T&D, Mughal road to get priority in PMRP
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 9: The high level delegation of the State Government would seek maximum grant for social, health and tourism sectors from the Planning Commission of India in the annual plan meeting schedule at Yojana Bhawan in New Delhi on June 12.
The delegation, which would be leaving for New Delhi on Monday from Srinagar, a day ahead of the crucial meeting with Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi, has got briefing from top brass of the Government and the civil administration. It would be asking for maximum grants in the annual plan for 2012-13, for all important sectors like social, health and tourism.
“All other sectors would also be projected appropriately. They too would get required focus for the current financial year, which has already begun on April 1. However, the Government has decided to seek handsome amount under three major sectors’’, official sources told the Excelsior.
The State would be asking for a whopping amount of Rs 2532 crore for Social Services, which included health, Social Welfare and related sectors in which the people were being provided services at subsidized rates or ‘no profit no loss’ basis.
As power sector remained a troublesome zone for the State, the Government would seek nearly Rs 450 crore for power sector under the annual plan and a special grant for it for two to three years to improve Transmission and Distribution (T&D) system.
The delegation would also be seeking an enhanced outlay for tourism sector as tourists to all three regions of the State were expected to touch an all time high this year.
Sources said the Government has been facing financial constraints in health sector in all three regions. Therefore, it has decided to ask for enhanced outlay under the annual plan for health sector, which formed part of Social Services, to improve health services all across the State.
Recently, GB Pant hospital in Srinagar had been in news for deaths of a number of children. Sources said most of the health institutions across the State were facing financial constraints leading to decline in health services. With expected improvement in health sector, the State was confident of improving condition of hospitals and provide better health care facilities to the people.
Similarly, power was another sector, in which the people had been facing a lot of problems, both in Jammu and Kashmir divisions. In the winter, entire Kashmir Valley had faced acute power crisis while in summer, Jammu has been facing prolonged power cuts.
“It was in this context that the State had asked for Rs 455 crore under power sector in annual plan’’, sources said. In addition, they added, the State would be asking for a special power reforms grant for at least three years for complete overhaul of power infrastructure.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has already assured a special power grant to the State worth Rs 100 crore this year for special areas of Kashmir and Jammu, which faced acute power crisis during winter and summer months.
The State had staked claim for Rs 7300 crore under annual plan for 2012-13 and Rs 700 crore under PMRP.
In PMRP also, the State would be asking for Rs 195 crore for improving Transmission and Distribution losses. It would also be asking for Rs 105 crore for further construction and development of Mughal road, linking twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley.
Worthwhile to mention here that the State has been sending an all time largest delegation of about 25 top bureaucrats including all Administrative Secretaries and Heads of Departments in Planning and Finance Departments to seek highest ever plan of Rs 7300 crore for 2012-13 and Rs 700 crore under PMRP besides staking claim for handsome amount under other Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
After June 12 meeting, which would last full days with Administrative Secretaries giving exhaustive presentation to PC member BK Chaturvedi, the State would have “resource level’’ meeting with the Commission in which it would explain its ways and means to fund the plan. It would be followed by the final meeting between Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather in which annual plan of the State would be clinched.
In June 12 meeting, the State delegation would be headed by Chief Secretary Madhav Lal.
Tuesday’s plan meeting is only second meeting of the State with the Planning Commission of India, the first being as far back as December 15, 2011, which was attended by Administrative Secretaries of Planning and Finance Department only.
Last year, the State had Rs 6600 crore worth annual and Rs 1200 crore under PMRP.
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