Participate in district plan formulation
In a historic meeting for approval of District Plans (Capex) after implementation of three-tier Panchayati Raj System in J&K, PRIs have taken on the baton of grass root development as they participated in plan formulation while raising several pressing concerns and ideas.
The 2nd District Plan (Capex) meeting held on 16th June 2021 was chaired by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, wherein all the Advisors to LG, Chief Secretary/Financial Commissioner (Finance), J&K, DDC Chairpersons, Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners Jammu/Kashmir besides all DDCs and other senior officers participated.
In this high level meeting, the District Capex Budget 2021-22 for all 20 districts, which is more than double the previous year’s budget of Rs 5134.4 crore, was given the nod with the objective to achieve socio-economic development, sustainable and inclusive growth at the gross root level and to strengthen basic amenities along with development of human capital.
Pertinently, with the implementation of three-tier system, a bottom approach was adopted for district plan formulation process, in which all Panchayats/BDCs/DDCs were active participants.
During the meeting, all the DDC chairpersons and District Development Commissioners shared highlights of their District Plans, besides apprising the officials of their concerns and ideas. They presented their progress indicating the plan size of their respective Districts, informed about the priority sectors of their respective Districts and provided details of the projects which are to be completed during the current financial year 2021-22.
Some of the points raised by representatives of Jammu district are Development of pilgrims tourist spots at Showa Mata, Jhiri, Baba mahi Mal, Baba Kai Dev Sthan Maira Mandrian & mathwar; Creation of PHE Mech. Division at Akhnoor; Up-gradation of sports stadium at Bhalwal, gharota & Marh; Approval of 11 No. of works of water stressed areas as priority- under JJM prioritized by District Development Council/ BOC for which the matter has been taken with Mission Director, JJM, J&K.
Similarly, representatives of Kathua raised the following points – Mining permission in Basohli area, as all the land along the river bed is either submerged in Ranjit Sagar Dam or is Forest land. Therefore, no blocks either for auction or extraction by Panchayat could be identified; Under JJM so far only works below ~ 1.00 crores being taken as directed by Jal Shakti Department. It is covering only 34 schemes. Works for more than ~ 1.00 crores should be authorized for timely completion and utilization of funds; Better road connectivity and tourism Infrastructure should be developed in hilly region of the District, Bani, Basohli and Billawar etc; Sanctioning of Double Lanning of Road from Lakhanpur Mahanpur-Basohli upto Dunera; Construction of Toll Tunnel through Sundrikot Shivalik Ridge near Bhini River Ridge (Billawar); Widening of Dayalachack-Challan road; Balance work of construction of Bani- Billawar road via Derigala (about 10 Km).
PRIs from Kishtwar talked about Opening of Kishtwar-Sinthan Road for Travelers; Forest Clearance of Lopara to Hanzal Road and Marwah to Hanzal Road; Employment to Land losers in Power Projects; Permanent job for land losers in CVPPL; Electrification of Marwah & Warwan; Shortage of Doctors/ Paramedical staff in Health department.
Sanction of Trauma Hospital for District Poonch; Completion of Mini Secretariat at Poonch and Mendhar under languishing projects; Opening of Mughal Road for general public; Filling up of vacant posts of Health and Education department; Development of Tourism potential in District Poonch; Construction of Ring Road in Poonch were some of the demands of PRIs from Poonch.
Those from Rajouri highlighted that Border Area Development Plan for the year 2021-22 needs to be modified/re-casted in consultation with the District Dev. Council as 4 years Perspective Plan from 2020-21 to 2023-2024 has already been formulated and submitted to the Planning Development & Monitoring Department by the District; The ceiling provided under Urban Development Sector is very meager and needs to be enhanced; Action Plan under SCA to TSS/ Article 275(i) for the year 2021-22 needs to be formulated in consultation with the District Development Council; State Capex Budget has to be formulated in consultation with the District Development Council; In order to overcome the water scarcity problem in the District, the Jal Jeevan Mission needs to be implemented as early as possible; DPRs for development of Tourism need to be formulated/ sanctioned under PMDP.
