Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 26: The Government of India has released about Rs 2500 crores worth plan amount for Jammu and Kashmir even before finalization of current year’s annual plan under various heads to help State Government tide over the financial crisis and meet normal requirements including payment of salaries to employees and carry out development works of urgent nature.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Union Finance Ministry has released a part of share of the State Government from different components of annual plan including Special Plan Assistance, Non Plan Assistance, Share in Central Taxes and some other categories. The installments of the direct plan amount have also been released.
“Overall, the State Government has so far received over Rs 2500 crores of the total plan allocations and a handsome amount totaling about Rs 1000 crores was expected to be released by the Centre in the next few days, which would give some, though not enough, relief to cash starved State,” they said.
Though the Centre Government has decided to do away with the Planning Commission, which used to approve and release annual plans of the States, it was yet to come up with an alternate mechanism for approval of plans and giving other Central assistance to the States.
Sources said the Union Finance Ministry anticipating dire needs of Jammu and Kashmir in the absence of release of annual plan especially when the State has been hit by worst ever floods and rains decided to release over Rs 2500 crores worth amount in different components for the State and has assured that some more amount would be released either by this month end or start of October.
“Though about Rs 2500 crores released under different heads of the Plan were not enough for the Government, it would to some extent help the State in meeting its immediate requirements,” sources said.
The State Government had sought Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan, Rs 600 crores under Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) and Rs 4000 crores under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSSs) for current financial year of 2014-15 totaling Rs 11900 crores. Sources said the Government was also expecting another installment under different components of the plan within the next few days.
The Government, according to sources, has taken up the matter with the Centre that most of the areas in Jammu and Kashmir have very limited working season and further delay in release of plan and other funds for the State would badly hit development works. However, even in the limited season, several areas of the State wouldn’t be in a position to take fresh development works due to floods and utilize the amount for restoration of damaged infrastructure.
Admitting that bills to the tunes of several crores were still pending in the treasuries, sources said the Government has been trying to clear the bills to maximum extent and ensure that the Government employees were paid their salaries well in time.
The Government had started holding the District Development Board (DDB) meetings after the Assembly session but they were stopped after heavy floods and rains struck Jammu and Kashmir. Majority of DDB meetings were yet to be held.
Sources admitted that in such a scenario, the working season this year will be badly affected. Otherwise also, the State was not expecting much development works this year and would focus mainly on restoration of damaged infrastructure and completion of works and projects already undertaken in hands.
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