Administrative approval needed: Works identified by former legislators halted

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Srinagar, Jan 29: The development works identified by former legislators are yet to be executed in Jammu and Kashmir for want of administrative approval.

The former legislators have identified development works in their respective constituencies. However, the works coming under various constituency development schemes have been halted following the suspension of Assembly on June 20 last year by the then Governor N N Vohra and after dissolved it on November 21.

However, an order issued by Finance Department says works identified by the former MLAs prior to the dissolution of the legislative assembly on November 21 were pending for want of administrative approval.

“Works for which administrative approval and sanction has been accorded but not physically commenced and all those fresh works, which have been identified by the former MLAs will be taken up and completed after completion of all prescribed codal formalities. However, the DDC shall devise a full

proof mechanism to ensure that no backdate authorization are received,” the communiqué reads.

On April 23 last year, the state government had released Rs 369 crore to CDF for 123 legislators including 89 MLAs. The remaining 34 are members of the Legislative Council.

Under CDF, each legislator has entitled to Rs three crore a year for spending in their respective constituencies. The CDF scheme—a replica of Member Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) fund—was rolled out in 1997-98 by then Farooq Abdullah-led government.

In the beginning Rs 25 lakh per annum was allocated to each MLA, which was enhanced to Rs 35 lakh from financial year 2004-05.
In 2009-10 and 2011-12, the CDF has increased to Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore respectively. In 2012-13, then NC-Congress regime affected another hike by increasing the fund to Rs 1.50 crore. The PDP-BJP government increased it to Rs three crore in 2017.

The Governor administration has earlier directed district development commissioners that execution of all the ongoing works under the constituency development scheme shall continue and be completed as per the existing timelines.“Any fresh work recommendations by legislators under the constituency development schemes shall continue to be considered by the concerned DDCs subject to availability of net balance under CDS funds in their respective accounts and in tune with the guidelines of the scheme,” a government order issued last year reads.

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