*Project fails to take off due to political interventions
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 9: In an embarrassing situation for the State created by repeated political interventions, the Union Government has directed Jammu and Kashmir to return funds released seven years back for setting up of modern abattoir before the end of the current month. Due to this, an expenditure of around Rs 3 crore incurred as ancillary works for the project has gone down the drain and the Housing and Urban Development Department has been left with no other option but to watch the loss to the State exchequer as mute spectator.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Rs 23 crore worth modern abattoir for Jammu was sanctioned by the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries on October 31, 2008. The objective behind the project was to bring an end to the unhealthy practice in the existing slaughter houses established in different parts of Jammu city.
The Ministry even approved grant of Rs 15 crore with the mention that remaining cost would be borne by the State Government, which was also asked to make suitable land available for establishment of scientific abattoir in the outskirts of Jammu city. On March 28, 2009, the Ministry released first installment (10% of grant-in-aid) with the mention that remaining three installments at the rate of 30%, 40% and 20% of the total grant would be released on submission of Utilization Certificates and documents highlighting the progress made on the project.
Accordingly, the Housing and Urban Development Department of the State through Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) identified 3.75 hectares of forest land at Jagti in Nagrota for establishment of modern abattoir. The State Cabinet vide its Decision No.144/12/2010 dated July 27, 2010 accorded sanction for diversion of 3.75 hectares of forest land for the project. This decision was based on the recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee, which had advocated transfer of forest land for the project on the payment of Rs 40 lakh by the Jammu Municipal Corporation as value of land, compensation for trees and poles and compensatory afforestation.
The Jammu Municipal Corporation spent around Rs 3 crore for payment to the Forest Department and leveling of 90% of the identified land. However, political interventions continued to play spoil-sport since 2010 till date as a result of which project failed to take off, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Describing political interventions as uncalled for, sources said that this site was approved not only by a team of the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries but No Objection Certificates were also given by all the concerned agencies of Jammu and Kashmir. “Moreover, there is no habitation in the immediate vicinity of the identified location”, sources further said.
As project has failed to take off despite lapse of seven years, the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries, while expressing serious concern over the slackness on the part of the Housing and Urban Development Department and Jammu Municipal Corporation in getting the obstacles removed, recently dashed a communication to the State asking it to return the money which was released as 10% installment for the project, sources informed.
“The Ministry has observed that the concerned authorities of the State have no intention to make use of the Central funds for construction of modern abattoir”, they said while disclosing that Ministry has fixed time-frame of January 31, 2016 for return of the money.
Stating that J&K has been left with no other option but to return the money, sources said, “the Union Ministry is not going to be convinced with the plan of identifying another land for the project on the ground that seven years have already lapsed and nobody knows whether any other suitable and objection free land can be made available for modern abattoir”.
“In this way, expenditure of around Rs 3 crore has gone down the drain because of the political interventions, which played the spoilsport in making use of the funding of the Union Ministry”, sources said, adding “there is no justification behind stalling shifting of unhygienic slaughter houses from the Jammu city to inhabited area of Jagti especially when the Division Bench of the State High Court has also found this land as most suitable for the project”.
Despite repeated telephonic calls, the Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation, Mandeep Kaur failed to respond on the situation emerged due to the communication of the Union Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Even her subordinates preferred to remain mum on the issue, which clearly established that they too were under some sort of pressure for not speaking officially on the hanging fate of the project.
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