SASCI Scheme in Jammu & Kashmir: Development Catalyst or Fiscal Concern?

 

The debate surrounding the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme in Jammu and Kashmir has intensified in recent weeks, reflecting a broader conversation about development financing and fiscal responsibility. While the government projects the scheme as a landmark opportunity to accelerate infrastructure growth, sections of the political opposition have raised concerns about its long-term financial implications. The discourse highlights a familiar dilemma in public policy — balancing developmental aspirations with financial sustainability.

The SASCI scheme, introduced by the Union Government, aims to strengthen infrastructure development across states and Union Territories through long-term interest-free loans. Jammu and Kashmir has reportedly received funds amounting to nearly ₹3,000 crore under this initiative. The loan, repayable over approximately 50 years without interest, has been described by the administration as a strategic financial tool to drive economic transformation in the Union Territory.

The government’s argument rests on the premise that interest-free loans reduce the immediate financial burden and allow authorities to undertake critical infrastructure projects that would otherwise remain stalled due to budgetary constraints. Proponents also emphasize that the long repayment period significantly dilutes the real value of the borrowed amount due to inflation and economic growth over time. According to government representatives, investments under the scheme are expected to boost tourism, generate employment, and strengthen essential infrastructure, thereby laying the foundation for long-term economic stability.

However, the scheme has not been free from criticism. Opposition leaders, including PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, have questioned the nature of the financial assistance, arguing that it remains a loan rather than a grant. Critics caution that excessive reliance on borrowing could add to the already existing fiscal pressures faced by Jammu and Kashmir. Concerns have also been raised about whether the borrowed funds will be utilized efficiently and transparently to generate sustainable economic returns.

The opposition’s apprehensions extend beyond fiscal numbers. Some leaders have warned that large-scale borrowing could gradually open the door for increased privatization of public assets and infrastructure. Such fears, though largely speculative at this stage, reflect deeper anxieties regarding economic governance and the long-term autonomy of regional development policies.

The ongoing controversy highlights a fundamental reality of modern public finance. Development, particularly infrastructure development, often requires substantial capital investment that cannot always be met through routine revenue streams. Borrowing, therefore, becomes an inevitable policy instrument. The real challenge lies not in borrowing itself, but in ensuring that borrowed funds are invested in productive projects that generate long-term economic value and revenue streams capable of supporting repayment obligations.

In the context of Jammu and Kashmir, where economic diversification and infrastructure development remain key priorities, schemes like SASCI can play a transformative role if implemented with strong accountability mechanisms. Transparent project selection, effective monitoring, and public disclosure of fund utilization are essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring financial prudence.

It is also important to recognize that political debate over development schemes is a healthy aspect of democratic governance. Constructive scrutiny from the opposition can strengthen policy implementation by highlighting potential risks and ensuring greater accountability. At the same time, development initiatives should not be reduced to purely political narratives, as their success or failure ultimately affects the economic future of the region.

The SASCI scheme represents both opportunity and responsibility for Jammu and Kashmir. If managed efficiently, it could accelerate economic growth and infrastructure development. If mismanaged, it could reinforce concerns about fiscal vulnerability. The true measure of the scheme’s success will not lie in the scale of funds sanctioned, but in the quality of outcomes delivered to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

As the Union Territory continues its developmental journey, the focus must remain on ensuring that financial decisions are guided by long-term economic vision, transparency, and accountability. Only then can initiatives like SASCI translate into sustainable progress rather than temporary financial relief.

Ten ways you can increase your intelligence

10 Ways You Can Increase Your Intelligence:

1. Intelligence begins with reading. The more you will read, the more you will absorb and therefore the more intelligent you will get.

2. Set Goals – Goals create structure in life and only through proper structure can you increase intelligence.

3. Meditate – When you meditate you calm your brain. This peace and tranquility is crucial in building intellect.

4. Make Notes – The body remembers by doing. So by making notes on everything you do, you will increase memory and intellect.

5. Play Sudoku – Playing Sudoku challenges your brain and helps you think logically. It is a brain game and according to the American Alzheimer’s Association and it might help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

6. Stay Hydrated – Our brains depend on proper hydration to function properly. Brain cells require a delicate balance between water and other elements to operate at max efficiency. So try to keep you brain replenished and drink the medically recommended amount of water every day.

7. Minimize "Bad" Television – Watching TV nowadays with all of its reality shows or just simply watching re-runs is one of the worst things you can do for your intelligence. While it can be relaxing you don`t stimulate your thinking. Try tuning into a documentary or the news every now and then. 
 
8. Exercise – Exercise keeps your body fine-tuned and energetic; it is a great way to increase your productivity and intelligence.

9. Mentally Simplify - Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge or skill. So try uncluttered your thoughts and process information one piece at a time. You will find that you will not just be more productive but your mental capacity will increase.

10. Have a Good Breakfast – You can’t drive a car without fuel. Once you wake up and your tank is empty, eat a hearty breakfast to get yourself going again. Eating a healthy breakfast is directly linked to higher mental performance.

Crisis of Good Governance

In the discipline of international relations (IR), good governance and efficient leadership are regarded very significant intangible sources of national power. Since its inception as an independent state, Pakistan has been plagued by lingering and insidious bad governance. Presumably, all of the existing political and socio-economic issues of the country can be attributed to the deeply-seated ineffective leadership.

Good governance is a prerequisite to the democratic continuity and uninterrupted prosperity of a country. There is a range of examples that clearly show that even resource-strapped nations have become economically prosperous and militarily powerful only with the help of good governance. In Far East Asia, even though Japan, Taiwan and Singapore are devoid of natural resources, they have still made strides on all fronts only because of competent leadership heading them. On the other hand, Pakistan is replete with precious natural resources, but the country is still lagging far behind owing to entrenched bad governance and brewing leadership crisis.

To impartially assess the level of good governance in Pakistan, it is imperative to take into consideration some pre-determined parameters of quality governance identified by the World Bank (WB). According to the WB, maximum participation in governance is the first and foremost precondition of good governance. Arguably, Pakistan’s politics is quite exclusionary. Dynastic and hereditary politicians have largely monopolised the power corridors since the 1950s. Such powerful and influential politicians heavily rely on immense wealth to readily purchase votes from the poor and uneducated people. Thus, the politically educated youth barely ever get to reach parliament, and the country is deprived of the competence of the youth required to expedite the development process.

Competence, effectiveness and efficacy are also some ingredients of good governance. These qualities mean that the leadership possesses the capacity and capability to create result-oriented policies meant to attain maximum delivery of public services. The incumbent government seems to be lacking in all of these qualities.

All of the legislative assemblies in the country are oblivious of needed legislation. Most of the acts passed by the government dismally fail to meet the required demands of the ever-increasing population. Many policies crafted by the government result in further misuse and misapplication of dwindling cash.

Impartial accountability and responsibility also play a central role in good governance. Almost all public institutions and office-bearers are largely unaccountable to competent authorities regarding their discharge of constitutional responsibility. Against the principle of parliamentary democracy, the ministers of the executive departments are not responsible to the legislative body. The national investigative agencies and accountability bureaus are toothless to look into the corrupt practices and irregularities committed by the potent and wealthy politicians and bureaucrats.

Transparency and openness ensure good governance. Both lay stress on the uninterrupted but necessary public access to information on decisions and transactions made by the government. In Pakistan, since corruption and unconstitutional measures are the order of the day, the public is systematically kept in dark about the activities of MNAs and MPAs. For example, the people are hardly provided with any information about the substantial funds afforded to the irresponsible ministers.

Last but not the least, rule of law is of paramount importance for the sustainability of effectual leadership. The concept of rule of law means that all and sundry are regulated by the same law of the country, and the officialdom is not treated with special laws. Moreover, whenever anybody violates the law, he is promptly punished by the same law. In our country, influential politicians and powerful criminals are above the law.

The aforementioned yardsticks make it abundantly clear that good governance is still a distant dream in the country. As a result, some wealthy and mighty families have had an unchallengeable hold over government and the dwindling resources of the country long enough. The ordinary people of the country, more than 90 percent of the population, are purposely deprived of their due political, socio-economic and educational rights granted to them by the constitution. The country, as a consequence, lags behind other developing South Asian states in terms of economic prosperity.

It is never too late to bring in the required reforms in governance. The proposed steps should include full participation of the educated youth in the government, implementation of rule of law and transparency in all matters of the government. If the incumbent government shies away from reforming the ineffective and rotten system, the country will continue to suffer

50 Things Money can't Buy

1. Respect  
2. well-adjust kids
3. Work-life balance
4. Natural beauty
5. Manner
6. Common sense
7. A clear conscience
8. Purpose in life
9. Integrity
10. Good friends
11. A long life
12. Close-knit family
13. An open mind
14. A worry free day
15. Trust
16. A new beginning
17. Clean arteries
18. A great idea
19. An honest politician
20. Peace of mind
21. A good hair day
22. Patience
23. Luck
24. A good epitaph
25. Happy memories
26. Time to relax
27. A strong work ethic
28. A positive attitude
29. A happy home
30. Everything you may want
31. Good karma
32. Appreciation of the simple things
33. True love
34. A new shot a missed opportunity
35. Peace in the world
36. A golden anniversary
37. Talent
38. A second chance in life
39. Quality time with kids
40. Wisdom
41. Happiness
42. Humility
43. A good reputation
44. 25- hour day
45. Relationship with your kids
46. Youth
47. Class
48. Justice
49. A proper perspective
50. Selflessness

