Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 9: In a significant decision, the State Government has released 100 per cent plan in favour of all districts to ensure speedy completion of developmental works, which were being executed during current financial year of 2013-14.
With this decision of the Planning and Development Department of the State Government, this was after past quite sometime that the districts have been authorized 100 per cent plan authorization for the current fiscal year in the month of October.
“We have authorized 100 per cent plan allocation approved for the districts during the District Development Board (DDB) meetings. The funds would be released in favour of the districts as and when they were received from the Planning Commission in installments,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
The funds from the Planning Commission are received in installments after approval of the annual plan. Bulk of the amount of the plan and other Centrally Sponsored Schemes is released during the last quarter of the financial year.
Sources said the 100 per cent authorization of plan expenditure to the districts with the start of third quarter of the financial year would help the District Development Commissioners to gear up for development works approved in the DDB meetings.
The Government had authorized 25 per cent plan allocation to the districts in the month of April, the first month of 2013-14 financial year, from its own resources in the absence of annual plan approval, which the Planning Commission had sanctioned in the month of July this year after various hiccups.
Another 25 per cent authorization was given to the districts in the month of July soon after approval of the annual plan of the State to the tune of Rs 7300 crores.
However, with the start of third quarter of the financial year, the Government has released entire 100 per cent plan for the districts, which would get funds with the arrival of amount under various heads from the Planning Commission, sources said, adding the Government was confident that the Commission would release funds this financial year as early as possible as the Government would get busy with Lok Sabha elections in January-February next year.
The State had been given only Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan for current financial year of 2013-14 as against Rs 8000 crores projected by it. The plan finalisation was delayed as earlier the Planning Commission had offered Rs 5900 crores only to the State for the plan as against Rs 7300 crores approved for 2012-13. However, the State had eventually been given only Rs 5900 crores plan during 2012-13 and rest of the amount was blocked.
The State had refused to take Rs 5900 crores worth plan this year leading to delay in the finalisation. Finally, the Planning Commission and the State Government had settled for Rs 7300 crores.
The State has been given annual plan for 2013-14, which was equal to the amount given to it during 2012-13 in the absence of any plan hike by the Planning Commission due to financial crunch faced by the Centre apart from some other factors taken into account before approval of the plan.
The Planning and Development Department would shortly review with the District Development Commissioners the expenditure of plan amount during first two quarters and pace of the works undertaken after the approval of DDB meetings.
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