Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 26: The Legislature today passed the budget for the financial year of 2013-14 worth Rs 39182 crore and supplementary grants (Revised Estimates) for 2012-13 amounting to Rs 2644 crores culminating nearly two weeks long debate on the grants of different Departments in two Houses of the Legislature.
In his reply to specific written points of some members, Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said the State Government has constituted a four members Committee to study ethnic character of Paharis before granting them Scheduled Tribe status. He ruled out granting district status to any tehsil in the State but said new administrative units could be considered after studying Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai report.
Mr Rather had presented annual budget for 2013-14 and supplementary grants for 2012-13 in the Legislative Assembly on March 6. Minister of State for Finance and Planning Dr Manohar Lal Sharma had presented budget in the Legislative Council.
The budget was debated for three days while demands of various Departments were discussed and debated for 11 days in double sittings in the Assembly. Both Houses of the Legislature passed the budget and supplementary grants today. The budget and supplementary grants in the form of Appropriation Bills would go for Governor’s Assent. After approval by the Governor, the Government would be in a position to withdraw the amount from Consolidate Fund for the State for the services of the financial year 2013-14.
Replying to specific written points raised by the MLAs in the Assembly, Mr Rather said the State Government has already taken up the issue of granting ST status to Pahari speaking people of Jammu and Kashmir but, in response, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs had asked the State to study ethnic characteristics of Pahari speaking people through eminent research scholars.
The Government has constituted four members Committee few days back, which has been asked to submit its reply within four months.
The Committee comprised Dr Pirzada Mohammad Amin, Head Department of Social Work, Kashmir University, Dr Ashish Saxena, Associate Professor Department of Sociology, Jammu University, Dr Suresh Baba, Senior Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, Jammu University and Dr Shazia Manzoor, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Work, Kashmir University.
“As soon as the report was received, it would be put before the Government for consideration/adoption and recommendation to the Government of India”, Mr Rather said.
NPP leader and former Minister Harshdev Singh had raised the issue for grant of ST status to Paharis and Kolis and districts status for Billawar, Basohli, Akhnoor an Siot.
On grant of ST status to ‘Kolis’, Mr Rather said the Government had from time to time taken up the case with the Government of India for declaring various groups of people as STs including Kolis and Chopans. He added that the Government of India has asked for detailed information in respect of the said people about their habitations, life pattern etc.
“We have asked the Deputy Commissioners to furnish detailed report expeditiously so that it could be forwarded to the Government of India”, he said, adding that the demand for granting ST status to Paharis was being pursued by the Government since the time of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and several Prime Ministers had assured favourable consideration.
The Finance Minister rejected the demand of Harshdev Singh for granting district status to Basohli and Billawar in Kathua district, Akhnoor in Jammu and Siot in Rajouri district. He said only in 2007, the State Government had created eight new districts, which required lot of finances to create infrastructure and manpower. Some posts were yet to be filled in the newly created districts.
“Creation of further districts will boost revenue and non plan expenditure and squeeze capital expenditure”, he said, adding that the Government has constituted Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai Committee for examination of demands for creation of new Administrative Units.
He said the Committee has submitted its report and the Government has undertaken a detailed exercise to work out the report of the financial, infrastructural and human resource implications particularly as the report is inconclusive in many respects. He added that as soon as the exercise was completed, further appropriate action would follow taking into consideration the financial resources of the State.
In addition to four districts, Harshdev had also demanded tehsil status for Basantgarh, Khour, Parmandal, Ramgarh and Bhamag.
The then Congress-PDP Government headed by now Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad had created eight new districts in the State-four each in Jammu and Kashmir divisions including Samba, Reasi, Kishtwar and Ramban in Jammu, Kulgam, Shopian, Bandipora and Ganderbal in Kashmir.
On the issue raised by another NPP MLA Balwant Singh Mankotia for promotion of Devika river as tourism spot, the Finance Minister assured the member that the Tourism Department would examine the proposal. He told the member that PWD department has spent Rs 30 lakh and UEED Rs 31 lakh during the year 2005-06 on the river, which, according to legends, originated from Gorikund in Sudh Mahadev and passed through Venisangh, Chenani, Udhampur, Purmandal, and Utterbehni.
