The Central Government has released ₹450 crore as special grant to Telangana government for taking up developmental work in erstwhile nine backward districts of the State.
Coming as “special assistance - capital” for the year 2018-19 to the State government, the amount has been released based on the recommendations of the NITI Ayog. The release comes after the representation submitted by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking release of fourth instalment of funds for taking up developmental work in the backward districts.
Interestingly, the Central government has kept the release of ₹350 crore for the seven backward districts of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh pending. The public finance division of the Central Government said in its communication that the State Government and the implementing agency should put in place a monitoring system to ensure that the projects achieve their scheduled milestones and envisaged outcomes.
Utilisation certificates
The special assistance should be passed on to the implementing agencies/institutions immediately failing which the amount would be recovered from the State Government with interest for the period of default. The grant should be utilised for the purpose for which it had been approved. The State government, on its part, should furnish the utilisation certificates to the NITI Ayog in the prescribed format (Form No. 12-A of GFR-2017) supported with project/work wise details indicating the financial and physical progress made.
The utilisation certificate should disclose whether the specified quantified and qualitative target that should have been reached against the amount utilised were in fact reached.
The State government should take steps to ensure that there would be no duplication of these projects to be executed against the funds being released under other schemes.
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