*NHPC yet to receive request for contribution
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 22: Contrary to the tall claims of the Government about giving due importance to the institution of District Development Board, the decisions taken at this level don’t attract the attention of the concerned authorities with the required promptness and ultimately the grievances of the people remain unaddressed for quite long time.
This can be gauged from the fate of major announcement of the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed regarding setting up of Chenab Valley Development Fund made in the District Development Board meetings of Doda and Kishtwar districts held on July 4 this year.
The Chief Minister while categorically ruling out setting up of Chenab Valley Hill Development Council had stated: “It is wrong notion that development is possible only through Councils. In order to take care of the developmental needs of the erstwhile Doda district presently comprising separate districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, the Government would shortly create Chenab Valley Development Fund”.
“This Fund would take care of development and upliftment of all the three districts and generate employment opportunities. Moreover, the Fund would help the mountain locked and underdeveloped districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban to grow rapidly and match infrastructure of other districts”, the Chief Minister had further stated in the meeting while observing that these districts have been lagging behind other districts of the State in various sectors.
However, despite lapse of more than three months, no step has been initiated to give practical shape to this major decision of the District Development Board, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding even formal order regarding creation of Chenab Valley Development Fund, which otherwise can be done with just one stroke of the pen, has not been issued by the Government till date, sources informed.
How could the Government give its share to the Chenab Valley Development Fund when the same has not been formally created? Sources asked, adding “due to non-serious approach towards creation of this Fund, the claims of the Government that the developmental and infrastructure needs of the Chenab Valley would be fulfilled to quite an extent has turned out to be hoax”.
According to the sources, the Government has not even written to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is operating Dul Hasti project on river Chenab in Kishtwar district for two per cent contribution from the profits of the project to the Chenab Valley Development Fund as per the announcement made in the DDB meeting.
“We have not received any communication from any of the Government agency in this regard”, said a senior officer of the NHPC, adding “we have only heard about Government decision vis-à-vis approaching us for contribution to the Chenab Valley Development Fund”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Government of India guidelines regarding earmarking two per cent of the profits of the power projects for the local area development are not applicable in respect of the Dul Hasti. However, the NHPC is earmarking and releasing 2 per cent for local area development in respect of Sewa and Chutuk hydroelectric projects.
“Keeping in view the non-serious approach in implementing the major decision of the DDB, the concerned authorities are undermining the importance of this institution, which otherwise is being placed in highest esteem by the present Coalition Government in the official statements”, sources said, adding “the creation of such a Fund should have been done without wasting any time as major parts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts are still crying for development in varied sectors”.
“Any further delay in creation of this fund would be a cruel joke with the people of these districts as on one side their elected representatives have failed to get due representation in the Council of Ministers for raising voice of the people in the highest forum and on the other side no special funds have been earmarked for these underdeveloped districts”, sources said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has won majority of seats from the erstwhile Doda district, should exert required pressure on the coalition partner—People’s Democratic Party for getting this major announcement translated into reality otherwise further neglect of these three districts would prove disastrous for the party in future, sources pointed out.
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