Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 26: Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba today held review of developmental works under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) at a high-level meeting with top brass of civil administration of Jammu and Kashmir and called for sticking to timeline of the projects and declared that funds were no constraints to expedite the works.
Gauba, who reached Srinagar, the summer capital of the State, this morning chaired a meeting of top bureaucrats of the State including Administrative Secretaries of all Departments connected with the PMDP projects, and reviewed progress of all works undertaken in hands in the State sector.
Sources told the Excelsior that Gauba, who had held similar review of the PMDP in New Delhi with senior officers of Jammu and Kashmir in the Union capital on November 30, called upon the bureaucrats to ensure that the projects under the PMDP didn’t miss deadline as this had the potential of further escalating cost of the projects, which has already jumped from Rs 80,068 crores when it was announced on November 7, 2015 to Rs one lakh crore approximately by the end of last year i.e. in just two years.
Sources said progress on the issues of Kashmiri Pandit migrants including their rehabilitation package, disbursement of compensation to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees, problems of West Pakistani refugees and issues of border dwellers, who were facing the brunt of Pakistan shelling and firing also figured at the high-level review meetings.
The Union Home Secretary held separate review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir with top officers of all security agencies operating in Jammu and Kashmir including Army, BSF, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Intelligence agencies etc and discussed with them the steps required to be taken for peaceful summer and Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage this year and increased flow of tourists to the State.
As the Union Cabinet had recently decided to extend the PMDP for five years, sources said the Union Home Secretary said the State Government should ensure that the projects didn’t jump the timelines as that will further escalate cost of the projects.
Sources said majority of 63 projects of the PMDP, which were under execution, came up for review during the meeting.
Asserting that the State Government officials have pointed out some difficulties in meeting deadlines for some of the projects in view of “limited working season” in major parts of Jammu and Kashmir, reluctance of some major companies to take up work due to “disturbed conditions” etc, sources, however, said the State officials assured the MHA that they were regularly monitoring pace of the projects and would ensure that they meet the deadlines.
According to sources, the MHA, which monitors PMDP, disclosed in the meeting that they have so far sanctioned Rs 62,236 crores out of Rs 80,068 crores worth PMDP without taking the revised cost into account.
However, sources pointed out, it was not only the Jammu and Kashmir Government whose projects were missing timelines but even major projects, which have been undertaken by the Central Government Corporations and Departments in the Central sector, were also getting delayed.
Sources said there has been an increase of about Rs 21,000 crores in the PMDP due to revised cost of various projects, which were either under execution or were in the process of being taken up and the Centre Government has briefed State leadership that they would bear increased cost of the projects.
Not ruling out more increase in cost of the projects, sources pointed out that delay in start of two All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Smart Cities for Jammu and Srinagar and some other mega Projects could further increase cost of the PMDP.
Around Rs 40,000 crore out of the Rs 80,068-crore package have been earmarked for improving road infrastructure, including semi-ring roads in Jammu and Srinagar and up gradation of important highways besides others.
In addition, Rs 11708 crore were meant for power and new and renewable energy. This includes augmentation of power infrastructure and distribution systems, solar power and small hydro projects.
In the power distribution sector, Rs 3790 crore have been earmarked for augmentation of infrastructure for distribution systems including capital cities and tourist destinations. It excludes normal entitlement of J&K under DDUGJY and IPDS, Rs 105 crore were kept for advance technology interventions including smart grids and smart meters, Rs 4153 crore have been sanctioned for Pakal Dul hydropower project while Rs 1115 have been earmarked for Srinagar-Leh 200 KV Transmission Line.
Sources said the summer season in Kashmir, which is about to set-in during the next few days, was being considered very crucial by the MHA as any surge in infiltration attempts would escalate militant activities in the hinterland, which had to potential of badly affecting yet another year of tourist season, which was lost in 2016 in the incidents aftermath of Burhan Wani killing and 2017 due to violent incidents after Srinagar Lok Sabha by-poll.
This aspect, they said, came under high-level review at the security review meeting chaired by the Union Home Secretary.
He also reviewed the steps required to keep infiltration under control and militancy under check in the hinterland besides controlling the street protests, which erupt during gun battles and on some trivial issues to keep situation under control in the Valley this summer.
He also discussed arrangements required for annual Amarnath Ji pilgrimage, which would last two months this year from June 28
The Centre, according to sources, wants the troops to keep infiltration by the militants at bare minimum on the Line of Control (LoC) as well as International Border (IB) as this would keep militancy under control in the hinterland after the killing of over 200 militants last year and many more during first two and half months of this year.
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