A day after expressing resentment over the State having received a small part of the Centre-approved Rs 8,000 crore for the reconstruction of Uttarakhand after disaster 2013, Chief Minister Harish Rawat has written to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, requesting for the release of the approved funds while citing the severe fund crunch the State has been suffering.
He appealed to the PM to release the funds approved by Cabinet committee on
reconstruction and redevelopment of Uttarakhand, including Rs 323.78 crore under SPA–R and Rs 763.23 crore under
CSS-R.
He also asked for the prompt clearance of Rs 1,200 crore from the central poll for the year 2016-17 to maintain the 90:10 ratio in foreign added projects as per the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendation.
He further stressed that they badly needed Rs 650 crore to restore the infrastructure, damaged due to incessant rain this year.
CM also mentioned that the State’s three medical college and five nursing colleges being partially funded from 13th Finance Commission, the State needs financial help of Rs 275 crore under this head. Besides, he demanded Rs 72 crore to execute the post-Matric scholarship schemes for the SC/ST/OBC students.
He also touched on the need to continue with the
special category status Uttarakhand has been enjoying due to its special geographical condition while adding that the State is sharing international boundaries with China and Nepal.
CM stressed on the fact that the State has limited resources, given the fact that its 70 percent territory comes under remote areas or forest cover. He wrote in the letter that the State’s foreign aided projects need 90:10 funding pattern instead of the Core CSS 90:10 and CSS 80:20 as announced recently by the Centre.
CM again pointed out that the 14th Finance Commission recommendation had severely dented the State’s fund collection process with the State poised to lose around Rs 1,700 crore.
He further said that several projects, approved by 13th Finance Commission, being now under construction, the State needs fund to complete the projects. Besides, to complete SPA approved projects, they needed funds, he said, adding that a number of tourism sector projects, started with the help of the central fund, are not progressing rightly because of fund crunch.