In J&K, Jammu gets more funds, development and Institutions

IIM, IIT, IIMC all across Banihal

While successive governments have been claiming equitable development of all three regions of the state, the ground situation tells a different story with Kashmir valley not receiving at par treatment with that of Jammu region.
The people of Jammu have been taking to the streets over allotment of AIIMS to Kashmir and demanding that Institute should be first established in the Jammu region. Now the BJP Ministers have said that AIIMS would be set up in both regions of the state. However, the Valley has been denied an IIT, IIM and IIMC so far which have been announced only to the Jammu region.
According to the official statistics, the Roads and Buildings department has released Rs 329 crore during 2013-2014 for the Jammu region for various developmental works while only Rs 281 crore were released to the Valley.
Official sources said Kashmir valley not was getting at par treatment in allocation of funds and other required facilities and the above details of fund discrimination and announcing IIT, IIMC and IIM was a fresh example for that.
Sources said the Jammu region was getting additional funds of over Rs 150 crore annually for infrastructure development while as there is no such fund allocation for the Valley.
Another glaring example in fund discrimination is Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which was started in the state in 2006.
According to the official documents of MGNREGA, around 3300 crore were spent on MGNREGA works in Jammu and Kashmir since 2006 till July 2014.
However, the Jammu region has got lion’s share in allocation of funds than the Valley during these years.
The documents reveal that Kashmir region had received around Rs 1300 crore while over Rs 1900 were disbursed to the Jammu region.
In 2010-2011 and 2011-2012, the Valley received Rs 121 crore and Rs 311 crore while the Jammu got Rs 246 and Rs 458 crore respectively.
During 2012-2013, the Valley got Rs 381 crore and Rs 313 crore in 2013-2014 while Jammu received Rs 445 and 431 crore during these two years.
The Planning Department had released Rs 849 crore in the 2012-2013 fiscal year for 10 districts of the Kashmir valley under district plan against Rs 879.51 crore were allotted for the Jammu region.
For the 2013-2014, Rs 886 crore were allotted to the Valley under district plan while Jammu was given Rs 910.97 crore in the same fiscal.
Official sources said additional funds were also allotted largely towards Jammu region on political considerations.