*GoM on SFC recommendations lost in official files
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 31: Notwithstanding tall claims about equal treatment to all the districts, the Coalition Government provided less funding to many districts particularly those represented by the Opposition parties during the past five years. Moreover, the hilly districts, where the developmental index paints the gloomy picture, too failed to get priority attention of the Government thereby indicating that additional funds were allocated largely on political considerations.
This can be gauged from the data of the Planning and Development about additionalities released from 2009-10 to 2013-14, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
Subject to the availability of resources, additionalities to various districts are released on the basis of certain parameters, which include demands projected by the Members of the District Development Board, developmental requirement on ground, requirement projected by the line departments and District Development Commissioners and for completion of critical ongoing projects and schemes.
However, there parameters were not strictly adhered to by the Coalition Government while releasing additionalities from 2009-10 to 2013-14 financial year under district sector.
For 10 districts of Kashmir valley, more than Rs 18150 lakh additional funds were released during this period as compared to over Rs 15620 lakh in favour of 10 districts of Jammu region. Due to this, the districts of Valley received Rs 2530 lakh more as compared to Jammu.
As per the data, districts of Shopian, Pulwama and Bandipora, where majority of the Assembly constituencies are represented by the Opposition parties much less funds as compared to other districts particularly Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal were provided during this period.
Shopian, Pulwama and Bandipora districts received Rs 941 lakh, Rs 1368 lakh and Rs 1483 lakh additionalities respectively during this period while as Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts received Rs 2052 lakh, Rs 2026 lakh and Rs 2209 lakh respectively.
Clearly indicating that even biased approach was adopted while releasing additionalities for the newly created districts of Jammu, the data said that Bandipora, Kulgam, Ganderbal and Shopian districts were provided Rs 6281 lakh additional funds during this period as compared to Rs 5647 lakh to Ramban, Reasi, Kishtwar and Samba districts of Jammu region.
Even within Jammu region, there was discrimination with the constituencies represented by the Opposition parties as majority of the funds released for the districts as a whole were utilized on the projects and schemes going on in the areas represented by the ruling coalition partners.
Questioning the claims of the Government about ensuring equitable distribution of resources, sources said, “had there been any seriousness in this regard the fate of the report of the State Finance Commission headed by Dr Mehmooda Rahman could not be hanging in balance”, adding “this commission was constituted with the sole objective of providing equitable treatment to all the regions and sub-regions of the State in the allocation of funds”.
The State Finance Commission was constituted 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.
The Commission took more than three years to finalize its recommendations and the report was then submitted to the Government in November 2010. However, the vigor shown in the framing of Finance Commission faded on the submission of the report as from November 2010 till April 2012 none from those running the affairs of the Government bothered to utter single word about initiating further exercise. However, following massive criticism from the public and Opposition parties, the Government in April 2012 engaged two experts to work out the road-map for the implementation of the recommendations. Thereafter, on May 25, 2012, the General Administration Department issued an Order No. 578 regarding constitution of Group of Ministers for considering the report of the concerned Administrative Departments, on the recommendations of the J&K State Finance Commission, pertaining to various departments.
The Group of Ministers headed by Minister for Finance had to make recommendations to the Cabinet or set up an expert group for in-depth examination of the proposals emanating from various Administrative Departments. However, neither majority of the Administrative Departments bothered to submit reports on the recommendations of the Finance Commission nor the Group of Ministers ever tried to pass on necessary directions to the Administrative Departments.
“What to talk of Administrative Departments even the Ministers concerned and the members of the Group of Ministers never found it appropriate to ensure submission of report by the officers of the departments under their charge”, sources further said.
What was the fun of constituting the Finance Commission and spending huge money on it when there was no seriousness behind addressing the discrimination, sources asked, adding “the additionalities released during the past five years under district sector have clearly established that the framing of Finance Commission was just an eye wash and ensuring equitable development was never the intention of the Government”.
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