*Results of STF schemes yet to be analyzed
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 12: Though the recommendations of the State Finance Commission are being considered as vital piece of document by both Union and State Governments to address the voices of equitable treatment to all the regions and sub-regions of Jammu and Kashmir, no focus has so far been laid on its implementation and the report is gathering dust in the shelves of the Civil Secretariat. Moreover, no attempt has been made to analyze the results yielded by the schemes launched on the recommendations of the two Special Task Forces-one each for Jammu and Ladakh regions.
The State Finance Commission came into being in 2007 to look into regional imbalance or discrimination in allotment of funds with any region or sub-region of the State and suggest corrective measures for equitable development.
The Commission after detailed exercise submitted its report to the Government in November 2010 albeit two years beyond the scheduled time-frame. However, the report remained out of the focus of the then Government from November 2010 till April 2012 when two experts were engaged to work out road-map for the implementation of recommendations.
Thereafter, on May 25, 2012, the General Administration Department issued an Order No. 578 regarding constitution of Group of Ministers for considering the report of the concerned Administrative Departments on the recommendations of the J&K State Finance Commission. This GoM headed by Minister for Finance had to make recommendations to the Cabinet or set up an expert group for in-depth examination of the proposals emanating from various Administrative Departments.
However, neither majority of the Administrative Departments bothered to submit reports on the recommendations of the Finance Commission nor the Group of Ministers ever tried to pass on necessary directions to the Administrative Departments.
“The non-implementation of the recommendations of the State Finance Commission is notwithstanding the fact that not only previously even at present the report of the Commission is being considered as vital piece of document in the official circles”, sources told EXCELSIOR.
This is evident from the fact that the officers of the Planning and Development Department during the meetings convened by the Committee on Government Assurances last year, had conveyed that the report submitted by the State Finance Commission was being examined and thereafter appropriate action will be taken by the State Government.
This stance was adopted by the officers of the Planning and Development Department in respect of various assurances extended to the Legislators on the floor of the State Legislature in response to the queries regarding ensuring equitable development of all the areas of the State, sources said.
Even the Union Ministry of Home Affairs is considering the report of State Finance Commission as important piece of document. This can be gauged from the reply furnished by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir in response to the query of Member of Parliament from Ladakh, Thupstan Chhewang during the ongoing session of Lok Sabha.
Chhewang had sought to know whether the Government was aware of the growing anger and resentment among the people of J&K specially in two regions of Jammu and Ladakh regarding the disparity that exists in economic development of their respective regions which is confirmed in the reports of various committees—Gajendra Gadkar and Sikri Commissions and whether the Government has received any proposal for addressing the issue of regional disparity through various measures.
The MoS in Ministry of Home Affairs has replied: “The Government of Jammu and Kashmir had constituted a State Finance Commission in the year 2007 to ascertain inter and intra-region development index”. However, the Minister didn’t make any mention about implementation of the recommendations of the Commission.
He has only stated that development funds in the State are presently allocated on the basis of various parameters such as geographical area/population of the district, backwardness of the district and developmental needs. But, what improvement this criteria has brought in respect of improvement in the backwardness of the districts was not elaborated.
Though the MoS even made mention about the schemes launched on the recommendations of two Special Task Forces set up in 2010 to examine the developmental needs of Jammu and Ladakh regions, yet what results these schemes have yielded in filling the critical developmental gaps were not revealed.
The present voices of discrimination in Ladakh region not only from the common masses but also from the elected representatives of people clearly indicates that developmental gap still persists in both the districts of Leh and Kargil. Even certain districts of Jammu region like Rajouri-Poonch and erstwhile Doda district are still not satisfied with the developmental activities.
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