By TCN News,
New Delhi: Intellectuals attached with Aligarh Muslim University have criticized the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs for underutilization of funds allocated for minority concentration districts under Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP).
“Minority Ministry of the central government has completely failed in discharging its constitutional responsibilities by spending only 49 percent of allocated funds under Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP)” said Prof. Razaullah Khan President of Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (MBMC), Aligarh. Addressing the monthly review meeting of the MBMC at Media Centre Aligarh, he pointed out, Parliamentary standing committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (2011-12) in its 27th Report has snubbed the ministry and for us it is a matter of strong anguish.”
Presenting an overview of the functioning of the ministry, Jasim Mohammad, Editor of Aligarh Movement Magazine said, it is a matter of grove concern that minority affairs ministry has failed in delivering goods.” He pointed out that mid-day meal is not being distributed in Urdu medium schools and the ministry has overlooked the fact that it was created to implement minority development policies of the government.
Millat Bedari Muhim Committee (MBMC), Aligarh has demanded that the functioning of the Minority Ministry should be streamlined and monitoring of the schemes launched by government must be undertaken with fixation of responsibilities. In another resolution, the committee has appealed to UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi to look into the failure of the ministry and take up the corrective step.
State Minister Vincent H. Pala on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that for the year 2010-11 states have reported utilization of 75.30% of the funds released to them under -sectoral Development Programme (MsDP).
This doesn’t look that bad until you consider that the amount in budget under this program was 1327.32 crores from which 913.23 crores was released. From Ministry’s own admission the amount utilized by states and union territories comes out to be 687.66 crores, which means about half of the funds budgeted for MsDP ever got utilized.
Ministry admits that “the pace of implementation of MsDP has been slow due to late submission of plans by States/UTs, non- availability of land and location related problems, inordinate delay in transfer of fund by State/UTs to the district, non release of required State share and long gestation period of infrastructure projects.”
Earlier in the year a Standing Committee of Parliament criticized MoMA for underutilization of funds of Multi-sectoral Development Program (MsDP) in Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs) since the mega program of Ministry of Minority Affairs launched in 2008-09. In its 27th Report, the Standing Committee on Social Justice and Empowerment (2011-2012) says that since the inception of MsDP in 2008, an amount of Rs. 2359.39 Crore has been released against which expenditure of only Rs. 1174.93 Crore has been reported by the States/UTs. The panel has criticized the minority ministry for casual approach towards the program.
Under MsDP program, funds are available for infrastructure projects like building schools, hospitals, and schools in any of the 90 Minority Concentration Districts (MCDs).
Links:
http://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in/msdp
Parliamentary panel snubs Minority Ministry for slow pace of MsDP