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| Desperate for victory, NC emptying state exchequer | | Pre-election bonanzas | | Neha
JAMMU, Aug 18: National Conference working president and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is desperate to win the coming Assembly election. Since he knows the times are not in his favour, he has been announcing bonanza after bonanza to win over the estranged Kashmiris, who are turning to the PDP with each passing day, thus further adding to his frustration and desperation.
Interestingly, his announcements, including regarding establishment of new administrative units, withdrawal of the recruitment policy, enhancement in the Government employees' retirement age and upper age limit for seeking Government jobs, decision to make adhoc and daily wage Government employees permanent, sanctioning of 800 new posts in the commercial taxation department and so on have not gone down well with many opinion makers and political parties in Kashmir like the PDP.
They are charging Omar Abdullah with emptying treasuries for short-term political gains without realizing the long-term adverse impact of his announcements. From where the required money would come?, the critics are asking and pointing out that the state Government is already bankrupt and his policies would create serious problems for the next Government.
One of the critics has objectively analyzed the state's financial position and point out that Omar Abdullah is not doing justice to the state and his people. He has talked about revenue expenditure, capital expenditure, indebtedness and also about the state's 2012-2013 annual budget.
What had the critics pointed out? It would be only appropriate to present the story in the manner he has presented. His research needs to be appreciated. He has said: "Our revenue expenditure (which includes salaries and other administrative costs) rose from Rs 10614 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 22680 crore in 2010-11, which is 113 per cent in only five years. In contrast the capital expenditure - which makes our assets - rose from Rs 2456 crore in 2006-07 to only Rs 5899 crore in 2010-11. In percentage terms our capital expenditure - that could make new public assets - is only 24.64 per cent of the total expenditure".
He has further said: "And then let us take our state of indebtedness. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its recent report says that J&K state's public debt - the debt that we all citizens of the state owe - was Rs 40, 265 crore in 2012-13. That means that every citizen of our state, including our children, owes Rs 32,000 to our creditors.
The percentage of our outstanding public debt to our GSDP stood at 52.90% is 2012-13. And it would be stupid to imagine that we could borrow to fund new liabilities. J&K's annual budgets are able to allocate limited resources for real development. Out of the Rs 25117 crore of 2012-13 budget, a huge chunk of Rs 23906 crore went to pay interest, salaries, pension, power bill and re-payment of loans. In political terms this state of affairs means that J&K state now needs to knock New Delhi's doors even for building our roads and provide funds for education and healthcare". All these facts and figures are self-explanatory. Indeed, critics of Omar Abdullah have done well to expose him and his politics of bonanzas. |
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