SHILLONG: Union Minister Sudarshan Bhagat on Tuesday denied reports claiming that the Centre threatened to stop fund allocation to the Horticulture Department because Meghalaya is a Congress-ruled state.
“There is nothing like that. All states are equal for us and we want that the whole country should develop,” the Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare told reporters here on Tuesday.
Bhagat reiterated that the Ministry would have no other option but to reduce allocation if the State does not issue utilisation certificates for the Central schemes under the Ministry of Agriculture. On Monday, Bhagat had said Meghalaya may have a reduced central budgetary allocation in the sector next year if it does not utilise around Rs 90 crore sanctioned fund for various horticulture schemes.
The Union Minister on Tuesday said in the last four years, Meghalaya could utilize only 50 per cent of the Rs 212 crore sanctioned under the Horticulture Mission.
He added that the Ministry had sanctioned Rs 1.64 crore for animal rearing projects in Meghalaya and asked the government to expedite utilisation of central funds and schemes for the benefit of the State.
The Union Minister, who was on a two-day visit to Shillong, was also full of appreciation for the State Government for undertaking several projects under the Fishery Department saying Meghalaya has tremendous potential in this sector.
Meanwhile, the Under Secretary of the Agriculture Department clarified that the amount released by the Centre under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikash Yojana from 2007-2008 to 2016-17 was Rs 244.56 crore out of which Rs 234.83 crore was fully utilised till 2015-16.
The government further said the remaining amount of Rs 9.73 crore released for 2016-17 is under process of implementation and that utilisation certificates for all releases since 2007-08 were submitted to the Centre and the latest utilisation certificate for 2015-16 was submitted on August 30, 2016.
The statement further said the central fund under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture sub-scheme Horticulture for the North East and Himalayan States during the 12th Plan Period is Rs 127.35 crore of which Rs 114.60 crore has been fully utilised till date. The remaining fund of Rs 12.75 crore recently released by the Centre is under process of implementation.
“During 2015-16 there was a late release of central funds owing to lack of clarity in the funding pattern that was earlier indicated by the Government of India as 50:50 (central-state share) but subsequently was fixed at 90:10 after prolonged follow-up by the State Government,” the statement added.
