Rs 14 cr released few months before end of FY
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 2: After being exposed for inaction on the key decision taken by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in the last meeting of State Disaster Management Authority, the concerned authorities have released funds to the tune of Rs 14.14 crore in the favour of Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners for establishment of Disaster Mitigation Funds. However, there are little prospects of these funds being utilized effectively especially when only four months have left for the closure of the current financial year.
EXCELSIOR few days back had exclusively highlighted that there was no discernible progress on the decisions taken by the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti while chairing the 6th meeting of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA). It was also revealed that despite Chief Minister’s instructions resources were not made available to the Deputy Commissioners for District Disaster Mitigation Fund.
In the 6th meeting of SDMA held on August 16, 2017, the Chief Minister had approved a token amount of Rs 25 crore as State Disaster Mitigation Fund. Out of this amount, Rs 1 crore each was directed to be placed at the disposal of each Deputy Commissioner immediately for utilization under District Disaster Mitigation Fund. It was also decided that 50% of the funds will be utilized for critical rescue equipments, 20% for capacity building, 20% for innovative projects involving community based disaster preparedness projects and 10% for IEC activities.
What to talk of immediately release of funds to the Deputy Commissioners, the then Commissioner Secretary to Government, Department of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction vide Order No.76-DMRRR dated September 12, 2017 ordered withdrawal of funds to the extent of Rs 3.30 crore and Rs 84 lakh released in favour of Financial Commissioner Revenue vide Government Order No.54-DMRRR dated July 12, 2017 and Government Order No.65-DMRRR dated August 11, 2017 respectively for the “capacity building for disaster response” that too without assigning any reason, sources said.
In pursuance to this order, the office of Financial Commissioner Revenue vide Order No.FC/P&S/DM/149 dated September 12, 2017 accorded sanction to the withdrawal of funds to the extent of Rs 84 lakh released in favour of Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir and Jammu. Similarly, vide another Order No.FC/P&S/DM-150 the sanction was accorded to the withdrawal of funds to the extent of Rs 3.30 crore released in favour of all the Deputy Commissioners of the State at the rate of Rs 15 lakh each.
Due to this decision of the Department of Disaster Manage-ment, Relief, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction, the Divisional Commissioners as well as Deputy Commissioners were starved of the funds for various disaster mitigation activities, sources said.
Following revelations in this regard by EXCELSIOR few days back, the office of Financial Commissioner Revenue haphazardly issued order whereby sanction was accorded to the release of funds to the tune of Rs 14.14 crore in the favour of Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners for the current financial year.
“The funds shall be utilized in accordance with the decision taken in the 6th meeting of the J&K State Disaster Management Authority held on August 16, 2017 and decision taken in the State Executive Committee meeting of SDMA held on August 28, 2017”, read the Order No. FCR/Relief/23 dated November 30, 2017.
However, sources disclosed that order was issued this morning by mentioning the back date (November 30). “We received the order this afternoon only along with the telephonic call from the office of Financial Commissioner Revenue”, some of the Deputy Commissioners said when contacted by EXCELSIOR, adding “had it been issued on November 30 what was the problem in sending the same to us on the very same day”.
Moreover, in the Order No.FCR/Relief/23 dated November 30, 2017 the reference of Administrative Department’s Order No.104-DMRRR dated November 17, 2017 and Finance Department’s UO No.FD-VII-14(53) 2008 dated October 9, 2017 has been taken.
“This indicates that concurrence for release of Rs 14.14 crore was given by the Finance Department nearly two months back”, sources said, adding “why the DMRRR delayed issuance of directions till November 17 and why the Financial Commissioner Revenue office slept over the matter till today remain the million dollar questions”.
Even there are little prospects for these funds being utilized effectively especially when only four months have left for the closure of the current financial year, sources remarked.
Of Rs 14.14 crore, an amount of Rs 20 lakh has been kept at the disposal of Financial Commissioner Revenue, Rs 50.75 lakh each at the disposal of Divisional Commissioners and an amount of Rs 58.75 lakh each has been released in favour of all the 22 Deputy Commissioners.
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