| In 4 years, J&K govt spent only 37% from PM’s package | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 15: The erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state government could only spend 37% of Rs 80,000 crore economic package announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015.
At a time when the package was announced, it was decided by the Central government that the sanctioned amount would be spent in five years and the developmental works under the package had to be completed by the ending 2020.
Official figures reveal that of Rs 80,068 crore developmental package, Rs 30,049 crore was released till 31 March 2019 for the erstwhile state of J&K which has now been bifurcated into two union territories. As per the records, the erstwhile J&K state government has completed only 18 out of 63 projects under the package in four years time.
The other projects, the official records reveal, are at various stages of implementation. The package was announced by Modi in Srinagar just a year after Kashmir was overcoming the devastation caused by September 2014 floods.
"If the work had been done at the pace, it was desired, there would have been no problem in sending utilization certificates (UCs) to the Center. However, it could not happen and the UCs were not sent in time resulting in a delay in the release of more funds," sources told DH.
They said the Governor's administration in the erstwhile state had a number of times expressed concern over the delay in completion of works under the package. The Governor's rule was imposed in J&K last year in June after the fall of PDP-BJP alliance.
Pertinently, earlier this year, a parliamentary panel had expressed concern over the slow pace of work on developmental projects in J&K.
A senior officer in the administration said that it was unlikely that in next one year all the remaining projects under the package will be completed. "Now as the J&K has become a union territory since October 31, we hope that the Center may give at least further two years to complete the projects. |
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