Hyderabad: Here is a major goof-up by the AP government. As a result, getting the Rs 350 crore announced by the Central government under ‘development of backward districts’ provision, has become difficult for the state.
Over the past two years, the Centre has released Rs 700 crore to seven backward districts at the rate of Rs 100 crore each. Of this, the state government spent only Rs 14.63 crore till August 2016. The blame is now put on the collectors.
The Central government has made it clear that unless the state government submits utilisation certificates (UC), further funds will not be released.
NITI Aayog had sent several reminders to the state government to send the UCs for the Rs 700 crore released. But the state did not do this.
As was assured in the AP Reorganisation Act, the Central government has released Rs 350 crore in 2014-15 financial year for the development of four Rayalaseema and three North Coastal backward districts at the rate of Rs 50 crore each. Although the state did not send UCs for the Rs 350 crore, the Central government released another Rs 350 crore in 2015-16 for seven backward districts. The state government has released these funds to the district collectors of the seven backward districts at the rate of Rs 100 crore each. But the collectors have failed to utilise these funds, it is stated.
District-wise details of works
The Kadapa district collector has spent only Rs 1 lakh out of the Rs 100 crore in the last two years. In Chief Minister, N Chandrababu Naidu’s home district, Chittoor, the collector spent only Rs 1.88 crore in the last two years. A senior officer commented that the district collectors are treating these funds as “pocket money”.
A month back, NITI Aayog sent a letter to AP government asking it to send an action plan for utilisation of these funds and the expenditure incurred so far. In reply, the state government said no action plan could be prepared at the state level for utilisation of these funds. The funds were released to district collectors and they were told to prepare action plan according to the needs of their respective districts, it was stated. But, NITI Aayog is not satisfied and has insisted that a detailed report be sent along with UCs.
In a recent communication on sanctioning of Rs 1,976.50 crore, the Central government said, “as informed earlier the utilisation certificates submitted by the state government for Rs 350 crore released for the backward districts during 2015-16 was not in format as per general financial rule 2005. Further, the AP government has so far not provided utilization certificates for Rs 350 crore released during 2014-15”.
The Central government has asked the state government to send district-wise details for the list of projec-ts sanctioned and utilisati-on certificates including physical and financial pro-gress, against the funds rel-eased so far to the state government under ‘developme-nt of backward districts’he-ad. To get Rs 350 crore in the current financial year, the state government has to sp-end the entire funds of Rs 700 crore in the next six mon-ths, which is impossible.
