Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 5: In what could be termed as utter disregard to the Cabinet decision, the transfer of 18 mandatory functions and functionaries of the different departments to the Urban Local Bodies has yet not taken place during the past seven months. This is mainly because a committee of officers constituted to oversee the entire process has failed to accomplish the assigned task.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that in pursuant to the agreement signed by the State Government with the Union Government for implementation of JNNURM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission), the State Government was required to transfer 18 mandatory functions and functionaries of different departments to the Urban Local Bodies (Municipal Corporations, Councils and Committees).
However, this issue remained out of the focus of the State Government for quite long time as a result of which the Union Government blocked part of assistance under the JNNURM. In the month of March this year, new Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigjin Jora placed the matter before the State Cabinet and obtained the approval for transfer of functions and functionaries to Municipal Corporations, Committees and Councils.
Subsequently, Government constituted a committee comprising Chief Secretary and Administrative Secretaries of Planning and Development, Finance and Housing and Urban Development Departments to oversee the process of transfer of functions, functionaries and funds to the Urban Local Bodies. However, despite lapse of over seven months transfer of 18 mandatory functions and functionaries has yet not begin.
“What to talk of transfer of mandatory functions and functionaries to all the ULBs the Government even failed to ensure transfer of such powers to Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations, which have been vying for the same ever since their inception”, sources said.
They further said, “This substantiates the general perception that committees are constituted to bury the vital issues once for all and to keep the people in dark”, sources said, adding “the fate of the Cabinet decision also indicates that decision was taken even to mislead the Union Government as on ground nothing has happened till date”.
In response to a question, sources said that the primary task before the Committee was to suggest whether the concerned divisions or sub-divisions of different departments should be transferred to the ULBs or new divisions/sub-divisions created in the ULBs. The Committee was also required to undertake an exercise to reorganize the territorial jurisdiction and staffing pattern in order to converge it with the territorial limits of Urban Local Bodies.
The functions, which were approved by the Cabinet for transfer to Urban Local Bodies include Urban Planning-preparation of Master Plan and its implementation, city development plan within the Municipal areas by withdrawing the jurisdiction of Development Authorities, wherever there is case of overlapping of jurisdiction; regulation of land use; parks and garden; adult education and elementary education; street light division of Power Development Department; city division of Public Health Engineering; all roads of the PWD within the municipal areas and city division of Fire Services etc.
Follow our WhatsApp channel