Governor unhappy over non-compliance of earlier directives

Published in The Hitavada on March 21, 2013

Governor expresses displeasure over non-compliance of his directives, tardy pace of backlog removal

By Kartik Lokhande

MUMBAI, March 20: Once again, the Democratic Front (DF) Government has been exposed for not complying Governor’s directives. This time, none other than the Governor himself has ‘noted with concern’ that some of his earlier directives have not been fully complied with. Besides, the Governor has expressed dissatisfaction with pace of backlog removal.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Patil tabled the Governor’s directives regarding allocation of funds for the year 2013-14, in Legislative Assembly on Wednesday. In the directives, the Governor K Sankaranarayanan has passed strictures at the Government for its style of functioning. Since 2001, the Governor has been issuing directives focusing on liquidation of backlog especially of backward regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada. However, the DF Government has been trying one trick or the other to divert funds from Vidarbha region to Rest of Maharashtra, mainly including five politically influential districts of Pune Division. As a result, Vidarbha region’s irrigation backlog kept on increasing. The Government released funds for the region and announced in 2009 that financial backlog of Vidarbha was removed.

In the latest directives, Governor has minced no words in recording his observation about this trickery. “It was expected that the backlog in physical terms would also be liquidated as a result of enhanced allocation for the backlog districts. However, due to time and cost over-runs, the physical achievement has not been commensurate,” he observed. While expressing displeasure over tardy pace of backlog removal in Amravati Division of Vidarbha, the Governor has stated that the ‘slow’ pace of backlog removal indicates much needs to be done to address the ‘administrative bottlenecks’.

Considering the situation and allocation of Rs 8,216.73 crore available in State Budget for 2013-14 for Water Resources Department, the Governor has asked to set aside Rs 750 crore for Amravati, Buldhana, Akola (including Washim) first and then divide remaining allocation of Rs 5,813.17 crore among Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Rest of Maharashtra giving equal weightage to respective population and net sown area. The Governor expressed his concern over balance cost of the ongoing irrigation projects being Rs 78,451 crore, and opined that priority to committed expenditure in irrigation sector should not be diluted by taking up new projects.

Due to strong stand adopted by the Governor in the past, the Government, however, has been forced to effect certain changes in its functioning. The Government complied to certain directives and informed the Governor that a committee of Secretaries of Finance, Planning, and Water Resources Departments was finalizing project-wise allocation; WRD was finalizing clear guidelines regarding revised administrative approval due to change in scope of ongoing projects,

While observing that financial backlog of energisation of agricultural pump sets, student seats in industrial training institutes was removed, the Governor has passed strictures at Public Health Department. “It is a cause of serious concern as public health is the only sector where financial backlog still exists. Moreover, Public Health Department has not been able to keep pace with its own action plan prepared for backlog removal,” the Governor has observed in his latest directives.

The Governor has flayed Planning Department for not submitting impact assessment study and report on time and cost over-runs, Chief Secretary for not submitting report about discrepancy in figures of unspent balances of Rest of Maharashtra Development Board. He has asked the Chief Secretary to review compliance of ‘current as well as earlier’ directives and address policy issues at the level of the State Government.

Governor seeks details of non-plan expenditure also

Close on the heels of MLA Devendra Fadnavis accusing the DF Government of diverting non-plan allocation meant for Vidarbha to other regions, the Governor of Maharashtra has asked Finance Department to publish these figures.

In the latest directives, the Governor has asked the Planning Department to publish figures capturing details of region-wise outlays and expenditure for all sectors including irrigation. “This will help bring about greater transparency in implementation of the Directives,” stated the Governor’s directives. Further, he has made it clear to the Government that non-plan developmental expenditure also falls within the ambit of special responsibility assigned to the Governor by Presidential Order and the Constitutional provisions. Quoting this, he has asked Finance Department to publish figures for non-plan developmental expenditure also.

Allocation of funds as per latest Governor’s directives

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Region                         Allocation of funds

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Vidarbha                      Rs 2,241.08 crore

Marathwada                Rs 1,310.29 crore

Rest of Maha              Rs 3,011.80 crore

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Total                            Rs 6,563.17 crore

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Finance Minister to hold meeting on non-plan expenditure details

As the Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse and senior MLAs from Vidarbha pressed for details on non-plan expenditure, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Patil assured the Assembly that a meeting with Finance Minister Ajit Pawar will be held soon to discuss the issue. MLAs Devendra Fadnavis and Ashish Jaiswal said that Vidarbha was being deprived of funds meant for it by way of diversion to other regions. Trying to cool them down, Patil said that non-plan expenditure details and special fund to Vidarbha Statutory Development Board and other related issues would be discussed in the meeting to be held soon. The Governor’s directives were binding on the Government, he reiterated. Later, Pawar told reporters that he would not comment on Governor’s directives as the issues raised would be discussed in the meeting. He also reiterated that the directives were binding on the Government.

Missing irrigation figures: Ajitdada says it was done to avoid conflict

The missing irrigation figures in Economic Survey of Maharashtra released on Tuesday attracted much criticism of the Government in general and Finance and Planning Departnment in particular. Asked about it, Deputy Chief Minister and Planning Minister Ajit Pawar told reporters that the figures were not quoted ‘purposely’ so that ‘any dispute’ over the matter was avoided. Difference of opinion over irrigation figures between Agriculture Department and Water Resources Department had created a conflict within the DF Government last year, of which the fall-out was expose of irrigation scam. Against this backdrop, the Economic Survey showed ‘Not Available’ in the columns for rise in irrigated area.