Jammu, March11 (Scoop News) — The budget 2010-11 of Jammu and Kashmir is slated to be presented simultaneously in the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Councilon Friday.
As the time is fast trickling for presentation of the Jammu and Kashmir Budget 2010-11 in the State Legislature, the Minister for Finance, Abdul Rahim Rather remained closeted with high officials of his Ministry to give final touches to the much awaited budget.
For the whole day today, the Finance Minister had a hectic schedule with the Economic Advisor, Jalil Ahmad Khan and Commissioner Secretary Finance, Sudanshu Pandey besides other aides.
This is the second budget of the coalition Government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, to be presented by Rather.
The last year’s budget had been welcomed by the cross section of society, describing it as the most people-friendly budget.
The coalition Government is credited with the Annual Plan of the size of Rs. 6700 crore in 2009-10, which included Rs. 1200 crore under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PP).
As a result of concerted efforts, the Government registered significant achievements during its first year in office.
While a comprehensive Sher-i-Kashmir Employment and Welfare Policy for Youth (SKEWPY) announced to address unemployment, Voluntary Service Allowance (VSA) for the educated unemployed was also approved. An Overseas Employment Corporation was created to facilitate those seeking overseas employment; NASSCOM will provide range of IT skills in the colleges of the State in collaboration with Kashmir University to improve employability of youth. An empowered Committee under Financial Commissioner (Home) was set up to monitor action on State Human Rights Commission’s recommendations; major portion of backlog cleared during 2009.
During the year, Sitlee Intake III filtration plant, with 54 lac gallons per day capacity for catering needs of old Jammu city was commissioned and Rs. 16.89 crore paid as monthly pension to 1,20,252 persons of 65 years and above belonging to Below Poverty Line. A Task Force was constituted in collaboration with CII to promote tourism, trade and investment and to promote Brand J&K. Rs. 210 crore were provided for macadamization of roads in Jammu and Srinagar cities and other districts; 116 trunk, lateral and inner roads in Srinagar city and 76 in Jammu city macadamized while 51 bridges, including major bridges like Gund Roshan, Hari Ganiwan, Zuhama Kralwari, Bagh Nallah in Kathua, were completed; and Rs. 120 crore earmarked for new flyover in Srinagar; out of 15 railway approach roads, 9 roads stand macadamized during the current year.
The Rangil Phase II was commissioned, adding 1 crore gallons of drinking water per day to Srinagar and surrounding areas; a comprehensive Flood Management Project for River Jhelum, costing Rs. 2200 crore was submitted to the Centre; 12 irrigation projects worth Rs. 613.55 crore are being executed under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme. 124 new minor irrigation projects including 12 of Ladakh costing Rs. 409.57 crore submitted to the Centre; Six power projects of 1799 MW capacity are under execution by NHPC; Sewa-II (120 MW) being commissioned in January 2010; 450 MW Baglihar Power Project Phase II being expedited while 93 MW New Ganderbal HEP, 37.50 MW Parnai HEP, 240 MW Kirthai HEP and 50 MW Lower Kalnai power projects are being taken up in State Sector through State Power Development Corporation.
In addition, Rs. 500 crore were earmarked under PP for upgrading electricity transmission and distribution system, while Rs. 2,627 crore Health Infrastructure Development Plan was formulated and sent to the Centre for approval.
Under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan 620 EGS centers were redeployed for providing educational facilities to habitations without schools; 43 KGBVs made functional/operational; 169 primary school and 53 upper primary school buildings constructed; 653 primary schools being upgraded to middle schools; 18 new Polytechnics being setup; 414 posts of different categories created for the newly established 18 Government Degree Colleges; Government Degree College, Ganderbal was inaugurated; construction of Degree College buildings at Budgam, Bandipora, Dooru, Sopore, Akhnoor, Hiranagar, R.S. Pura, Basohli and Thanamandi and Women College Kathua were completed; work on 18 other upcoming colleges was intensified and work on the Government Degree College, Gurez was started.
The dream of Sher-i-Kashmir to provide connectivity between the two regions through the historic Mughal Road is being fulfilled; the Chief Minister himself drove on the road on 24th November, 2009; Rs. 356 crore were sanctioned for rehabilitation of Dal dwellers; concept of public hearing (Awami Mulakats) operationalized.
Amendments to J&K Right to Information Act, on the lines of the Central Right to Information Act, made to introduce more transparently and accountability in the Administration; the amended Act provides legally mandated means to the citizens to access information from Government institutions; the CM’s Grievance Cell was established to provide access to the citizens to the C M for redressal of grievances.
