Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 29: As many as 6600 small, medium and big projects of Jammu and Kashmir have been stalled due to delay in sanction of Rs 1900 crores worth Special Plan Assistance (SPA) to the State by the Planning Commission of India, top official sources told the Excelsior.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would be taking up the matter with Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission of India Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia next week due to inordinate delay in release of J&K’s agreed SPA, which has stalled 6600 projects, sources said.
This is for the first time that even after the lapse of about eight months of the financial year, the State hasn’t been provided any amount under the SPA.
Sources said the Planning Commission of India had asked the State Government to prepare a detailed list of the projects it would execute under the SPA during current financial year of 2013-14 before the release of SPA. The State Government completed the exercise a long back and submitted it to the Planning Commission of India.
“After the submission of details of projects, the Planning Commission of India hasn’t released any amount even when eight months of the current financial year were about to lapse,’’ sources said.
Pointing out that all queries raised by the Planning Commission of India pertaining to the projects as a pre-condition to release of SPA have been properly replied, sources said: “even after the replies the Planning Commission has not released the funds’’.
Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated Rs 1900 crores worth funds under SPA, which formed part of annual plan for 2013-14.
With last year’s experience in mind when the Planning Commission had imposed a cut of Rs 1500 crores in annual plan of the State, sources said top officials of the State Government have sent repeated reminders to the Planning Commission officials seeking early release of the SPA especially when just three months have been left for the completion of the financial year.
They added that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was now likely to take up the matter with Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia personally seeking immediate release of the SPA if it was not released within a week or so.
Sources noted that there has been no valid reason for the Planning Commission of India to delay release of funds under the SPA especially when the State Government has completed all formalities and replied to all queries of the Commission, sought by it through various communications to the Planning Development Department.
The State had been granted Rs 7300 crores worth annual plan for 2013-14, which was equal to the amount approved during 2012-13. However, during 2012-13, the State had ended up with getting only Rs 5800 crores as the Planning Commission had imposed a cut of nearly Rs 1500 crores under various components.
The State feared that the Planning Commission could adopt similar tactics during current financial year of 2013-14 and that was why the Chief Minister has decided to take up the matter with the Union Finance Minister as well as the Planning Commission seeking early release of funds, sources said.
It may be mentioned here that during current financial year, the Planning Commission wanted to give only Rs 5800 crores worth plan to Jammu and Kashmir, which was strongly resented by the State Government. After various hiccups and delay in finalisation of plan, the State was given Rs 7300 crores worth plan, still Rs 700 crores less than what it had asked for.
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