*Project-wise details under SPA sought before Apr 20
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 16: The State’s Annual Plan for 2013-14 financial year is likely to be finalized by the Planning Commission of India (PCI) by early June, which would be around one month earlier as compared to the previous year. However, in order to ensure that developmental activities don’t get stalled till finalization of Annual Plan and make sure continuity in the implementation of programmes/execution of works, State Planning and Development Department has given authorization to the Administrative Departments and District Development Commissioners for utilization of funds on the basis of last year’s Annual Plan.
Official sources told the EXCELSIOR that Planning Commission has communicated to the State Government that it would be holding Administrative Secretaries meeting for discussion on Annual Plan for current financial year on April 22 and 23. “Thereafter, group level discussion between the Administrative Secretaries of the State and Advisors of the Planning Commission would be held on the date to be fixed by the PCI by the ending of this month”, sources added.
Disclosing that State has completed its process of holding internal discussion, they said, “by ending May the meeting between the full Planning Commission and the Chief Secretary/ Administrative Secretaries of the State and that of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah with the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia would be held in order to finalize the Annual Plan”.
Meanwhile, pending finalization of Annual Plan 2013-14 and to ensure that developmental activities are started in right earnest, the Planning and Development Department has given authorization to the utilization of 50% of the last year’s approved Revenue Outlay both under State and District Sector under various Sectors/Sub-Sectors borne on Plan Budget by the respective Administrative Departments and District Development Commissioners and 100% of the last year’s approved Capital Outlay in respect of far-flung areas.
It has also given authorization to the utilization of 25% of the last year’s approved Capital Outlay for the approved ongoing schemes under normal plan, in respect of other areas under various Sectors/Sub-Sectors.
The authorization will be subject to the conditions that salary will be paid only for those posts which are borne on Plan Budget and wages to authorized Daily Wagers and Casual/Seasonal Workers will be provided for actual number working in the departments and at prevailing rates.
“The present authorization will not be applicable in case of such tied State Plan schemes which are to be got sanctioned by the Central Government for the release of funds”, said the circular issued by the Principal Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma.
“In order to fully avail the Central assistance and negotiated loans, the departments/districts will ensure that not only the required State share but the land acquisition component as well would be treated as the first charge on plan allocations and will have to be earmarked at the beginning of the financial year”, the circular said, adding “the amount so segregated will be authorized for approved schemes within the prescribed limits”.
Stating that from the current financial year Union Ministry of Finance/Planning Commission of India is introducing Management Information System to track the implementation of the schemes from the very beginning, the circular said, “once nomenclature, estimated cost, previous expenditure and allocation for the year is finalized there will be no room for cost escalation, additional allocation or re-appropriation in case of non-utilization without the approval of the competent authority”.
“To overcome these difficulties and to ensure that the State is able to fully avail the Special Plan Assistance, only infrastructure development/ capital formulation projects are allowed to be taken up under Special Plan Assistance, all ongoing SPA projects will have to be completed in a maximum of two-three years and in case the funds are not sufficient the scope of the scheme needs to be reworked so that at least one portion of the project can be completed within two-three years”, Principal Secretary Planning said in the circular, adding “new schemes/projects can be taken up only after sufficient funds are provided for the ongoing schemes so as to ensure their completion within period of two-three years”.
Highlighting more steps required to be taken to fully avail SPA, the Planning and Development Department has asked the departments to furnish project wise details under SPA for submission and release of funds to the Planning Commission of India by or before April 20, 2013. He has made it clear that authorization will not be applicable for the works taken up under Projectization Framework under the Special Plan Assistance.
Advising the departments to focus on completion of ongoing schemes/projects rather than taking up of new schemes, the Planning and Development Department stressed that DDCs and Heads of the Departments should carry out comprehensive exercise to remove duplication/replication of schemes to ensure completion and consolidation of ongoing schemes and make the State and District Plans objective oriented.
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