Centre provides Rs 2000 crore to J

Srinagar, June 22 (UNI) Facing the twin challenges of militancy and uemployment, Jammu and Kashmir got a major relief today with the Central government announcing grant of Rs 2000 crore for ensuring complete rural connectivity and more funds for other rural development projects .

The state government has decided to set up strict physical monitoring of projects in the state to root out corruption and inefficiency in their implementation.

Inaugurating the Editors Conference on Social Infrastructure Focusing on Jammu and Kashmir here, the Union Rural Development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh said that Jammu and Kashmir would be the focus of the UPA government's Bharat Nirman programme and there would be no paucity of funds for the rural developmental projects in the state.

Jointly inaugurating the function, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad aasserted that corruption and inefficiency would not be tolerated by the state Government and said that properties of a few corrupt officials have been acquired by the state government under the amended Prevention of Corruption Act. He also announced sanctioning a new post of Additional District Development Commissioners to be appointed in all the districts of the state who would be responsible for physical verification of the various projects and ensure that money sanctioned is really being utilised for the construction of the project at the grassroots level.

Mr Azad said that a new award 'Chief Minister's Gold Medal' has been established from this year for honest and upright officials to be given on the Independence Day. The award would carry a cash prize of Rs one lakh, he said and added that these steps would help in speedy and efficient Implementation of projects.

Dr Singh said that the state allocation of funds for the rural development projects in Jammu and Kashmir have increased from Rs 16000 crore last financial year to Rs 37000 crore in 2006-07 and priority is being given to the self employment schemes as providing employment was crucial for removal of poverty. He said all the 1820 habitations in J&K having a population of above 500 in hilly areas and 1000 in the plains would be connected by roads by 2009 under the Bharat Nirman Programme of the UPA government.

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