Funds not spent, Jairam writes to CM
Wednesday, 01/01/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140101/punjab.htm#18
Abohar : Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has written to the Punjab Government for faring badly in availing funds for a Central welfare project.
In his letter addressed to Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal, Ramesh expressed concern over the state’s “poor response” on implementing the Centre’s Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), which amalgamates the earlier programmes relating to the development of drought-prone, desert and wasteland areas. The letter sent on December 30, the Minister sought to explain to Badal that the IWMP was launched in 2009-10 to restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water. “The outcome is prevention of soil run-off, regeneration of natural vegetation, rainwater harvesting and recharging of groundwater. This enables multi-cropping and introduction of agro-based activities that help to provide sustainable livelihood to people living in the watershed area,” the letter stated.
The Minister said barring Karnataka, the pace of implementing the IWMP in almost every state left much to be desired.
Punjab’s allocation under the IWMP was ~243 crore between 2009-10 and 2013-14, but the state did not avail its share, the minister said in the letter, adding that in 2013-14, the Centre released ~29 crore, of which about ~12 crore lies unutilised. “Had Punjab honoured it commitment to implement IWMP, it could have got another Rs 41 crore more from the Centre over the past four years,” the minister said.
Missed opportunity
Punjab’s total allocation under the Centre’s Integrated Watershed Management Programme was Rs 243 crore between 2009-10 and 2013-14, but the state did not avail its share
In 2013-14, the Centre released Rs 29 crore, of which about Rs 12 crore lies unutilised
