Government is committed to removing discrimination and disparity in allocation of funds to all the three regions of the State? The complaint of Jammu region and of backward regions in the State that they are discriminated against is a long standing grouse. It is in this direction that the Chief Minister made a commitment during the previous budget session that a Planning Board would be constituted to examine the complaints of discrimination and ensure that allocation of funds is made equitably on the basis of certain criterion and norms. So far the Board has not been constituted and the Government is still groping in the dark for right persons to be its members. Obviously, members have to be experts in planning and in financing. Another aspect of the case is that there should be proper representation of all the three regions and even sub-regions which are known as backward.
The Government’s decision of constituting the Planning Board is in fitness of things, and also in the light of the recommendation of the three interlocutors. Planning Department should not waste time in putting its act together and try to make it functional as early as possible. It is important that the Government does not give any chance to miscreants to spread rumours of Government’s half-hearted desire of removing discrimination. How can it prove to the people that the announcement of constitution of a Planning Board is not something for public consumption with no real and strong intentions behind it. Therefore, the sooner the Board is constituted the better. It should not be difficult to identify expertise in all the three regions for the membership of the Board.
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