Et Report
JAMMU, Jan 23 : BJP today alleged that the NC-Congress government in Jammu and Kashmir had failed to utilise central grants worth over Rs 2,000 crore during its present tenure, and said it was a testimony of its "inertia, inefficiency, and ineptitude".The NC-Congress coalition government has caused over Rs 2,000 crore loss to the state by not utilising the plan grants during its current tenure beginning 2008," BJP's national executive member Jitendra Singh said here."The state government has always complained of lack of financial support from the Centre... There could be no worse evidence of administrative paralysis coupled with hypocrisy than this," he said.The ruling parties are accountable to the people of the state whom they are trying to distract from their record of mis-governance and corruption ahead of elections, by raking up emotive, divisive issues, he claimed.
Singh alleged that around Rs 2,150 crore of plan grants had remained unutilised during the past five to six years, and the fate of another Rs 2,064 crore Special Plan Assistance earmarked for the current fiscal hanged in balance.Quoting official figures, the BJP leader said plan funds to the tune of Rs 2,150 crore have lapsed from 2007-08 to 2012-13. Of the Rs 34,750 crore approved by the Planning Commission for Jammu and Kashmir since 2007-08, Rs 32,591 crore had been utilised so far, he added.
This was a case of "wasted golden opportunity" for the National Conference Chief Minister who enjoyed unstinted support of the Congress high command at the Centre, Singh said.
Giving details, Singh, who is BJP's chief spokesperson in J&K said, in 2007-08, the total expenditure was Rs 4,403.31 crore against the plan outlay of Rs 4,850 crore. In 2008-09, Rs 4,773.34 crore were utilised against the approved Rs 4,500 crore while in 2009-10, Rs 5,280.99 crore were spent against the plan outlay of Rs 5,500 crore.
As for the next two financial years, he added, in 2010-11 and 2011-12, Rs 5,768.05 crore and Rs 6,357.40 crore were utilised respectively against the approvals of Rs 6,000 crore and Rs 6,600 crore.But, the 2012-13 fiscal witnessed massive decline in expenditure due to slicing of funds by the Centre, he claimed.
Singh said against the approved Rs 7,300 crore, the expenditure stood at Rs 6,008.74 crore (82 per cent) during the last financial year. Since the beginning of 2013-14, the Planning Commission has, for various reasons, withheld Rs 2,064 crore plan funds, he added. |
