Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 19: Even as the political brinkmanship among the coalition partners over the formation of new administrative units touched new heights, the Cabinet Sub Committee (CSC), which has been given the mandate to hold consultations with people and make suitable recommendations is likely to only formulate the roadmap for scruitinizing the inputs obtained from all the stakeholders in 22 districts of the State.
Members of the Cabinet Sub-Committee affiliated to Congress and National Conference (NC) told EXCELSIOR on conditional of anonymity that the exercise to scrutinise the inputs obtained from the district headquarters is likely to continue for atleast three days and tomorrow’s meeting is going to start at 3 pm in the State Guest House.
“In view of the tremendous response obtained from all quarters, the sessions for formulating guidelines to scrutinise the representations is likely to continue for few days and the process is unlikely to be completed soon as there are financial implications worth several crores of such decisions, if taken”, sources said adding, “Jammu and Kashmir, which is already reeling under financial crunch can’t even bear the cost of creating such administrative units”.
Dwelling over the response obtained from across the State, sources shared, “about 700 representations had been received from various people, who deposed before the Cabinet Sub-Committee during its tour to several districts of the State”, adding, “about 50% of the representations had been received from Jammu and Kashmir respectively. Only few delegations had come from Leh and Kargil region to meet the CSC.”
“There has been demand to create nearly 1000 administrative units across the State, which included from Patwar Halqa to tehsil level and even some sub-divisions”, sources said adding, “one common demand among several delegations is to treat all Panchayats coterminous as Patwar Halqas”. Presently, there are 4198 Panchayats in the State including 2145 in Kashmir region and 1900 in Jammu region.
Giving further break-up of the inputs received from various district headquarters, sources said, “maximum representations had come from Udhampur and Doda districts in Jammu province while as in Kashmir region, highest representations had been received from Baramulla and Anantnag “.
“Revenue Department, which is the nodal agency for entire process has received inputs from all the Deputy Commissioners and the details will be put before the Cabinet Sub-Committee members tomorrow at 3 pm”, sources said adding, “while some of the demands for administrative units had been already covered by the Ganai Committee, remaining shall have to be addressed fresh”.
However, some of the District Magistrates on condition of anonymity confessed, “several representation had been forwarded to the Revenue Department under political influence as even some of the Ministers in the present Government wanted to ensure that demand for more administrative units are highlighted before the Sub-Committee”.
“Since it is election year, both Congress and National Conference are jittery over the implications of the decision to constitute administrative units and both the parties feel that the decision can help them in electoral gains”, source said adding, “serious differences have cropped up among the coalition partners over the creation of new administrative units in the State with none in mood to compromise with the other”.
It is pertinent to mention here that Mushtaq Ganaie Committee has recommended creation of a total of 955 new administrative units, which include Sub-Divisions, Tehsils, Niabats, CD Blocks and Patwar Halqas across Jammu and Kashmir. Of these administrative units, Jammu has an edge over Kashmir valley in respect of Tehsils and Niabats while as Valley outnumbers Jammu as far as Sub-Divisions and Patwar Halqas are concerned.
Sources said that for the creation of 955 proposed administrative units, Government would require whopping amount of more than Rs 800 crore, which include recurring and non-recurring expenditure.
“The Revenue Department has worked out the requirement of around Rs 200 crore recurring revenue per annum, which include salaries of the staff, and more than Rs 600 crore for non-recurring expenditure (creation of infrastructure) for the proposed administrative units”, sources informed. In addition to this, an amount of more than Rs 50 crore would be required for acquisition of land for establishment of these administrative units. Moreover, the Government would have to create more than 4600 posts under various categories for these units.
It is pertinent to mention here that the process of ascertaining the demands of people for new administrative units was actually started in 2007 when the Government had constituted a Committee headed by former Chief Secretary of the State, Dr S S Bloeria. However, the report of the Committee was termed as ‘inconclusive’ in 2009 and in January 2010, the Committee was revived with Mushtaq Ahmad Ganaie as its head.
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