Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 2: After remaining in deep slumber for one and half year, the Government has shown some interest in the implementation of recommendations of the State Finance Commission, which was constituted with the objective of providing equitable treatment to all the regions and sub-regions of the State in the allocation of funds. However, in view of the lengthy exercise yet to be followed and the fact that Government has entered the last leg of its tenure it is unlikely that recommendations would become reality.
On the other side, questions are being raised over the validity of the recommendations made on the basis of exercise carried out more than four years back as during these years the development profile and other important factors of various areas across the State have undergone significant change.
The State Finance Commission came into being in 2007 to look into regional imbalance or discrimination in the allotment of funds with any region or sub-region of the State and suggest corrective measures for equitable development. Though the Commission had to accomplish the task to address the voices of discrimination within a period of one year yet it took more than three years to finalize its recommendations and the report was submitted to the Government in November 2010.
Thereafter, the Government kept the recommendations in the official files till March 2012 when the Planning and Development Department vide Government Order No.25 dated March 5, 2012 engaged S Mahajan, former Secretary, Planning and Development Department and G A Qureshi, former Director General, Economics and Statistics as Consultants for preparation of road map for implementation of the recommendations of the State Finance Commission and prepare report on district development profile and identify critical gaps in infrastructure in respective districts and suggest measures to address the developmental backwardness of districts besides suggesting the broader frame work for distribution of resources among various sectors.
In the month of May 2012, the Planning and Development Department again came up with order No.43-PD mentioning that the Consultants will submit reports within a period of six months instead of four months mentioned in the earlier order.
These Consultants carried out detailed exercise and submitted interim reports to the Planning and Development Department within the stipulated time-frame. However, during the past one and half year, the Government remained slept over the reports of Consultants instead of carrying out further necessary exercise on the same, sources said.
Now, Planning and Development Department has once again engaged the same experts in order to finalize their interim reports, which were submitted one and half year back, sources said, adding these Consultants have now been given two months time for finalizing and submitting their report.
“Why this step was not initiated during the past one and half year remains a million dollar question”, sources said, adding “keeping in view the lengthy process to be followed even after finalization of report by the Consultants the Government should have not wasted one and half years time and should have not allowed to matter to linger on till the last leg of its tenure if it was so serious about implementation of the State Finance Commission recommendations”.
About the exercise yet to be followed, sources said that following submission of report by the Consultants the Planning and Development Department will hold discussions at its own level followed by detailed examination by a committee headed by Chief Secretary. Thereafter, the report would be dealt with by the Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister and finally the same would be placed before the Cabinet for appropriate action.
Meanwhile, questions are being raised over the validity of the recommendations, which were made on the basis of exercise carried out more than four years back.
“The development profile of each and every area of the State has gone significant change during these years in every sector. Moreover, percentages of resources allocation too has increased and keeping in view these factors whether the recommendations of SFC hold any importance remains a million dollar question”, sources said.

Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 2: After forecast of snowfall and freak weather till Friday, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) today issued avalanche warning for higher reaches of North Kashmir and asked people not to venture out in hilly areas.
The SASE has said that there is Medium Danger Avalanche warning for higher reaches of Drass, Kargil, Keran and Machil. “People living in these hilly areas have been cautioned not to venture into avalanche prone areas”, the warning adds.
The Director Meteorological Department, Sonum Lotus, told Excelsior that weather across the State will remain freak till Friday. “Heavy snowfall and rains are expected on Monday across the State”, he said adding it has already started snowing in the higher reaches of North Kashmir along the Line of Control (LoC).
Lotus said that freak weather will continue till Friday and there will be intermittent snow and rainfall in the State during these days with heavy precipitation on Monday. He said that weather will improve by Friday.
This would be first snowfall in Kashmir after the end of Chile Kalan, the 40 day chilliest part of winter that ended on January 30.
MeT officials said that there was a slight relief from cold till Friday as night temperatures will show improvement.
Authorities in Kashmir who were criticised for their slow response to the snowfall during this season, reviewed preparedness for the fresh precipitation and have put around 236 snow cutters ready for snow clearance.
The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Shailendra Kumar, held review meeting with the various departmental heads of Kashmir valley to ensure that snowfall does not cause much in-connivance to the people.
The officials of the Mechanical Engineering Department said that they have kept 103 snow cutters ready for snow clearance while Beacon authority is pressing 133 snow clearance machines into service for clearing snow on the highway besides 3 cranes have been kept available for towing stranded vehicles on the highway.
The SMC were asked to ensure clearance of snow from all lanes and by-lanes in the Srinagar district and gear up its men and machinery for dewatering of inundated areas of the district.
The Deputy Commissioner Kulgam has got people from Waltengoo Nar and Mirasi Nalla vulnerable areas evacuated.

