Details

Category: NEWS WRAP UP

Published: 25 February 2015

 

JAMMU:  The Governor, Mr. N.N. Vohra, held an extensive discussion today, at the Raj Bhavan, with Shri B.R. Sharma, Principal Secretary, Planning & Development, and Shri B.B. Vyas, Principal Secretary, Finance, to draw up an Action Plan for ensuring effective, optimal and timely utilization of funds which will be available to the State following the 14th Finance Commission Award. The Governor observed that he had received a letter from the Prime Minister which informed that a record increase of 10% in the devolution of the divisible pool resources to the States, from the erstwhile 32% to 42%, has been recommended by the 14th Finance Commission. Thus, the total devolution to J&K in 2015-16 will be significantly higher than that in 2014-15. This provides an excellent opportunity to the State to move away from the hitherto centralized planning framework and make full use of the freedom to plan the future development of the State as per identified needs and priorities.

 

The Governor directed the Principal Secretary Planning to urgently constitute a Committee under his chairmanship which would have representatives of Finance and the Planning Departments to review all existing schemes and programmes after hearing the views of the concerned Administrative Secretaries, representatives of the Academia and knowledgeable members of the civil society. The Committee should prepare a critical appraisal of all the existing schemes and programmes supported by the Centre and those funded under the State Plan, as the State now has the complete freedom to drop, modify or continue schemes and programmes entirely as per its requirements and priorities.

This review should be carried out on a time bound basis so that the Committee’s recommendations are timely considered and decided by the incoming political government. The Governor noted that the Prime Minister has, in his letter, already assured the support of the Union Government, particularly of the NITI Aayog, in helping the State to develop a strategy and its execution through ideas, knowledge and technology.

 

The Governor reiterated that the funds which are being available should be utilized to address the key challenges before the State with focus on the poor, farmers, common men and women and youth and children to create an enabling environment in which they can realize their full potential. Shri Vohra asked the Principal Secretaries, of the Planning and Finance Departments to jointly come up with an identification of key priorities and for the resources being deployed accordingly.

 

After discussions it was decided that the review should, interalia, focus on identifying schemes which are not relevant to the State and can , therefore, be discontinued; the schemes which require certain modifications to better meet our requirements and new and innovative schemes to meet the State’s specific needs and requirements should also be identified. The Governor directed that the resources should be properly utilized by sharply focusing on those schemes which can have monitorable outcomes instead of spreading the resources thinly for taking up a large number of schemes which may not get completed over a long period of time.

Such rationalization will help in ensuring delivery for the benefit of common people in respect of the identified high priority schemes. The Governor also reviewed the status of preparation of the Budget and Plan for the next financial year. He was informed that the requisite exercise undertaken by the Planning and Finance Departments has since been completed. The Governor asked the Planning and Finance Secretaries to keep the Vote on Account ready for a decision by the incoming government.