*Communiqués sent to Admn Secys for action
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 25: Conc-erned over failure of the previous PDP-BJP Coalition Government to honour its commitments made on the floor of the State Legislature during last Budget Session, which were exclusively highlighted by Daily Excelsior in its series titled “Budget Announcements Vs Reality”, the Raj Bhawan has written several communications to the Administrative Secretaries of almost all the departments asking them to explain the reasons behind lackadaisical approach in implementing the decisions.
It is for the first time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir State that such an exclusive series spread over a period of almost one month has been carried out by any news-paper. In this series, which concluded recently, Excelsior highlighted all those commitments/ announcements made by the Ministers during the previous PDP-BJP Coalition Government which remained only on papers despite lapse of considerable period of time mainly due to lack of follow-up on the part of the then Ministers and officers of the concerned departments.
Highly placed sources said that soon after the imposition of Governor’s Rule in Jammu and Kashmir on January 8, Raj Bhawan on the directions of N N Vohra started dashing communications to the Administrative Secretaries seeking the status of the announcements made during the last Budget Session.
“The process of obtaining progress is still continuing and Raj Bhawan is laying focus on all those commitments/ announcements, which are directly linked with the welfare of the common masses”, sources informed, adding “in respect of departments directly associated with providing basic amenities to the public like Power Development Department, Public Health Engineering, Roads and Buildings, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Health and Medical Education etc, more than one communications have been sent till date”.
According to the sources, the Raj Bhawan has come to know that it was only due to lack of seriousness on the part of the then Ministers as well as concerned officers that majority of key announcements made during the Budget Session could not be translated into reality. “On the receipt of information about hurdles and progress in the implementation of the directions, the Governor is making suggestions to the concerned Administrative Secretaries for necessary follow-up actions so that there is no more delay in giving practical shape to the announcements”, they added.
“His primary concern is road transport sector keeping in view continuous increase in the road traffic accidents and ever since the imposition of Governor’s Rule, Mr Vohra has held discussions several times with the concerned officers on this particular subject and passed necessary directions”, sources said.
“Apart from Budget announcements, the Governor is also obtaining regular feed-back on issues of vital importance for Jammu and Kashmir and implementation status of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes as he wants to ensure that all the hurdles are removed so that benefit of schemes percolate to the common masses”, sources further said, adding “he has also issued explicit directions to all the concerned Administrative Secretaries that the issues which in normal course require approval of the Cabinet shall not be delayed for want of popular Government and the same shall be brought to his notice for prompt disposal”.
Moreover, he is also seeking separate reports from the Chief Secretary about the issues, which are being brought before his notice by the officers of different departments on day to day basis. “The primary objective is to make each and every wing of the Government accountable, the directions about which were issued by the Governor in his first meeting with the Administrative Secretaries at Civil Secretariat following imposition of Governor Rule”, sources said, adding “the Administrative Secretaries have also been asked to regularly obtain feedback from the District Development Commi-ssioners and Head of the Departments on vital issues, schemes and projects”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Excelsior series also highlighted those projects, which are of immense public importance but could not take off due to slackness on the part of the officers, who otherwise were supposed to regularly bring the impediments to the notice of the Administrative Secretaries for necessary orders.
Follow our WhatsApp channel