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J&K to spend Rs. 2500 cr. on development

BARAMULLA, JUNE 28 . The Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Finance and Planning, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, said under the economic reconstruction programme of the coalition government, massive developmental activities are being undertaken across the state for which the government would be spending around Rs 2500 crore during the current financial year.

This, he said, is around Rs 800 crores more than the amount spent on the developmental activities last year.

Addressing a public meeting at Kreeri yesterday after inspecting various developmental works in the area, Mr Baig said when the present government took over, a meagre Rs 900 crores was being spent on the developmental activities which was hiked to Rs 1700 crores immediately.

He said since then there has been a sharp increase in the developmental spending and against Rs 1700 crores spent last year, the government has formulated a capital plan for Rs 2500 crores for the current fiscal. In addition, he said funding is being availed from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the upgradation of infrastructure in R and B sector.

Mr Baig said the thrust areas of development include construction and upgradation of roads and bridges, providing safe drinking water, quality education and healthcare facilities to the people.

He said within a couple of years a turnaround would be witnessed in all the areas concerning the masses and the state would achieve new heights in infrastructure sector.

He asked the engineers to maintain quality of work and urged the people to keep a vigil on the developmental activities being undertaken in their areas so that the funds are spent properly.

Mr Baig said the major challenge facing the government is unemployment as there are around three lakh educated youth without jobs in the state.

He said the government is pursuing with the Centre for announcing an employment package for the educated youth of Jammu and Kashmir along with lifting the ban on recruitment in the state government departments.

He said this would help the government tackle the unemployment problem to a large extent.

However, political stability and peace is vital for sustaining this development process, Mr Baig said.

He said continuing violence and bloodshed is detrimental to the interests of the people.

UNI

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