MT News Service
Jammu, June 17:
“Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is heading towards a massive transformation with which living standards of people will be increased, employment will be generated and gigantic infrastructure will be built. This is evident from the fact that this year, UT’s Rs. 12,600 Crore capital expenditure budget, that has been prepared in sync with the demands coming from grassroot levels, will be spent with active involvement of local self-governing institutions including District Development Councils, Panchayats and Municipal Corporations besides Committees. This is good governance at its best”. This was stated by BJP J&K Executive Member Raman Suri, who added that central works on tunnels, bridges, roads, railway lines and other public utility places are already going on, many of which are on the final stages of execution. Now, this whooping money at the disposal of Union Territory will help local government spend judiciously for the welfare of people and raise their living standards considerably besides generate employment, about which the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had dropped hints in recent announcements. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Raman Suri said, had already spelled out his priorities viz-a-viz J&K. This is the reason, corrupt in J&K are being nailed, development is going on at a fast pace, new infrastructure is enabling UT to have all-weather roads, militants are being wiped out, soldiers are dealing with them ably, administration is becoming accountable, wasteful and unproductive Darbar move stands discontinued and now inflow of huge money is setting new goals to be achieved in a time-bound manner.
As per press statement issued to mercury times, Raman Suri said, this is for the first time that other than MPs and MLAs, people at grassroot level representing their Gram Panchayats, Blocks, District Councils, Municipal Corporation and Committees have been instrumental in the planning processes and even execution of works. This is for the first time that provisions of 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution of India are being extended, by virtue of which several departments have been put under the domain of Municipal Corporations now.
Now that community-based planning and execution of works has started in J&K, the three-tier system of governance is getting in place ably. Another appreciable move is that the government has a fixed time frame for completion of works under the Capex budget 2021-22. Back to village, the most successful programme of government, is likely to begin soon and over fifty thousand youth will be extended financial help to set up their works besides departments have been categorically asked to not initiate works without competing the tendering processes.
Raman Suri said, these all are signs of a transparent and effective government which earlier was missing from the scene. In the new budget, the government has also decided to create jobs for over 18,000 youth, punish officials for not maintaining uninterrupted power supply and special teams are constituted to monitor development works on monthly basis. These steps, he said, are all aimed at taking Jammu and Kashmir to new heights and ushering a new era of development, peace and prosperity where, other than basis amenities, tourism and other allied infrastructure will also be developed.
