NEW DELHI, Feb 6 –Assam has defaulted in securing release of the second instalment of majority of the rural development schemes, even as only 22 days remain for the states to submit proposals and utilisation certificates for fresh allocation of Central funds in the current financial year. No release of funds for different programmes would henceforth take place in the month of March, Union Rural Development Minister, M Venkaiah Naidu said here today, addressing a press conference. This decision is designed to resolve the problem of large opening balances in the month of April, since it is not feasible to execute and complete works, when funds are released as late as in March, he added.
Naidu urged the State Chief Minister to review the present position before the February 28 deadline for submission of proposals for fresh funds for the financial year expires. The Minister indicated that some of the States were bound to lose allocation because they are yet to submit their utilisation certificates. “I would like to urge the States to expedite the process of sending the utilisation certificates and claims before the expiry of February deadline”, he added.
Meanwhile, the Minister said that a study conducted by the Ministry on the failure of the States to claim funds had led to identification of the problem areas. The problem he said was lack of approved provisions in the State budgets to match Central Government grants. Owing to financial crisis, the states often do not release their shares of funds for different programmes, notwithstanding the budgetary provisions, large opening balances and default in submission of utilisation certificates in time.
Meanwhile, according to figures made available on details of funds released to the State, Assam has on an average not been able to take more than 50 per cent of its allocation. In as many as eight out of 10 rural development schemes, it has not been able to claim the second instalment. It has made a poor show in that in as many as five schemes, it has not been able to even submit proposals to the Ministry. The schemes included, Employment Assurance Scheme, Indira Awaas Yojana, Jawahar Gramin Samriddhi Yojana, Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana and sanitation scheme. There was only one scheme, the rural water supply scheme where the State has managed to claim the two instalments.
In case of the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS), the second instalment could not be released to five districts, Nalbari, Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Cachar and Karimganj as utilisation certificates for the year 2000-2001 were not submitted. The National Family Benefit Scheme has also been hit in 13 districts, Bongaigaon, Karbi Anglong, Dhubri, Morigaon, Golaghat, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Cachar, Karimganj, Darrang, Dibrugarh, Nalbari and Tinsukia due to non-receipt of audit reports and mismatch between audit report and utilisation certificates. The remaining 10 districts in the State have been released the second instalment, the report said. And in case of computerisation of land records and strengthening of revenue administration and updating of land records, no fresh funds were released because Assam already has an unspent balance of Rs 26.79 crore and Rs 19.5 crore respectively, the report said.