*Only 3 proposals full of ambiguities received in 18 months
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 5: PDP-BJP Coalition Government’s much hyped Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode for bridging infrastructure deficit in crucial sectors has failed to become reality despite lapse of nearly one and half year due to non-serious approach at all the levels. Moreover, an exclusive cell in the Finance Department announced for ensuring effective coordination with the concerned departments has yet not been made fully functional.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that State Cabinet vide Decision No.169/13/2015 dated December 2, 2015 accorded sanction for adopting Public Private Partnership mode for funding infrastructure development projects. Accordingly, on December 4, 2015, Minister for Finance, Dr Haseeb A Drabu announced that PPP mode will help the Government for time-bound creation of assets keeping in view infrastructure deficit in crucial sectors and financial constraints.
He had even identified 10 key sectors like roads, tourism, housing, urban development, sports, technical education, health, horticulture, industries and mining for implementation of PPP mode Moreover, the Finance Minister listed sector wise projects identified for taking up under Public Private Partnership.
Following this announcement, Commissioner/ Secretary to Government, Finance Department Navin K Choudhary vide Government Order No.238-F of 2015 dated December 8, 2015 accorded sanction to the creation of PPP Cell in the Finance Department and establishment of Steering Committee headed by Chief Secretary.
It was mentioned in the order that PPP Cell will assist, apprise and guide the line departments; adopt and develop model documents for different sectors and coordinate efforts of line departments for furtherance of the objectives of the policy. Similarly, it was stated that Steering Committee will oversee the selection, formulation and implementation of the PPP mode within the laid down timelines.
However, despite lapse of nearly one and half year the Government has failed to make PPP Cell in the Finance Department fully functional by deputing special manpower so as to guide and help the departments in formulation of project proposals for taking up under PPP framework, sources informed.
They disclosed that since December 2015 only three proposals—one each from the Roads and Buildings, Tourism and Estates Departments were received by officers of the Finance Department, who have been asked to look after PPP mode work as interim arrangement.
However, none of these proposals could be cleared for placement before the Steering Committee headed by Chief Secretary and comprising of Administrative Secretaries of Planning, Finance, Revenue, Law and of the concerned department mainly because of ambiguities, sources said, adding in the absence of fully functional PPP Cell the departments of R&B, Tourism and Estates could not get proper guidance while formulating proposals as such the same were found full of errors.
All these proposals were returned to the concerned departments with queries and comments for necessary corrective steps but nothing was heard from these departments thereafter, sources further informed.
“It seems that hype which was created over the Cabinet decision faded with the passage of time otherwise the PPP Cell could have been made fully functional by one stroke of the pen by deputing special manpower for providing necessary guidance to the concerned departments”, sources regretted, adding “it has become a routine in Jammu and Kashmir to abandon the important issues after creating much publicity”.
“In this way, the plans vis-à-vis creation of assets in vital sectors in a time bound manner have remained confined to the papers only despite the fact that infrastructural deficit is still persisting in these 10 key sectors”, they further said.
When contacted, two officers of the Finance Department, on the condition of anonymity, said that non-serious approach from all the concerned quarters has created impediments in giving practical shape to PPP mode, which otherwise is being given much thrust worldwide as this mode doesn’t put any financial burden on the exchequer of the Governments.
“The foremost step to give practical shape to the PPP mode is to make PPP Cell fully functional so that concerned departments are extended all sort of support right from the stage of formulation of project proposals to their clearance by the Steering Committee”, they suggested, adding “the Government must keep in mind that it cannot afford to ignore this mode especially in view of weak financial condition of the State”.
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