* However, this special fund has been restored for this year only
* 50% of the fund to be utilised for improving HDI of 125 select tehsils and 45 Class ‘C’ municipal councils
* Works related to roads, drainages, gymnasiums, community halls barred from this fund
Staff Reporter
Here
is a good news -- the special fund of Rs 100 crore that was available
to statutory development boards previously, has been restored. However,
the bad news is -- it has been restored for the financial year 2014-15
only! Further, there are restrictions on how to utilise this special
fund.
The statutory development boards of Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Rest of
Maharashtra used to get special developmental fund of Rs 100 crore
previously. Later, the Government had started releasing Rs 100 crore for
all three boards. In the year 2011-12, as per the Governor’s directives
dated March 10, 2011, the fund was scrapped. Maharashtra Government
also chose to cite the Governor’s directives when the development boards
started demanding restoration of the special fund. Then, the Government
gave a reasoning that there was positive impact on development in the
areas under these boards.
However, experts pointed out various untouched areas of development and
lack of even the basic amenities, and again a request was moved to the
Government to restore the special fund. The Government submitted the
proposal to the Governor for consideration, and cleared it recently.
Though the proposal is cleared by the Governor, it is learnt that the
Congress-NCP led State Government has taken the step to project its
‘welfarist’ image in the developmentally backward areas of especially
Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
Prakash Dahake, Chairman of Vidarbha Statutory Development Board (VSDB),
confirmed the development but said that he was yet to see the release
order. Adv Madhukar Kimmatkar, Expert Member of VSDB, said that all
three development boards had sought the fund. “We are yet to see the
order, but if it has been issued, we will discuss the matter in VSDB
meeting to be held soon. We just hope that the fund gets released before
the Model Code of Conduct for Legislative Assembly election comes into
effect,” he told ‘The Hitavada’.
Though the special fund of Rs 100 crore each has been cleared for
Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Rest of Maharashtra statutory development
boards, certain conditions have been imposed on its utilisation. Half of
the fund is to be utilised for elevating the Human Development Index
(HDI) of targeted 125 tehsils and 45 Class ‘C’ municipal councils in
respective areas. While doing so, works to be approved in a tehsil or a
municipal council area should not be more than Rs 3 crore. The remaining
fund can be utilised on water supply schemes in tribal or drought-prone
villages getting water supply through tankers, water conservation works
with special focus on chain weirs, environment-related woorks and
sewage disposal, schemes of women welfare, storage of agricultural and
forest produce and value addition, etc.
However, the special fund cannot be utilised for roads, drainages,
gymnasiums, community halls etc works. The boards have been asked not to
recommend works more than the prescribed limit for each district. Even
if a board recommends more works, respective District Collector has been
directed ‘not to consider’ such proposals. Besides, an order issued by
Hemant Malandkar, Deputy Secretary, Planning Department, states that the
boards should propose only such works that can be completed within the
financial year 2014-15. Further, a report regarding impact of the
utilisation of special fund has to be submitted to the office of the
Governor and Planning Department by May 30, 2015.
(06-08-14)
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