*MHA seeks response on UCs, land transfer to CAPF
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 22: Jammu and Kashmir Government is going to raise the issue of power and water sharing with the Northern States during the meeting of Standing Committee for the Northern Zonal Council being held at Srinagar on May 26. However, it will have to explain the reasons behind delay in submission of Utilization Certificates for the assistance provided under Police Modernization Programme and transfer of land to the Central Armed Police Forces.
Highly placed sources told EXCELSIOR that Standing Committee for the Northern Zonal Council is meeting at Srinagar on May 26 as per the directions issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Chief Secretaries of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, NCR Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh are participating in the meeting.
The Zonal Council meets every year to discuss and make recommendations with regard to any matter of common interest in the field of economic and social planning, matter concerning border disputes with the member States and issues recommended by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
As per the established procedure and practice, Standing Committee meets twice a year—first in May and then in November following which Zonal Council meets under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Home Affairs in which the Chief Ministers of member States participate to resolve the inter-state issues.
Sources said that Standing Committee will review the progress on implementation of recommendations made in the 27th meeting of Northern Zonal Council held on April 25, 2015 at New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh.
They informed that Jammu and Kashmir will raise the demand of share of power from Jhakri Project and share of water from the rivers flowing through Punjab as compensation. These issues were also discussed during a meeting held at New Delhi on February 16, 2016 and now J&K and Punjab Governments will apprise the Standing Committee of the steps taken by both the sides to resolve these two complex issues.
“Though both the Governments held several meetings to sort out these two issues but no consensus has yet been emerged and during the Standing Committee meeting the Chief Secretaries of J&K and Punjab would explain their respective stand for resolving the issue”, sources disclosed, adding “in their respective communications to the Northern Zonal Council, J&K and Punjab have expressed hope about resolving of matter in shortest possible time”.
Disclosing that need for fiscal and infrastructural harmony in Northern States would also come up for discussion during the meeting, sources said that Standing Committee is going to request the Chief Minister of J&K, who is the Vice-Chairman of the Northern Zonal Council, to direct Finance Minister of the State to convene meeting of a committee constituted to look into the matter and make recommendation to the Council for decision.
Earlier, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh was the Vice-Chairman of the Council but he failed to convene meeting of committee constituted to discuss the issue of fiscal and infrastructural harmony in Northern States.
The Standing Committee will seek explanation from the J&K Government about inordinate delay in submission of Utilization Certificates of Police Modernization Scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has issued specific directions for deliberations on this issue keeping in view the fact that most of the States have not been able to utilize the amount released to them under this scheme.
As per the data of MHA, during 2014-15, an amount of Rs 100.35 crore was released to J&K under Non-Plan and Plan head. Similarly, during 2015-16 an amount of Rs 30.90 crore was released under Non-Plan head. However, Utilization Certificates of Rs 108.97 crore were pending up to March 31, 2015.
According to the sources, the Standing Committee will also ask the J&K Government to explain the delay in allocation of suitable land against Key Location Plans to Central Armed Police Forces.
The Key Location Plans in respect of land in Indreshwar Nagar Jammu, Vijaypur, Rajouri, Jammu and Baramulla for establishment of Battalion Headquarters have already been approved but land has not been transferred to the Border Security Force by the J&K Government, sources informed, adding similarly, 300 kanal land for establishment of Reserve Battalion Headquarters has not been transferred to SSB.
They said that J&K Government will also have to convey its stance on framing an Act on the analogy of Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 enacted by the Parliament as the Central Act is not applicable to J&K in view of its special status.
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