Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: The State Government has decided to give major focus on Health, Education and backward areas during upcoming financial year of 2014-15 from Centrally Sponsored Schemes and annual plan while it would be spending a handsome amount on rehabilitation of dwellers of Dal and Nigeen lakes and construction of two room tenements for Kashmiri migrants from the Prime Minister’s Re-construction Plan (PMRP).
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Government has worked out the priority sectors on which it would be spending its projected plan, Centrally Sponsored Schemes and PMRP. Total amount in three categories has been projected at Rs 11,900 crores.
Total amount of Rs 11,900 crores has been separated into Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan, Rs 4000 crores under Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Rs 600 crores PMRP.
Sources said out of Rs 600 crores PMRP for next financial year of 2014-15, the State has allocated Rs 252.28 crores for rehabilitation of dwellers of Dal and Nigeen lakes, Rs 45,61 crores for construction of two room tenements (5242) for Kashmiri migrants and Rs 302.11 crores for Counterpart Fund-Asian Development Bank (ADB): II.
Out of Rs 11,300 crores worth annual plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the Government has allocated highest ever Rs 4436 crores to Social Services, which included Education and Health. Major part of this amount would go to strengthening infrastructure in the two major sectors.
The Government has kept more than double amount for Social Services for 2014-15 as compared to current financial year of 2013-14 when the amount for this sector was Rs 2045 crores only. Both Education and Health sectors have been suffering very badly in the absence of infrastructure, which the Government hoped to strengthen by keeping more than double the amount in these two sectors for the next financial year.
Special Area Programmes, which carried amount for development of backward areas declared by the Government, have been allocated second highest amount of Rs 2338 crores for 2014-15, sources said.
Communication is the only sector for which the Government hasn’t kept any amount.
The Government has allocated Rs 388 crores for Agriculture and Allied Activities for next financial year as compared to Rs 389 crores in the current year, sources said, adding Rural Development was another sector, which has been given manifold hike in the plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The Government has kept a provision of Rs 893 crores for Rural Development for upcoming fiscal year while the amount was just Rs 84 crores in the present year.
Similarly, Transport is another sector, whose allocation has been hiked drastically from just Rs 541 crores in the currency year to Rs 877 crores in the next fiscal year, sources said.
However, the Government has lowered the allocation for Irrigation and Flood Control Department from Rs 336 crores during present year to Rs 196 crores next year. The amount kept for Energy is almost equal at Rs 407 crores for 2014-15 as against Rs 406 crores in the present year. However, Industry and Minerals have been given hike in allocation from Rs 99 crores during 2013-14 to Rs 113 crores next year, sources added.
The Government has allocated Rs 65 crores to Science, Technology and Environment for 2014-15 as compared to Rs 29 crores in 2013-14.
The expenditure under the General Economic Services, which included the expenditure of Finance and Planning and Development Departments has been raised from Rs 863 crores to Rs 947 crores, sources said.
They added that the Government was confident of getting full amount of Rs 11,900 crores projected under annual plan, Centrally Sponsored Schemes and PMRP for 2014-15 even if there was a change of the Government at the Centre after the general elections.
Follow our WhatsApp channel