An official Spokesman today described as baseless and unfounded the news report carried by a section of the press suggesting that Government was silently working on a plan to divert developmental funds to Jammu.
The Spokesman said that the constitution of the Task Force was to coordinate developmental activities and implementation of various ongoing special projects in Jammu City and to optimally utilize the available resources. He said that the Task Force does not have any authority or powers to divert resources adding that already a committee of this nature was in place in Kashmir headed by the Divisional Commissioner which coordinates Core Area Projects in which all concerned departments have been included as members.
The Spokesman said that the terms of reference of the Task Force for Special Projects in Jammu City were with regard to coordinating the resources available in different sectors for fruitful implementation of the projects. He said the terms of reference nowhere prescribed that funds shall be diverted from any region for development in Jammu. He said in fact, it prescribed that the available resources shall be dovetailed. He said the Task Force has no mandate to add or divert resources as its role was only coordinating implementation of various projects in the Jammu City.
The Spokesman said that the objective of the Task Force, set up on the request of the Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, was to coordinate the speedy implementation of the ongoing key projects by dovetailing the available resources, involving stakeholders, to work out a self-sustained management system for these projects and to make recommendation to the Government as may be considered appropriate. As regards making sectoral plan for additional resources, he said that even though the Task Force may recommend additional resources for the ongoing special projects which, however, was not binding on the Government and is subject to availability of funds and inter-se prioritation of schemes.