Union Government has decided to make use of modern technology to monitor the progress of various Centrally sponsored projects floated in the States including our State. Various reasons have prompted the Government to take this step. Our State, in particular, has a record of leaving many projects unfinished or abandoning these half way for one reason or the other. We have, in these columns, a number of times touched upon the subject that the State Government should order a research study into the broad causes that become a compulsion for the State to leave Centrally sponsored projects half way especially when the Centre finances these. The Government has not taken our suggestion seriously and the loss caused by its non-compromising attitude is essentially of the people of the State.
A plethora of complaints is regularly brought to the notice of various ministries of the Centre that float the projects. Communication between the Centre and warnings issued by the Centre telling the State Government that non compliance of instructions given along with the sanction letter for the projects or non submission of Utilization Certificates in time, or reports of pilferage and other irregularities force the Central Government Departments to withhold release of second or third or subsequent installments of allocated funds. In most cases, after receiving the first installment, the project does not move further and gets stuck up there where it is. All this hassle causes embarrassment not only to the State Government, the Central Government but also to the contractors who have invested their resources but are left in a lurch for want of regular release of installments. The Central Government is answerable to the Parliament. The MPs of the State are foremost among those who raise questions why Central sponsored projects are not brought to completion in accordance with the time frame announced already. It is also possible that in some cases unconvincing reports are submitted. It can happen because even the State Government may not have the precise information on the status of the project in hand. Pilferage of constructional material or use of sub-standard material or delaying the completion of the project leading to escalation of construction cost are also other irregularities that mar some of the projects. In short, the complaints that have come or continue to come to the notice of the Central Government are mostly around this phenomenon.
It will be reminded that in a number of cases the Centre had to withhold release of next installment owing to non-submission of Utilization Certificates. UC is a major issue that has been haunting the State Government in most of the Centrally sponsored cases. We will not assume that there is a rat smelling about the UC but the very fact that despite repeated reminders, why does the State Government fail to produce the UCs? It is a mystery. These conditions and hard facts on the ground have prompted the Central Government to resort to satellite mapping of the projects so that it is clear to the authorities what the snag is and where. Our State is not the only State that will be brought under satellite scanning for Centrally sponsored projects. There are other states also. Nevertheless, we shall consider it a censure to say the least. It should not have been necessitated for the Central Government if the State Government adhered to the norms and parameters of the project accompanying the sanction letter. Needless to remind that Prime Minister has announce 80000 crore rupees for various crucial projects for the State that of great importance to its progress and eradication of illiteracy and economic backwardness. Good deal of money is allotted to the construction of new roads and repairing the old ones, for tunnels and bridges, culverts and macadamizing of arteries. After all in a hilly state like ours, road connectivity is the basic pre-requisite for development. Crucial projects like Nashri tunnel, Zoji La tunnel, Gurez tunnel and other tunnels have to be completed within time frame. Likewise, the railway project and rail connectivity between Udhampur and Banihal across the Pir Panchal is also of vital strategic importance. The Centre cannot wait for indefinite time to receive progress reports from the State Government which are unconvincing by and large. Central Government will be approaching the Space Research Centre for cooperation in satellite mapping of the roads, locations, sites and the projects and keep on constant monitoring going on round the year to note the progress. Though it is a compulsory measure yet one can say that it is a welcome measure because monitoring of the progress of Central schemes had become rather difficult. We hope that by using modern technology, precise status of these projects will be recorded and further decisions will be taken accordingly. It is also possible that once this practice becomes established even the State Government may be tempted to follow suit.
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