Under the Central Sponsored Scheme, Rs 6.62 crore were spent on the river during 2007-08.
On dis-engagement of National Youth Corps (NYC) workers, Mr Rather said the Government of India had engaged a total of 20,000 workers including 6956 in Jammu and Kashmir for a period of two years. “At the time of recruitment, the volunteers had categorically been told that their appointment was meant for a period of two years and that they wouldn’t be absorbed permanently. The workers had also given the undertaking in written”, he added.
Mr Rather said the State had taken up the matter with the Government of India but they have refused to engage the NYC volunteers again. “As it was the Government of India scheme, we can’t extend it”, he said, adding the State has asked the Centre to consider the NYC volunteers for skill development.
“The Government of India has so far released Rs 38.47 crores for meeting expenditure by the State Government on account of honorarium of NYC volunteers. Entire amount has been released. We have requested the Centre to release balance funds of Rs 3.27 crores”, he said and ruled out any provision for engagement of such youth in any Government Department.
“The Government of India didn’t agree for extending the period of NYC volunteers beyond December 2012. However, the GoI has agreed to provide funds, which will be required by the State Government for providing necessary training in various skills to the youth. In view of reluctance of the youth, no concrete progress in the matter could be made. Only a limited number of youth opted for such type of arrangement”, the Finance Minister said.
He added that the NYC volunteers had been engaged for Rs 2500 per month to help in nation building activities like serve as tourist volunteers (guides) for handling heavy inflow of pilgrims of Mata Vaishno Devi ji shrine and Amarnath Yatra, cleaning and maintenance of Dal and Nageen lakes, National Mission for Female Literacy and Health and Sanitation programmes.
He said creation of Udhampur Development Authority and preparation of Master Plan for Udhampur were under process.
“The Draft Master Plan Udhampur has been submitted by the Chief Town Planner, Jammu to the Administrative Department recently. However, before it is put to public domain for inviting objections, notifications have to be issued with regard to declaration of local areas of the Master Plan and creation of Udhampur Development Authority. These issues are under process in the Urban Development Department”, he said.
On upgradation of High Schools of Rasli Gaderan and Sathian to Higher Secondary level in Udhampur district, Mr Rather said the institutions qualified for upgradation in terms of distance and enrolment but required relaxation in criteria of feeding high schools.
However, he added, since Harshdev has insisted that the number of feedings schools was also more than two, as required under the criteria, the Government would consider their upgradation under RAMSA in 2013-14 as no new Higher Secondary School has been created in 2012-13.
On the proposal for development of environmental park at Gangerg Hills of Udhampur, as sought by Mr Mankotia, the Finance Minister said the Director of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing has submitted the proposal to Forest Department at a cost of Rs 59.57 lakh for funding and utilisation in the current financial year.
“An amount of Rs 8 lakh out of accrued saving of Rs 85.47 lakhs has been projected before Planning and Development Department for its re-appropriation. However, due to financial constraints, the Planning and Development Department has shown inability for re-appropriation of funds for this component for the current financial year”, he said.
In response to another query, Mr Rather said alternate land has been identified for construction of New Bus Stand at Udhampur but the matter was sub-judice and was being pursued. The disposal of the case will ease the flow of traffic, he said, adding the parking area for Udhampur has been identified in Gole Market by Municipal Committee Udhampur having sufficient width of road.
The areas identified for the parking included in front of DRDA office, DC office, Sulabh Sauchalaya, Slathia Chowk, Girls Higher Secondary School, Singh Cafeteria, MH Chowk, Baigra Medical Gall, PWD complex, CID office, Gole Market, Modern Furnishing House, BSNL Centre to Arya Samaj Lane, Arya Samaj Lane to Ladkhia Shop, Gupta Tent House, Old Women College and MCO office.
Moreover, Mr Rather said, the proposed new parking place has been identified for creation of parking slot at Old Sabzi Mandi by dismantling Old PWD quarters, The construction will start after approval of dismantling is received, he added.
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