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| Education department breaks record in fund lapsing under CSS | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 28: Though the phenomenon of trailing off whooping sums due to failure in expending in Jammu and Kashmir is not new, the Education department has broken all the records by leaving around 288 crores sanctioned under centrally sponsored schemes unspent during the last fiscal year. The department has also spent only 131 crores sanctioned under state sector out of 450 crores during the same period.
The legacy of lapsing the whooping sums by not spending on infrastructure development in key sectors including social sector in Jammu and Kashmir transfers from one regime to another, however, while going through the records the practice seems to be phenomenal with certain variations.
If the record of unutilized funds since 2002-03 under state as well as centrally sponsored schemes is put to comparison, there seems hardly any difference with the change of political dispensation which essentially points to administrative malfunctioning and inefficient political decision making.
However, various administrative departments offer varying explanations to fund-lapsing phenomenon but what is interesting to note is that utilization of funds under service sectors is always 100 percent.
"I can't comment on what you are saying without going through the official record, however, the utilization of funds under services sector is up to the mark" commissioner secretary Education Department Naseema Lanker said adding that Education has different branches such as technical, Physical, school and higher education departments. "I don't know which department you are talking about" Naseema said.
When asked about the reports of lapsing funds under both centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) and state sector suggest that Rs 288 crores have remained unspent which were meant for development of infrastructure in schools and colleges, Lanker said there can be reasons for that, however, she was not sure about the figures. "You have to take into account the devolution part of the centrally sponsored schemes, I mean the timing of the funds being released under various schemes" added she.
The Commissioner Secretary Higher Education Tanveer Jahan did not pick up the phone despite repeated calls.
However, leading economist and member of state finance commission Professor Nisar Ali is also of the opinion that before drawing conclusions, we have to ascertain the timing of the devolution of the funds under CSS.
" Sometimes the funds are released at the end of the fiscal which could be the main reason for funds being lapsed" Professor Nisar said adding that it is always a cumbersome job to get the funds released in time under various centrally sponsored scheme. "Usually the norms prescribed under CSS are very exhausting and while fulfilling those norms you run out of time" Nisar said. Nisar further added that most of the schemes come through Sarva Shiksha Abhyan( SSA) and it is here the funds get lapsed in an equally high ratio. "Secondly, the funds are released in instalments, second instalment or quarter is released only after utilization certificate of the first instalment is furnished and here we are very slow. Our administrative departments are very slow, for obvious reasons, in producing the utilization certificates" said the noted economist.
Nisar, however, added that Government of India's hard and fast rules coupled with the climatic and geographical conditions also contribute to the lapsing of funds under CSS. " I personally know the funds available under Border Area Development (BAD) and Sarvashiksha Abhyan (SSA) laps massively for varied reasons. "However, the massive capital input under the CSS had to be utilized in developing infrastructure in schools and colleges in the state. It had to be spent in capacity-building of the teachers and skill development" Nisar said. The funds could have further enhanced the educational competence of youngsters enrolled in government schools and colleges. It could have also pushed up the literacy rate of the state which is currently stuck at 68 percent, almost eight percent below the national average.
But what about the funds available with the administrative departments under state share? Why only funds available for service are spent efficiently, where the efficiency goes when it comes to spending of money on schemes, are some questions which need answer.
Out of 450 crores under state allocations why only 131 crores were spent till end of December last , spent why not 319 crores meant for the development of infrastructure in schools and colleges have not been spent are some questions which speak volumes about the functioning of state administration.
The officials simply shoved off the funds and did not allow it be utilized in erecting the physical infrastructure of the newly announced colleges by the government. |
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