WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved only 1,349.08 hectares of afforestation work against a planned target of 32,420 hectares under the Green India Mission (GIM), leaving a staggering 95.84 per cent shortfall, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has observed.
According to the CAG’s Performance Audit of the Green India Mission, the achievement reported by J&K till March 2025 amounted to barely 4.16 per cent of the target, with the audit flagging deficiencies in planning, outdated baseline data and inconsistencies in reporting of physical achievements.
The audit noted that against the Perspective Plan target of 32,420 hectares for J&K, the State/UT reported achievement of 1,349.08 hectares by March 2025, resulting in a shortfall of 31,070.92 hectares.
The CAG said the poor performance was part of wider deficiencies in the implementation of the Mission, including inadequate planning, weak institutional mechanisms and failure to ensure convergence of funds and activities.
A major concern highlighted by the audit was the use of outdated baseline data while preparing J&K’s Perspective Plan.
The audit found that the wasteland estimation for J&K was based on the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Use Statistics report of 2005, even though the Perspective Plan was submitted in April 2020 and approved in June 2020. This meant the baseline data used for planning was 15 years old.
The CAG observed that baseline data was an integral component of the Perspective Plan and was required to provide a benchmark for assessing the physical progress and performance of the scheme.
It said the use of outdated baseline data in five States/UTs, including J&K, did not provide a true picture of prevailing conditions and led to improper planning, which in turn affected implementation.
The audit further concluded that deficiencies in Perspective Plans, including inadequate vulnerability assessments and reliance on outdated baseline data, resulted in the selection of less vulnerable landscapes while unique landscapes requiring targeted interventions were not identified.
The scale of the shortfall becomes more evident when J&K’s performance is compared with its own approved target.
The CAG’s state-wise assessment shows that J&K had a 32,420-hectare target but managed creation work over just 1,349.08 hectares. The resulting shortfall of 31,070.92 hectares translated into a 95.84 per cent gap.
The audit also found discrepancies between figures reported by the Ministry and those furnished by the States/UTs. For J&K, MoEF&CC had reported achievement of 1,066 hectares, while the State reported 1,349.08 hectares to the Audit, creating a variation of 283.08 hectares.
The CAG noted that variations in reported achievements across States/UTs ranged from 0.06 hectares to 6,121.50 hectares, pointing towards weaknesses in the reporting system.
The Green India Mission was designed around convergence of funds and activities from various schemes. However, the CAG found that the expected convergence did not materialise.
At the national level, the Mission had envisaged ₹10,600 crore through convergence with CAMPA, MGNREGA and the National Afforestation Programme. The audit found that this proposed funding support could not be achieved, leaving the Mission dependent on limited annual budgetary support from the Centre.
In the case of J&K, the audit said the UT stated that afforestation activities through convergence were being carried out, but supporting records were not furnished to Audit.
The CAG’s broader monitoring assessment also raises questions about the effectiveness of the mechanism meant to track GIM interventions. It found that prescribed on-ground self-monitoring was not carried out in 10 of the 16 sampled States/UTs, a list that included Jammu & Kashmir.
