Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 6: For third consecutive financial year, the State Government might have to settle for Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan for 2014-15 as there had been no indications from the Planning Commission of India of any increase in the plan for upcoming fiscal year as compared to the current year.
Official sources told the Excelsior that with indications from the Planning Commission of India not so good, the J&K Government was likely to settle for Rs 7300 annual plan for upcoming financial year of 2014-15. The annual plan would be in addition to the funds given to the State under the Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Sources said the Government has decided to include the figure of Rs 7300 crores as annual plan in the general budget for 2014-15 which Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather would present in the Assembly on February 13.
“The Government has decided against projecting any increase in the annual plan in the budget. This has been done keeping in view the experience of current financial year when the Finance Ministry had projected J&K’s annual plan at Rs 8000 crores but eventually ended up with getting only Rs 7300 crores and that too after a long standoff with the Planning Commission of India in which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had to intervene,” sources recalled.
Moreover, with the existing Planning Commission of India having no mandate to decide on increase in annual plan, which is finalised after the start of new financial year on April 1, 2014 as Parliamentary elections would be held in April-May and new Government would be in place at the Centre thereafter.
Deciding to play safe, the Government would be projecting annual plan in the budget as Rs 7300 crores only. However, during the plan meetings with the Planning Commission of India after the new Government takes over at the Centre, the Government could seek enhanced annual plan but most likely, the sources felt, the State might have to settle for Rs 7300 crores worth plan for 2014-15.
The State officials of the Planning Commission and Finance Departments of the Government has so far held only one meeting with the Planning Commission of India officials through video conferencing on January 23 to discuss current year’s pending Special Plan Assistance and next year’s annual plan, sources said, adding that no fresh meeting was expected with the Planning Commission for next year’s plan as the State Government would be taking Rs 7300 crores worth plan in the general budget.
The plan meetings between the State officials and new Planning Commission of India would start only after the new PCI takes over the helm of affairs after formation of the new Government.
Worthwhile to mention here that for the past two consecutive years, the State Government had been allocated Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan only and this would be third financial year (2014-15) when it was likely to get the same amount.
In 2012-13, the Planning Commission had approved Rs 7300 crores worth plan for J&K but imposed a cut of Rs 1500 crores reducing the plan to Rs 5800 crores. In 2013-14 i.e. the current financial year, the State had sought Rs 8000 crores worth plan but the Planning Commission had offered only Rs 5800 crores leading to serious differences between the Commission and the State Government. After the Chief Minister’s intervention, the State was allotted Rs 7300 crores worth plan and Rs 600 crores PMRP.
Sources said 2014 being the election year was yet another reason that there was not going to be any hike in the State’s annual plan.
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