Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 20: The Government has decided to utilize one-third amount of the district annual plan in clearing liabilities left by the previous National Conference-Congress Government, another one-third on the ongoing development works and remaining one-third for new schemes, which will be identified by the people’s representatives in the District Development Board (DDB) meetings.
A decision to this effect was announced by Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh in the DDB meetings of Kathua and Samba districts held at Kathua today. Sayeed presided over the DDB meetings. Dr Singh is chairperson of the DDB Samba while Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga is chairman of the DDB Kathua.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government has formally decided to own the liabilities left behind by the previous coalition upholding the `mantra’ of continuity in the Government and decided that out of total allocation of plan approved for a district in the DDB meeting, one-third amount i.e. 33 per cent of the total allocations would be used for clearing the liabilities.
“Of remaining 66 per cent allocations, 33 per cent will be used in carrying forward the existing development works, which have already been initiated while remaining 33 per cent would be used on the new schemes, which were being approved in the ongoing DDB meetings,” sources said, adding the new mechanism will be applicable to all the districts, which will go a long way in clearing liabilities of the previous Government.
As per the preliminary estimates, the NC-Congress Government has left behind liabilities to the tune of about Rs 9400 crores including some of the works, which had been executed without tenders. Some of the works had been undertaken merely on verbal instructions of the then Ministers. Initially, there were different opinions in the new Government on clearing the liabilities but, of late, the Government has decided to clear the liabilities slowly.
Dr Nirmal Singh told the Excelsior that the new mechanism adopted by the Government for clearing liabilities and keeping equal funds for existing and new works in the district would give boost to the development and ensure that the ongoing projects didn’t suffer.
Sources said Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed will also be taking up the issue of Shahpur Kandi barrage with his Punjab counterpart Prakash Singh Badal very soon and stressed upon him to implement 1979 agreement reached between the then Governments of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. He called upon the BJP Ministers also to take up the matter with Punjab Government, where the BJP is coalition partner of Akali Dal.
Punjab had unilaterally terminated 1979 agreement in 2004 and refused to release Ranjit Sagar dam water to Jammu and Kashmir through which Shahpur barrage had to be constructed. A large portion of Kandi belt from Lakhanpur to Samba would have benefited in harvesting if the water was released.
Mufti Sayeed said he would also take up the matter with the Central Government to seek their intervention in construction of Shahpur Kandi canal for benefit of the people of Kathua district especially the farmers.
Mufti also announced that the Government has worked out new mechanism for construction of roads under which the contractors would be responsible for their maintenance for a period of at least three years. “This will ensure that the contractors construct good roads,” he said.
He called upon the Government officers to work in transparent manner and provide corruption free administration to the people. The officers shouldn’t get a tag of any political party on them, he said.
On the suggestions of Dr Nirmal Singh, the Chief Minister announced that all Government brochures in future will carry photographs of Basohli art while mango villages will be developed in Kathua on the pattern of apple and apricot villages in the Kashmir valley.
The Chief Minister also announced adoption of Model Schools in every district.
Describing Kathua and Samba as the `Gateway and Industrial Hub’ of the State respectively, Sayeed called upon the administration to take full advantage of the revised financing scheme which focused on decentralization and assigns greater role and responsibility to the districts.
He called upon the administrators to take full ownership of developmental projects for creation of productive assets and effective implementation of social sector schemes.
Besides the Chairmen of Samba and Kathua District Development Boards, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh and Minister for I&C, Chander Prakash respectively, Union Minister of State in PMO and Development of North Eastern States, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister for Health & Medical Education, Ch. Lal Singh, Minister for Finance, Dr. Haseeb A. Drabu, Legislators, Rajiv Jasrotia, Jeevan Lal, Kuldeep Raj, Lal Singh, Devender Kumar Manyal, Sham Lal Baghat and Noor Hussain, attended the meeting.
While Rs.162.18 crore capital allocations for Kathua district has been approved, for district Samba, a capital plan allocation of Rs 86.62 crore was given nod during the Board meetings.
Describing spending as a huge challenge under the new framework for developmental spending, the Chief Minister flagged education, health, tourism and agriculture as the prime focus areas of the Government.
Calling for proper leveraging of funds allocated to the districts, Mufti Sayeed observed that officers shall be responsible for capital spending so that liabilities on account of unfinished works and completion of ongoing projects is ensured, which will pave way for taking up of new projects.
The Chief Minister issued directions for immediate up-gradation of all roads in Kathua and Samba, in particular Kathua-Basohli Road to improve access to Ranjit Sagar Dam, which the Government is promoting as an independent water-sports destination.
In order to hold contractors accountable for executing road projects, the Chief Minister said the Government will make it binding upon them to maintain roads for three years.
Referring to the dearth of specialist doctors and nurses in the health sector, Mufti Sayeed said the new Recruitment Policy, which is on the anvil, will ensure appointment of qualified medical and paramedical staff in the district and State cadres.
During the Board meeting of Samba, besides taking wide ranging decisions for development of one of the smallest districts, the Chief Minister appreciated the literacy rate of 81 per cent, which is the highest in the State.
Crediting Minister for Education for taking the sector to a higher pedestal, the Chief Minister said the quality of education in government schools will be Government’s top most priority and it will strive to match it with the best schools in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh praised the Finance Minister for the paradigm shift and presenting a criteria-based development plan which is also part of the Agenda of Alliance of the Coalition partners.
Earlier, Minister for Finance Dr Haseeb Drabu gave a brief of the new process of funding that will cover Panchayat projects, district development works, State’s own programmes, Centrally-Sponsored Schemes, externally-aided projects and rehabilitation programmes.
Also present in the meetings where Principal Secretary, Planning, B. R. Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B. B. Vyas, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Commissioner / Secretary, School Education, Shaleen Kabra, Commissioner / Secretary, Health & Medical Education, M. K. Bhandari, Secretary PHE, I&FC, Pervez Malik, Secretary to Chief Minister, M. H. Malik, Divisional Heads, besides Deputy Commissioners of Samba and Kathua and senior officers of the two districts.
DDB Kathua major decisions
l Improvement / macadamization of roads forthwith; Contractors to maintain roads for three years
l Up-gradation of Kathua-Basohli Road up to Ranjit Sagar Dam.
l Amusement Park at Kathua.
l To boost irrigation sector, seek Centre’s intervention in resolving Shahpur Kandi Canal issue with the Punjab Government.
l Promotion of Basohli miniature paintings.
l Development of parking slot to decongest town
l Rainwater harvesting to be popularized. Land to be identified for Tank Reservoirs
l Plan to be formulated for setting up Mango Village to boost horticulture sectors
l Taking up of GHSS Hiranagar as Model School; introducing concepts of Smart Room, e-learning
DDB Samba major decisions
l AMT School at Samba
l Boys HSS Samba to be taken up as Model School
l Blood Bank at District Hospital, Samba
l Rationalization of Primary Health Centres
l Flood protection works to be taken up on priority.
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