Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 17: J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman and former Minister, Harshdev Singh has expressed grave concern over the withholding of huge amount of State funds by Government of India (GoI) under Annual Plan, PMRP and Centrally sponsored schemes due to adverse posturing by Planning Commission of India (PCI) now re-christened as National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
The former Minister said that PCI had indicated a ceiling of Rs 7300 crore under Annual Plan,Rs 600 crore under PMRP and Rs 4000 crore under Centrally sponsored schemes for 2014-15 but shockingly not even 50% of the funds under the aforesaid heads had been released causing unprecedented crisis in the State.
He said that it was most deportable that despite the current financial year coming to a close the desirable amount of funds had not been released in favour of the State which had stalled all development related activity and created impediments in the creation of public infrastructure envisaged for the current year.
He regretted the neglect and total disregard of J&K State despite it being a special category State. He said besides financial crisis and cash crunch in the State, the NITI Aayog’s delinquency had deprived several thousands of employees of their wages and salaries in addition to burgeoning dues and work done claims of contractors.
He said that the NDA Govt’s announcement of financial reforms had raised expectations of equitable distribution of resources for the upliftment of the down trodden classes and economically weaker sections not in one State but all of them. Nothing of the sort happened, he lamented adding further that whereas other States were adequately funded and given the assured financial assistance, J&K was ignored despite it having a limited working season.
Flaying the highly discriminatory approach of NITI Aayog, Singh called upon the Prime Minister to intervene and to restrain the said planning institute from according any prejudicial treatment to a sensitive State like J&K.
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