Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 28: Expressing grave concern over the loss of hundreds of crores to the State which were withheld by the Union Govt due to failure of the successive State Govts to hold timely elections to local bodies, National Panthers Party chairman Harshdev Singh said that the lapse amounted to “maladministration” within the meaning and scope of Section 2 of the J&K State Accountability Commission Act.
In a statement here, Singh said that non- holding of Local Bodies elections was deliberate and politically motivated which had deprived the general masses of the developmental funds to which they were otherwise entitled. He said that the Govt functionaries and the political class being squarely responsible for the losses sustained by the State, the State Accountability Commission was required to take suo motto cognizance of the delay.
Singh said that the 14th Finance Commission had provided a grant of Rs 125.30 crore in the first instance for 2015-16 which however could not be availed and got lapsed due to Govt’s failure to hold such elections. He said earlier also Rs 169.29 crore of funds under 13th Finance Commission for Urban Local Bodies had lapsed for the same reason. Likewise, around Rs 200 crore proposed for 2016-17 under 14th Finance and Rs 197 crore for AMRUT scheme is also likely to set lapsed as Govt has no intentions to constitute Municipal bodies before March 2017.
NPP leader deplored that the lackadaisical approach of the Govt and the dirty politics played by coalition partners by postponing elections for political reasons was depriving the general masses and prospective beneficiaries of the benefits envisaged for them under various GoI schemes. He said that non holding of immediate elections would further deprive the State of ‘Performance Grant’ of Rs 607 crore which had been assured by the 14th Finance Commission as additional grant in case the State fulfilled the benchmarks stipulated by it.
Flaying the dilly- dally tactics of the State Govt, he said the `Coalition’ was to be blamed for poor delivery of basic civic services including water supply, sanitation sewage and solid waste management, maintenance of community assets, upkeep of roads, lanes, drains, footpaths, street lighting besides other facilities which were adversely affected by the delayed elections caused due to political expediencies of the alliance partners.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel