The Hindu : National : Panel raps Ministry

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 06, 2006

National

National

Panel raps Ministry

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI : A Parliamentary Committee has taken the Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Ministry to task for its failure to utilise over Rs. 300 crore for a Central Government-sponsored scheme.

The Standing Committee on Urban Development in its 13th report tabled in the Lok Sabha recently said that not only were the reasons advanced by the Ministry in support of the huge unspent balance unsatisfactory, but the reply given too was "very cursory".

Asking the Ministry to make efforts to impress upon the States and Union Territories to expedite utilisation of the unspent funds effectively, under the Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana, it said that it should aim at achieving the physical targets set under the scheme.

It has appreciated the move to revise the guidelines of the scheme in terms of the share of the States and the Centre for 11 special category States and wanted the Government to extend the facility to all States when the modifications fructify.

On some States failing to carry out house-to-house survey for identifying persons below the poverty line, the committee said it was a "serious matter" as the benefits did not reach the deserving people in the absence of such a list. On micro-credit to the urban poor, the panel said the Task Force should expedite the finalisation of its report.

As nodal Ministry, it should encourage the States and UTs to accord the priority to the scheme, the panel said, stressing that there should be periodic and effective interaction with States and UTs lagging behind in the implementation of SJSRY, particularly with States such as Goa, Jharkhand and Delhi.

In relation to the oft-quoted complaint of non-cooperation of banks, the committee suggested that the Ministry go in-depth into the nature of such complaints received so far, particularly during the last five years, and work out a solution in close collaboration with the agencies concerned.

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