During 2009, the Kashmir Valley received 4,75,505 tourists, including 23,636 foreign tourists.In addition, Ambassadors and High Commissioners of various countries also arrived in the Valley, Accordingly, the number of pilgrims coming to Mata Vaishno Devi surpassed all previous records by reaching 76.57 lac. While, 78,573 tourists visited Ladakh during 2009, 3,92,774 pilgrims paid obeisance at Shri Amarnathji Shrine in most co-ordial and amicable atmosphere; Contributory Pension Scheme (New Pension Scheme) for employees joining service on or after 01.01.2010 launched; 11,487 works were taken up under National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, generating an employment of 58.52 lac mandays upto November, 2009. Rs. 68 crore expended upto November, 2009; 95,497 households were provided job cards under NREGA during 2009.
Under PP, 8 additional model villages completed during 2009 taking the figure to 84 villages;20 more being completed by March, 2010; Under Indira Awas Yojana, 5,844 new houses were constructed; 1197 SSI units registered during 2009 with estimated investment of Rs. 236.90 crore, creating employment for 7466 persons; 164 large and medium industrial units with estimated investment of Rs. 4192 crore and employment potential of 31,489 persons approved; National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) was sanctioned by Government of India and being established at Ompora Budgam on fast-track basis at an estimated cost of Rs. 70 crore; development of additional land of 950 kanals at an estimated cost of Rs. 20.20 crore at Khunmoh Phase-III undertaken; acquisition of 2850 kanals of land for Phase-III Industrial Growth Centre, Samba under process. .
Rules for appointment of Kashi Migrants were notified:3000 posts created; land identified at Vessu in Kulgam, Qazigund in Anantnag and Khanpur in Baramulla district for construction of additional transit accommodation; Rs. 8.35 crore released for this; nearly 901 kanals and 28 marlas of evacuee land retrieved from encroachments; Rs. 11.50 crore relief disbursed among farmers whose crops got damaged due to hailstorm/ natural calamities.
Srinagar Airport goes international by operating direct flights to Dubai; six districts, Pulwama, Anantnag, Baramulla, Kupwara,Jammu and Udhampur, covered under Cattle Insurance Scheme; Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy sanctioned eight energy parks for eight educational institutions;Rs. 1 crore State Level Energy Park sanctioned for Botanical Gardens, Cheshma Shahi; revival of short term credit structure in the State through State Cooperative Bank, 3 Central Cooperative Banks and 769 Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies taken up for execution under Vaidyanathan Package in collaboration with NABARD and RBI; Jammu and Kashmir e-Governance Agency (JKeGA) set up to accelerate IT enabled projects and to receive grants directly from the Centre and other donor agencies. Five projects i.e. State Wide Area Network (SWAN), State Data Centre (SDC), Citizen Service Centres (CSCs), State and Departmental Web Portals and Capacity Building sanctioned for Rs. 142 crore; Rs. 70.45 crore released under CRF for providing free of cost ration to the families of drought hit districts during the months of December, 2009 and January-February, 2010; J&K Muslim Specified Wakfs and Specified Wakf Properties Board re-constituted; Rs. 401 crore agreed under UIDSSMT for Anantnag, Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara and Ganderbal towns of the Kashmir Division. Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Udhampur, Doda, Poonch and Baramulla towns already brought under the ambit of UIDSSMT; artificial lake coming up along the banks of Niki Tawi at Jammu at a cost of Rs. 25 crore; wages of daily rated workers raised from Rs. 70 to Rs. 110 per day; Rs. 600 crore Integrated Forest Resources Management Project formulated; Sher-i-Kashmir Multi-Sports Activity Centre (Gindun) coming up at Rajbagh at a cost of Rs. 17.37 crore; Rs 14.75 crore package announced for construction and upgradation of existing stadia all over the State; 551 mega and 216 other Lok Adalats held ; 21,217 cases settled; Preparations in full swing to conduct Panchayat elections in early 2010 .
During the year, Rs. 132.92 crore sewerage project for Srinagar city and Rs. 129.23 crore for Jammu city under execution through National Building Construction; conversion of 4,781 units of dry latrines into flush latrines in 54 towns with a central subsidy of Rs. 4.48 crore sanctioned by Government of India; Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana covering all sectors of agriculture introduced for the first time; Rs.46.97 crore work plan sanctioned; a novel Health Insurance Scheme for female sericulture workers launched in collaboration with ICICI Lombard. 5000 workers covered so far; Rs. 600 crore externally funded Integrated Forest Resource Management Project for J& K being expedited; 7,640 militancy victims covered under pension and other schemes by the State Rehabilitation Council for militancy victims; 2 lac Gujjar and Bakerwal students being provided Pre-Matric scholarship; monthly pension worth Rs. 18.81 crore disbursed among 3.32 lac old-age persons, widows and physically handicapped under Integrated Social Security Scheme; 120 Common Service Centres commissioned; Video conferencing facility available at 19 places; Scale of food grains under APL categories for the rationees of urban/rural areas of J&K restored to 13 kg per soul per month and 98 CAPD sale outlets in Kashmir division and 57 in Jammu division have been opened.