(News) Bundelkhand: Advisory Committee decided to call UP & MP CMs to discuss about Package

Centre’s integrated development plan for the drought-hit Bundelkhand region has not taken off even in the third and last year of its implementation. Both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have miserable track records of utilisation of the funds allocated under the Bundelkhand Drought Mitigation Package.

The Planning Commission data reveals that the UP Government has submitted utilisation certificate (UC) for only Rs 71.92 crore against the fund release of Rs 800.97 crore under Additional Central Aid (ACA) component of the package, and MP has furnished UC for Rs 44.60 crore against the sanction for Rs 1,000.45 crore.

Under the overall package, the Centre released Rs 1,185.10 crore (33.80 per cent of the total funds allocated) to UP and Rs 1,352.99 (35.98 per cent of the total funds allocated) to MP till now.

The advisory committee on the Bundelkhand Drought Mitigation Package, which met last Friday, showed grave concerns on the matter and decided to call the two CMs in the next meeting in September to discuss the issue. The committee, headed by Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, comprises plan panel members and MPs from the two States.

Bundelkhand region, spread over MP and UP, is a drought hit area. In 2009, the Centre approved a Rs 7,266 crore package for the integrated development of the region over three years. The package covers seven districts of UP (Banda, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Jalaun, Jhansi, Lalipur and Mahoba) and six districts of MP (Chhatarpur, Damoh, Datia, Panna, Sagar and Tikamgarh). The package is meant to be used for water resources, irrigation and agricultural activities in the region.

Read More..