Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, July 29: The supplementary allocation of Rs 35 crore to the Srinagar district in addition to the Annual Plan outlay has irked the Congress Ministers from Jammu district, who have questioned the criteria adopted for granting the financial assistance and even conveyed resentment to the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah as well as Planning and Development Minister, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra.
Sources told EXCELSIOR that ever since the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah has announced Rs 35 crore under Special Area Development Programme (SADP) for the Srinagar district in addition to the Annual Plan, there has been resentment among the Congress Ministers from the Jammu district.
“They are of the opinion that Jammu district has been discriminated with by none else than Chief Minister as all the socio-economic indicators are in the favour of Jammu for additional allocation in comparison to the Srinagar district”, source added.
The resentment was formally conveyed to the Chief Minister by Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Sharma, who called on Omar Abdullah in his office today, sources said. “The PHE Minister, who is also MLA from Akhnoor tehsil of Jammu district, told the Chief Minister that there should have been a uniform mechanism for sanctioning additional allocation to the districts”, sources added.
Stating that socio-economic indicators were in the favour of Jammu district as far as making supplementary/ additional allocation was concerned in comparison to Srinagar, Sham Lal Sharma told the Chief Minister that all other districts particular Jammu were provided plan funds as per proposed outlays but a ‘unique’ mechanism was evolved for favouring Srinagar district and this has led to resentment among the people of Jammu also”.
Earlier, Minister for PHE along with Minister for Housing and Horticulture, Raman Bhalla called on Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, who is MLC from Jammu district, and questioned the modus operandi adopted for release of supplementary grant of Rs 35 crore for Srinagar district by deviating from the set procedure of approving Annual Plans for the districts.
The Congress Ministers also sought to know as to what was the reason behind ignoring Jammu district especially when the Winter Capital deserves additional focus in view of several socio-economic indicators in its favour, sources said, adding “the Congress Ministers will chalk out their future course of action within a day or two in consultation with the Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, who is also MLA from Khour area of Jammu district”.
According to the Economic Survey 2012-13, Jammu district is spread over an area of 2636 square kilometer while as Srinagar district’s total area is only 294 square kilometer. Similarly, Jammu district has population of 1526406 as compared to 1269751 of Srinagar. Moreover, the BPL population in Srinagar district is only 6.51% as compared to 11.97% in Jammu district.
“All these parameters make it clear that additional allocation for Srinagar district was the outcome of political consideration”, sources said, adding “this also indicates that public exchequer was used in utter defiance of principals of transparency and accountability”.
Countering the claims of the Government that Srinagar district was not receiving funds under NABARD, MGNREGA and other centrally sponsored schemes in various sectors for being highly urban in its characteristic, sources said, “the Government must also keep in mind that Srinagar district had already been provided funds under ADB besides funding under plethora of Urban Schemes including JNNURM, UIDSSMT, PMRP and UEED on the pattern of Jammu district”.
Pointing towards the statement made by the Chief Minister in the Srinagar District Development Board that the Planning Department has been asked to revisit the system of allocating funds under District Plans and take corrective measures to remove the distort if observed in the allocation of funds to Srinagar district, sources said, “the Chief Minister should have issued directions for all the districts instead of focusing only on Srinagar district”.
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