Targets Set For I & B Ministry Unattainable

The eighth plan outlay of the I&B ministry approved by the planning commission is Rs 3,672.42 crore with the sectoral allocations being Rs 1,134.95 crore for AIR, Rs 2,300 crore for Doordarshan, Rs 149.79 crore for films and Rs 87.69 crore for the information media.

The standing committee was informed by the ministry that the outlays of Rs 3,672.42 crore was based on the premise that plan schemes would be funded to the extent of Rs 3,217 through internal generation of resources by AIR, DD and the National Film Development Corporation, even while the ministry told plan panel that the figure of Rs 3,217 crore was unattainable. As the budget support component was not enhanced, the approved plan outlay remained unrealistic.

 

In fact, the internal generation of resources is likely to be Rs 1,803 crore against the target of Rs 3,217 crore, the third report of the standing committee on communications chaired by Somnath Chatterjee observed.

It speaks poorly of the planning process. In fact, it amounts to negation of planning as the targets laid down are unrealistic.

The committee pointed out that the aggregate outlay allocated during the period 1992-97 comes to Rs 2,394.14 crore against the eighth plan outlay of Rs 3,672.42 crore, which constitutes only 66 per cent of the approved outlay. Similarly, the aggregate expenditure upto March 31, 1996 has been Rs 1,545 crore. The shortfall of Rs 1,278.28 crore vis-a-vis the plan outlay has been due to lesser mobilisation of internal resources, the report relating to the ministry's demands for grants has stated and adds that it is a matter of grave concern.

In the light of these facts, the committee apprehends that the budget outlay of Rs 1,937 crore for the year 1996-97 (both plan and non-plan) will remain unattainable. According to the standing committee report, poor planning, less mobilisation of internal resources and gaps in budgetary allocations and targets will adversely affect the achievement of physical targets that have been set in.

The projects that are likely to suffer fall in critical areas like high power transmitters, studios, news automation, augmentation of electronic news gathering, satellite service, special software schemes and staff quarters in case of DD and training and external services and upgradation of technology in the case of AIR to mention a few. Cautioning future planners, the panel said that in future realistic estimates of resource generation will be made in consonance with prevailing realities, the report has concluded.