Demands that came from Doda were promotion of tourism in the district; Special employment/recruitment drive for unemployed youth by Para military forces; Establishment of forest training institute; Promotion of Wood Waste Industry; 132/33 KVA Grid Station with transmission line from Khillani to Bhaderwah; Maintenance of Bhaderwah-Chamba road.
An elaborate presentation from Ramban included – The Mid Day Meal Scheme allocation for the current financial year is required to be increased from Rs. 208.24 lakh to Rs. 822.77 lakh; Under PMAY-G, actual amount required to complete all houses (viz. 14050 houses) by March 2022 is Rs. 8320.86 lakh while the ceiling for current financial year is Rs. 2681.53 lakh; Under PMGSY sector, the actual funds required to complete all 58 number of ongoing Schemes during the current financial year, is Rs. 19514.81 lakh while the budgetary ceiling for CFY is Rs.5500.00 lakh; To complete all Schemes under JJM viz. 88 numbers (including 74 retro fitting schemes and 14 new schemes), the actual requirement is Rs. 28694.00 lakh (Rs. 23107.00 lakh for 74 retro fitting schemes and Rs. 5587.00 lakh for 14 new schemes) while the ceiling is Rs. 7533.00 lakhs; Adequate staff both Medical and Para-medical is urgently required for smooth functioning of Trauma Care Centre at DH Ramban; To ensure the timely execution of all developmental schemes/works during 2021-22, all posts lying vacant in engineering wing of PW(R&B) Department, Jal Shakti, Power, PMGSY, Rural Development Department, Ramban are required to be filled up immediately; 02 number of Snow Cutting Machines (01 for Banihal and 01 for Ramban) are urgently required before the ensuing winter season; Funds to the tune of Rs. 500.00 lakh approx. are required for completion of the ongoing projects viz. Administrative Block – II and Residential Quarters for ADDC/ADC/CPO/ACR under NDI sector; Budgetary Ceiling under UT component of PWD Sector for the year 2021-22 is Rs. 270.00 lakh, which needs to be increased atleast to the tune of Rs. 1000.00 lakh for completion of ongoing projects within next two to three years; Construction of Child & Maternity Hospital; Planning should start from October in view of onset of winter season; Setting up of Tourism Development Authority.
Representatives from Reasi called for Administrative Approval of works upto 5 crores with DDC Chairpersons; Distribution of GPDP based Financial provisions of District Capex amongst three tiers of local self Government and accordingly plan formulation thereof in the ratio of: Panchayats -50% of total funds, BDC’s -30% of total funds, DDC’s -20% of total funds; This has enabled the three tiers to cater to their needs; Provision of Untied Funds at the disposal of Chairpersons to meet out unforeseen exigencies/ emergencies/ contingencies during the year; To appoint DDC Chairpersons, Members and BDC Chairpersons, as Chairpersons of Rogi Kalayan Samiti’s in respective Hospitals in their areas; Consultation of PRl’s, BDC’s and DDC’s in formulation/execution of State Sector Plan, CSS’s; No transfer of at least Non-Gazetted Officials by HOD’s or Administrative Secretaries in the District without consultation of Chairpersons; Visiting HOD’s and Administrative Secretaries in the District are not informing/ taking on board Chairpersons/ Vice Chairpersons; For provision of Private Secretaries, PA/PRD’s to Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons and PA’s to DDC members; Raising of protocol of Members of DDC’s, provision of vehicles/conveyance and increasing of Honorarium of Chairpersons/Vice Chairpersons/Members from presently Rs 15000/ 25000/ 35000 to higher level in commensurate with their status and protocol; Demand for construction of Council Secretariat Offices within District Administrative Complexes at least in the “Newly Created Districts” as the land is available sufficiently; Rationalization of Toll Tax Rates levied to the passengers at Ban Toll Plaza Jammu as the commuters from Reasi use only 15-16 kms stretch of Four Lane and NHAI charges Rupees140 which is exorbitant and unjustified; Stopping of illegal mining by Mafias. I propose to handover 50% of the total mining Blocks to JK Mineral Corporation to dilute Monopoly of Private players otherwise this will increase social disorder in future; Due to tunneling and heavy blasting in the construction of Railway alignment, all water sources