Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 17: A joint team of Planning and Development and Finance Departments is likely to take up the matter with Union Finance Ministry officials very soon seeking immediate release of withheld funds of Jammu and Kashmir under annual plan, PMRP and Centrally Sponsored Schemes after preparing detailed reply of previous queries raised by the Union Government.
Official sources told the Excelsior that even as just about two and half months were left for current financial year of 2014-15 to end, Jammu and Kashmir was yet to receive majority of funds in three sectors of annual plan, PMRP and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The total amount due for the State in 2014-15 in all three sectors totaled Rs 11900 crores. About 60 per cent funds of the State were pending.
In the absence of working Government due to about two and half months long period of Assembly elections in view of imposition of Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, the Planning and Development and Finance Department officials couldn’t reply to the queries raised by the Union Finance Ministry officials, who were dealing with plan and other funds of the State in the absence of workable Planning Commission, which has now been replaced by NITI Aayog.
“However with Governor’s Rule in force now, the officials were busy in preparing replies to the queries and would soon approach the Finance Ministry officials for release of the pending funds under annual plan, Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes,” sources said, adding the officials would seek early release of the funds as less than two and half months were now left for the financial year to end and the State was in dire need of funds to clear pending bills in the treasuries and take up other developmental works.
Such was the fiscal crisis that it was after several years when the Government was not in a position to clear 17 per cent pending Dearness Allowance of Government employees and pensioners for full year of 2014. While Central Government and other States’ employees got 17 per cent DA in 2014, J&K employees didn’t get anything in view of financial crisis.
Sources said Governor NN Vohra had also reviewed financial scenario of the State couple of days back with Planning and Development Secretary BR Sharma and Finance Secretary BB Vyas. While five to six per cent more DA was likely to be released by the Centre with effect from January 1, 2015, the State was yet to clear two pending installments of 10 per cent and seven per cent respectively.
Apart from this, it has already asked the District Development Commissioners to go ahead with the development works with rider that bills of the contractors would be cleared on release of funds by the Government of India, sources said, adding the DDCs have been told categorically that the ongoing developmental works shouldn’t suffer especially the works of emergency nature.
According to sources, the Planning and Finance officials would urge the Union Finance Ministry officials to release their funds at the earliest so that they can take up the development works under plan, PMRP and Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The Government was now confident that after reply of the queries of the Finance Ministry, the Centre would release its funds well in time so that the developmental works are taken within time and pending payments in the treasuries, Government employees, pensioners and in all other sectors are cleared.
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