HYDERABAD:
While the Telangana government allocated Rs 1,030 crore as budget for
the welfare of minorities in the FY 2014-15, which it said was the
highest for the region, the fund may go unspent as only three months
remain for it to be fully utilised. The deadline is March 31, end of the
fiscal.
For instance, the State Minorities Finance Corporation's bankable scheme, which provides financial assistance to small businessmen by means of subsidised loans, with an allocation of Rs 95 crore, has failed to clear a single loan.
According to sources, who wish to remain anonymous, the government is yet to frame guidelines and the state level bankers' committee is yet to finalise targets. Similar is the case with the corporation's training programmes that have an allocation of Rs 12 crore.
"It is unlikely that the budget will be utilised fully this year. We fear that a chunk of the allocation will go unspent unless the government takes quick action," said a senior official of the State Minorities Finance Corporation.
Also, the state government's much hyped Shaadi Mubarak (SM) scheme, with an allocation of Rs 100 crore, which aims to provide Rs 51,000 to Muslim girls for their marriage, has drawn only 752 applications. The latest data provided by the commissionerate of minorities' welfare department reveal that of these 752 applications, only 115 had received their cheques. The rest are pending verification.
However, officials said that the track record of the minorities' welfare department in disbursing funds to these girls is better than that of Kalyana Lakshmi (KL), a similar scheme for SCs and STs. No Kalyana Lakshmi disbursals have been made so far, officials claimed.
Deputy chief minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali told TOI that the government is trying to make these funds non-lapsable. "If targets are not met, they might be carried over to the next year," he said.
Meanwhile, the commissionerate is waiting for the government to frame guidelines for the disbursal of Financial Assistance to Students of Telangana and post matric scholarships with an allocation of Rs 400 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively. "It is difficult to spend the funds unless the government takes proactive measures. But with the staff crunch in the department, this seems like an uphill task."
When contacted, commissioner of minorities welfare MJ Akbar said, "We are going to have a discussion with the secretary Ahmad Nadeem to make provisions for releasing funds through the green channel which provides for quick disbursal of funds. We are certain that the budget will be utilised. Apart from allocation for education, which is important, the remaining budget is for salaries and other overheads."
For instance, the State Minorities Finance Corporation's bankable scheme, which provides financial assistance to small businessmen by means of subsidised loans, with an allocation of Rs 95 crore, has failed to clear a single loan.
According to sources, who wish to remain anonymous, the government is yet to frame guidelines and the state level bankers' committee is yet to finalise targets. Similar is the case with the corporation's training programmes that have an allocation of Rs 12 crore.
"It is unlikely that the budget will be utilised fully this year. We fear that a chunk of the allocation will go unspent unless the government takes quick action," said a senior official of the State Minorities Finance Corporation.
Also, the state government's much hyped Shaadi Mubarak (SM) scheme, with an allocation of Rs 100 crore, which aims to provide Rs 51,000 to Muslim girls for their marriage, has drawn only 752 applications. The latest data provided by the commissionerate of minorities' welfare department reveal that of these 752 applications, only 115 had received their cheques. The rest are pending verification.
However, officials said that the track record of the minorities' welfare department in disbursing funds to these girls is better than that of Kalyana Lakshmi (KL), a similar scheme for SCs and STs. No Kalyana Lakshmi disbursals have been made so far, officials claimed.
Deputy chief minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali told TOI that the government is trying to make these funds non-lapsable. "If targets are not met, they might be carried over to the next year," he said.
Meanwhile, the commissionerate is waiting for the government to frame guidelines for the disbursal of Financial Assistance to Students of Telangana and post matric scholarships with an allocation of Rs 400 crore and Rs 100 crore respectively. "It is difficult to spend the funds unless the government takes proactive measures. But with the staff crunch in the department, this seems like an uphill task."
When contacted, commissioner of minorities welfare MJ Akbar said, "We are going to have a discussion with the secretary Ahmad Nadeem to make provisions for releasing funds through the green channel which provides for quick disbursal of funds. We are certain that the budget will be utilised. Apart from allocation for education, which is important, the remaining budget is for salaries and other overheads."
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