Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 1: The State Government has decided not to enhance plan amount of any of the districts for current financial year of 2012-13, the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar could be an exception, in view of delay in finalisation of annual plan of the State by the Planning Commission of India (PCI).
“We have decided not to increase plan of the districts for 2012-13 as compared to last financial year of 2011-12 in view of delay in finalisation of the plan. The plan amount of all districts is being kept at the level of previous years’’, official sources said.
They added that the Planning Department of the State Government, held by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has decided to keep level of annual plan of all districts at the level of 2011-12 at present. The District Development Boards (DDBs), whose meetings were currently being chaired by the DDB chairpersons in various districts, have been issued directions to maintain level of the plan of all districts to the level of previous financial year.
The districts of Jammu and Srinagar, the rotational capital cities of the State, could get marginal hike in the plan as compared to financial year. However, the Planning Department was yet to take a decision to this effect. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah happened to be chairman of both Jammu and Srinagar DDBs, whose meetings were yet to be held.
Last year, the annual plan of the State had been finalized on June 18 while the Planning Commission was yet to approve this financial year’s plan for the State. The Planning Commission has already held two rounds of meetings with the State bureaucrats on finalisation of plan.
Sources said the Government has, however, reserved the option of releasing additional funds for the districts in December or January after reviewing their performance of expenditure. The districts, which were able to execute development works expeditiously by spending the amount kept at their disposal, could be released additional funds, they added.
The Chief Minister, who didn’t attend the DDB meetings, would be chairing review meetings of all the districts, which would be held in December or January and release additional funds, if required. The additional funds would depend on the annual plan released by the Planning Commission of India for the current fiscal year.
Omar Abdullah would, however, chair the DDB meetings of Jammu and Srinagar districts as he happened to be Chairman of the two Boards. Sources said the Government was examining the options of keeping the two districts at par with other districts of the State by giving them plan allocation at par with previous financial year or increase the allocation.
A decision to this effect was expected in next couple of days, sources said, adding the DDB meetings of Jammu and Srinagar were also scheduled to be held shortly. Final dates would be worked out in consultations with the Chief Minister, sources said.
The State Government had been sanctioned an annual plan of Rs 6600 crore in the last financial year of 2011-12 while for current fiscal year (2012-13), it has staked claim for Rs 7300 crore worth plan.
Sources said it was in the context of delay in sanction of the plan that the Government has decided not to give additional allocation this year to any of the districts. However, in case, it managed to get plan hike of Rs 700 crore (about 10 per cent over the previous year), it would allot additional amount to the districts during review meetings of the DDBs to be chaired by the Chief Minister in December-January.
In addition to Rs 7300 crore worth annual plan, the State Government has also sought Rs 700 crore under Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) besides different amount under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
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