Srinagar, Apr 10: With slow implementation and cost overrun hitting flagship Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Program (PMRP) in Jammu and Kashmir, state government has now set up a high level committee for coordinating with Government of India authorities for speedy execution of the program.
Headed by the Chief Secretary, the “Central Sector Projects Coordination Committee” would be coordinating the implementation of central sector projects with the central authorities. Officials said the committee would meet once in a quarter to take up the review of the implementation of the schemes with the authorities from the Government of India departments.
During his visit to JK in 2004, the Prime Minister had announced Rs 27,902-crore reconstruction plan for JK including 67 projects/schemes broadly aimed at expanding economic infrastructure, expanding provisions of basic services and providing thrust to employment and income generation. However due to delay in execution of the works which had resulted in cost overruns, the program was revised at Rs 33,000 crore.
The entire program has three components—state sectors projects to be implemented by the state government, Central projects to be implemented by the state government and central projects to be executed by the central government authorities. Official said JK government has received around Rs 4636 crore of the total outlay of Rs 6,199.66 crore for projects to be executed by them. Major projects under this sector include Baglihar, Mughal Road, 24 degree colleges, Model Villages (119), up gradation of T&D system, land acquisition for PMGSY roads, Khanabal-Pahalgam road, Sawalkot Access Road, Narbal- Tangmarg Road, Rs 80 crore package for infrastructure development of Ladakh.
“More than 92 percent of the funds received under the state sector have been expended till date,” said a senior official in state Planning Department.
However the worry has been the execution of the projects falling under central sector. One category of these projects to be executed by the state government include setting up of 50 tourist villages, Conservation of Dal Lake under National Lake Conservation Plan, Conservation of Wular Lake (Baramullah District) and Tsomoriri under the National Wetlands Conservation Plan and compensation to industries whose units have been used by security forces. Providing self employment opportunities to urban unemployed persons under Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation program is also part of the category. The total cost of these projects is around Rs 6,341.35 crore. “There is however a progress of only around 35 percent,” said the official. “The funding of such projects is directly controlled by the Union government ministries and state has no say,” said the official.
The performance on the projects under central sector to be executed by the central agencies is no better. They comprise of more than Rs 20000 crore, mostly power schemes. The projects include power schemes 1000-MW Pakal Dul, 1020-MW Bursar, 330-MW Kishanganga, 45-MW Nimo Bagzo, 44-MW Chutak  and 240-MW Uri-II—to be executed by NHPC. Different road projects including Domel-Katra road, Batote-Kishtwar road, Srinagar-Uri, Nimo-Padam-Darcha Road—to be executed by BRO, and establishing new Tourist Circuit (Lakhanpur-Basoli-Bani-Bhaderwah-Kishtwar-Sinthan-Srinagar) were also part of the program.
“Some of these are long gestation projects and may require more than 10 years for completion,” said the official.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 10 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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