Mamata fails in utilizing funds of her minority ministry

By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,

Kolkata: On completing its 200th day in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called a meeting to discuss the performance of the government. The 61 departmental secretaries and joint secretaries were called in for the meeting. Most departments including those handled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were found to be a failure in utilizing the funds.

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The statistics until September 2011 were taken in to account and Information & Cultural affairs, Land reform, Health & family Welfare and Home Department were found to have utilized their funds not more than 10% of its total allocation. Minority affairs & Madrasah education department utilized 14% of the budget allocated. Out of the Rs. 333 Crore allotted in Budget, only 46.32 crore was used. 793.76 crore rupees allocated to the department of health too were found to be unused. Information & Cultural Department used only 1.2%, Land 1.56%, Hills 12.62%, Home affairs 9.19% and Employees department 8%.

Today Minority Affairs department arranged a convention where Scholarships & Loans were distributed to Minority students. CM was the chief guest and government claimed that Rs 63.64 Crore will be distributed to 3.11 Lakh students under this minority programme.

Beside this the first phase fund from Central Government under the backward region Development scheme, covering 11 districts in West Bengal too was found to be seriously unutilized. Sources said, Central Jozona Commission recommended more than 8100 crore for 11 districts under the project for eight departments. Electricity Rs 2511 Cr, Health Rs 2200Cr, PWD Rs 1200 Cr, School education Rs 575 Cr, Public health Engineering Rs 1012 Cr, Irrigation Rs 130 Cr, Small Scale Industries Rs 269 Cr and Housing Rs 200 Cr. The 11 Districts included two Minority concentrated Districts [MCDs] Murshidabad and South Dinajpur.

Details of Unutilized Funds in departments handled by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee:

(Amount in Crore, accounts up to September 2011)

The Utilization of Minority funds in West Bengal was found to be extremely poor under the left front regime or the present Mamata Banerjee led Govt. An analysis of central Minority fund for West Bengal could well reveal the pathetic state.

The corpus of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF) was a mere Rs 100 crore in 2006-07, but it has now reached Rs 700 crore with the inclusion of Rs 125 crore in 2010-11 and another Rs. 150 crore in 2011-12. But in West Bengal only meager amounts reached the Muslim NGO’s, for developing their educational institutions.

In the year 2004-’05 and 2010-’11, no fund reached West Bengal. It was only in 2011-’12 (as per MAEF statement) 15 lakh rupees was granted for the construction of a 50 bedded girls hostel in Beluni Kanakalyan Sangha of Dholahat Village, South 24 Parganas . But every years MAEF used to sanction fund for each and every states in India for the development of minority educational institutions, but for west Bengal it was just the Rs 1.3 crore sanctioned in 2011-‘12.

After the Sachar reports the Maulana Azad Scholarchip for girls were increased with respect to number of beneficiaries and amount. In 2006-’07 only 325 students were benefitted and received a total amount 32.5 Lakhs. The numbers kept ascending as it was 545 students 2007-‘08, in 2008-’09 1386 students and in 2009-’10 reaching up to 1416 students. But in 2010-’11 session the number of benefitted girls reduced to 1219 thus spending a meager amount of Rs 146.26 Lakhs. The year 2011-’12 witnessed a rapid increase in its numbers benefitting 5956 girls and the amounts tolling up to Rs 660.92 lakhs.

ITI: The Ministry of Minority Affairs had already given an in-principle approval for construction of five new ITI building and staff quarters along with the purchase of machinery tools and equipments at a cost of Rs.2790 lakh in MCDs of West Bengal. The details of in-principle approvals are as given below:

(a) Construction of one ITI building at Baduria (North 24 Parganas) at a total cost of Rs.560 lakh, in 36th Empowered Committee meeting held on 29th July 2010.

(b) Construction of two ITI building at Magrahat-II and at Mandirbazar (South 24 Parganas) at Rs.560 lakh each, summing up to a total cost of Rs.1120 lakh, in 23rd Empowered Committee meeting held on 27th November 2009.

(c) Construction of one ITI building at Bauria (Howrah) at a total cost of Rs.550 lakh, in 36th Empowered Committee meeting held on 29th July 2010.

(d) Construction of one ITI building at Kalaichat (Malda) at a total cost of Rs.560 lakh, in 40th Empowered Committee meeting held on 23rd November2010. But until now there has been no progress on these projects.

Under the Multi Sectoral Development Programme Ministry of Minority Affairs approved the project cost in West Bengal at around Rs. 68419.38 lakhs. The amount released was Rs. 51724.85 Lakhs including a state share of Rs. 540.46 Lakhs.

IAY: The target was to stabilize37303 houses under Indira Avas Yojana [IAY], until September 2011, works of only 15855 houses have been completed and 5887 of them are under progress.

Health Centers: The target was to set up 743 health centers, but only 242 among them were completed and 328 are under progress.

Anganwadi Centers: The target was to set up 7002 Anganwadi Centers but only 2318 among them were completed and for 2697, the work is still under progress.

Hand Pumps: Hand pumps in agricultural field have been targeted at 6527; out of those 4509 got completed.

Addition Class room: Out of targeted 6369, only 1646 has been completed and 2030 in under progress.

School Building: Out of 41, only 11 have been completed and three are under progress.

Teaching Aids: The total targeted 40 were purchased by those sanctioned Institutions. But in case of Laboratory equipments, the result is a big zero. So, educational infrastructure continues in poor condition.

Girls Hostel: Total target is to build 39 hostels but yet to start one.