Published On:Saturday, 18 October 2014
DDB meetings likely to be cancelled
SRINAGAR: Despite the Planning and Development Department having asked the authorities to hold District Development Board (DDB) meetings in the month of May-June, the district plans are yet to be approved by the State.
Around six months of the current financial year have already gone, leaving little time to make full expenditure of annual funds due to limited working season especially in Kashmir when winter is approaching.
While as Principle Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma said they had asked the chairman of each DDB to hold meetings in May-June. “These meetings are yet to be held in the State,” Sharma told The Kashmir Monitor.
However, he said the delay in the approval of the district plan by the DDB meetings won’t affect the ongoing works of districts but new works won’t be started till the DDBs approve the district plan.
Only the DDB meeting of Pulwama district has been held so far. Last year, the DDB meetings were held in June-July.
Sharma said the DDB meetings were also deferred in view of the recent floods that hit the State in the month of September.
Most of important decisions on development are taken in DDB meetings and are identified by the people’s representatives including concerned Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers, legislators (both MLAs and MLCs).
The developmental works of the State have already come to the halt due to undue delay in the approval of the annual plan 2014-2015.
However, Sharma said the State has been receiving the funds from the Central government as per the proposed annual plan. “Only the working group meet between the State and PCI has not been held. The meeting could not to be held as the NDA has replaced UPA at the Centre,” he said.
State government had proposed its annual plan of Rs 11,900 crore for 2014-2015, which comprising Rs 7300 State plan, Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS) worth Rs 4,000 crore and Rs 600 crore of Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme (PMRP).
J&K is heading for the Assembly elections and Modal Code of Conduct (MCC) is likely to be put in place by the end of this month if the Election Commission of India announces holding of elections in November-December which will bar the Government from taking major administrative decisions including the DDB meetings.
Around six months of the current financial year have already gone, leaving little time to make full expenditure of annual funds due to limited working season especially in Kashmir when winter is approaching.
While as Principle Secretary, Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma said they had asked the chairman of each DDB to hold meetings in May-June. “These meetings are yet to be held in the State,” Sharma told The Kashmir Monitor.
However, he said the delay in the approval of the district plan by the DDB meetings won’t affect the ongoing works of districts but new works won’t be started till the DDBs approve the district plan.
Only the DDB meeting of Pulwama district has been held so far. Last year, the DDB meetings were held in June-July.
Sharma said the DDB meetings were also deferred in view of the recent floods that hit the State in the month of September.
Most of important decisions on development are taken in DDB meetings and are identified by the people’s representatives including concerned Members of Parliament (MPs), ministers, legislators (both MLAs and MLCs).
The developmental works of the State have already come to the halt due to undue delay in the approval of the annual plan 2014-2015.
However, Sharma said the State has been receiving the funds from the Central government as per the proposed annual plan. “Only the working group meet between the State and PCI has not been held. The meeting could not to be held as the NDA has replaced UPA at the Centre,” he said.
State government had proposed its annual plan of Rs 11,900 crore for 2014-2015, which comprising Rs 7300 State plan, Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS) worth Rs 4,000 crore and Rs 600 crore of Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme (PMRP).
J&K is heading for the Assembly elections and Modal Code of Conduct (MCC) is likely to be put in place by the end of this month if the Election Commission of India announces holding of elections in November-December which will bar the Government from taking major administrative decisions including the DDB meetings.
