Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 27: Top brass of the Planning Commission of India (PCI) and Jammu and Kashmir Government met at Yojana Bhawan in New Delhi this morning for three hours to give a final touch to the annual plan finalisation of the State, which has been postponed thrice on differences over plan size.
After the meeting, the State delegation was confident of getting Rs 8050 crores worth annual plan, Rs 600 crores under PMRP and liberal funding under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
After cancellation of July 2 meeting, the Planning Commission has asked for plan finalisation meeting on July 8 but, according to official sources, this date was unlikely to be accepted by the State Government due to reported preoccupation of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The meeting could take place on July 8 or 9 depending upon availability of both sides. In any case, it would be held before July 12.
A date would be mutually agreed upon by the Planning Commission and the State Government depending upon the availability of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in the next few days.
Today’s delegation of the State Government in meeting with Planning Commission Advisors and Members was led by Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khandey and comprised all Administrative Secretaries of different departments and some Head of Departments.
Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma, Principal Secretary, Finance Department BB Vyas and Principal Secretary, Power Development Department Arun Kumar Mehta were also present in the meeting.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Planning Commissioner Member B K Chaturvedi, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir and his team raised some serious queries over conversion of agriculture land into horticulture and other purposes of urbanization, declining sex ratio in the State and the Government’s inability to enhance dairy products despite large presence of sheep and cattle in the State.
The meeting that began at 11 am lasted three hours and was described as “positive’’ by the sources. They said the meeting has cleared the decks for healthy plan finalisation of the State next month.
Sources said Commissioner/ Secretary, Health and Medical Education Shaleen Kabra gave a detailed reply on declining sex ratio and steps taken by the Government to curb it. The Administrative Secretary, Agriculture Department also explained on conversion of agriculture land for other purposes and to contain the menace.
However, the Administrative Secretary, Animal and Sheep Husbandry was not present in the meeting and the Chief Secretary noted the points in his absence. Mr Khandey assured the Planning Commission that the State would submit a detailed report on dairy products to the Commission.
Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department B R Sharma, gave a detailed power point presentation to the Planning Commission and was assisted by the Chief Secretary. Mr Khandey and Mr Sharma explained in detail the requirements of the State for the current financial year and insisted on Rs 8050 crores worth annual plan, Rs 600 crores PMRP and liberal funding to various departments under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Sources pointed out that the Administrative Secretaries of different departments submitted their requirements under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Sources said the State delegation explained in detail its resource base to fund annual plan for current financial year of 2013-14 and reiterated the claim for 10 per cent step-up in the plan over previous year i.e. Rs 8050 crores for this fiscal as against Rs 7300 crores of last year.
They added that the State delegation explained in detail its increasing tax base over the years especially in the last financial year, which was projected to grow further in the current fiscal though its admitted that power sector remained a major source of problem due to gap between power purchase bill and revenue generated from the consumers. However, it said, the State has performed well in revenue collection from electricity last financial year and was expecting to cross Rs 2000 crores during current financial year.
The J&K delegation apprised the Commission that the State’s financial scenario was improving but it required liberal support from the Commission including healthy annual plan besides its agreed share under Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP), share from Central Taxes and funds under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
It was reported to have elaborated on the need for Rs 8050 crore worth plan and release of entire pending amount under the PMRP to clear the pending projects and take up more.
Sources said today’s meeting was the final at bureaucratic level. Now, the meeting would be held between Mr Ahluwalia and Mr Abdullah in which the annual plan would be clinched. The plan finalisation meetings were earlier scheduled for May 20, June 2 and July 2, all of which were postponed for different reasons including the Planning Commission’s refusal to fund such a huge plan for the State.
The Planning Commission had earlier offered only Rs 5800 crore worth plan to the State for current financial year, which was Rs 1500 crores less than the last year’s plan size of Rs 7300 crores. Even in the last financial year, J&K had actually received only Rs 5800 crores worth plan as the Planning Commission had imposed a cut of Rs 1500 crores at the last moment. The State was also given Rs 230 crores less from share of Central Taxes and Rs 400 crores less in Rs 700 crores worth amount agreed under the PMRP.
While the PMRP funds are non-lapsable, the other amount including Rs 1500 crores under annual plan and Rs 230 crores under Central Taxes share lapsed.
Sources said the State delegation after today’s meeting was confident of getting a healthy plan for next financial year.
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