Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 31: Division Bench of State High Court comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sindhu Sharma has directed the State to consider the funds allotted for 2018-19 under Border Area Development Programme-Tribal Sub Plan for revalidation in the next financial year—2019-20 in accordance with the applicable rules and policy.
The direction has been passed in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Zeeshan Javed Rana, who submitted that respondents are unfairly proposing to surrender the funds allotted for 2018-19 for Poonch district in general and Mendhar constituency in particular to the Central Government.
After hearing Senior Advocate Sunil Sethi with Advocate Mohsin Bhat for the petitioner, the DB issued notice to the respondents as to why the petition be not admitted to hearing.
“In the Interlocutory Application moved in the main petition, a grievance has been made before us that the funds, which were earmarked under the BADP order dated December 23, 2018 for construction of roads have not been utilized and the respondents are unfairly proposing to surrender this amount to the Central Government”, the DB observed.
The DB further observed, “it is informed that the funds were earlier allocated for the year 2017-18 and because of incomplete utilization, the respondents had revalidated the allocation for the next financial year”, adding “a prayer has been made that in all fairness, the respondents deserve to consider the funds under the programme for the year 2018-19 for the next financial year in as much as there is a dire need of funds for completion of ongoing projects of the road construction”.
Accordingly, DB directed the respondents to consider the funds allotted for 2018-19, if any, under BADP remaining with them, for revalidation in next financial year-2019-20 in accordance with the applicable rules and policy.
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