J&K fails to incorporate Monitoring mechanism for various Centrally Sponsored Schemes

Neeraj Rohmetra
JAMMU, June 14: Central Government has pulled up the State Government for its failure for putting in place a Vigilance and Monitoring mechanism at different levels for implementation of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes being implemented across the State.
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR, “the situation could be gauged from the fact that several Central Ministries have issued guidelines several times since the year 2002 for formulation of Committees at State and even district level for effective monitoring of these schemes. But, the successive Governments’ chose not to constitute these committees despite several reminders”.
Expressing resentment over the failure of State Government to introduce the Monitoring Mechanism , Union Rural Development Minister, Jairam Ramesh has written a letter bearing D.O No. Q-13016/2/2012-VMC to Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah while seeking his personal intervention in the matter.
“The Ministry of Rural Development had introduced a system of Vigilance and Monitoring Committees at State and district level in all States during the year 2002. The primary objective of Vigilance and Monitoring Committees is to ensure quality of expenditure on all the programmes of Ministry of Rural Development”, says the letter addressed to Chief Minister.
The letter further added, “the State level Committee is to be chaired by the Minister in charge of Rural Development in the State, while the Committee at the district level is chaired generally by the a Member of Lok Sabha. These Committee play a crucial role for the Member of Parliament and elected representatives of people in the State Legislatures and Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of Rural Development programmes”.
“Union Ministry has been advising your State time and again to set up such Committees at State level and in all districts for effective monitoring of various schemes.  These Committees are expected to meet in every quarter, to ensure that four meeting of each Committee take place in an year”, says the communication addressed to Chief Minister.
The letter while elaborating on the importance of these Committee to monitor various other Centrally sponsored scheme says, “in addition to the programmes of the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, programmes of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) come under the purview of the district level Committees.”
Regretting the non-functioning of these Committee, the letter says, “while these Committee had been setup up in almost all States and districts, meetings are not taking place as frequently as required. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development has also viewed this matter very seriously”, adding, “the Parliamentary Standing Committee expects regular meetings of the Vigilance and Monitoring Committees (at both State and district level) to take place in accordance with the guidelines”.
While seeking personal intervention of Chief Minister, the letter concludes saying, “I therefore request you to kindly review the position and issue necessary instructions to all concerned to set up VMCs at State level and districts and ensure that meeting are held as frequently as stipulated in the guidelines”.
Earlier, on April 23  in a four paged letter (D.O P-17025/73/2012/RC) written to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Mr Ramesh had threatened to stop funding for  Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) scheme for dismal performance of the State Government in implementation of the scheme.
The letter had stated that delay in execution of the program, improper monitoring, poor spending on creation and maintenance of the assets and poor quality of works was hitting the scheme in J&K.
The PMGSY is Government of India-funded program aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations in rural areas.

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