(News) UP Government Failed To Utilise Funds For Bundelkhand Package

UP fails to utilise funds given under Bundelkhand package

Uttar Pradesh has fared badly in utilising the financial assistance received under the Bundelkhand Package managing to spend only 43.89 per cent of the money allocated to it as Additional Central Assistance (ACA) by the Planning Commission.

Of the Rs 1,695.76 crore allocated to it as ACA for seven districts of the region between 2009 and 2012, the state could utilise only Rs 744.29 crore.

The Bundelkhand package was introduced specially for implementing drought mitigation strategies in the region in 2009-10. It was initially supposed to end on March 31, 2012 but was later given extension till 2017. Banda, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Chitrakoot, Mahoba, Jhansi and Lalitpur districts were included in the package.

As per the sources, a total of Rs 3,606 crore was approved to be spent under the Bundelkhand Package over a period of three years. It included an Additional Central Assistance (ACA) of Rs 1,696 crore while the balance amount of the package was to be met by converging resources from ongoing cental sector and centrally sponsored schemes.

However, during in three years —-from 2009 to 2012 — only Rs 1212.54 crore was released by the Centre as ACA to UP. From this amount, the UP government utilised only Rs 744.29 crore.

The Bundelkhand Package laid special emphasis on projects related to availability of water, both drinking and irrigation. However, only Rs 248.31 crore was utilised from Rs 400.25 crore for water resources projects.

While, only Rs 31.56 crore of Rs 61.56 crore released for watershed management was spent, the scheme to energise private tubewells in the region to meet water crisis did not take off and the sanctioned amount of Rs 69.77 crore remained unutilised.

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Courtesy : The Indian Express