Minority affairs ministry draws flak

HYDERABAD: The standing committee on social justice & empowerment has expressed unhappiness over the failure of the ministry of minority affairs (MoMA) to utilize the budgetary allocations year after year. In its fourth report on the demand for grants 2014-15 for MoMA, tabled in the Parliament on 19th December, the committee observed that the ministry of finance had to decrease the allocations at Revised Estimate stage, year after year, because of 'under-spending' by MoMA.The committee further expressed its dismay that even the revised allocations were not utilized by MoMA, resulting in eventual surrender of substantial amounts every year.
Citing figures for the last three financial years, the committee pointed out that the actual plan expenditure of MoMA came to Rs 2,283 crore as against budgetary allocation of Rs 2,850 crore in 2011-12, Rs 2,158 crore against outlay of Rs 3,135 crore in 2012-13 and Rs 3,007 crore against budget estimate of Rs 3,511 crore in 2013-14. Consequently, an amount of Rs 504 crore was surrendered to the Union government in 2013-14 alone. The corresponding figures came to Rs 567 crore in 2011-12 and Rs 977 crore in 2012-13.
Due to the consistently less spending every year by MoMA, important schemes such as multi-sectoral development programme (MsDP), contribution to equity of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) and Maulana Azad National Fellowship for Minority Students have been affected. In this backdrop, the committee strongly recommended a complete revamp of the implementation machinery so that the allocated funds are utilized prudently and optimally.
The actual expenditure incurred by MoMA under MSDP during the last three financial years (2011-12 to 2013-14) was Rs 780 crore, Rs 641 crore and Rs 953 crore respectively, as against the budgetary allocations of Rs 1,218 crore, Rs 999 crore and Rs 1,250 crore respectively. The expenditure during the first half of the current financial year (2014-15) was Rs 659 crore as against the allocation of Rs 1,352 crore. Non-receipt of new project proposals and utilization certificates (UCs) from the states and union territories were the reasons cited by MoMA for less expenditure.
As MsDP is the most important programme of MoMA, the committee asked the ministry to impress upon all the state governments to send their proposals well in advance, that is, in the first quarter of the financial year itself so that evaluation/examination of the same can be done timely and funds released by the second quarter. The committee suggested that strict and meticulous monitoring of various schemes under MsDP in the states/ UTs should be undertaken to avoid under-utilization of funds.
The committee noted that in the restructured MsDP, the unit area of planning has been changed to blocks/ towns instead of districts for sharper focus on the minority concentration areas. As many as 710 blocks and 66 towns have been identified across the country for implementation of MsDP during the 12th Plan (2012-2017). The major projects undertaken under the scheme for minority concentration blocks/ towns (MCBs/MCTs) include education, skill development, health, anganwadi centres, drinking water, pucca housing and income generation infrastructure.
The committee noted that schemes like Indira Awas Yojana houses, skill development training programme for minority youth and bicycles for IXth Class students are individual beneficiary oriented projects but most of the states/UTs have not sanctioned these projects which are very vital for minorities. The committee asked MoMA to play a proactive role in obtaining proposals from the states which have not sent their projects besides framing a time-schedule so that the process of sanctioning these schemes is not unduly delayed.
To expedite the submission of proposals, the state governments and UTs have been reminded on various occasions. Meetings were held with principal secretaries/ secretaries of states and UTs for reviewing the progress of implementation of MsDP. Letters were sent to the states/ UTs for submission of project proposals and overdue UCs. Funds have been sanctioned for organising awareness and orientation programmes in blocks/ towns where MsDP is being implemented. Apart from conduct of baseline surveys, allocations have been made for appointment of block level facilitators.
The committee pointed out that though MoMA had submitted Budget proposals amounting to Rs 4,206 crore to the Planning Commission, the amount actually provided for different schemes in the Annual Plan 2014-15 is Rs 3,711 crore. Apparently, the Planning Commission and the finance ministry were skeptical about the ability of MoMA to utilize higher allocations. Still, the Plan allocation for MoMA in the current year represents a hike of Rs 704 crore (that is, 23 per cent) over the actual expenditure incurred last year.
(The writer is an MLC and a journalist)