Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 28: The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLAs today walked out of the State Assembly against the delay in release of funds for developmental activities and alleged discriminatory approach of the Government in granting additionalities.
PDP MLA Chaudhary Zulfikar alleged that 50 per cent of plan allocation was being appropriated for constituencies represented by the ministers while other segments were being neglected.
The Minister for Planning Ajay Sadhotra while replying to Zulfikar’s question in Question Hour said that an amount of Rs 33,909 crore has been released as additional funds during the last five fiscals to the districts under district plan in the State.
The Minister informed that in this regard additional funds of Rs 9,704 crore released during 2009-10, Rs 13,754 crore during 2010-11, Rs 5,856 crore during 2011-12, Rs 1,382 crore during the 2012-13 and Rs 3,211 crore during 2013-14 under district sector.
Sadhotra said additionalities to various districts are released on demands projected by the District Development Board members, developmental requirements on ground, completion of critical ongoing projects.
The Minister also gave detailed account of the projects taken up and completed by additional funds released by the government in these years.
Sadhotra said State annual plan for current fiscal has been approved at Rs 7,300 crore. He said, however, the annual scheme of financing is yet to be finalised by the Centre.
The minister said in order to ensure that developmental activities are not hampered, the state government has already authorized utilisation of 50 per cent plan allocation for ongoing approved works only out of its own resources. He said the Planning and Development Department has also advised the DDCs to conduct District Development Board meetings to finalise the District Plans.
The leader of opposition, Abdul Rehman Veeri, expressed concern over the delay in release of funds for various developmental activities in the State. He said the working season is coming to an end in Kashmir and the government is having nothing in coffers to spend.
“Because of no fund the development activities in Kashmir have come to a grinding halt. Given the limited working season in Kashmir the government should have been serious about the issue,” Veeri said adding because of the bad policies of this coalition government the State has gone bankrupt.
Veeri said a lot of time has passed since the budget was passed by the Assembly but there is yet no plan in place for the State. “They took votes from us and got the budget passed but nothing has been approved by the Centre government till this date. Omar Abdullah government is now resorting to mischievous tactics to mislead the people,” he added.
The PDP leader said besides taking Rs 400 crore from open market as loan to run the affairs of the State, the treasuries are running dry badly affecting the people particularly contractors and employees besides impacting work on some key social sector schemes. He said thousands of claimants are awaiting payments for months together and treasuries are not passing their bills.
The PDP MLAs rose to their feet and protested against the government. They raised slogans like “Bander Baant Nahi Chalay Ghee”.
After the PDP MLAs were not satisfied with the government’s reply on allocation of development funds to various constituencies in the absence of sanction of annual plan by the Centre, they staged walk out.
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