*P&DD cautions against unnecessary parking of funds
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 1: In order to give further push to the rebuilding of infrastructure damaged during the devastating floods of September last year, an amount of Rs 583 crore has been released to the Government departments under the Prime Minister’s package with the direction to strictly follow the laid down guidelines.
With this, the total funds released for the floods affected infrastructure have gone up to Rs 820 crore against total amount of Rs 1000 crore earmarked by the Planning Commission of India/ Union Finance Ministry for the purpose as an amount of Rs 236 crore was released earlier.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that under the Prime Minister’s package for flood affected infrastructure, the Union Government had earmarked an amount of Rs 1000 crore through SPA route under Annual Plan 2014-15 for rebuilding damaged infrastructure in the State. Accordingly, the Planning and Development Department of J&K had approved department-wise allocation for taking up projects/schemes under this package.
While laying conditions for permanent restoration works, the Planning and Development Department in the month of November last year had accorded sanction to the release of Rs 200 crore to Public Works, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control and Power Development Departments to ensure kick-start of the works.
At that time, the departments were conveyed that more funds would be released only after submission of schematic/project wise DPRs along with photographs of damaged infrastructure proposed to be rebuilt as funds are being provided through the Special Plan Assistance (SPA) route, sources said while disclosing that during the past three months an amount of Rs 36 crore was also released in favour of other departments like SKIMS, Estate, Tourism and Home for taking up of very necessary works.
Now, the Planning and Development Department has conveyed its concurrence to the further release of an amount of Rs 583 crore under Prime Minister’s package for permanent restoration of damaged infrastructure.
With this, as against Rs 1000 crore project cost approved under the package, an amount of Rs 820 crore has been made available to the departments. An amount of Rs 259 crore has been released to R&B Department, Rs 98 crore to PHE Department, Rs 180 crore to Irrigation and Flood Control, Rs 150 crore to SKIMS, Rs 25 crore to Estates Department, Rs 25 crore to Tourism Department and Rs 26 crore to Home Department etc.
“The funds are being provided under PM’s package as such are non-lapsable”, sources said, adding “the R&B, PHE, I&FC and PDD have been directed to take up only such schemes for permanent restoration as are costing Rs 10 lakh and above”.
The PWD will take up the restoration works on the construction of RCC counterfort wall and allied works on left approach to 4th Tawi Bridge at Belicharana (Rs 3.89 crore) and 4th Tawi Bridge (Rs 8 crore) only after consulting Commissioner Secretary PHE/ I&FC Department.
“There shall be no overlapping of funding from any other source such as SDRF/State Plan/District/CCS and Flagship Programme”, the Planning and Development Department has conveyed to the departments. The departments have been cautioned against un-necessary parking of funds and it has been made clear that funds will not be available for re-appropriation/diversion at any level.
Asking the departments to furnish the Utilization Certificates of the released funds separately, the Planning and Development Department has informed that un-spent funds would have to be got revalidated after March 31, 2015.
In response to a question, sources said that rest of Rs 180 crore amount would be released only after the Planning and Development Department receives Utilization Certificates from the departments for which explicit directions have already been issued.
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