There appears no coordination within the State Administrative Departments for proper execution of time bound projects floated by the Union Government. There is hardly a week when we do not bring to light one or the other centrally sponsored project that has almost boomeranged on the State Government for the primary reason of non adherence to the advisory issued by the sponsoring ministry. As the Central Government has been soft paddling on such willful disregard of the guidelines, the State administration takes it for granted that notwithstanding their defaults and delays the Central Ministries will, sooner or later, accord sanction and release funds. This is the story of appeasement policy carried out at the cost of the teeming millions of the State.
We may take the specific example of the Union Ministry of Urban Development returning proposals of over Rs.222 crore worth projects just because the State Government did not adhere to the advisory issued from time to time. What has been lost owing to irresponsibility, negligence and unaccountability of the concerned departments of the State Government is these proposals submitted under the Transition Phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM). Translated into practice it is loss of Rs 34.14 crore for drainage works in Anantnag, Rs 43.56 crore for drainage works in Baramulla, Rs 15.80 crore for Solid Waste Management work in Katra, Rs 23.96 crore for sewerage works in Khour, DPR of Rs 9.65 crore for road work in Kishtwar, Rs 6.14 crore for Solid Waste Management work in Kishtwar, Rs 12.84 crore for drainage works in Kulgam, DPR of Rs 7.76 crore for Solid Waste Management works in Kulgam and DPR of Rs 68.93 crore drainage work in Sopore town.
The loss has accrued to the common people of the State and the official machinery seems unconcerned. It is very painful to find the Government totally unaffected by such a big loss to the towns that would have changed the complexion if the instructions had been followed and funds utilized and results obtained.
As against these nine projects, the Union Ministry of Urban Development had offered three projects to Leh. On examination it was found that the Leh Administration had fully and meticulously implemented the advisory and the results were highly satisfactory. Why could not this happen in the other two regions of the State? This makes us infer that there is either total incompetence or non accountability or that there is sabotage at some level. It is a sorry State of affairs and this is not the only instance of its kind. We have earlier also in these columns said in very forthright manner that the State Government should change the attitude of disregarding the advisory that is usually accompanying the Central schemes. Not going by the standard norms means that it is the people who are punished for no fault of theirs. We again implore on the State Government to change its attitude and functioning in regard to Central schemes and demonstrate a positive and healthy attitude. This can be done either through gentle persuasion at the level of implementing authorities or through recourse to accountability clause. One of the two methods has to be employed to attain desired results. Democracy means working for the good of general masses of people. But playing with their interests and undermining their chances of development is anti-democratic and has to be discouraged at all costs.
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