*Differences over annual plan, CM takes up issue
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 18: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for about 45 minutes in New Delhi and sought Rs 400 crores worth special Central package for Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts, the first two of which were ravaged by an earthquake on May 1 and repeated aftershocks for next fortnight causing huge devastation of public and Government property and rendering thousands of people shelterless as their houses had been extensively damaged.
Omar also utilised the opportunity to take up the case of Jammu and Kashmir’s annual plan for next financial year, which has run into rough weather following Planning Commission’s refusal to approve Rs 8050 crore reportedly on the ground that the State was not expanding its tax base.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Dr Singh was moved by devastation caused by earthquake in Doda and Kishtwar districts after getting a comprehensive report from the Chief Minister and assured to consider his demand for Central package for earthquake victims.
Few days back, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, had also met the Prime Minister along with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) chief M Shashidhar Reddy after visiting Doda and Kishtwar districts and apprised him of the devastation.
A tweet by Dr Manmohan Singh @PMO (Prime Minister’s Officer) India said Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah met the Prime Minister and briefed him about the situation in earthquake affected areas of Doda region.
“The Prime Minister has assured the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister of all possible help for relief and rehabilitation efforts continuing in Doda,’’ the tweet said.
“Called on the PM. Briefed him about the situation in the State and particularly about Doda. He assured all help to the affected people,’’ Omar tweeted after the meeting.
Responding to a query on micro-blogging site Twitter, he said: “when I say Doda, I mean the erstwhile district—Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban’’.
Sources said Dr Singh had submitted the comprehensive report of devastation caused by the earthquake to his office (PMO) for preparing package for the earthquake victims. The Prime Minister also asked the State Government to approve funds for immediate rehabilitation of the people and restoration of infrastructure through State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to provide timely succour to the victims.
The Prime Minister had released Rs 125 crore worth special financial assistance from the Centre for cloudburst victims of Leh in August 2010. Though the cloudbursts had taken over 200 lives and left nearly 1000 injured besides causing huge devastation of public and Government property, sources pointed out that though only couple of lives have been lost in earthquake in Doda and Kishtwar, the devastation was much more as the two districts were thickly populated as compared to Leh and Kargil, which had scattered population.
Under Leh package, the people whose houses were fully damaged were given Rs 2.5 lakh, while those whose houses were severely damaged had received Rs 1.5 lakh. The people with partially damaged houses were given Rs 1 lakh.
The State Government’s report submitted to the Prime Minister by the Chief Minister has reportedly pointed out that under State Disaster Relief Fund, there was provision of only Rs 35,000 worth compensation for fully damaged pucca house and Rs 15,000 for fully damaged kucha houses, Rs 6300 for severely damaged pucca house and Rs 3200 for severely damaged kucha house, Rs 1900 for partially damaged pucca and kucha houses and Rs 1250 for damaged cattle shed.
“By no means, this compensation could heal the wounds of earthquake victims as it was too meager to repair the damaged houses and property,’’ sources said, adding the Chief Minister stressed to the Prime Minister for early release of special Central package to help the earthquake victims.
The Chief Minister has reportedly apprised Dr Singh about devastation caused in three districts by the earthquake.
As per the report, 47,513 houses have been damaged in Doda district in the quake and aftershocks which included 678 fully, 10255 severely and 29,317 partially. Bhaderwah town of Doda district bore the brunt of the damage. In Kishtwar district, about 100 houses have been fully damaged while 2815 were severely damaged and about 19,000 were partially damaged.
The damage was comparatively less in Ramban district.
In Doda district, damage to Government infrastructure was around Rs 89 crores while in Kishtwar it was Rs 8 crores and in Ramban Rs 1.5 crores. In Doda district, about 500 schools, 14 Primary Health Centres and 279 Community Health Centres have been damaged while in Kishtwar district, 169 schools were damaged.
Sources said the figures of damage to private property i.e. the houses, shops, cow shed and other personal and commercial establishments in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts has been worked out separately by the administration on Leh pattern and SDRF (State Disaster Relief Fund).
“If the compensation was paid as per Leh pattern to the people, it would come around Rs 450 crores including the renovation of damaged Government infrastructure. Under the SDRF, it would be less than Rs 50 crores as the SDRF norms have not been revised for past quite sometime,” sources said, adding that the people might not accept the relief under the SDRF norms though the State Government has already released Rs 25 crores under it.
Sources said the Chief Minister also apprised the Prime Minister about latest political, development, security and financial scenario of Jammu and Kashmir and steps taken by NC-Congress coalition Government to maintain peace and accelerate development works in the State.
He reportedly took up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir’s annual plan for 2013-14 with the Prime Minister on which some differences have cropped up between the Planning Commission of India and State Government.
Sources said it was in view of these differences that the annual plan finalisation meeting of the State, earlier scheduled for May 20 at Yojana Bhawan in New Delhi, the headquarters of the Planning Commission of India, has been deferred.
The meeting was scheduled between Commission’s Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was to be accompanied by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather, Planning Minister Ajay Sadhotra, Minister of State for Finance and Planning Dr Manohar Lal Sharma and Economic Advisor to J&K Government Jalil Ahmad Khan.
Prior to plan finalisation, the top bureaucrats of the State Government had met with Planning Commission Advisors and Members on May 13 in New Delhi to explain resource position of the State for funding the plan.
The State, as reported, had staked claim for Rs 8050 crore worth annual plan for 2013-14.
Sources said the Planning Commission had voiced concern over poor revenue generation and increasing revenue expenditure in the State and reportedly refused to approve such a huge annual plan, which would have been the highest so far. During last financial year i.e. 2012-13, the State had been granted Rs 7300 crore worth plan but some of the funds had been withheld at the fag end of the fiscal year. In addition to 10 per cent hike in annual plan this year as against the previous year, the State had also staked claim for revalidation of funds, which were not released last year and got lapsed
Sources said the Planning Commission has expressed displeasure over low revenue generation and was of the view that the State cannot continue to get heavy Central assistance for long period.
During the preliminary meetings between the State Government and Planning Commission officials, there were differences over the State’s proposal for Rs 8,050 crore outlay, which the plan panel is hesitant to approve.
“The State has had negative revenue generation in past years and similar is the situation this fiscal also. That is why the Commission does not want to finance the entire plan from Central resources,” sources said.
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