Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 3: Following the foot-steps of previous Governments in Jammu and Kashmir, the PDP-BJP Coalition has started the practice of dumping the important issues by framing committees of the officers and giving leverage to such panels to inordinately delay the assigned task.
This can be gauged from the fate of two Task Forces, which were constituted to deal with the important subjects of suggesting ways and means to promote agricultural activities and eliminate/ reduce poverty in the State. While one Task Force has failed to formally convene its meeting, another Task Force has only carried out spade work that too with half-hearted approach mainly because of lack of interest from their respective Chairman.
The non-serious approach on the part of Chairmen of both the Task Force is notwithstanding the fact that these panels were constituted on the directions of the NITI Aayog, which had evinced interest in making sure that the J&K Government comes up with strategies to deal with both the vital subjects.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that the General Administration Department vide its Order No.558 dated April 16, 2015 had constituted a Task Force on Agricultural Development. Administrative Secretary, Agriculture Production Department was made Chairman of the Task Force, which was tasked to coordinate and develop synergy with the Central Ministries.
The Task Force was also assigned the task of recommending strategies for re-invigorating agriculture in all its aspects; formulate strategies for reforms, innovations and technology diffusion and identify successful experiment and programmes from which all States and Union Territories may learn, sources said.
With Administrative Secretary of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department, representatives of Sher-e-Kashmir Universities of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Jammu/Kashmir and representative of Planning and Development Department as its Members, the Task Force was directed to finalize its recommendations by or before May 31, 2015. In order to ensure that all the aspects relating to agricultural activities are taken into consideration, the Task Force was even allowed to co-opt progressive farmers to be nominated by the Agriculture Production Department and any expert, sources said.
However, the Task Force has failed to accomplish the task within the stipulated time-frame, sources disclosed, adding “what to talk of making recommendations, the Task Force even failed to meet once till date thereby showing scant regard to the instructions issued by the General Administration Department as well as NITI Aayog”.
They informed that this Task Force was constituted by the General Administration Department on the basis of a communication dated March 26, 2015 received from the National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog.
The second Task Force on poverty elimination was constituted vide Government Order No.559-GAD dated April 16, 2015 and it was asked to finalize its recommendations in the light of terms of reference by or before May 31, 2015.
Astonishingly, this Task Force has too failed to meet the deadline although its head— Administrative Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department claims that some spade work has been carried out.
The Task Force comprising Administrative Secretaries of Departments of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Social Welfare Department and representative of Planning and Development Department as its Members had to coordinate and develop synergy with the Central Ministries, develop a working definition of poverty, prepare a road-map for the elimination of poverty, suggest strategies and anti-poverty programme including reform of existing ones and identify successful anti-poverty programmes from which all States and Union Territories can learn.
This Task Force was also constituted on the basis of communication received from the National Institution for Transforming India, NITI Aayog, sources said.
When contacted, Administrative Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, who is Chairman of this Task Force said, “sometimes it becomes difficult to meet the deadlines…….there remains some pressing engagements, which otherwise cannot be avoided”, adding “the Task Force would accomplish its task in its next meeting”.
However, he failed to specify the date when Task Force would meet and accomplish its assignment.
“The fate of Task Force on both the vital subjects clearly indicates that the issues which are of immense importance for NITI Aayog and those at the helm of affairs in National Institution for Transforming India assume no importance/ priority for the bureaucrats in Jammu and Kashmir”, sources said.
Moreover, this has also established that present PDP-BJP dispensation has started following the foot-steps of previous Governments to dump the important issues by framing committees of the officials and giving leverage to such panels to inordinately delay the assigned task.
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