Unspent ₹43,636 cr lies in states' SNA accounts despite higher allocations

More than Rs 43,000 crore remains unutilised in states' SNA accounts under major centrally sponsored schemes, even as Budget sharply raises allocations for education, water and nutrition programmes

Funds for centrally-sponsored schemes to the tune of ₹43,636 crore are lying unspent in the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) accounts of states, with an additional ₹25,000 crore yet to be transferred to the SNA, as on December 31, 2025, according to Budget documents.

 

The highest unspent balances were under the three schemes, including Samagra Shiksha, Jal Jeevan Mission, and Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0.

 

Since FY22, the government has been implementing the SNA model to ensure just-in-time release of scheme funds to states based on the pace of expenditure. The model is aimed at enhancing visibility and transparency in fund flows to states under centrally-sponsored schemes and facilitating realistic and transparent budgeting. 

Total funds of ₹68,960 crore are still available to the states for the Current financial year (FY26) for CSS schemes with an allocation of more than ₹500 crore.

 

Of the total amount lying in the states’ SNA accounts, the highest amount of ₹6,730 crore is for Samagra Shiksha scheme under the Department of School Education and Literacy. The second highest unutilised amount of ₹6,352 crore is under the Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0, an umbrella ICDS Anganwadi Services Poshan Abhiyan Scheme for Adolescent Girls National Creche Scheme. This is followed by ₹5,371 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

 

All the three schemes have seen higher allocations in the Budget FY27, compared to the revised estimate of FY26. Budgetary allocation of Jal Jeevan Mission is up 298 per cent to ₹67,670 crore, compared to FY26 revised estimates of ₹17,000 crore.

 

Allocation for Samagra Shikha is up 10 per cent to ₹42,000 crore in the Budget for next financial year, compared to revised estimates of FY26.

 

For Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan, the Budget allocation for FY27 is also up 10 per cent to ₹23,100 crore.

 

The total allocation for all CSS in Budget 2026 has seen an increase of over 30 per cent from ₹420,078 crore in revised estimates of FY2025-26 to ₹548,798 crore, the Budget documents showed.