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| Jammu peeved over NC's politicization of developmental funds, SDF norms violated to appease 8 NC MLAs | | Planning Minister silent over regional disparity? | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, July 29: Jammu based Congress leaders have taken strong exception to its coalition partner National Conference's unilateral decision of giving Srinagar district Rs. 35 crore under newly created Special Development Fund (SDF).
They have expressed serious concern over NC's politically motivated moves and said that such actions are likely to alienate people of other region especially those living in extremely backward areas of Jammu region. Stating that there is no justification of advancing any supplementary grant especially under Special Area Development Programme (SADP) to Srinagar district, the aggrieved Congress leaders have said that National Conference (NC) has been taking decision purely with vote bank in mind.
It needs to be mentioned here that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah released supplementary grant of Rs. 35 crore for Srinagar district in addition to initially proposed annual plan outlay of Rs. 63.47 for 2013-14 in the District Development Board (DDB) meet held in Srinagar. If the sources are to be believed, Omar did so just because 8 MLAs of Srinagar wanted parity with plan sanctioned for Jammu district.
Hence, the consideration were not in consonance with developmental needs but to assuage feelings of NC MLAs and MLCs who were seen seething with anger when Omar had announced the annual plan for Srinagar district. On purely political grounds and with forthcoming assembly elections in mind, Omar released supplementary grant of Rs. 35 crore in addition to annual plan outlay of Rs. 63.47 for 2013-14 under Special Area Development Programme (SADP) for Srinagar district.
This did suffice NC but led to Jammu MLAs and MLCs being questioned back home about their silence over the additionality being granted to Srinagar district. People wanted to know the reasons for Srinagar being granted additionality despite having much better roads, water and power supply than what is in most parts of Jammu region. Estimates showcase that more than 120 odd areas adjoining posh localities of Jammu city are either underdeveloped or backward.
Further, several flyover alongwith road widening proposals of Jammu district are yet to see light of the day despite the fact that Ajay Sadhotra, who represents Marh constituency in Jammu district is Minister for Planning. It is his ministry which allowed Omar Abdullah to allocate Rs. 35 crore additionality to Srinagar district just for the sake of parity with Jammu region, which had got slightly higher share of annual plan.
Sadhotra preferred not to disappoint his party despite being aware of the strain that this additionality would put on the annual plan. According to sources, Omar announced the additionality for Srinagar district in a jiffy and thereafter, asked the Planning minister to create provisions for the same. Sources assert that the same Planning Minister did not allow any additionality in districts of Jammu region citing curtailment of annual plan by the planning commission for the year 2013-14.
Planning Minister would have to do some talking in Jammu while explaining his silence over what is being described by Jammu based MLAs as irrational approach. They maintain that not only were the other districts deprived but also the government action defied logic as it failed to indicate the factors that made Srinagar District alone as eligible for grant of SADP to the exclusion of other districts.
Contradicting Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over Srinagar district getting less funds, a senior Congress leader said that Srinagar District had already been provided funds under ADB besides its funding under a plethora of Urban Schemes including JNNURM, UIDSSMT, PMRP, UEED etc which were not available to rural districts of the state. Yet
Chief Minister preferred to brush aside the question of additionality in the case of Jammu district and did not miss a minute in sanctioning the same for Srinagar district.
Charging the government of financial impropriety and political consideration in the matter of releases of funds, a Jammu based minister said that the public exchequer is being used in utter defiance of principals of accountability and transparency. Being a Jammu based minister, Planning Minister must explain parameters which allowed the state government to sanction additional grant of Rs. 35 crore for Srinagar district, said another Jammu based MLA.
He said that Special Area Programmes have been formulated to deal with the special problems faced by certain areas arising out of their distinct geo-physical structure and concomitant socio-economic development. "If this is the way NC wants to operate, we would have to find a way out. We have been voted to power by people of Jammu region, how we can ignore them," said another Congress minister.
To be concluded |
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