Neeraj Rohmetra
Jammu, July 9: The High Powered Committee (HPC) of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has approved the State Action Plan (SAP) for modernisation of Police Forces of Jammu and Kashmir State for the year 2015-16 and gave nod for release of non-plan funds to the tune of Rs 44 crores.
However, the Committee expressed its displeasure over the failure to provide Utilization Certificates (UCs) for the funds provided during the earlier financial years and refused to release funds amounting to around Rs 54 crores, which have been withheld due to failure of latter to complete necessary formalities.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR, “though the HPC members unanimously favoured providing liberal funding to the militancy-infested State, the failure of the State Government to provide necessary UC had tied their hands”. Jammu and Kashmir has been classified in the Category ‘A’ State and receives the Police modernisation funds on 90:10 (Centre: State) sharing basis, while several other State are getting assistance on 60:40 (Centre: State) sharing basis.
“Top State officials had submitted the SAP proposal for Modernization of State Police Forces during the financial year 2015-16 before the High Powered Committee today. They also provided details including physical and financial achievements made by the State Government during the past five years and the targets/ projections for the year 2015-16”, sources asserted.
“Rs 44 crore released so far by the MHA shall be utilized for the ‘Non-Plan’ items required by the State Police such as mobility, weapons, equipment, training equipment and forensic equipment”, sources said adding, “the SAP had been formulated by a high-level Committee comprising Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, Finance Secretary and DGP”.
Though Union Home Ministry has been liberal in funding the Police Modernization Plan for this militancy-infested State; the funds for the Scheme have been blocked due to failure of the State Government to provide Utilization Certificates (UCs) for grants released earlier to the State.
“The MHA has been sending repeated reminders to the State Government on the subject since last year, but there is no response from the State Government. The latest reminder dated March 10, 2015 has been sent vide letter no. F.No. 21011/33/2015-PM-I”, sources said.
The reminder issued by Deputy Secretary (PM), Amrik Singh of Union Home Ministry, which says, “the Utilization Certificates furnished by Jammu and Kashmir shall only form basis for release of funds to the State Government. The UCs for unspent balances, pertaining to the previous financial years should be forwarded at the earliest. The UCs are to be furnished by the State Police Administration through the State Home Department for onward transmission to the Police Modernization Division, Ministry of Home Affairs”.
“The Statement of accounts, which has been attached with the communiqué shows unspent balances up to Rs 34.87 crores, for which UCs are pending up to 2012-13. Further MHA had released funds to the tune of Rs 101 crores for the financial year 2013-14 and the State also needs to submit the Utilisation Certificates for the Central funds and State share released utilised and unspent balances for that year”, say the documents.
Dr. S.P. Vaid, ADGP Police Headquarters, when contacted, admitted, “the SAP for police modernisation has been finalised and the MHA has agreed to release funds to the tune of Rs 44 crore under non-plan category”.
Asked about the funds, which had been blocked by the Union Home Ministry, he said, “the officials have categorically told us that no funds will be released till the UCs for the previous financial years are submitted. The matter needs to be dealt with an urgent basis as delays in release of funds have serious consequences for a militancy-infested State like Jammu and Kashmir”.
Sources in State Finance Department, when contacted said, “we have been liberally dealing with all issue referred to by the Home Department. Even recently they had approached us to revalidate funds to the tune of Rs 78 crore and same shall be done shortly”.
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