* E-governance, reforms continue to take back seat
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 21: Putting the Jammu and Kashmir Government in the dock over poor implementation of flagship scheme of the Union Government—Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the Comptroller and Auditor General of India has found that State Government always adopted perfunctory approach towards the most important guidelines of the scheme despite the fact that strict adherence to the same could have ensured completion of projects in time along with the intended outcome.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on Performance Audit of JNNURM was recently tabled in the Parliament and it has made serious observations vis-à-vis implementation of this flagship scheme in Jammu and Kashmir.
Taking the findings of the CAG seriously, the Union Ministry of Urban Development Vide its communication No.K-14018/55/2012-N.III has asked the Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department of State Government to furnish Action Taken Note on the CAG observations within a period of 30 days.
“As per the guidelines of the JNNURM, the Jammu and Kashmir Government had to establish Programme Management Unit (PMU) to assist the State Level Nodal Agency (SLNA) in discharging their roles and responsibilities of appraisal of projects, monitoring physical and financial progress of projects, monitoring implementation of reforms, to enhance capacity of SLNA by extending technical and advisory support but the PMU has not been established till date”, the CAG said.
Similarly, the Project Implementation Units (PIUs) were to be created as operational units to enhance the pace and quality of implementation of the Mission activities but unfortunately on this important aspect also the Jammu and Kashmir Government has failed despite the fact that in March 2009 an amount of Rs 0.82 crore was released by the Government of India for establishment of one PMU and PIUs, the CAG said.
“The casual approach of the J&K Government towards these important aspects is notwithstanding the fact that intention of having in place the PMUs and PIUs was to give professional support to the Urban Local Bodies through their technical and managerial expertise”, the report said, adding “had PMUs and PIUs been established the projects taken up under JNNURM could have been completed in time along with the intended outcome”.
The CAG has also found lackluster response of the J&K Government towards the reforms, which were to be carried out by the State Government as per the guidelines of the scheme.
“The objective of e-governance was to benefit the Urban Local Bodies as well as the citizens by simplifying systems and processes, improve efficiency and effectiveness in interaction between local Government and its citizens and other stakeholders, improve quality of internal local Government operations and management information systems to support and stimulate good governance, bring about transparency and accountability in urban local body operations besides improving reach of the delivery of services to citizens but this was not put into effect”, the CAG added.
The revision of building bye-laws for streamlining the approval process was required as one of the reforms to be undertaken to establish a simple, transparent and lesser time-consuming process but in Jammu and Srinagar Urban Local Bodies the same has not been implemented despite the fact that Government had committed to implement this reform by 2010-11, the CAG said.
Likewise, State Government failed to implement the reform of Rent Control Laws despite making commitment to do so in 2010-11, the CAG further said, adding water reuse reforms have not been implemented despite the fact that the same allow ULBs to ensure dependable and cost-effective water supply to communities in an environmentally sustainable manner.
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