There are instances when the State unwittingly misses to obtain funds from various Central Government sources owing either to some technical complicacies or sheer lethargy and lackadaisical attitude of administrative machinery. It often happens that State Government authorities take the accompanying instructions to a particular Centrally sponsored scheme very lightly and in the process a grave mistake is committed that excludes the State from becoming beneficiary of the Central scheme. Actually, the State Government has not yet understood that the instructions that accompany a particular scheme of the Centre has nation-wide implications and as such have to be adhered to for efficient functioning of administration.
The Centre has a plan called Border Area Development Programme. The State is supposed to provide the Ministry of Home Affairs details of the developmental plans for border villages within 10 kilometres distance from the border. The plan had to be submitted before ending May each year so that the MHA has enough time to consider it and include it in its annual budgetary requirements. The State Government submitted the plan for 162 crore rupees sometimes in August. Actually, the DCs of 11 border districts were to identify the villages and draw the programme. The MHA returned the plan submitted to it observing that it was not drawn strictly in accordance with the instructions given. For example, the instructions were that the plan would be applicable only to those villages that fall within 10 kilometres from the border line. Redrafted plan was submitted and still it had some lacunae which it wanted the State Government to reconsider.
So far not a single penny has been released by the MHA in this behalf. The submission of plan is already delayed by five months and still the release of funds is nowhere in sight.
These lapses are of serious consequences to the development of infrastructure for the border areas on the one hand and mitigation of problems of the people in border areas on the other. We have eleven districts bordering on the neighbouring country. Most part of the border is under unrelenting firing and shelling of the enemy. It forces the border dwellers to shift to safer places round the year. Normal life is disrupted, agricultural activities are suspended and developmental works are halted owing to incessant shelling. This shows how much important it is to come to the rescue of the people of these sensitive areas. The entire scheme of BADP is financed by the Centre and the State Government has no financial implications. Its only duty is to identify the villages in accordance with the norms set forth and to submit the same to the Centre. The State Government has even failed in performing this little task. Proper implementation of the programme with financial assistance from the Centre would go a long way in changing the complexion of the border villages. The scheme takes into consideration major services like roads, healthcare, education, sanitation, transport etc. as the areas to be brought under focus. A big demand has been for construction of bunkers close to the border so that villagers can take shelter when there is firing and shelling from Pakistani side. We learn that more than 60 bunkers have already been built but there is demand for hundreds of bunkers all along the vulnerable parts of the border so that the dwellers can be provided safety.
We think that the State should have a permanent mechanism at the administrative level that would be responding to all such schemes as a matter of routine. Why should a scheme be undertaken by complying partially with the instructions accompanying the scheme? If there is a regulated mechanism it will take care of the scheme automatically. We cannot afford to miss these schemes especially when meant for the development of sensitive areas of the State meaning the border areas.
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