Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 31: Despite being one of the sensitive States of the country, Jammu and Kashmir is not taking seriously Union Government’s scheme for modernization of police force and is continuing to adopt dilly-dallying tactics in submitting State Action Plan under this scheme despite repeated communiqués from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
The non-serious approach is being adopted despite the fact that delay in submission of Action Plan proposals will adversely impact the approval process and affect the timely release of funds.
The scheme of Modernization of State Police Forces has been approved for a period of five years from 2012-13 to 2016-17 and detailed guidelines regarding implementation of the scheme were issued vide MHA’s letter dated February 28, 2013.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that on March 10, 2014 the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in a communiqué addressed to Home Secretary and Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir sought State Action Plan proposals for 2014-15 under the Modernization of Police Force Scheme by March 31, 2014 positively.
Vide this communiqué the Home Secretary and DGP were also conveyed about the tentative allocation worked out for Jammu and Kashmir by the Ministry. It was also made clear that Utilization Certificates (UCs) of the assistance released during the previous year furnished by the State will form the basis for release of funds for the current financial year, sources said.
However, J&K failed to meet the time limit fixed by the MHA for submission of State Action Plan proposals and this prompted the Ministry to again write a letter on September 4, 2014 asking Home Secretary and DGP of the State to expedite the process of formulating State Action Plan proposals. “Through this letter they were directed to submit the proposals by September 19 along with the Utilization Certificates up to the financial year 2012-13”, sources said.
“Shockingly, the sensitive State of Jammu and Kashmir where State Police is tackling militancy as well as performing its duty of ensuring basic policing, has yet not awaken from the deep slumber and State Action Plan proposals for the current year are yet to be submitted to MHA”, they said, adding “the dilly-dallying tactics is being adopted despite the fact that six months of the current financial year have already been lapsed”.
While drawing the attention of Home Secretary and DGP towards the communiqué of September 4 seeking SAP proposals, the MHA in its latest communication dated October 22 has mentioned: “It has been observed that the inputs from your State are yet to be received despite the lapse of considerable time beyond the stipulated deadline. Any further delay in submission of additional SAP proposals for the current financial year may adversely impact the approval process and affect the timely release of funds”. Through this letter, the Ministry has directed for furnishing of necessary proposals immediately.
Moreover, through another communication the Ministry has demanded immediate submission of requisite Utilization Certificates up to the year 2013-14. “During 2013-14 financial year, the MHA had released Rs 82.12 crore assistance under Plan and Rs 18.88 crore assistance under Non-Plan components to Jammu and Kashmir and amount under some heads is yet to be spent by the State”, sources informed.
From the financial year 2013-14, complete liquidation on unspent balances has been made mandatory by the Union Ministry of Finance and it has emphasized that unless UCs are available for the full amount of funds released earlier, no further release of funds would be made to any entity including the State Governments.
While drawing attention of J&K Home Secretary and DGP towards this provision of the Finance Ministry, the MHA has asked them to urgently review the progress achieved so far in utilization of MPF funds released to J&K during 2013-14 and earlier years and initiate necessary mid-course corrections for expeditious implementation of MPF State Action Plan within the specified time so as to ensure submission of requisite UCs up to the year 2013-14.
When contacted, a top officer of the State Police said, due to certain reasons the submission of State Action Plan proposals got delayed and efforts would be made to ensure compliance to the MHA directives within shortest possible time. He too confirmed non-submission of Utilization Certificates and said, “because of some reasons utilization of funds under few heads got delayed and now efforts have been made to ensure 100% utilization of assistance”.
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