Upset PAC slams unspent tribal funds

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has lashed out at the state government over not spending funds meant for the tribal department and “deliberately” diverting it to some other departments. It has also termed the tribal and social justice departments as ‘parking zones’ for which the funds are sanctioned but diverted to other departments.

The PAC’s observations were made in a recently-released report in the ongoing Monsoon Session of the legislature.

The PAC has pointed out shoddy implementation of a few schemes and reprimanded the department for not working for the welfare of the tribals in the same report.

It was observed by the PAC that a certain amount sanctioned for the tribal department remains unspent and it gets diverted to some other department on March 31.

“The tribal department should pursue the matter and improve this situation. If the sanctioned fund is of Rs 5,000 crore, then only Rs 1,000 crore is spent. The unequal ratio of the sanctioned amount and fund spent is deliberate so as to transfer money to other departments,” the PAC said in its report for the year 2010-11.

“It is mandatory for the government to allot a certain amount of funds to be sanctioned for the social justice and tribal departments,” the PAC said

“But both the departments have become parking zones as the fund is not spent there but diverted,” the report added. It even asked for an explanation from the department, as this is a violation of the rules.

“The tribal department should distribute its entire fund, which is 9.4 per cent of the entire budget. It is true that there is a 10- to 20-per cent cut every year for the budget. It is an injustice to the tribals if the sanctioned amount is not spent on their welfare,” it said.

Referring to the delay in installing a biometric system for employees in tribal ashram schools and hostels, the PAC instructed that responsibilities be fixed on the officials concerned. “As the permission was not sought for the biometric system, '4.38 crore (allotted for the same) remained unspent,” it said.

In another scheme, the PAC has raised doubts over the tribal department’s claim that the scholarship given post class X (matriculation) received a lukewarm response.

“The reason (given by the government over) lukewarm response for the government of India’s post-metric scholarship scheme does not sound real. There are many needy students awaiting the scholarship,” the PAC said, asking the government to give a clarification on the issue.

The PAC said even the Comptroller of Auditor General has rebuked the state that it made budgetary provision of Rs 20 crore for mass marriages in 2011-12 and spent only Rs 9 crore of it.

The state, however, said that the people are not coming forward to take the benefits of the scheme, the PAC said. “It was an important scheme that failed due to the apathy of officials. Many have not received the funds for the last three to four years despite holding mass marriages,” it said.