Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 26: At a time when enough focus is being laid on urban sector reforms in the country, the Jammu and Kashmir is maintaining non-serious approach towards this vital aspect. This uncalled for attitude has not only deprived the people of basic services at the desired levels but also denied State of the Performance Grants available under 13th Finance Commission.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the fact that investment in urban infrastructure has not always resulted in commensurate outcomes, the Union Ministry of Urban Development shifted focus from infrastructure creation to delivery of service outcomes. Accordingly, minimum set of standard performance parameters for the urban water and sanitation sector were formulated for compliance by all the States.
These parameters were conveyed to the States by the Ministry with the mention that these would be the cornerstone of the urban reform agenda being implemented as part of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes like Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT).
The Union Ministry even launched Service Level Benchmarking initiative covering water supply, waste water, solid waste management and storm water drainage so as to identify performance gaps and introduce improvements through the sharing of information and best practices, which ultimately result in to better services to people.
All this was done keeping in view the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission that State Governments would be able to avail Performance Grants in case they put in place standards for delivery of essential services by Local Bodies.
However, the Urban Local Bodies of Jammu and Kashmir, which are under the administrative control of Housing and Urban Development Department, have failed to notify the service standards for four service sectors because they had not taken performance parameters seriously, sources said, adding due to this State Government could not submit claims for Performance Grants 2014-15.
The Central Monitoring Committee of the Union Urban Development Ministry, which recently met under the chairmanship of Secretary, Shankar Aggarwal, observed that J&K has not submitted the claims for Performance Grants due to non-compliance of the conditions laid down by the Ministry vis-à-vis standard performance parameters.
The compliance to the performance parameters for urban water and sanitation sector is far beyond the satisfaction, sources said while disclosing that not much headway has been made for 100% metering of water supply connections and efficiency in redressal of consumer complaints is also not up to the mark.
Similarly, there is no compliance to 100% cost recovery and efficiency in collection of water charges. The Urban Local Bodies have also failed to ensure strict compliance to the parameters in sewerage sector like 100% coverage of sewerage network, 100% adequacy of sewage treatment capacity etc and 80% efficiency in redressal of consumer complaints.
As far as solid waste management is concerned, the parameters like 100% efficiency in collection of solid waste, segregation of solid waste, scientific disposal of solid waste and redressal of complaints have failed to receive desired attention of the concerned authorities.
Similar is the fate of 100% coverage of storm water drainage and reducing incidence of water logging to zero level.
As far as Urban Local Bodies level reforms enshrined under JNNURM scheme, the State has achieved only two scores out of 10 in context of property tax (85% coverage and 90% collection efficiency) parameter. Similarly, it has scored only 4 points as far as 100% O&M cost recovery in water supply and solid waste management parameter is concerned. It has also failed to ensure full compliance to parameter vis-à-vis stamp duty rationalization.
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