Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 25: In what could be the example of administrative inertia, the State Government has failed to work out modality for providing land to start work on 30 major projects, which it had decided to take up under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode earlier last year. Due to the official apathy the files pertaining to these projects of much importance have been gathering dust in the Civil Secretariat and nobody knows whether these projects would see light of the day in future or not.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the paucity of resources to carry out various infrastructural projects the State Government decided to adopt Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode on the pattern of Central Government and other States in order to supplement its efforts in developing the infrastructure facilities.
As under the PPP mode the projects are financed, developed, operated and managed by the private players for a specified period, the State Government found it appropriate to provide this widely accepted policy especially for the social sectors so that people could get quality services on competitive prices till the period these projects are returned to the State by the private players.
“Thereafter, the Government identified 30 projects to be taken up under this mode and Planning and Development Department was made Nodal Department. Moreover, a PPP cell was also constituted in the Finance Department to scrutinize and analyze financial aspect of the projects”, sources said, adding “even a committee headed by the Chief Secretary and comprising of Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Principal/ Commissioner Secretaries of Planning and Development, Finance, Law and Health departments was constituted for prioritization of the projects to be executed under the PPP Mode”.
Construction of Hari Singh Hospital at Srinagar, Super Specialty Hospital of SKIMS, Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri road, Heirtage Gondala at Jammu, Cancer Hospital at Jammu, Katra Bus Stand, Inter-State Bus Terminal at Jammu were among the 30 projects identified for being taken under the PPP mode, sources said, adding even there was a proposal for construction of 5 Star Hotels in Srinagar and Monorail along world famous Dal lake.
The committee headed by the then Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal held three rounds of meetings to work out the modality for providing land to the non-State subject private players keeping in view the Article 370 which prohibits any outsider to purchase or have ownership of land in Jammu and Kashmir but no decision could be taken and finally in the last meeting of the committee held in the month of August last year it was decided to refer the matter to Law Department to seek its opinion.
“The Law Department in consultation with the Advocate General rejected the plea of the Planning and Development Department seeking general exception in Section 140 of the Transfer of Property Act in case of all the projects to be taken up under the PPP mode”, sources said, adding “in the decision referred to the committee in January this year the Law Department mentioned that instead of general exception under Section 140 it can consider the exception on case to case basis. The Law Department even stated that allotment of land on lease can be considered for execution of projects under PPP mode”.
Despite the lapse of five months, the committee headed by Chief Secretary has not met to arrive at any decision after thoroughly discussing the recommendation of the Law Department, sources regretted, adding “it is pity that the fate of 30 major projects is hanging in balance despite the preparation of Detailed Project Reports of several of them and feasibility studies carried out by the concerned departments”.
“If several private players can come up with housing infrastructure particularly in Jammu in partnership with the local builders what is the problem is arriving at decision on the land issue in case of 30 major projects is a million dollar question”, sources said, adding “it is not understandable as to why a decision in this regard is being delayed especially when State is confronted with the paucity of resources to carry out various infrastructural projects and there is a great need to promote PPP mode on the pattern of Central Government and other States”.
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