Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 18: The Centre has released Rs 225 crore from Rs 1900 crore worth grants of the State’s annual plan of current financial year, which had been blocked for want of certain formalities leading to temporary ‘resource crunch’ across the State.
The amount was released after senior officers of Planning and Finance Departments met the top brass of Planning Commission of India and explained their position on previous expenditure, Utilisation Certificates, upcoming development works, reducing Government expenditure, fiscal management and financial discipline maintained by the State besides the increase effected in own tax revenue during first three quarters of the State.
Official sources said the State has received Rs 225 crore from the Union Government and the officials of Planning and Finance Departments were vigorously pursuing the matter with the Planning Commission of India for early release of the pending amount so that development works were carried out expeditiously.
They added that the State Government has sought immediate release of the funds as any further delay could lead to lapse of the amount since just a little less than two and a half months were left for the completion of financial year. The Government would be in a quandary if the amount was released in February when there would be just a month left for the completion of financial year.
Sources said the Planning and Finance Ministers and bureaucrats were constantly in touch with the Planning Commission fulfilling the formalities listed by them for release of pending grants.
‘‘Our officers are in touch with the Planning Commission. We have urged the Commission to release the funds as early as possible as any further delay on this account would keep the funds unspent as very little time would be left in this financial year’’, they added.
They said the State would definitely face problems if the Planning Commission further delayed release of the plan amount.
‘‘This was the reason that the top brass of Planning and Finance Department was in touch with Planning Commission on regular basis and could seek a meeting with the Commission officials if release of the pending plan amount was further delayed’’, sources said.
The Planning Commission had allocated Rs 7300 crore worth plan to Jammu and Kashmir for current financial year of 2012-13. Generally, majority of plan amount is released by the end of December or start of January to facilitate the State to draw up plan of development works and spend the plan amount by March 31 when the financial year ends.
However, this year, the Planning Commission had blocked Rs 1900 crore of the State on different grounds.
‘‘Most of the formalities have been completed and submitted to the Planning Commission. We are hopeful that the Commission would now release the pending amount shortly’’, sources said but anticipating ‘resource crunch’ for the State if the amount was further delayed.
Meanwhile, the release of Rs 225 crore by the Planning Commission was being utilized by the State for emergency nature of works.
Sources said if the Planning Commission continued to delay release of funds, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather and Planning and Development Minister Ajay Sadhotra could take up the matter with the Union Finance Ministry shortly to ensure that development works in the State didn’t suffer.
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