‘Pace up work on projects to avoid foreclosure by GoI’
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Sept 9: Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has directed all the departments implementing Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) to expeditiously submit Utilization Certificates (UCs) to the concerned Ministries in the Government of India. Moreover, it has taken serious note of many departments having unspent balance with them despite lapse of considerable time.
These directions have been passed by the Principal Secretary to the Government, Finance Department after reviewing the physical and financial progress achieved under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) projects being implemented in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the official data, 53 projects were being implemented under PMDP in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and of these 18 projects were directly implemented by the concerned Ministries of the Government of India and remaining 35 projects are being implemented by UT. Out of 35 UT projects, 13 have been completed and nine are substantially completed. Further, 7 projects have been targeted to be completed during the current financial year and 6 projects will spill over and will be completed during 2024-25 and beyond.
As PMDP project, which was being implemented by the Horticulture Department, has been closed by the Union Ministry because of non-completion of work even after two extensions and directions have been issued to get the left out work accommodated in the Annual Plan of the UT, the Finance Department has directed that since more and more extensions from the Government of India are not possible as such all the departments should expedite the physical and financial progress in respect of PMDP projects, sources said.
“This is imperative so that schemes are completed in time and not foreclosed by the Ministry as has happened in case of Horticulture Department which ultimately deprives the UT of the additional resources which are presently available under PMDP”, sources said quoting the direction of the Finance Department.
The direction has also been issued to all the departments to expedite the submission of Utilization Certificates to their respective Ministries in the Government of India. The Budget Division of the Finance Department has been asked to release Rs 1.50 crore in favour of Tourism Department, which has been kept in Civil Deposits, so that they are able to utilize the funds against work done claims and submit Utilization Certificate to the Ministry of Tourism.
“The departments, whose PMDP schemes are reimbursable and have already spent the money out of the kitty of the J&K Government but the money is still not released by the Government of India, shall claim their installment from the concerned Ministry so that the amount is reimbursed to the Finance Department”, read the instructions.
Moreover, the Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction has been told to claim the amount from the respective Ministries which has already been spent.
The Finance Department has expressed concern over many departments having failed to claim the balance amount from the respective Ministries in the Government of India and directed that matter may be vigorously followed with the concerned Ministries. It has also been noticed that many departments implementing PMDP projects have unspent amount with them.
Accordingly, these departments have been directed to utilize the funds expeditiously so that they are able to claim fresh installments from the Government of India.
It has been noticed that a provision of Rs 50 crore has been kept as matching share for Power Development Department but the requirement of the department is Rs 100 crore against the Central Share allocated during the current financial year under PMDP.
Accordingly, the Budget Division has been told to release matching share of Rs 100 crore in respect of Power Development Department and also release matching share in respect of other departments as and when required on case to case basis particularly in such cases where the release of Central Share is held up for want of matching share.
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