Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 13: For the third consecutive year, there would be no hike in the annual plan of districts, the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar could be an exception, as the Government of India has not increased plan allocation of the State in the just concluded plan finalisation meeting in New Delhi.
The meetings of Jammu and Srinagar District Development Boards (DDBs), which are headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself, were scheduled for July 15 and 17 respectively.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government wouldn’t be in a position to increase the annual plan of the districts during current financial year of 2013-14, as proposed earlier, in view of refusal by the Planning Commission of India to increase plan amount of the State from the previous year.
This would be third consecutive year when there would be no hike in the districts’ annual plan. Some districts were given additional amount before the closure of financial years in 2011-12 and 2012-13 depending upon their requirements and execution of works. The Opposition parties had, however, stated that the additionalities to some districts were released on ‘political considerations’.
This year, the Government had decided to pass on 10 per cent increase in annual plan to the districts, which it proposed to get from the Planning Commission but was denied in July 9 meeting with the Commission.
In DDB meetings, which have been going on and were nearing completion, the districts were released annual plan equal to the amount they had been getting for the past two financial years. The proposed 10 per cent increase in the plan was to be extended to the districts by the end of this year in the form of additionalities.
Sources admitted that it wouldn’t be possible for the Government now to increase plan allocation of the districts as it didn’t get desired increase in annual plan from the Planning Commission of India.
The State had sought Rs 8050 crores worth annual plan from the Planning Commission of India for 2013-14, a 10 per cent increase over the previous year’s plan of Rs 7300 crores. However, the Planning Commission had rejected the State Government’s demand for increase and sanctioned Rs 7300 crores plan only, which was equal to the previous year’s amount.
“As we were unable to get the 10 per cent hike in plan, we will not be in a position to increase the plan amount of the district. However, some district would get additionalities depending upon the requirements during review meetings of the Boards in December-January,’’ sources said.
However, they added that Jammu and Srinagar district, which were twin rotational capital cities of the State, would get increase in annual plan or an additional amount later as their requirements were ever increasing. The DDB meetings of Jammu and Srinagar were scheduled to be held on July 15 and 17 respectively.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah happened to be chairman of both the Boards and would chair their meetings, sources said. The DDB meetings of most of the districts have been completed, they added.
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