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| Drop begging bowl then seek autonomy | | | When a former Deputy Chief Minister and a senior PDP leader,Muzaffar Hussain Baig,advised the state Government to decrease dependence on the central financial assistance and loan component before seeking either autonomy or self-rule he seemed to drop words of wisdom for not only the people but for those political leaders who have been asking for restoration of autonomy or for implementing self-rule or for securing Azadi for the state.It is really unimaginable to seek for these political concessions when the state has to move about or approach the Government of India with a begging bowl.Baig also wants the state Government not to display enthusiasm over release of Rs.6,000 crores by the centre for the last year's plan on the plea that a stage was bound to come when the state will have to spend the entire resources and revenue on clearing central loans. He told the Assembly on Tuesday that for every R.6,000 crores "we receive from the centre" the state has to repay about Rs.3200 crores to the Government of India. He wanted the state Government to take hard initiatives so that the state's dependence level on central loan and aid was reduced. Though he did not name the dismal performance of the public sector units he did mention about the Jammu and Kashmir Bank Ltd. while criticising the Government for having abandoned the only profit earning body for an agreement with the Reserve Bank of India.
The fiscal health of Jammu and Kashmir Government has always remained ailing forcing it to bank on life support from the Government of India. Well every other state banks on the central funds in terms of loan, grant and aid but the quantum of financial assistance the state of Jammu and Kashmir has been receiving has been far bigger than received by even states with more population and area.If one takes into consideration the extent of natural resources Jammu and Kashmir state has one can compare with any other developed state in the country. But the tragedy has been that no successive state Governments have been in a position to harness these natural resources. Take for instance the forest wealth. Over the years this wealth has been plundered at a rapid speed than utilised in the industrial sector. Even the rich mineral resources have not been utilized properly. Similarly state's water resources have r remained unutilized for increasing power generation and for developing lift irrigation schemes. No doubt the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 with Pakistan has imposed certain limitations on the use of water of three rivers, the Jehlum,the Chenab and the Indus, for power generation and irrigation still the Government could have increased power generation within these limits.
Increase in power generation could have helped the state to generate added resources by way of exporting electricity to the other states and surplus electricity could have been utilised in the industrial sector. It has not been done forcing the state to depend on central financial assistance. Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in India which has to depend on 80 per cent financial assistance for all its development, rather plan and non-plan activities, including meeting the annual wage bill of the employees. If the centre simply reduces the quantum of its financial assistance by even 20 per cent the state will not be able to pay monthly salaries to its 4.50 lakh employees. It is not necessary for the state Government to impose heavy taxes on various items and services for raising its resources and revenue. It can ease financial crisis if it makes a serious exercise on tackling loss generating public sector units in the state.Out of 20 such units 16 are loss generating forcing them to depend on monthly financial support of the state Government.This way several hundred crores of rupees are spent on these units per month.The Government has introduced VRS and GHS programme for employees in the public sector units and during the current financial year Rs.55 crores have been earmarked for meeting the cost on implementing VRS and GHS in these units.But this alone cannot solve the problem. After the deadwood is thrown out these units need restructuring so that they turned into profit making units.The Government should ensure that no new faces are inducted in place of those who have accepted VRS or GHS as these units are over staffed. This way deserve then desire for autonomy or self-rule
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