Under attack from budget, Ramesh passes buck to Gujarat

A day after the union budget brought out that the Rural Development Ministry failed to utilise sizable funds meant for rural poor, Minister Jairam Ramesh today found fault in implementation of an ambitious rural housing scheme in Narendra Modi-ruled Gujarat.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Ramesh said that under the Indira Awas Yojana scheme, the state government could sanction only 99,925 houses against the target of 1,36,470 homes in the last one year.
"The first installment of Rs 134.24 crore as Central share (75 per cent) was released in the beginning of this financial year. The first installment was released only for 16 districts as the other districts could not avail the second installment during the year 2011/12," he said.

Ramesh, who targeted "serious administrative weaknesses" in opposition-ruled states like Bihar and Odisha for less spending of the budget allocation for Rural Development Minstry, told Modi that the Ministry has received proposal for second installment from 11 districts only during the current fiscal. Gujarat has 26 districts.
He asked the Chief Minister to submit all relevant information to get the money meant for the state.
"Officials of my Ministry are in active communication with your officers. I request that instructions may be issued to submit all relevant information at the earliest to enable us to release amount due to Gujarat," Ramesh said.

Rural Development Ministry could spend only Rs 55,000 crore out of the budget estimate of Rs 75,000 crore for its various flagship programmes in the current fiscal.
"It is a reality. Rs 75,000 crore were allocated.... There is a collective responsibility. I cannot pass on the responsibility to states. As Minister for Rural Development, I have to be held accountable.... I am not running away from responsibility," he had said when asked about the poor spending of the Ministry.