Little outcome achieved under the Prime Minister’s Development Package” (PMDP) is the crux of the findings of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home affairs . This Committee is headed by Congress leader P. Chidambaram which has found that only 22 percent funds had been released under the Rs. 80,000 crore development package for Jammu and Kashmir. It has made certain observations in its report which, inter-alia, suggest infusing new vigour and urgency in the overall efforts to ensure timely implementation of schemes under the programme. There are as many as seven projects which are at different stages of implementation.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) has very recently tabled the report on the level of implementation of the developmental package in the Rajya Sabha. Only a few days back, through these very columns we have amply articulated that the State is required and must put its best foot forward in ensuring work on different projects being completed keeping in view the time schedules as delays were resulting in cost escalations besides the people being denied the benefits from such projects. The PSC has said that the progress on implementing the PMDP had been slow and a poor outcome had been achieved during the past 12 months. The Committee noted that out of the Rs. 80068 crore projects, only Rs. 17913 crore have been released to the State Government. The suggestion that the Union Ministry and the State Government needed to work in tandem and pull their socks for speedy implementation is befitting and worth acting upon. The meetings to review, appraise, suggest and overcome the hurdles should never be confined to meet and greet or used as rubbing shoulders but a proper follow up with all seriousness to be made mandatory.
The reason of releasing only a sum of Rs. 17913 crore against the sanctioned projects worth Rs. 67046 crore need to be ascertained. May be at the execution levels the delays have taken place and therefore only the funds for the completed work released. This contention is further strengthened as the cost of PMDP has increased to Rs. 100000 crore because of delays and deferments. Delays could not be afforded. It is interesting to note that the Committee has not covered the status of the speed of work on the designated projects and the causes thereof. It has also most probably not taken into account the reasons of the basic cost of the package having surged.
Agreed the progress on different works in the valley has been conditioned partly by the vagaries of the weather and the series of violent acts but not wholly as other factors operating need to be contained.
The State Government would do well to arrange focusing on monitoring of work on projects well underway, presently.
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