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| J&K awaits Independence Day gift from Modi | | | If the PDP-BJP coalition Government expects
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to announce
a special financial package for Jammu and Kashmir during his Independence Day function, the State Government is not to be faulted for nursing such hopes. In fact if the PDP opted for forging an alliance with the BJP in March last it did so only to secure financial support from the BJP led NDA Government. The Muftis’ had hoped that sharing power with the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir could ensure financial aid from the Central Government where the BJP is in power. However, during the last over seven months the PDP leadership's calculation on this front has gone wrong because till date the state Government has not received any financial package from the Central Government. The PDP had expected Modi to make an announcement on the special financial package when he had visited Jammu before the Eid celebrations. But he had disappointed not only the coalition Government but majority of people who had suffered severe losses owing to unprecedented floods and landslides in September 2014 that had hit Jammu and Kashmir, bigger damage was experienced in the Kashmir valley. And the previous NC-Congress coalition Government had submitted what is called a report on the loss assessment. The report had indicated that the flood loss was to the tune of Rs.44,000 crores. The BJP led NDA Government had doubted the authenticity and accuracy of the loss assessment report and that should have been one of the reasons for the inordinate delay in releasing funds for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people and for rebuilding the infrastructure that had been damaged by the floods. Well withholding financial package on the basis of inaccurate or exaggerated loss assessment report seems to lack political justification. Since the World Bank team had released a report on the loss assessment the BJP led NDA Government should have released funds for relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people on the basis of this report. It was not done allowing an opportunity for the people to get disenchanted with the PDP-BJP coalition Government. The State Government has been facing the problem of financial crunch from day one of its taking over from the NC-Congress coalition Government which may have not allowed the PDP leadership to release adequate financial package for the flood hit people. This is said to have raised the level of peoples' alienation and anger against the Central and the State Governments. Once people in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the valley, feel enraged over the poor governance it allows a chance to separatists and militants for registering their presence. This is what has been happening in the Kashmir valley during the last four months. And the biggest danger to peace emanates from repeated ceasefire violations by the Pakistani forces on the LoC and on the IB in the state. Hence it has become mandatory for the Central Government to sanction sufficient funds for Jammu and Kashmir which could lower the level of peoples' alienation. Now that fresh hopes have dawned in Kashmir with reports indicating that Modi may announce a financial package of Rs. one lakh crores for the state. This financial package is not going to be spent only on relief and rehabilitation of flood affected people and on rebuilding the infrastructure that had been damaged because of floods but more than 50 per cent of the package is to be spent on schemes which may increase power generation. Part of the package may also be spent on some development projects. If Mufti Mohd. Sayeed had preferred alliance with the BJP to sharing power with the National Conference and the Congress he had done so to ensure proper development of the state. Reports do indicate that the BJP led NDA Government has fears that official and Government agencies, especially people working in them, may swindle major part of the Central financial package. In this connection it would be proper for the centre to set up a committee of experts, all non-state subjects, to monitor utilization of funds on each development project instead of delaying release of funds. In reality the wheel of development has moved quite slowly in Jammu and Kashmir for the last six to seven years and if the BJP wants to register its presence in Jammu and Kashmir it should be quite liberal in releasing funds for various development projects. Will Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, oblige Mufti Sayeed and people of Jammu and Kashmir by announcing a hefty financial package for J&K on August 15 ?. People and politicians await the announcement. |
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