J&K govt to track funds’ from PM’s development plan

In consultation with the Centre, the Jammu and Kashmir government is planning to install an improved vigilance mechanism to ensure that funds from the Prime Minister’s Development Package, worth Rs 80,000 crore, is monitored properly.

Sources said the initiative stems from the fact that a significant amount of central funds to J&K are siphoned off through the contractor-under-ground workers (militant sympathisers) and routed to fund terror activities in the state.

Officials who are involved with government projects in the state said the Valley ranks high in siphoning off funds, with the cut ranging from 25 per cent to 40 per cent of the total project cost.

“A substantial part of this share is routed to fund militancy. Militants don’t need to depend on Pakistan alone for money,” said the source.

The issue has been part of various deliberations between the Centre and the J&K government, and has even been discussed at the PMO level. The issue of how to ensure proper utilisation and accountability of the mammoth PM’s package also came up for discussion when J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24 in Delhi.

“The vigilance mechanism is yet to evolve as a current overhaul of the system is …read more