did not think it feasible to buy machinery; equipment and library books and equipment that would make the college look like real institutes of technical learning. They thought that the machinery might get damaged during shifting to new accommodation.
Five years have gone by when the scheme was launched. So far none of the 18 Polytechnic Colleges has got its own building. None has a hostel and other facilities necessary for giving proper shape to a technical institute. The question is how we can develop the human resource in this State when we are not able to provide proper infrastructure to the institutions from where the technocrats would come out and serve the country. Our State should understand that the loss is first of the young students and then of the State as a whole because we are deprived of the services of technical hands. It is a great misfortune that our political leadership cannot visualize the harm that comes to the State by underestimating the importance and relevance of institutions like the Polytechnic College. This is not the way that will help us in taking the State forward on the path of progress and development. In these columns we have been repeatedly saying that there is some serious flaw somewhere in the administrative machinery of this state that causes one or the other obstruction to smooth implementation of centrally sponsored schemes. This should be looked into. In fact the Govt should conduct a study and research in the matter. We cannot afford to lag behind other states in deriving benefits from centrally sponsored schemes.
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