The UT of Jammu and Kashmir having got Rs.35581 crore as part of Central Government’s assistance, grants and loans for the financial year 2022-23 from the Union Finance Minister in the annual budget of 2022-23 also comprises schemes for a major boost for our border villages. This is to be noted that an increase of Rs.877 crore has been made as compared to previous year for the UT and this amount in totality should result in overall development with particular emphasis on industry, tourism, health , power and education in Jammu and Kashmir. Consistently the trend of such grants being on comparative higher side denoted central government’s commitment to ensure that the speed of development picked up in Jammu and Kashmir in a comprehensive way.
It is worth noting that the Union Finance Minister announcing the central assistance comprised areas like granting Rs.225 crore for special scholarship schemes, Rs. 4 crore for institute of High Altitude Medicinal Plants at Bhaderwah, Industrial Development Schemes and packages for Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand besides Jammu and Kashmir under Special Category States. Since these states and UTs have lesser edge as compared to other states mainly because of peculiar geographical identities, if not limitations , special attention in respect of fostering development in these states etc needs to be paid on sustained basis. Border villages, though strategic in nature, have hitherto not been getting adequate attention for development but now such villages with sparse population , lesser connectivity and poor infrastructure are going to be covered under ”Vibrant Villages Programme”. That should , therefore, result in construction of more roads, housing and tourist centres, access to TV education channels as also for generating livelihood measures in these villages.
While various areas have been taken care of in respect of their development by allocating funds, what needs to be ensured is total transparency and monitoring of schemes on which these funds are purported to be spent in a time bound manner.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel