Maharashtra fails to use development funds

The Maharashtra government has declared several districts in the Marathwada region as drought affected. Yet, ironically, the region has failed to utilise the funds allocated -- Rs 4 billion -- for providing drinking water to the affected villages.

The funds were allocated by the Centre and the state government, and the elected representatives allegedly had a field day by misusing the funds.

This is one of the many shocking incidents plaguing the Irrigated Area Development Programme and the Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Launched with equal contributions from the Centre and the state in 1995-96, the programme was to develop drought-prone areas in the state. However, due to the state government's lackadaisical attitude, Rs 3 billion had to be returned to the Centre in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

As for the Employment Guarantee Scheme, Rs 1 billion was returned during the same period.

What is more shocking is that many government officials have been allegedly using the funds for their personal ends. And, following the state government's decision to encourage non-government organisations to implement the programmes, several ''dubious'' organisation have sprung up, allegedly to make a killing. Some of the NGOs have been floated by political leaders.

So deep is the malaise that Siddheswar Kulkarni, a member of the state-level committee appointed to regulate the flow of funds, had been arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau for accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from an NGO. He was, however, allowed to go scot-free because his proximity to the Shiv Sena.

Considering such scandals, the state government constituted a panel in October 1996 for selecting the NGOs and overseeing their activities. The committee is headed by the irrigation minister with Anna Hazare and other noted social workers as members. However, Anna Hazare resigned from the committee in November 1996, after exposing a scam in appointing the NGOs. His resignation was accepted in August.

Sensing the state government's inability to utilise the funds, the Centre slashed this year's allocation from Rs 1 billion to Rs 600 million. Out of this, only Rs 210 million was utilised by the state government till March 1997.

Compiled by Prasanna D Zore from the Maratha media