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| Omar accepts staggered progress on PMRP, blames strict guidelines | | J&K lagging behind socio-economically: PC , vMughal road to spill over to 2012, power purchase goes up: CM | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, June 17: Having virtually given up on streamlining administrative functioning and speeding up utilization of funds meant for centrally sponsored schemes (CSS), Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has pleaded planning commission of India to relax guidelines and show flexibility in deployment of resources.
Omar sought these relaxations after Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia had in his letter dated February 9, 2011 pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir was lagging behind in almost 18 socio-economic indicators, as compared to all India numbers. He had advised the state government to step up progress in health and education sectors besides pointing out dismal resource position.
Responding to this critical letter of planning commission, Omar during the meeting with planning commission of India on June 15 sought relaxations while affirming that flexibility would enable state government to implement expert group recommendations and address key recommendations of the state finance commission for ensuring equitable development. Omar sought development assistance for making Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) vibrant.
Though Omar got Rs. 6600 crore annual plan for the year 2011-12 approved but not before accepting before the planning commission of India that Jammu and Kashmir has not been able to speed up pace on various ongoing critical and centrally sponsored developmental projects across the state. He informed that under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan (PMRP), J&K has completed just 9 Projects costing Rs. 1698 crore out of the total kitty of 20 projects amounting to Rs. 7090 crore under the state sector.
He further accepted that projects like Narbal-Tangmarg road, model villages, two room tenements, 10 degree colleges and 8 ITIs are yet to be completed. Making another revelation, Omar said that prestigious Mughal road project, on which an expenditure of around Rs. 429.27 crore has been made will spill over to year 2012. Likewise, Omar said that ADB funded project will also spill over to the next year.
Referring to the project for addressing the issue of transmission and distribution losses, Omar said that state has spent Rs. 920 crore spent against allocation of Rs. 1350 crore. He had in his presentation also stated that slippage is mainly on account of increase in establishment cost while adding that salaries and pension have gone up from Rs. 915 crore in 88-89 to Rs. 13, 582 crore. He further disclosed that police establishment expenditure has gone up from Rs. 67 crore in 88-89 gone upto Rs. 3028 crore. Explaining the increase in salaries, Omar said that wage bill has touched heights due to mindless creation of posts, implementation of recommendations of 6th pay Commission, sharp rise in DA announced by central government, massive expenditure on police establishment and expansion due to implementation of centrally sponsored schemes.
State continues to face power deficit of Rs. 1268 crore while power purchase cost has gone upto Rs. 2400 crore from Rs. 2050 crore, Omar said. He admitted that scheduled power cuts are being resorted to contain consumption while more than 6 lakhs households are still unmetered. Omar accepted that between 2009-10 and 2010-11, advances by banks declined by 5 percent while adding that banks need to be encouraged to participate in the implementation of the employment policy rolled out by the state government.
Omar urged the union government to ensure that negative advisories issued by Europe and America are withdrawn, resources for advertisement and publicity supplemented, upper ceiling in Air fares during tourist season is fixed, Leh-Damchuk route is opened for Kailash-Mansarover Yatra, International flights from Srinagar Airport are increased and morning and evening flights are operated to and from Srinagar for facilitating week-end tourism. |
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