The Hindu        23.01.2011

Only 42% Plan spending till December 31

The total State Plan outlay was Rs.10,025 crore; local bodies fared badly in spending

Although just one more quarter remains for the close of the current financial year, the State appears to have slipped in meeting its Plan targets for the last three quarters with the Plan spending remaining below 50 per cent as on December 31, 2010.

According to the monthly Plan review conducted by the State Planning and Economic Affairs Department, based on reports received till January 11 from 90 out of the 160 implementing officers, Plan spending up to December 31, 2010, came to only 42 per cent of the total State Plan outlay of Rs.10,025 crore, the actual amount being Rs.4,213.87 crore.

The expenditure up to the end of November was Rs.3,708.79 crore, representing 37 per cent of the outlay. The State was expected to achieve a Plan spending of 70 per cent of the total outlay by December 31.

The local bodies too have not fared well in Plan spending.

Out of Rs.2,197.65 crore allocated to the local self-government institutions in the State Plan, the local bodies could spend only Rs.716.59 crore (35 per cent) as on December 31.

The government had earmarked Rs.2.050 crore for the local bodies in the 2010-'11 budget. The government had deducted Rs.147.65 crore from this as unspent balance and kept Rs.4.35 crore as unallocated funds to provide special incentive to the best local self-government institution. While the grama panchayats and municipalities utilised 39 per cent of the allocated amount by December 31, the share of block panchayats was 40 per cent and that of district panchayats 36 per cent.

Worst performers

The worst performers have been the municipal corporations, which together utilised just 27 per cent of the allocation till the close of the last calendar year.

The implementation of externally-aided projects also has left much to be desired with the utilisation of funds being a bare 27 per cent. Out of the total outlay of Rs.1,216.48 crore, the total amount spent till December 31 was Rs. 324.04 crore.

The same was the case with the 11 schemes for food security for which the total outlay came to Rs.111.07 crore. The total expenditure on this count till December 31 was Rs.33.97 crores (31 per cent).