Portel Five Forces Model

                             Porter's Five Forces model

 

Porter's Five Forces model was developed in 1979. The model summarizes the 5 factors, which affect the performance of a company by five forces. These 5 forces are as follows:

1. Bargaining power of customers; 
2. The threat of potential entrants; 
3. Bargaining power of suppliers; 
4. Threat of substitute products; 
5. The intensity of intra-industry competition.

The weight of Porter's Five Forces determines the ability of firms involved to make a profit. If all forces are high, profits will be limited. Conversely, if the forces are weak, it is theoretically possible to generate a significant profit. The essential point is therefore to prioritize these forces so as to identify the key success factors in the industry, that is to say, the strategic elements that must be mastered to gain a competitive advantage.

The bargaining power of customers

The main influence of customers on a market occurs through their ability to negotiate. According to Porter's Five Forces, influence on the price and sales conditions -- terms of payment and associated services -- determine the profitability of the market. The concentration level of their customers pay more or less power; few clients facing many producers have greater opportunities to trade (e.g. supermarkets). The power of customers is even greater than the products are standard and there are substitutes readily available (cost of switching down).

In Porter's Five Forces, the power of customers is high when:

* They are concentrated

* Suppliers are numerous and dispersed

* There are sources of supply substitution

* The cost of transfer is low and predictable (when the customer changes supplier)

* There is a threat to integrate backwards from the customers

The bargaining power of suppliers

In terms of cost or quality, the ability of suppliers to impose conditions on a market has a direct impact and is proportional to the customer. A small number of suppliers, a strong brand, highly differentiated products are all factors that increase the cost of switching and therefore the power thereof.

The threat of substitutes

According to Porter's Five Forces, substitutes are not part of the market, but represent an alternative to offer. It may be of different products to meet the same need (e.g.: MP3 download / Compact Disc) or product affect demand (electric vehicles / fossil fuels). The substitutes are characterized by a cross-elasticity is positive. In fact, the increased price of a good cause therefore increasing the quantity sold of each other.

The intensity of competition within the sector

In Porter's Five Forces, competitors struggle within the industry to increase or simply maintain their position. There are between firms in the balance of power more or less intense, depending on the strategic nature of the sector, the attractiveness of the market, its development prospects, the existence of barriers to entry and exit, the number, size and diversity of competitors, the importance of fixed costs, the possibility of achieving economies of scale, character banal or perishable goods, etc.

The threat of potential entrants

Porter's Five Forces states that the arrival of new competitors is influenced by barriers to entry, the initial investment required, tickets, patents already in place, standards, protectionist measures, the image of the industry and companies already established, cultural barriers, technical standards, etc.. All these facilities make entry more difficult for another firm. Behavior of actors in the sector (eg retail, automotive - is the last in Tucker in the 1930s).

The role of government

Although the government does not appear explicitly in Porter's Five Forces, its influence is taken into account and can affect each of the five forces. Policy and legislation implemented to determine how effective each of the forces exerted on the market. For example, the entry may be subject to approval or conversely be subsidized. This analysis tool is still questionable

Using a concrete model of Porter's Five Forces in businesses

The objective of this model is to identify key success factors of the environment, i.e. the strategic elements that must be mastered in order to obtain a competitive advantage. For this it is necessary to prioritize the 5 forces to determine what strategic actions should be undertaken first.

Reviews of the Five Forces Model

The 5 Forces Model is the basic tool of analysis of environmental strategy. It is It is however criticized for several reasons:

* It is based on a rhetoric of confrontation (strength, power, etc..) Which focuses on threats as opportunities and leaves little room for collaboration strategies.

* It implies that the strategy is basically to adapt to environmental conditions, precluding approaches based on the resources and skills that emphasize endogenous vision of success.

* It can be completed: some authors (notably in continental Europe) add a sixth force, government influence. This is known as model 5 (1) forces. Porter himself said in later writings the role of supplements (e.g. software industry for microcomputer).

* Each business case is specific. It is necessary to integrate the application in the enterprise model of 5 forces a hierarchical order of importance as the business of the company.

* Also note that this tool is only applicable to large companies and SMEs to large (at least 300 people), it becomes unrepresentative if not useless for small and small SMEs.