NEW DELHI, Feb 2:
Increased use of the Internet, change of tactics like attacking crowded places, recruitment of educated youths, and coordinated activities by several terror groups in the Indian sub-continent pose serious challenge to the country’s security.
A new book, which profiles in detail 39 such groups in the region — ranging from ISI-backed terror outfits to regional ones and Left-wing extremists, says many of them have started coordinating their activities, including sharing arms supplies and transferring funds.
The pattern of terror strikes in India and elsewhere has also shifted from isolated attacks to bombings of crowded places or public transport systems to spread panic among the people, says the book ‘Militant Groups in South Asia’, brought out by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA).
It also points out that the decades-long international efforts in the region in the name of ‘war against terror’, have not only failed to contain the menace of terrorism but aggravated the regional security situation.
Analysing the changing pattern of terror and militancy in the South Asian region, the authors — noted security expert Surinder K Sharma and researcher Anshuman Behera — say these groups “pose a critical challenge to the (Indian) State when they come together and coordinate their activities. These groups often come together to fight a common enemy”.
The book not only profiles major militant groups operating in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries, but also provides information on their prevailing status, sources of finance and weapons and other capabilities. It also gives an assessment of what these groups could be capable of doing in the near future.
The organisations include Indian Mujahideen, Hizbul Mujahedeen, Al Ummah, United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Democratic Front of Bodoland in India to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Jundullah and the Haqqani network in Pakistan, besides Al Qaeda and the United Jihad Council.
Last year’s killing of prominent TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud and selection of commander Mullah Fazlullah as its chief may affect the future security scenario in Pakistan, as well as in India and Afghanistan, the authors, Sharma and Behera, said.
Noting that a large number of Pakistani unemployed youth were joining TTP and were being ingrained with anti-India sentiments, they said that TTP would soon be dragged into action in Kashmir and other parts of India.
It also expressed apprehension that TTP’s network among radical elements in Pakistani armed forces would make it easy for them to gain access to nuclear facilities in Pakistan or carry out “a commando type attack that might cause widespread dispersal of radioactivity”.
With US-led forces set to move out of Afghanistan, the authors expressed apprehensions about a major upswing in terror activities in the Federally Administered Tribal Area in Pakistan in the coming days.
Regarding JeM launched by Masood Azhar who was released from Indian prison during the 1999 Kandahar hijack, the book says such organisations have lately “resumed full-scale public activities” in Pakistan.
“The ISI has been given the task to train the terrorist outfits like the JeM to use cyber and computer technology” to carry out their terror activities, Sharma and Behera said.
On the ULFA, they said while peace talks were continuing with a major faction but being opposed by the one led by Paresh Barua, “any wrong move during the peace talks would attract a number of cadres from the pro-talk faction to join Barua faction”.
Regarding Maoists, the authors say that overt and covert support of civil societies and frontal bodies has helped the extremists legitimise their ideology.
“Failure of the State in reaching the people and winning their hearts and minds is one of the major factors for the growth of Maoists in many parts of the country,” they said, adding effective and efficient land reforms and development initiatives, apart from security measures, were needed to tackle this problem. (PTI)

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Feb 2: A devastating fire broke out in the office of Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (CAPD) at Paloura leading to gutting of around Rs 3 lakh cash and important documents.
As per sources, fire broke out in the office of Assistant Director, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution (Rationing) Circle 1st Old City at around 4:30 am.
There was about Rs 62 lakh cash in the office during the fire incident, which was collected from the ration dealers for monthly ration supplies as per routine exercise at the beginning of every month.
On getting information, police team from Talab Tillo police post rushed to the spot and two fire tenders along with fire fighters were pressed into service to douse the flames.
After hectic efforts, the fire was brought under control, but till then the record and the cash was gutted in fire.
Director CAPD, GS Chib said that the fire erupted between 4:30 to 5:30 am which got intensified in a shorter span and after seeing the smoke coming from the office the information of the same was flashed to Talab Tillo police post and Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
“As per my officials, payment of seven thousand and two hundred quintal of wheat flour had been collected from the various dealers of city but due to Saturday the sale proceeds (cash) could not be deposited with bank”, he added.
“We are assessing the exact loss and preparing inventories”, he said.
As they used to reconcile their record on the daily basis, so it is not difficult for them to recollect the previous data but the only difficulty is in the yesterdays record which was not been reconciled, he added.
Chib informed that a departmental inquiry has also been ordered in the incident and besides they are also going to lodge FIR in the concerned police station for revealing the actual reasons of the incident and if anybody found involved strict legal action would be taken.
“There is no chest provision in the department for cash due to which we are facing severe problems and risks. Had there been a chest provision, things would have been better”, he added.
As per police official no loss of life or injury has been reported in the incident, while the exact loss could not be ascertained yet. Around Rs 3 lakh has been gutted vis-à-vis official records, he added.
Short circuit might be the reason behind the fire but could be ascertained after completing police investigation, he said.
A case has been registered at Talab Tillo police post and investigation started to ascertain the reason behind the incident.