State Finance Department To Strictly Follow Fund Guidelines

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Finance department has decided to be strict with reference to the release of the funds in fiscal 2019- 20 under the MLA local Area development Fund (MLALADF). It will strictly adhere to the set guidelines, according to which the funds for the present financial year will be released only after the Finance Department receives the Utilization Certificates (UCs) of 70 per cent of the MLALAD funds of the previous fiscal (2018-19), and 100 per cent UCs of the earlier fiscal (2017-18).

The decision to this effect has been taken after the Finance department noticed that many UCs of the Assam government could not be submitted to the Accountant General (AG) as the UCs are not being submitted on time by the different implementing departments.

Sources informed that UCs for the earlier two fiscals (2016-17 and 2017-18) of as many as 10 Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) were not submitted to the Finance Department by the Transformation and Development Department that monitors the MLALADF. The responsiblity of submitting the UCs to the Transformation and Development Department is with the respective Deputy Commissioners (DCs).

Under the MLALADF, an amount of Rs one crore is allocated for each legislator in each financial year for development of the constituencies.

In fiscal 2015-16, the number of pending utilization certificates of all departments concerned (and not just that of the MLALADF) was 8,551. After the BJP-led coalition came to power in 2016-17, the number was brought down to 1,600. It further came down to 819 in June 2019 when the AG prepared its report. As of now, 558 overall UCs of 2016-17 are still pending.

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