have vanished/dried up or changed their courses, thereby has created water crisis in Dozens of villages; Ban on civil construction by the Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board Ransoo was imposed some 20 years back in connection with preparation of Master Plan at this upcoming religious tourism spot. But this plan has not been finalized yet. Administrative Department of Housing and UD, Chief Town Planner and Divisional Commissioner Jammu may be advised to open the constructions in Ransoo; Sacred Ban Ganga near base Camp of SMVD yatra Katra has been turned into a dumping yard and has been polluted. Concerned authorities be instructed to free Ban Ganga from this pollution please; Due to Vacant Positions in all the Departments, the productive functioning of these Department has fallen especially engineering Department Education etc. Besides posts of SOM Katra and Mahore may be filled at the earliest; Some mechanism in the form of a Co-ordination committee may be constituted to forge Co-ordination between entities viz SMVDSB Katra, NHPC Salal Jyotipuram, Northern Railways, Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board, Civil Administration and Local self Governance Representatives so that public may not suffer in absence of the same as is prevalent presently; To connect unconnected 103 villages, Plans/Proposals had been invited from DDC Members by PMGSY.
The presentation from Samba included Flood protection works on Kamore on River Basantar in Block Ramgarh which affect more than half a dozen villages in the area. A comprehensive DPR amounting to Rs 3546.35 lacs has already been submitted by to Administrative Secretary, Jal Shakti (P.H.E, l&FC) Department; Manpower issue in PDD, especially of Linemen; The matter regarding inclusion of Purmandal-Utterbehani Circuit as destination of religious tourism under the Scheme “PRASAD” has been taken up by the Tourism Department with the Govt. of India. But the status thereafter is not known. The same needs to be followed up with the Govt. of India so that religious tourism may get a boost in the region; Revival, beautification & Restoration of Samba Fort. A DPR amounting toRs 7.27 Cr submitted to the Planning, Development & Monitoring Department which was further forwarded to Tourism Department for consideration under PMDP Phase-II. Even recently, upon the directions of Div Com, Jammu, the matter has been taken up with the Department of Culture as well.
Furthermore, PRIs from Udhampur pointed out approval of JJM DPRs as only 1 project against the targeted 118 has been tendered so far and authorization of remaining 117 projects may be expedited; Special funding of skill development projects aiming at harnessing local potential especially in agriculture and allied sectors for employment generation and income enhancement; Sanctioning of special road project of Sudh Mahadev-Dudu Basantgarh-Ramnagar circuit road for improvement in riding surface as it will provide smooth connectivity and improve tourism industry by leveraging the tourism potential these areas offer; Change of criteria for release of BDC Grants from existing Rs 25.00 lacs per block to Rs 2 lac per panchayat or Rs 25.00 lac per block whichever is maximum. This will help address the issues of bigger blocks like Udhampur which has 47 Panchayats; Utilization of savings accrued through tender allotments towards Administrative expenses of DDCs, BDCs and PRls; Hiring of Office/residence for BDC Chairpersons and DDC members; Defining powers clearly for BDCs and DDCs and plan approving authority at district level and special reference to the identification of works for DDCs Grant’s of Rs. 10 Cr; Creation of dedicated budget and manpower for operating DDC / BDC offices; Strengthening of manpower in Rural Development Department especially engineering wing.
The LG asked the DCs and PRIs to focus on youth engagement, solid waste management, improving health and education sector, provision of clean drinking water/irrigation facilities, better mobility, livelihood generation, and tourism and sports infrastructure. He advised the DCs to maintain the connect with the public, besides sharing best practices for better and effective implementation of developmental works.
Also: Read my article at The News Now
PRIs along with LG Admin take up baton of development in Jammu
Published in The News Now on 1st July, 2021
waliaharry 