STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Union Minister of State, PMO with Independent Charge of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh has held mis-governance and misplaced priorities of State Government responsible for lack of development in J and K.
Talking to a group of Delhi based students of J and K here on Tuesday, he quoted figures to show how over the last six years of Congress-National Conference rule, about Rs. 2,150 crore of Plan Grants had remained unutilised. “If voted to power, BJP Government will ensure proper utilisation of Central funds”, he added.
Singh said, “While during the last five months of NDA rule, the Narendra Modi Government has been very liberal in allocating Central funds on different pretexts, the record of preceding years points out that year after year, lack of administrative astuteness and alertness had allowed the Central grants to lapse without being disbursed for their assigned objective”.
Elaborating further, he said that in 2007-08, the total expenditure was Rs. 4,403.31 crore against the Plan Outlay of Rs. 4,850 crore, while in 2009-10, Rs. 5,280.99 was spent against the Plan Outlay of Rs. 5,500 crore. As for the next two financial years, he added, in 2010-11 and 2011-12, Rs. 5,768.05 crore and Rs. 6,357.40 crore were utilised respectively against the approvals of Rs. 6,000 and Rs. 6,600 crore. In the following financial year, he disclosed that against the approved Plan Outlay of Rs. 7,300 crore, the expenditure stood at Rs. 6,008.74 crore.
“For a government which has always complained of lack of financial support from the Centre”, Singh said adding that this is a testimony of an opportunity lost due to inertia, inefficiency and ineptitude.
Singh said, “BJP is a cadre based party with several checks and balances in place which do not allow any callousness in such matters and this is the secret of the striking pace of development and optimum financial utilisation witnessed in BJP ruled States”, adding that BJP government is bound to ensure proper utilisation of Central funds without wastage, pilferage or misappropriation”.
Terming BJP as the hope and promise for the youth comprising over 60 per cent of the population, Singh said, this is the only party capable of providing a government that ensures equal opportunities, justice and equitable economic growth of all sections of society and all regions.