Dispur spent only 36.4 % of funds allocated

PLAN EXPENDITURE 2014-15

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, July 5: In what could raise eyebrows, Assam government maged to spend only 36.4 per cent of the total plan allocation in the fincial year 2014-15, the Economic Survey has said.

The total plan allocation for the year 2014-15 was Rs 21,154.5 crore. The allocation was categorized under different heads as follows - General Service Rs 785.82 crore, Social and Community Service Rs 9148.73 crore, Economic Rs 9,565.03 crore, Autonomous Councils Rs 1,415.48 crore and Loans and Advances Rs 239.44 crore, according to the 2014-15 Economic Survey.

The percentage of expenditure in all the sectors were dismal.

The expenditure in General Services was just 1.4 per cent of the allocation, in Social and Community Service it was 15.7 per cent, in Economic 16.5 per cent, Autonomous Councils 2.4 per cent while in Loans and Advances it was 0.4 per cent.

It is one of the worst performances of the State in terms of plan expenditure.

While some blame it on the incompetence of the State government, some feel that restructuring of the Planning Commission and replacing it with Niti Ayog has left many States in the lurch.

"Earlier, the Planning Commission used to fix the allocation at the beginning of the fincial year. States used to know what was coming and so they could plan it accordingly. But since the Niti Ayog replaced the Planning Commission, things have become uncertain," said a State government official.

The Planning Commission was disbanded by the rendra Modi government last year.  After the Niti Ayog was constituted, States have been fixing their allocations on their own, and forwarding it to the Ayog. There has been uncertainty as to whether the allocation fixed by the State would be approved.

During this fiscal, the State government had fixed the plan allocation at over Rs 25,000 crore.