Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 18: The Planning and Development Department of the State Government, which is headed by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed himself, today put in place a new system for financing district plans in Jammu and Kashmir under which the plans will be used only for developmental works and not for payment of salaries to the Government employees.
Mufti Sayeed approved new financing methodology for the district plans while chairing the District Development Board (DDB) meetings of Baramulla and Kupwara districts at Baramulla.
With this, the Government has shunned past practice of adhocism in the district plans, which used to create liabilities and unfinished projects. Instead, a mechanism of structured scheme of financing the districts plans for the State has been put in place by the Planning and Development Department, official sources said.
As per the new financing scheme, three components of allocated Capital Plan will be equally distributed in clearing past liabilities, completion of ongoing works and taking up new projects. From now onwards, the expenditure approve in the DDBs will only be meant for developmental works and not salaries, which will lay foundation for creation of durable assets, they said.
Under the new criteria set for financing of the district plans, four basic parameters have been taken into consideration by the Government. They include population, income, area and infrastructure.
While Rs 226.32 crore Annual Plan for Baramulla district, a step up of 237 per cent over last year’s allocation, has been approved, for District Kupwara, a Capital Plan outlay of Rs 217.47 crore has been okayed, which is 239 per cent increase over the previous year.
Besides Minister for PHE, I&FC, Sukhnandan Kumar and Minister for CA&PD, Ch. Zulfkar, who are the Chairmen of District Development Boards of Baramulla and Kupwara respectively, Minister for Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs, Relief & Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari, Minister for Rural Development, Abdul Haq Khan, Minister for Finance & Culture, Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu, Minister for Animal Husbandry and S&T, Sajad Gani Lone, Minister for IT, YS&S and Technical Education, Imran Raza Ansari, MP, Fayaz Ahmed Mir, Legislators, Mohammad Shafi, Er. Abdul Rasheed, Javid Hassan Baig, Abbas Wani, Yawar Mir, Bashir Ahmad Dar, Raja Manzoor, Qaiser Jamshed Lone and Javaid Mirchal also attended the meetings.
While chairing the Board meeting of Baramulla, the Chief Minister described the new system of financing District Plans has a huge take off that ensures infrastructure development and proper utilization of capital expenditure. “By separating revenue and capital components, the Capital Expenditure Plans have been made potent instruments of development,” he said while stressing on prioritizing the completion of abandoned projects.
Appreciating the Finance Minister for making capital funding more meaningful, the Chief Minister emphasized upon utilizing modes of institutional financing through schemes implemented by NABARD, Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
Linking devolution of powers to strengthening institutions at grassroots level, Mufti Sayeed placed high priority on proper expenditure. For this, he said a transparent and accountable system of governance has to be firmly entrenched.
Reiterating his commitments made during visit to Kaman Post and Salamabad earlier this month, which he called Valley’s show-window, the Chief Minister said the Trade Facilitation Centres, both at Salamabad and Chakan da Bagh, will be made real business hubs by creating facilities of banking and telecommunications, besides facilitating trade delegations across the LoC. “The Joint Secretaries of MEA and MHA have assured us that both the issues will be flagged in the next meeting of the Joint Working Group between India and Pakistan,” he said, while stressing upon taking the cross-LoC Confidence Building Measures beyond the ritual of meetings between undivided families.
The Chief Minister also announced four-lanning of Salamabad-Kaman Post Road at a total cost of Rs24 crore, out of which Rs five crore have been allocated for the current financial year. He also announced construction of a Residential Complex at Salamabad, besides two restaurants for passengers at Salamabad and Kaman Post respectively.
Referring to the demands put forth by several legislators during the meeting, the Chief Minister observed that education and health sectors will be the cog-in-the-wheel of progress in all the districts of the State.
Laying stress on enhancing employability of youth by skill development, Mufti Sayeed also announced setting up of a skill development institute at Sangrama Kandi.
Later, in the DDB meeting of Kupwara, besides sanctioning funds for completion of ongoing works and taking up of new projects, the Chief Minister announced construction of a Maternity Hospital at Jaggarpora and a new Conference Hall at the District Headquarters.
Expressing concern over large number of vacancies in the education and health departments, in particular remote and far-flung areas of the State, Mufti Sayeed said the issue of filling up of vacancies in both the sectors will be addressed after the new recruitment policy is finalized.
Minister for Finance, in his address, said the advent of new funding scheme will ensure completion of ongoing works, clearance of liabilities on account of approved projects, besides guaranteeing State share for funding under the Centrally-Sponsored Schemes.
The Chairmen of DDBs, in their remarks, hailed the new concept of financing, describing it as a significant step in strengthening the Single Line Administration.
Also present in the meeting were Principal Secretary, Planning, B R Sharma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Asgar Samoon, Commissioner / Secretary, R&B, Rohit Kansal, Commissioner / Secretary, School Education, Shaleen Kabra, Commissioner / Secretary, Health & Medical Education, M K Bhandari, besides Divisional Heads and Sectoral Officers of Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
Major decisions of Baramulla DDB
* Education, Health sectors Government’s top-most priority; funds not to be a constraint
* Focus on Horticulture by generating awareness about Market Intervention Schemes, in particular for Apple Town of Sopore, and weather-based crop insurance for fruit growers for quality control to spur exports
* Four-lanning of Salamabad-Kaman Post & Pattan Market Roads
* Parallel Road from Zehanpora to Shahadara Sharief, Uri
* Baramulla-Baba Reshi, Kunzer-Yall, Chora-Dardpora, Tragpor-Chatoosa, Sangrama-Amargad Roads in Baramulla, Sangrama, Rafiabad areas
* Upgradation of Zadi Mohalla Road in Pattan
* 1×40 Metre Span Steel Bridge on Qailoo-Kralpora-Tilgam-Pattan Road
* Completion of Trauma Hospital at Pattan
* Residential Complex for officers at TFC, Salamabad
* Model Town for Uri
* Setting up of Skill Development Institute at Sangrama Kandi
* Health Centres to be sanctioned as per norms
* Schoolchildren to be acquainted with new concepts of smart-rooms, e-learning
Major decisions of Kupwara DDB
* Sanction for construction of Maternity Hospital at Jaggarpora
* Construction of a new Conference Hall at District Headquarters
* Rs. 7 crore sanctioned for completion of five bridges
* Construction of 11 KV Feeder for Kupwara town
* Fund allocation for inner link roads of Langate
* Construction of Dardpora-Satboain Road; up-gradation of Chotipora-Darbal Road
* Completion of Wodhpura Bridge
* Completion of first phase of Bus Adda, Handwara
* Completion of Sub District Hospital (SDH) building, Langate
* Completion of truss of SDH, Sogam
* Improving connectivity, preparing plan for making Bangus an independent tourist destination
* Adoption of schools by legislators as Model Schools.
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