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Governor unhappy over non-compliance of earlier directives
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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
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.
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