Jammu, Feb 6: As Jammu and Kashmir readies for the annual budget session of the legislature, state is once again set for delayed plan allocation from Planning Commission of India for the fiscal 2013-14.
Informed sources in the civil secretariat told Greater Kashmir that the state’s Finance and Planning Departments have geared up for preparation of the annual budget, which will be presented by the Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather in the state legislature on March 7. However, the government, they said, was still awaiting the nod from the Planning Commission of India over the meetings it undertakes before finalization of the annual plan. “We are expecting formal department-wise review meetings with PCI to commence by end of this month but nothing is certain as of now”, an official in the Planning Department said adding, “Recently the advisors at PCI held a detailed review meeting with the state officials through video-conferencing but the formal meetings have to follow”.
Officials claimed that the allocation process takes at least three months and going by the present scenario there was hardly any chance that Jammu and Kashmir can manage its annual plan allocation before June 2013.
Commissioner Secretary Planning, BR Sharma, when contacted, admitted that the state has not received any intimation so far from PCI for pre-plan meetings. “We are expecting the process to start soon but so far no intimation has been received”, he said.
Sharma, however, said the delay has hardly any adverse effect on the development scenario in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We incorporate projected plan figures in the state budget every year and this year too same procedure is to be adopted”, he said.
The state was allocated Rs 7300 plan for the current financial year but the formal approval was granted only in July, last year – at least four months after the start of the fiscal. The government has already indicated that it will be seeking at least 10 per cent hike in the plan allocation for the next financial year and extension of special package under Prime Ministers Reconstruction Plan, the term of which is expiring on March 31, this year.
The Finance Department has asked all line departments to get ready with the sectoral requirements alongwith the plan expenditure statements and utilization certificates so that the state can stake claim before PCI for enhanced plan size.
The state has so far only received Rs 400 crore under committed Special Plan Assistance (SPA) of Rs 1984 crore and a fresh exercise for release of the pending amount has been initiated by the finance department, sources claimed further.
The State government, meanwhile, is also sending a team of officials to New Delhi to participate in a crucial meeting with PCI, this week. The state will be furnishing details of its success stories of plans and their executions.
Planning Commission has convened the meeting of officials of state governments to discuss various aspects of planning and implementation of policies for showcasing their success stories.
“Meeting is being structured to allow representatives from the states to present their success stories in both planning and execution,” says PCI communiqué to the state planning boards and commissions.
“As the state is yet to have a planning board a delegation of officials will be participating in the PCI meeting”, sources added.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 6 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 7 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST