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The state government is likely to lose around Rs 800 crore as Central share under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, aimed at early childhood development, as the Union government has slashed the budgetary allocation by more than 54 per cent for the ensuing financial year.
In the Union budget for 2015-16, allocation for ICDS programme has been cut down to Rs 8,245.77 crore from Rs 18,108 crore in the current year.
The reduction in the budget estimate is due to acceptance of the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission, which has suggested changes in the sharing pattern of some of the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The current fund sharing pattern is 90:10 for ICDS (general), 50:50 for supplementary nutrition programme (SNP) and 100 per cent for constructions of AWC (anganwadi centre) buildings as the Finance Commission grant. ICDS (general), SNP and construction of AWC buildings are the three key components of the flagship programme. Interestingly, the state government, aiming to get regular shares from the Centre has allocated Rs 2,004.05 crore for ICDS, in its own budget for 2015-16.
"As an impact of recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, the Union budget 2015-16 has decided ICDS to run with a changed sharing pattern. The state government would get around Rs 1,261.38 as Central share. If the Union budget under ICDS gets devolved to the states based on the number of projects, the state may get Rs 494 crore from the Centre instead of Rs 1,261 as Odisha holds about six per cent of total number of ICDS projects in the country. We apprehend that the state may lose around Rs 800 crore under ICDS in the ensuing fiscal," said Surendra Sahoo, researcher at Odisha Budget Accountability Centre (OBAC) of Centre for Youth and Social Development (CYSD), a city-based NGO.
Sahoo said, the state may not get any fund under the construction of AWC building under Finance Commission grant.
