TCN impact: Centre writes to Bihar on minority district plan

By Mumtaz Alam Falahi, TwoCircles.net,

Patna: Within days of TwoCircles.net starting a series on the ground situation of the Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) in seven Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) in Bihar – with first part on Darbhanga – the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has snubbed Nitish Kumar government for being slow in implementing MsDP projects.

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Union Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has written a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressing concern at Bihar lagging behind in structural development projects in MCDs.

In the 10th July story titled “Minority district plan not addressing problems of Darbhanga Muslims” TCN had published the real problems of the local Muslims and how slow is the local administration in implementing even those schemes which are general in nature like Indira Awas Yojna and Anganwadi Centres.

The locals had told us that their main issues are: one, lack of educational infrastructure; two, lack of civic amenities like road, drainage in minority dominated areas. We had sent our story to Minister Salman Khurshid, and fortunately he went through and took action.

Poor educational facility in Darbhanga, Bihar. [TCN Photo]

In his letter, the Union Minister has pulled the state government for not working on upgrading educational facilities for minorities in MCDs. He disclosed that Bihar officials were advised to propose projects for educational uplift of minorities like school hostels at secondary and higher secondary levels and construction of polytechnics. The minister also revealed in the letter that “Most MCDs in Bihar have sufficient balance funds to accommodate such educational projects,” Times of India (July 15) has quoted him as saying in the letter.

Khurshid said the MsDP is way behind schedule in Bihar. “Against 11th Five-Year Plan allocation of Rs 523.20 crore, only plans for Rs 240.50 crore were approved after two years which means the total funds are unlikely to be absorbed in the plan period,” he said.

Giving proof of lackadaisical attitude of the state government regarding implementing the Central Government-run program, the minister said, of the Rs 122.28 crore released under MsDP, only Rs 23.49 crore was spent till June 2010. It is only 19.21% of the released amount. More revealing fact is that funds sent by the Centre to Bihar were released by the state to MCDs after eight months.

There are seven MCDs in Bihar: Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Sitamadhi, Pashchim Champaran, Darbhanga. All are in Category A in the list of 90 MCDs in the country. In total there are 52 MCDs in Category A – under this category are those MCDs which have both socio-economic and basic amenities indicators below national average.

While the state has 16.64% Muslim population (Census 2001) the seven MCDs has 20-68% population of the community: Araria (41.27%), Kishanganj (67.87%), Purnia (36.99%), Katihar (42.83%), Sitamadhi (21.25%), Pashchim Champaran (21.51%) and Darbhanga (22.76%).

Moreover, the Bihar MCDs has several blocks which have 25% or above Muslim population: Araria (7 blocks), Kishanganj (7), Purnia (9), Katihar (13), Sitamadhi (6), Pashchim Champaran (4) and Darbhanga (9 blocks).

It is very clear from these facts that the MsDP will directly affect (whether implemented or not) the Muslim community. So what is important to see is: where these projects are being implemented and if these projects are addressing the real problems of the locals.

But it seems the district administrations are not sending proposals under the guidelines of the MsDP. The minister says in the letter that several proposals from Bihar have been turned down for being not right, thus causing delay in the release of funds for the MCDs.

Take the case of Darbhanga. Under MsDP, the central government sanctioned two projects worth Rs 1200 lakh for Darbhanga in the fiscal year 2008-09. Rs 599.81 lakh was to be spent under Indira Awas Yojna to build 2285 units of houses and Rs 600 lakh on the construction of 200 Anganwadi Centres. The government released only 50% of the sanctioned amount on 06-02-2009. The second installment has not been released by 16-04-2010 because the first amount was yet to be spent fully. One important point to be noted here is that neither Indira Awas Yojna nor Anganwadi are Muslim specific programs. While the local community demands educational infrastructure and basic facilities the district administration has not sent any proposal on that.

Units of projects approved by 31/12/2009

IAY: Indira Awas Yojna

AWC: Anganwadi Centre

DWS: Drinking Water Supply

ACRs: Additional Class Rooms in Govt high schools

Amount approved by 31/12/2009