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1. FUNDS TO PANCHAYATI RAJ INSTITUTIONS
Unstarred Question 1145
15/11/2010
(a) The funds released and utilized for
various scheme under the Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIs) during the last two
years and the current year,State-wise and
scheme-wise;
(b) Whether some of the States have not
allocated funds to PRIs;
(c) If so, the details thereof alongwith the
norms and rules regarding utilization of
funds allocated to the PRIs under various
schemes;
(d) Whether the Union Government has urged
upon the States for enhancing funds to the
PRIs;
(e) If so, the outcome thereof; and
(f) The steps taken by the Union Government
to further improve financial governance,
ensure accountability and strengthen
monitoring of schemes under PRIs?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF PANCHAYATI RAJ(Dr. C.P. JOSHI)
(a): Ministry of Panchayati Raj implements
Backward Regions Grant Fund through the
Rural and Urban Local Bodies. Under BRGF,
Rs.9013.45 crore has so far been released to
State Governments as Development Grant
during 2008-09, 2009-10 and 2010-11 (till
09.11.2010). Against this, utilization has
been reported for Rs.5220.29 crore.
State-wise information is at Annexure-I. The
grants-in-aid under the Finance Commission
awards are released directly to the States
by Ministry of Finance. However, information
regarding funds released during the last
three years as grants for PRIs under the
Twelfth and Thirteenth Finance Commissions
is given at Annexure-II.
(b) & (c): The Government of Uttarakhand has
so far not availed the Development Grant
under BRGF. Consolidation of District Plan
by the District Planning Committee (DPC) is
a mandatory requirement for availing
Development Grant under BRGF.The State of
Uttarakhand is not able to avail this grant
as they have not constituted DPCs as
provided in the Constitution.
As per the Guidelines of the BRGF Programme,
the Development Grants are to be allocated
among the Local Bodies based on a
transparent formula to be decided at the
State level.
(d) & (e): Ministry of Panchayati Raj has
been pursuing preparation and notification
of detailed activity mapping by the States
for distribution of Funds, Functions and
Functionaries (3Fs), opening of Panchayat
Window in State Budgets and assignment of
funds and functionaries in accordance with
the devolution of functions. Since,
Panchayati Raj is a State subject, the
devolution of funds to PRIs across the
States/UTs is not uniform. However, as per
the information available at the website of
Thirteenth Finance Commission, total revenue
of PRIs increased to about Rs.60,000 crore
in 2007-08 as compared to Rs.45,000 crore in
2005-06 and Rs.53,000 crore in 2006-07.
(f): The Ministry releases Development
Grants to the States only when proper
utilization of funds released is reported
with supporting progress reports. The
Ministry has also launched a Plan plus
software facilitating the local bodies enter
their plans to be consolidated into the
District Plans and to report progress of
implementation which are also placed in
public domain. A Model Accounting System for
Panchayats (MAS) and PRIASoft, a software
for computerized maintenance of accounts
under MAS, has been developed by the
Ministry to bring in transparency and
accountability in the functioning of PRIs.
The Ministry also holds periodic Review
Meetings and Video Conferences with the BRGF
States and, in some cases, with the
districts too, to sort out implementation
and monitoring issues.
http://164.100.47.132/Annexture/lsq15/6/au1145.htm
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