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| As working season nears end in Kashmir, 50% funds remain un-utlised | | |
Muhammad Mukaram
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 3: With the peak working season nearing end in Kashmir, around 50 percent developmental funds have remained unutilized due to ongoing unrest with some politicians and bureaucrats making efforts to divert the same to Jammu region.
As Kashmir valley has been paralysed since July 8, the works on various developmental projects have been stopped in view of the prevailing situation in the Valley.
A senior official of the Roads and Buildings Department said around 50 percent developmental funds which were to be spent in the current fiscal year have not been utilized so far.
"Around Rs 700 crores of the Rs 1400 crores reserved for developmental works in Kashmir this year have remained un-utilized so far," the official said. He said the Kashmir has a limited working season so there are least chances of utilizing the rest of the funds in this fiscal year.
"Like in the past, whenever there was any disturbance in Kashmir, funds remained unutilized in the Valley and the same were diverted to Jammu region. During the 2010 agitation, government withdrew crores of rupees meant for infrastructure development in the Valley and diverted the same to Jammu region," the official said. He said there is a strong lobby of politicians and bureaucrats who always want that unutilized funds of developmental activities in Kashmir should be diverted to Jammu region.
The Kashmir region has a limited working season from April to October and the region's developmental activities are worst affected when there is delay in the approval of annual plan from the centre or there is some disturbance in the Valley. Government has announced Rs 1400 crore developmental plan for Kashmir region and Rs 1500 for Jammu for the fiscal year 2016-2017.
"Although there are still six months left of the current year but now least developmental works are possible in Kashmir due to change in weather unlike in Jammu region where the working season has now started," the official said. Almost all the ministries especially from the BJP are presently staying in Jammu and monitoring the developmental works ther.
Sources said the Roads and Buildings Department had set up a target for completion of over 50 bridges by March 2017 which are likely to miss the deadline due to the prevailing situation as no work is being done under the present circumstances.
Besides that work on some vital projects including Jahangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover, construction of surface water drainage system in Athwajan, water pipeline Doodhganga, water drainage system Rawalpora and other projects have been stopped. All these major projects which are handled by Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) and financed by Asian Development Bank (ADB) have missed deadlines while most of the skilled and semi-skilled labourers have abandoned the construction sites.
Minister for Public Works Department Abdul Rehman Veeri admitted that developmental works have been affected by the ongoing crisis in the Valley. "We are making efforts to utilize the developmental funds properly in the Valley," he said.
However, he ruled out that funds meant for developmental activities in Kashmir would be diverted to Jammu region. |
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