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| Set back to New Initiatives | | | R. B. SURI | 1/25/2016 11:13:58 PM |
| Mufti Mohammed Sayeed's Era in the state of Jammu and Kashmir came to an end on 7th January when he died at AIIMS New Delhi because of fatal ailment. This is a great loss to his family as well as the people of the state . During the last Budget session, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed gave the various thoughts and views over the prevailing economic situation of the state of Jammu and Kashmir .
By picking Dr. Hasseeb Drabu economist and an experienced banker as the Finance Minister, he showed his rightful prudence and wisdom. All the budget proposals for the year 2015-16 were e. At the same time , during the budget proceedings , various thoughts emerged and made public by Mufti Sahib and his Finance Minister Dr. Drabu while interacting with the media persons at Srinagar and Jammu which include the followings :-
Outsourcing of Toll Plaza, Lakhanpur
Replacing KAS / IAS officers with Professionals
Formulation of New Industrial Policy
Preponing of the Budget Session
Now with his sudden and untimely death, the new initiatives/issues of much importance got a great set back besides others issues. There are other major innovative proposals which must be taken care of by the next government in the state . These should not be side lined but instead be dealt on priority .
Outsourcing of Toll Plaza, Lakhanpur
An innovative idea indeed for the economic betterment of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as also for the revenue realization beyond expectations and minimizing the element of breeding of corruption at the Toll Plaza . such like things always come in the minds of those who have the economic wisdom and requisite ability in the economic field . It was the thinking of the former Finance Minister Dr. Hasseeb Drabu under the Mufti regime . This was the new initiative of the previous government in the state . If it could have been implemented in the right earnest, it could have benefitted a lot . This noval initiative could not be implemented because of short spell of Mufti regime. Since it was altogether a new initiative , we should come out of the old traditions and adopt the new methodology and techniques in our system and procedures thereby making the required amendments in the laws and Rules governing the system in place . At the moment, Lakhanpur ( Kathua) is the main entrance to our state lawfully. In accordance with the law in force at the moment, every vehicle whether light or heavy, loaded or empty entering or going out of the state has to pay the Toll tax at this point barring few exemptions where the Toll is exempted under different SROs . For the realization of the Toll at the entrance point itself, J&K Govt. has set up a Toll Plaza under the administrative control of the Deputy Commissioner Excise for the collection of Toll Tax.
Additional Toll is levied on weight and Advelorum Tax is charged on value of goods and the basic toll is charged on vehicles whether heavy or light in nature . Past data of last ten years revealed that the revenue realization has been done to the order of a meager i.e. just two and a half times which is not considered to be the good performance of those who remained at the helm of affairs at the Lakhanpur Toll Plaza.
Replacing KAS/IAS officers with Professionals
Former Chief Minister Late Mufti Mohammed Sayeed came out openly and floated an innovative idea for bringing in certain drastic improvements by bringing Professionals in certain departments of the Jammu and Kashmir Government to manage their affairs which at the moment, these very departments are being administered , controlled and commanded by the senior KAS cadre officers . Those departments are Tourism , Handlooms , Handicrafts , Education Technical Education , Agriculture , Horticulture etc . etc . The idea floated by Mufti Sahib was welcomed by the people of the state and the experts in trade and commerce as the ongoing period is an era of specialization and experience . These high profile professionals have made the dent and managed the affairs of the Corporate exceptionally well in other parts of the country in bringing them on the strong footings and delivering the profits as per the projections made by them in anticipation .
3.Formulation of New Industrial Policy
At the moment, there is no fresh Industrial Policy of the state as the old one stands already expired as on 31st March last year. The government was under obligation to go for the formulation of the fresh Industrial Policy for the state for another 10 years or so which could not been done as yet . The state is unfortunate as its Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed died on 7th January. It is pertinent to mention here that taking the benefits of the earlier Industrial Policy various Industrial Corporate established their Business ventures in our state and gave the employment opportunities to the skilled and unskilled youth of the state . Various initiatives were taken by the Mufti's government in the direction of formulating the next Industrial Policy of the state which could not be finalized yet un fortunately but instead it is under process at the moment .
Preponing of the Budget Session
For the first time in the history of the state of Jammu and Kashmir Budget Session of the state legislature in the month of January as the Government was facing the financial problems and spending the revenue and capital components of the Financial Budget smoothly . This initiative was going to contribute a lot for the state in passing the Budget for the 2016 -17 well in time but rather in advance . The Preponement as suggested and proposed by the Finance Minister Dr. Drabu and Mufti Sahib must have fruitful for the state . But unfortunately , this could not be done due to the sudden and untimely death of Mufti Sahib .
The issues discussed in the preceding lines of this article were the new initiatives which got the great set back in their achievements .
Now only the person who fall in line with the thinking of the late Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed , would be able to fulfill dreams of the late Mufti Sahib . These were the revolutionary ideas indeed from which the people of the state would have been benefitted a lot . It is hoped that the next government of the state will take the due cognizance of the new initiatives as discussed above in the right earnest .
The author is a former KAS Officer and a Socio -economic / Political Columnist |
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