SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today asked the Centre to continue to treat his state as a special category state under Centrally-Sponsored Schemes (CSSs).
"With NITI Ayog revising funding norms under Central Schemes, I will continue to insist upon 90:10 dispensation with Central Government for overcoming huge locational disadvantage, coupled with difficult security scenario that the State has countenanced over the past 25 years," Sayeed said at a function in central Kashmir Budgam district.
The Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating a three-day Public Information Campaign (PIC), organised by PIB, on generating awareness about Centrally-Sponsored Schemes. Sayeed directed the administrative machinery to ensure that benefits of all social sector schemes percolate down to the people at the grassroots level.
Calling upon Central Government to forge a better match between schemes and needs of the states, the Chief Minister said he has presented his viewpoint of continuing funding to J&K and North East states as per present norms to the Sub Group of 10 Chief Ministers formed in NITI Ayog for rationalisation of Centrally-Sponsored Schemes. "We cannot ignore the role of Central Schemes like PMGSY and NRHM in ushering in an era of rapid development of the State, in particular its remote and far-flung areas," he said.
In an apparent reference to opposition criticism of his four month-old government, Sayeed said those who were at the helm of affairs for years together, are expecting results from the Government which has been in power for only 100 days. "The previous regime has left us scratching bottoms of empty coffers. In 2002, when we took over reins from a similar Government which had been voted out of power, we succeeded in bringing the State out of darkness and restoring people's confidence by providing a corruption-free administration," he said.