At a time when funds crunch is cited as a major hindrance for taking up development programmes in the State, it is astonishing to know that a big chunk of the budgetary provision remains unutilised every year, revealed Rourkela MlA Dilip Ray.
On a question of Ray in the Assembly about the volume of funds that stayed unspent over the period from 2007-08 to 2015-16, it was stated that Rs37,000 crore couldn’t be spent from the budgetary provisions in the same period out of the combined funds of the State Government, the Central Government and funds allocated for the Centrally sponsored schemes. Rs27,157 crore allocated for non-plan expenditure and Rs6,600 crore of State plans have not been spent during the period.
However, what is more surprising is that the State Government that leaves no opportunity to complain of Central negligence has failed to spend Rs2,612 crore of Central funds and Rs1,079 crore allocated under the Centrally sponsored schemes. The failure to spend funds has been consistent over the years and on an average Rs4,161 crore remains unspent every year.
Apparently, the failure to spend funds lies in its incapability to identify areas where to invest the funds followed by the tardy process of project development. Inefficiency of the bureaucratic machinery to address emerging challenges through swift cognizance of required interventions, followed by immediate action plan seems to be another reason for funds lying idle, opined Ray.
He hoped the Government to modify its strategy and make the project management machinery more agile for proper and timely spending of funds.