Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 4: The Group of Ministers (GoM) set up by the State Government for speedy implementation of `Agenda of Alliance’, reached out between PDP and BJP before formation of their first ever coalition Government in the State, today decided to bifurcate political and administrative points (in the Agenda) and pursue them separately within the State as well as with the Centre Government.
The GoM meeting chaired by BJP veteran and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh decided to vigorously pursue implementation of the Agenda especially the development, people’s welfare and related points initially while rest of the Agenda would follow.
“To speed-up pace of implementation of the “Agenda of Alliance”, the GoM today decided that it would be bifurcated into two parts-political and administrative. A Committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary BR Sharma to pursue the administrative agenda while the GoM would itself take up the political agenda,” official sources told the Excelsior.
Education Minister Naeem Akhter and Industries & Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga were not present in the meeting, which was chaired by Dr Nirmal Singh and attended by Works Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu (both from PDP) and Forests Minister Lal Singh (BJP).
After political deliberations, the GoM called Chief Secretary BR Sharma to the meeting to discuss the administrative agenda, which has been implemented so far or was in the process of implementation and which was yet to be taken up.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh told the Excelsior that the GoM decided that the Chief Secretary would head the Committee in which Administrative Secretaries of the Departments, which were connected with the implementation of `Agenda of Alliance’ would be members and they will submit Action Taken Report (on the agenda) to the GoM in its next meeting, which was likely to be held after about a fortnight.
“The Chief Secretary along with Administrative Secretaries will draft comprehensive reports on ‘administrative points’, which fall in the Agenda of Alliance, and brief the GoM on the decisions already implemented and which have been taken up for implementation. On remaining points of the Agenda, the Chief Secretary will draft a plan on implementation,” Dr Singh said, adding that the GoM and the Government would help in implementation of entire ‘administrative agenda’ by the Chief Secretary-headed panel.
As far as ‘political agenda’ was concerned, the GoM decided that it would follow the agenda within the State as well as with the Central Government.
Sources said the GoM has also bifurcated the ‘political agenda’ in two parts-first which is to be implemented by the State Government and second that falls in the domain of Central Government.
“The ‘Agenda’ to be implemented by the State Government would be taken up within the State with concerned Ministers, Chief Minister and the Cabinet while the `Agenda’, which has to be cleared by the Centre, will be taken up with the concerned Ministers by the GoM,” sources said.
The GoM will head to the Centre when the Ministry wise `Agenda’ is drafted and would take up specific issues with the concerned Ministers for their speedy implementation.
According to sources, as far as implementation and distribution of some packages were concerned, the State Government was working on them. While the Union Government has approved some packages in Rs 80,000 crore Prime Minister’s Development Plan (PMDP), the funds for some other packages were yet to be received, which the GoM will shortly take up with the Centre.
On disbursement of package for Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees, sources said the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 2000 crores for them in the PMDP and the Relief and Rehabilitation Ministry of the State Government was engaged in working out a mechanism on its distribution (among the refugees).
“As soon as the mechanism is worked out and approved by the Government, the process for distribution of package would start,” sources said.
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