Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Mar 1: The Planning Commission of India has approved entire amount of Rs 2074 crores for Jammu and Kashmir under Special Plan Assistance (SPA) but put the ball in the court of Union Finance Ministry for release of funds to the State.
In the total SPA component of Rs 2074 crores, the State has so far received only Rs 474 crores in two installments of Rs 174 crores and Rs 300 crores respectively while rest of the amount i.e. Rs 1600 crores were pending even as just a month was left for completion of current financial year of 2013-14.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Planning Commission of India has approved the entire SPA amount of Rs 2074 crores for Jammu and Kashmir and sent the proposal to the Union Finance Ministry for release of funds.
“Hopefully, the funds would be released in time,’’ they exuded confidence.
Sources said the Planning and Development and Finance Departments of the State Government have started vigorously pursuing their case for early release of SPA funds with the Union Finance Ministry so that it didn’t lapse like the previous financial year when the State had to face a loss of Rs 1666 crores.
Sources said the incumbent Planning Commission, which was close to completion of its current five years term, has approved entire amount of Rs 2074 crores under SPA for which 15,000 development works had already been identified by the Government and submitted to the Commission.
“The Commission has approved the works and the full amount and sent the proposals to the Union Finance Ministry for approval,’’ sources said, adding since Finance Minister P Chidambaram shared good equation with top leadership of Jammu and Kashmir, the State was confident about the release of full funds under the SPA very soon.
The officials of Finance and Planning Development Departments of the State have started pursuing the matter vigorously with the Union Finance Ministry for early and full release of the funds, sources said.
With Lok Sabha elections due in April-May and Model Code of Conduct likely to be imposed anytime now, the Planning Commission of India has completed its task though the Code of Conduct didn’t bar the release of amount already approved under plan and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Sources said even if the Union Finance Ministry released the amount at the fag end of the current financial year i.e. the March end, the funds wouldn’t lapse as the Government has already authorized works under the SPA.
“We have authorized the works. The funds even if released in the middle or later part of March would be utilized,’’ they added.
During last financial year of 2012-13, the Planning Commission of India had imposed a cut of Rs 1666 crores in the annual plan of Jammu and Kashmir including Rs 451 crores under SPA, Rs 215 crores under Share of Central Taxes and Rs 1000 crores of Market Borrowings reducing its annual plan of Rs 7300 crores to just Rs 5634 crores. For 2013-14 also, the Planning Commission had approved Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan for Jammu and Kashmir despite State’s insistence on Rs 8000 crores apart from Rs 600 crores under the Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP).
Even for the next financial year of 2014-15, the State has projected Rs 7300 crores plan size besides Rs 600 crores under PMRP and Rs 4000 crores under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes for Jammu and Kashmir.
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