Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, June 13: Notwithstanding repeated commitments made before the Planning Commission of India during Annual Plan presentations and Memorandum of Association with the Union Ministry of Urban Development, Jammu and Kashmir’s Urban Reforms Report Card has not shown any change during the past several years. Out of 23 mandatory reforms, only 16 have been completed till date while as the rest of the same continued to remain partially completed.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM), whose primary objective is to create economically productive, efficient, equitable and responsive cities through set of defined measures, Jammu and Kashmir like another other State of the country was required to carry out urban reforms as contained in the guidelines of the scheme.
The reforms were required to be undertaken at the State and Urban Local Bodies level in two parts—mandatory and optional as per the timeframe fixed by the State Government in the Memorandum of Association signed with the Union Ministry, they said, adding these reforms were linked by the Union Ministry with the financial assistance to be provided under JNNURM.
However, the State has failed to carry out all the reforms till date despite the fact that repeated commitments were made in this regard before the Planning Commission of India during the Annual Plan presentations that too by none else than the Chief Minister.
“During the Annual Plan presentation for the financial year 2010-11 before the Planning Commission of India on June 18, 2010, the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah had mentioned that the Government was committed to urban reforms in a phased manner over a period of two years as agreed with the Union Ministry of Urban Development”, sources informed.
The Chief Minister even mentioned that the road map is ready for carrying out urban reforms as required under JNNURM, they said, adding again during the Annual Plan presentation for the financial year 2011-12 on June 15, 2011, the Chief Minister had reiterated this commitment.
“But the commitments have turned out hollow with the passage of time as the Reforms Report Card of Jammu and Kashmir as prepared by the JNNURM Mission Director of the Union Government has not shown any improvement during the past some years”, sources.
They disclosed that out of 23 reforms, the State has fully carried out 16 reforms while as rest of the reforms continued to remain partially implemented during the past several years, adding out of maximum 230 scores the State has achieved 188 scores despite the fact that commitments were made about 100% reforms.
Elaborating further, sources said, “as far as Urban Local Bodies level reforms are concerned, achievement has been made with regard to three points—internal earmarking of funds for services to urban poor, provision of basic service and shift to accrual based double entry accounting”, adding “in these reforms, the State has achieved 43.5 score out of 60 score (10 score for each reform)”.
However, the performance vis-à-vis reforms related to property tax, 100% O&M cost recovery in water supply and SWM and e-governance continued to remain dismal and static, they said, adding “in these reforms the State has achieved 2, 4 and 7.5 scores respectively”.
As far as State level reforms are concerned, the State has performed much better by achieving 65 scores against total 70 while as in the optional reforms at the State/ULB level, State has scored 79 points as it has not carried out structural reforms and encouraging public private participation.
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