Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 24: The Planning Commission of India has released Rs 800 crore pending amount under Special Plan Assistance (SPA), a component of State’s annual plan, for current financial year of 2012-13 leaving only about Rs 900 crore pending with the Centre.
Official sources confirmed to the Excelsior that the Planning Commission has released another Rs 800 crore from the SPA component of annual plan making it easier for the Planning and Finance Departments to release and utilize funds for development works.
“We are confident that pending Rs 900 crore under the SPA would also be released in the next fortnight so that the State Government was in a position to utilize the amount well before the completion of current financial year in a little over month’s time from now i.e. March 31’’, they said.
The Planning Commission of India had blocked Rs 1900 crore of 2012-13 annual plan of the State under SPA in view of completion of some formalities by Planning and Finance Departments including submission of Utilisation Certificates (UCs) and expansion of amount under certain priority sectors and backward areas.
However, top brass of Planning and Finance Departments had taken up the matter with the Planning Commission of India and Union Finance Ministry last month assuring them the completion of all formalities. Immediately thereafter, the Union Government had released Rs 250 crore under the SPA.
“As the matter was vigorously pursued by the officers of the two departments and more pending formalities were completed, the Planning Commission has now released Rs 800 crore for the State under the SPA’’, sources said, adding that the Commission has also assured the State that it would release balance amount of Rs 900 crore well before completion of the financial year so that it could be utilized for the developmental purposes.
The Planning Commission has reportedly asked the State Government to go ahead with the developmental works and assured it that they would get remaining amount of Rs 900 crore very soon, most probably within the next fortnight.
The SPA is one among various components of annual plan of the State. Its release depended upon fulfilling of various formalities including UCs, expenditure on certain priority sectors and backward areas. The Government has assured the Planning Commission that it would utilize the SPA amount under the defined sectors and priorities.
The annual plan comprised different categories for which the Planning Commission of India directly earmarked the funds. The diversion of funds for other purposes was not allowed in the specified categories.
The State had been allotted Rs 7300 crore worth annual plan and Rs 700 crore under Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP) for current financial year of 2012-13. The Government was hopeful of release of full amount under the plan as well as PMRP. The Government was confident of 99 per cent expenditure under annual plan if the entire amount was released well in time this year while out of Rs 700 crore of PMRP, some amount could be left unspent. However, the PMRP amount is non-lapsable.
The extended term of the PMRP is lapsing at the end of current financial year. The State Government has already sought Phase-II of PMRP for undertaking more developmental works in the State but the Government of India was yet to take a decision on it, sources said, adding the officials of Planning and Finance Departments continued to vigorously pursue the issue of Phase-II of PMRP.
Meanwhile, the Planning and Finance Department officials were in tough with the Planning Commission of India’s Advisors and Members for getting tentative figure for next financial year’s annual plan, Phase-II of PMRP, if sanctioned, and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes to incorporate them in general budget of the State, which would be presented on March 6 by Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather.
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