Progressing J&K
J&K Government has established a unique system through which every work is being put into public domain thereby establishing a greater accountability and transparency in the work culture as well as ensuring that money is spent as per the developmental needs of people. Government is undertaking several reforms which will help to further fine-tune the developmental strategy and give an impetus to the efforts fast tracking development here.
The proper documentation of development projects with photographic evidence and geo-coordinates is an effort towards enhancing transparency and accountability in the execution of works. 32,889 works are available online on Empowerment portal for citizens to check and ensure they are being done as per defined specifications. The UT of J&K has achieved an unprecedented level of transparency in the financial management through a host of financial reforms and interventions made by the Government which include the activity-wise online release of funds through ‘BEAMS’ (Budget Estimation, Allocation and Monitoring System); EMPOWERMENT (Enabling Monitoring and Public Overview of Works Being Executed & Resources for meaningful Transparency) portal which gives details of projects and related expenses and puts then in public domain, making administrative and technical approvals, e-tendering, geo-tagged photographs mandatory for payments; online billing through ‘JK Payment System’; streamlining of GST; e-stamping; e-GRAS; digital payments; implementation of GeM; publication of important manuals relating to Budget and Audit, Back to Village and My Town My Pride initiatives and 100 per cent physical verification of projects.
The administration has successfully implemented innovative initiatives in this regard which inter alia included BEAMS, online submission of bills through J&K PaySys, mandatory administrative approvals, technical sanctions and e-tendering, digital payments, GFR, GeM and related measures which have greatly helped in bringing financial discipline in government departments here. Key reforms introduced by Jammu and Kashmir government in its financial structure envisaging added transparency and accountability have brought UT’s fiscal system at par with any other progressive arrangement across the country. Promoting good governance in the financial management has been one of the core objectives of the government. The financial system in J&K is one of the most transparent systems anywhere and is among the key changes that have taken roots in the Union Territory.
Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, during her recent visit to J&K said the abrogation of Article 370 brought impetus in financial activities, transparency in administration and growth in UT’s economy. “In the past two years, work that has happened in J&K is absolutely stunning. The government procurement, recruitment, government spending of its resources, taxation or deployment of resources, whatever it be, they are now available online 24X7 with all transparency,” she asserted. So in terms of bringing transparency in governance, in terms of being transparent itself tells you that they are accountable for every one rupee which is being spent on ground, she added.