Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 9: In a major decision to maintain transparency, supervise construction and check pilferage and other “unwanted practices” in construction of major Centrally funded projects in Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre Government has proposed satellite mapping of the projects before going in for release of further funds in view of complaints that delay in submission of Utilization Certificates (UCs) has become a common practice in the State.
The satellite mapping of major projects, for which the Central Government was giving funds or which were being executed or would be taken up in future under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes, has been proposed as some departments of the State Government were not responding to calls of the Union Ministries to submit UCs, stick to time schedule of the projects and other guidelines of the Government of India, official sources told the Excelsior.
The satellite mapping of the projects would be done using space technology, sources said, adding the Union Ministries would take exact location of the project including altitude, longitude and pictures and then monitor progress of the projects before releasing funds in favour of the concerned department.
“This has become a necessity in the country. The satellite mapping has already been introduced in many States. Slowly, it would be extended to entire country. Jammu and Kashmir has been a priority as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was personally concerned about development of the State and has given Rs 80,000 crore worth Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP) to the State last November under which large number of Centrally sponsored schemes and projects in different sectors are to be executed,” sources said.
Initially, they said, the Centre’s vigil on State projects through satellite mapping would be confined to big projects like construction of National Highways, major roads, power projects etc while slowly the Government proposed to cover all Centrally funded projects in the State.
“It has been observed by some Ministries of the Government of India that several departments of the State Government take first installment for the project and then didn’t submit UCs and other formalities sought by the Union Ministries, a reason of which further funds are withheld by the Centre and the project is either declared sick or abandoned,” they pointed out and said this has been observed that the Union Ministries had to run behind the State Government departments to furnish UCs to obtain further funds for the projects but the latter never did so “due to unknown reasons”.
According to sources, the Centre was proposing mechanism under which different State Governments, from where the Government of India has received complaints, to set up High Powered Committees to prepare and submit Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to the Union Ministries directly instead of leaving it to only one Ministry to which the project pertained.
“The clearance of DPRs by the High Powered Committees for all the departments would save a lot of time. Further, the DPRs would be perfect as the Panels would comprise of expert bureaucrats and the Union Ministries wouldn’t have to seek corrections again and again as has been the case with some of the States,” they said.
Pointing out that monitoring of developmental works through space technology would not only help the Centre but even the State Governments too as they would get next installments of funds for the projects even without submission of UCs in time as the Government of India would itself monitor work done on the project via satellite mapping while the States can take more time in submission of the UCs.
According to sources, the use of space technology in monitoring of the projects, which is a new concept of Narendra Modi Government, would not only check corruption in the projects but would ensure transparency, accountability and authenticity. It would also ensure timely completion of the projects, they added.
Sources said the Government decision on satellite mapping of the major projects comes close on the heels of start of work on major National Highways, roads, power projects, two All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), smart cities, raising of tourism infrastructure, bridges, five new Government Medical Colleges etc, all of which were Centrally funded projects with majority of them being part of the Prime Minister’s Development Package.
“There was also a proposal that a particular department, which shelves the project after taking first installment from the Union Ministry, wouldn’t be given second projects unless the department given “sufficient reasons” for abandoning the project after conceiving it and wasting amount taken in the first installment,” sources said.
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