Congress attacks Modi govt over non-utilized central assistance

Ahmedabad, 22 April 2013

Gujarat Congress today alleged that Gujarat’s Narendra Modi government secretly siphons central assistance and publicly cry against Injustice.Following is the statement issued by Gujarat Congress today through party’s state spokesperson Manish Doshi:

All the time the BJP government in Gujarat is engaged in bashing the Central Government for making injustice to Gujarat. But the acts of the “King of Governance” are booked as the official ways and means of misappropriation of the Central Assistance by the Comptroller of Auditor General.

The Government of India provides central assistance in the form of AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme) for construction of the canal systems in different states. Gujarat has been given no less than Rs. 3000 crores in last six years for the Sardar Sarovar Project but the same have not been properly spent for the same purpose which has triggered serious consequences in the form of administrative bottlenecks in availing the central funds for the subsequent years.

Report of the CAG for the year ending 31-3-2009 is eye-opener which proves that the Central Assistance was made available in different forms but the Government of Gujarat has not diligently used for the purpose it was sanctioned for and hence for the same purpose demanding further grant becomes impossible for it in want of utilization certificate to be issued on completion of the irrigation component of the Sardar Sarovar Project which is politically termed as “Injustice to Gujarat”.

Following contents of the aforesaid report of the CAG speak a lot.

Diversion of funds to non-irrigation component of project 2.8.3. SSP has been an eligible project for receipt of Central Loan/grant assistance under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) scheme. Following table shows the details of Central Loan Assistance (CLA) received and expenditure done on components under AIBP as well as unspent CLA.

As shown in the table, the Company could not utilise CLA of Rs 1,103.20 crore provided by GoI during 2002-03 to 2004-05. Further, there was shortfall in expenditure of Rs. 27.36 crore as on 31 March 2002. Thus, the Company could not utilize Rs. 1,157.92 crore on the irrigation component of the project and diverted the same for other components. Moreover, the project also received Rs. 675.20 crore (2007-08) for development of Irrigation potential in identified drought prone districts under Drought Prone Area component of AIBP. This amount was also utilised for other components of work. Thus, total diversion of funds amounted to Rs.1,833.12 crore which led to delay in creation of envisaged irrigation potential and reaping of intended benefits.”

Thus, the Central Government is on one hand committed to assist the poor and needy people of the draught affected regions of all the states of the country but on the other the Government of Gujarat is found to have siphoned away the central assistance and where have all these funds been spent is best known to the “King of Governance” who has mastered the skill of running the governance on three wheels – hype, hyperbole and hypocrisy. A million dollar questions are – Who gave Mr. Modi a right to snatch a piece of Roti from the hands of the people of the drought prone areas of Gujarat ? Is this also a part of Sadbhavana Mission ?