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| Mid-year review presents gloomy picture | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Oct 16: Dismal view of performance on various sectors of development has emerged as Governor NN Vohra today took a midyear review of state finances and functioning of Planning and Development department.
At a high level meeting in Srinagar, attended by all Advisors and Administrative Secretaries, the Governor issued strict instructions to all the concerned departments to ensure that the assets created with huge costs were made functional in all respects, as physical structures alone could not carry forward the odyssey of development.
"All schools, colleges and hospitals should have adequate staff, equipment and other wherewithal in place before the close of this financial year", he added.
The Governor also issued directions for accelerating the pace of execution on various projects, especially those being implemented under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan. He expressed concern over the slow pace of implementation of the Annual Plan funded projects despite the fact that the funds had been released well in time. He exhorted the implementing agencies to expedite the submission of utilization certificates to the Centre, as further delay would adversely affect the flow of funds.
Vohra called upon the Administrative Secretaries to review the physical and financial achievements of each of the developmental sectors under their charge on monthly basis and forward reports to him. The main plank of the developmental strategy should be completion of the ongoing flagship projects to avoid cost escalations and timely percolations of developmental benefits to the people. He said that the spill-over of the projects of immense public importance for years together causes alienation among the people.
While reviewing schemes under the Rural Development Department, the Governor desired the Chief Secretary to ensure day to day monitoring, by a specially appointed officer, who shall be on the move all time and report on the actual ground position from the delivery point of view.
It was decided in the meeting that the State Government would pose before the Centre the requirement for funding the maintenance cost of assets raised under the centrally sponsored flagship schemes like Prime Minister's Gram Sadak Yojna, National Rural Health Mission, Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyan and Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidhyuti Karan Yojna, on a recurring basis after the terminal year of implementation of such schemes.
While reviewing the status of revenue collections, the Governor emphasized the need for close monitoring of the collection of tax and non-tax revenue so as to ensure that there was no downfall on this account. He urged his Advisors to closely monitor, through the concerned Administrative Secretaries, the collection of taxes by Power, Forest, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control besides Health and Medical Education Departments.
About the dismal tax and non-tax collections this year, so far, the Governor was informed that due to the prolonged recent agitation in the Jammu and Kashmir regions, the tax revenue collection had gone down by about 14 per cent. On the non-tax revenue side, the position of collections was particularly very poor in respect of power tariff, which was only 2 per cent during the first six months of the estimated revenue.
The meeting was informed that under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan projects valuing about Rs 13000 crore were being executed in the State and Central Sectors. Under the prioritized sectors of Agriculture, Education, Forests, Health, Home, Industries, Power, Revenue, Roads, Social Welfare, Tourism and Urban Development over Rs 2100 crore had been spent till September 30 this year.
The meeting noted with concern that during the recent agitation in Jammu region, 40, 000 electric meters had been vandalized, causing a loss of Rs 2 crore to the State Exchequer.
The Economic Advisor to Government, Dr Haseeb Drabu, Financial Commissioner, Planning and Development, Mr S L Bhat, and Commissioner/Secretary Finance, Mr B B Vyas presented an overview of the mid year review of the State finances and the functioning of Planning & Development and Finance Departments. A power point presentation was made by Dr Drabu given on the State Plan and execution of various developmental works across the State.
The Advisors to Governor, Mr H H Tyabji, Dr Sudhir S Bloeria and Mr C Phusog, Chief Secretary Mr S S Kapur and the senior officers of the Planning and Finance Departments were present on the occasion. |
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