Jammu, June 8: Jammu and Kashmir government has sought Rs 700 crore assistance under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) - a Union Home Ministry funded programme in the state – for the current financial year 2012-13.
 Officials claimed that the Home Ministry has indicated fourth extension to the Plan and the final approval would be granted along with the Annual Plan Outlay by the Planning Commission of India after a wrap up meeting with the officials of the state on June 12.
 The government, they said, has requested the Planning Commission to continue the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) till the completion of ongoing projects is taken up under the plan. Accordingly, the state has projected a need of Rs 700 crore under PMRP during the next year, over and above the annual plan outlay, sources claimed.
 The main schemes, included in the PMRP, to be funded out of the proposed allocation are Power Transmission, Mughal Road, Counterpart Funds for the World Bank funded schemes under ERA, completion of TRTs for Kashmiri Migrants and Rehabilitation of Dal dwellers.
 A provision of about Rs 1,000 crore, out of the total outlay, is being kept as the State Share under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes to enable the government to access around Rs 2,500 crore from the various Ministries of the Central Government, over and above the State Plan.

MAJOR PROJECTS
 In its projected demands, the state government has pleaded that the work on the Rs 19,000 cr Udhampur-Qazigund rail-link was in full progress and civil works on the railway connection between Udhampur and Qazigund has been progressing without any bottleneck. The project is scheduled to be completed by the year 2017.
 Similarly, the work of four laning and upgrading National Highway 1A is progressing in four out of six segments between Nagrota and Srinagar. The remaining two segments are going through a process of re-bidding. The Central Government has been requested to get the allotment of works on these two segments expedited or to authorize their execution in EPC mode.
 The government has also projected a cumulative expenditure of Rs 535 Crore on another prestigious project – Mughal Road this year. The total approved cost of the project is Rs 640 crore.
 The Road has already been opened to vehicular traffic for summer months. The remaining Rs 105 crore is proposed to be allocated during the next year for completing the ongoing road works and bridges.
 Sources claimed that the state government is also planning to undertake some major projects under power sector. Under the Hydel Policy, formulated recently by the state, all hydel projects of upto 10 MW capacity have been reserved for execution by the permanent residents of the State. Offers have been invited for the construction of 10 mini hydel projects in Kashmir and Jammu regions with a total capacity of 172 MW, entailing an investment of Rs 1,200 crore. Bids from 61 prospective entrepreneurs have been received and are presently under scrutiny.
 Pakal Dul HEP with 1000 MW capacity has been tendered out by the joint venture company of the J&K State Power Development Corporation. The corporation is also going ahead with the execution of 450 MW Baglihar HEP – Stage II.
 Additionally, Ganderbal HEP, Parnai HEP, Lower Kalnai, Pahalgam Stage III, Mini Hydel Projects at Dah and Hanu in Ladakh region and Machil HEP have also been put through the tendering process. The Pahalgam III & Machil HEPs are expected to be completed next year. The combined installed capacity of these HEPs would be around 200 MW.

THE PLAN
 The Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme was sanctioned for Jammu and Kashmir by the Prime Minister during his visit to JK in 2004.
 Under the plan, the Center was to fund various reconstruction programmes in the state for which the initial cost was worked out at Rs 27,902 crore. 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 PMRP, initiated in 2004 for a five-year period, has already been extended thrice. The program’s term expired in 2008-09 and was extended by the Centre for financial years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.
 Out of 42 projects, work on around 30 projects has been completed during the last seven years at the expense of cost escalation and constant hammering by the Centre.
 “Most of the projects completed were directly taken by the Central Government while those executed by the State have remained incomplete,” said a source.
 Recently, the Central Government admitted in Parliament that work on PMRP is going on at snail’s pace and is running behind schedule. During last financial year, the State had been allotted Rs 6600 crore worth annual plan and Rs 1200 crore under PMRP.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 8 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 9 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST