Accusing the National Conference-led government of having made the state bankrupt, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Friday said the entire planning and development process has derailed in J&K and it seems the state is on a virtual plan holiday.In a statement the party Chief Spokesman, Naeem Akhtar said the government has stopped releasing funds to vital infrastructural and social sector programmes, due to which there is complete chaos prevailing in the system. "It seems the rulers are using their friendships only to survive in power in the face of failures rather than being able to bring any relief to the state", he said.
Most of the road network in the state presents a gloomy picture as the government has not been able to even bring about an improvement in the sector, leave aside taking up new projects, because of the prevailing financial crisis, Akhtar said adding the contractors are not getting regular payments, which has resulted into a crisis like situation in the state.He said the news reports about major road projects getting stuck up for want of funds, read like typical commentary on NC rule which historically has brought misery to the state. Akhtar said the rulers may be solacing themselves by laying foundation stones to different projects, but fact of the matter is that the money crunch has left the entire planning process meaningless, and the departments have no funds to execute the projects.
"The stone laying spree is only a standard election time tactic of the NC as everybody knows that the government has no money to finance them," said Akhtar.Though, the Government of India has released money to compensate the people whose lands have been acquired for laying roads under the PMGSY, but the work on such projects is going on at snail’s pace, making the whole process useless, he said added presently, there is 25% cut in the plan allocation to every department and the government has never bothered to explain it to the people.
Similarly, the financial indiscipline has made the all important social sector schemes under the RAMSA and SSA useless, as they have not been able to get the desired results on the ground.Akhtar said, even if, there has been five folds increase in the power tariff and four times increase in the taxes, over the last five years, but still there is no improvement in the power scenario and development is still dream for the people."One of the reasons for the near blackout enforced by the present government is the cash crunch that it has caused as a result of loot of resources, corruption and mis-governance" he said.Leave aside creating new employment opportunities for the youth, the height is that government has now, no salaries for daily wagers, casual labours , need base workers and even pensioners are not getting their dues regularly.