Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government has focused on the SC/ST community, but the departments which work for the welfare of these communities are not spending the funds allocated under the capital expenditure of the budget.
As far as spending of the funds set aside under the budget goes, the ST department has used only Rs 225 crore out of Rs 1,508 crore in the past nine months.
The SC department is no better. Out of Rs 200 crore, it has spent only Rs 29 crore. Such a low spending of capital expenditure indicates that school buildings, hostels and other assets have not been set up for the SC/ST people.
The department is given money for development in tribal areas, but if the funds remain unused, it indicates that the development work in those places, mentioned in the budget, has not been done.
Besides these two, there are many departments which have not spent the funds.
A sum of Rs 77, 853 crore was allocated, but only a sum of Rs 26,000 crore has been spent in the past nine months.
The Women and Child Welfare Department has spent only Rs 63 crore out of Rs 162 crore of capital expenditure.
Similarly, the medical education department has spent Rs 660 crore out Rs 1,070 core. The department of jails has not spent a single penny out of Rs 87 crore.
In the same way, the finance department has spent Rs 1,000 crore out of Rs 25,000 crore.
Out of Rs 6,500 crore, the energy department has spent only 452 crore. The department of cooperatives has spent Rs 25 crore out Rs 1,047 crore.
The department of culture has spent only Rs one crore out of Rs 378 crore. Similarly, out of Rs 1,422 crore the revenue has not spent a single penny.
Likewise, the Sports and Youth Welfare Department has spent 50 crore out of 181 crore and that the industries department has spent Rs 363 crore out of Rs 943 crore
Capital expenditure non-spending bad sign: Raghavji
According to former finance minister Raghavji, non-spending of capital expenditure is not a good sign. Capital expenditure is the benchmark of development of any state. If the SC/ST department has failed to spend the budgetary allocation, it is a bad sign, he said.
What is capital expenditure?
There are two kinds of allocation: capital expenditure and revenue expenditure. The money spent on salary, allowance, pensions and tours comes under the revenue expenditure. On the other hand, funds sanctioned under capital expenditure are spent on new assets, factories, roads, buildings, computers and furniture.
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