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80,000 CRORE PACKAGE IF IMPLEMENTED TRANSPARENTLY, J&K WILL EMERGE AS ROLE MODEL FOR REST OF THE COUNTRY

Young Bites. Dated: 1/24/2020 11:05:20 AM

The Modi government at the center has so far approved a package of Rs 80,000 crore for the development of Jammu and Kashmir. A team of ministers is currently on a tour of the valley to communicate with the local people of Jammu and Kashmir and apprise them of various schemes launched by the govt for the benefit of people at large. If the work is done with a proper road map and if the corrupt officials are not involved in the implementation of the development works, then the time is not far when the UT J&K will emerge as a role model for rest of the country. All the projects which have been sanctioned are for the overall development of the UT. The erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state government could only spend 37% of Rs 80,000 crore economic package. At a time when the package was announced, it was decided by the Central government that the sanctioned amount would be spent in five years and the developmental works under the package had to be completed by the ending 2020. That time limit has crossed, but let us keep our fingers crossed and think positively that the projects will be completed very soon. Official figures reveal that of Rs 80,068 crore developmental package, Rs 30,049 crore was released till 31 March 2019 for the erstwhile state of J&K which has now been bifurcated into two union territories. As per the records, the erstwhile J&K state government has completed only 18 out of 63 projects under the package in four years time. The other projects are at various stages of implementation. The package was announced in Srinagar by PM just a year after Kashmir was overcoming the devastation caused by September 2014 floods. If the work had been done at the pace, it was desired, there would have been no problem in sending utilization certificates (UCs) to the Center. However, it could not happen and the UCs were not sent in time resulting in a delay in the release of more funds. Governor’s administration in the erstwhile state had a number of times expressed concern over the delay in completion of works under the package. The Governor’s rule was imposed in J&K last year in June after the fall of PDP-BJP alliance. Pertinently, earlier this year, a parliamentary panel had expressed concern over the slow pace of work on developmental projects in J&K. It is unlikely that in next one or two years all the remaining projects under the package will be completed. Now as the J&K has become a union territory since October 31, we hope that the Center may give at least further two years to complete the projects. The people of J&K want development, people are fed up of strikes, curfews and now people want development in all sectors be it education, health, sports, infrastructure etc. So the need of time is to make a transparent road map for the completion of all the projects which are in pipeline from years. Yes we want our UT of J&K to be called paradise on earth again.