MHA Curtails BADP Funding as J & K govt fails to
submit Utilization Certificates on Time
Jammu, 10/12/2018; Call it callousness of the
concerned officers of the Jammu and
Kashmir government or the misfortune of the people living in borders areas of
the state but the fact is that these people who brave the bullets are always deprived of their legitimate
rights.
In a shocking revelation made under RTI Act it
has come to fore that J & K government has
failed to submit utilization certificates under Border Area Development
Program, BAPD amounting rupees 83.64 Crores to the union ministry of home affairs that has compelled the union
government to curtail the subsequent funding under BAPD.
The information received
under RTI Act by Raman Sharma a resident of Jammu from Border Management
Department of Union Home Ministry and BAPD Cell of Planning Development and
Monitoring Department of Jammu and Kashmir government, it’s been exposed that
utilization certificates worth Rs 83.64 are awaited since financial year
2015-16.
In his application under
RTI, Sharma had sought year wise details regarding funds demanded by the J
& K government under BAPD from union home ministry since FY 2010-11 and the
funds released by MHA.
During the period 2010-11 to
2018-19 government of India has provided Rs 1227.94 crores under BAPD to the
state government of Jammu and Kashmir for the welfare of the border residents.
Unfortunately, failure of
the Babus in submitting utilizations certificates well in time has deprived the
state government in getting its due share because as per the guidelines of this
BAPD scheme, funds are released to the states in two instalments and the
funding for the subsequent year is based on the confirmation of expenditure and
receipt of approved list of schemes and the 1st instalment of 90
percent of the allocation of the state is released only after submission of
Utilization Certificates for the amount released in the previous years except
the preceding year.
In the BAPD scheme is it
specifically mentioned that if there is any shortfall in furnishing the UCs for
the amount released during the previous years, except for the same year, the
same amount is deducted in the time of release of the 1st
instalment.
Unfortunately even being
aware of all these straight and transparent
guidelines to avail funds under the BAPD, the concerned officers of the
state government failed to submit expenditure details well in time and this is
the reason that during the last 7 financial years, right form 2010-11 to
2017-18 on several occasion, the MHA has curtailed the funds in comparison what
is asked by the state government.
In year 2014-15, the state
government had made a demand of rupees 128 crore whereas only Rs 115.20 crores
were released, similarly in 2015-16 there was shortfall of Rs 8.68 crores
between released and demanded amount,
the asked amount was Rs 138.79 crore and released amount stood at Rs. 130.11
Cr.
The financial year 2017-18
witnessed the maximum curtailment of over 19 percent funds as the demanded
amount by the state government of Jammu and Kashmir was Rs. 247.65 Crores and
the released amount was just 198.89 crores means a clear shortfall of Rs. 47.74
crores.
During the current financial
year 2018-19 also there is a gap between what amount is demanded and what’s
released by the MHA, though yet one full quarter of the financial year is left,
this year the asked amount is Rs 93.33 crores and the released amount as on
date is Rs 69.79 crores.
Commenting on the exposure
under RTI, the information seeker said he would file a submission to the
governor and chief secretary of the state to make senior officers accountable
so that state government gets its share well in time under BADP and the officers
submit the utilization certificates with the union home ministry well in time.
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