Srinagar – A ruling National Conference member Thursday alleged discrimination in fund allocation to Kashmirs frontier district of Kupwara.
Not satisfied with the written reply by the minister of state for Planning, Manohar Lal Sharma, the assembly member, Mir Saifullah, alleged the government had failed to release funds for development works in the district.
He contested governments claim of equitable distribution of funds saying not a single penny had been released to the district though the government had claimed release of 70 per cent of the plan funds. Mir was joined by other members, mostly from opposition, who alleged similar discrimination with their areas.
However, Sharma said the government was committed to ensuring equitable and balanced development of all the three regions with special focus on areas lagging behind in development.
The government has constituted State Finance Commission for the purpose to ensure equitable distribution of available resources, he said, adding the funds under district and state plan for schemes of central government including Border Areas Development (BADP) and Backward Regions Grant Funds (BRGF) were being provided to fill the infrastructural gaps in the backward districts.
He said the government had also earmarked special funds for development of bad pockets in 2011-12 and 2012-13 plans to address the needs of most backward areas of the state.