By TCN News,
New Delhi: State governments are not showing required interest in development projects for selected minority districts, and that’s why they are slow in spending sanctioned amount under Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) for 90 Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs). They have not spent even 50% of the funds.
The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has so far released Rs. 2,175 crore under MsDP for the MCDs. However, the expenditure reported by the states/UTs is only Rs 925 crore (i.e., 42.57%), says a communication from the ministry on Friday.
The Multi-sectoral Development Program for the welfare of Minorities was launched in 2008-09 and is being implemented in 90 MCDs in 20 states/UTs.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is making all efforts to ensure that the flagship program MsDP for the welfare of Minorities is implemented expeditiously. Review meetings with the Principal Secretaries/Secretaries handling Minority welfare were held on 6th and 17th of June. The issues reviewed were: submission of revised plan for balance fund of Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs); Utilisation Certificates; detailed project reports (DPRs); status of release of Central fund and State share by the State Govt. to district authority/implementing agencies.
The State secretaries were also requested to ensure quality of the assets being created under MsDP and upload the pictures of the same on the district websites. The States of Assam, UP, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Haryana, M.P, J&K, Uttarakhand & Delhi were reviewed.