Drinking Water Ministry kept in dark about utilization of funds
Warns to make cut in next releases for non-compliance
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 3: Adopting tough stance, the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to either submit Utilization Certificate (UC) or refund Rs 2,000 lakh given under Natural Calamity component of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) way back in 2014-15.
Moreover, the Ministry has made it clear that in case of non-compliance to the latest directive it would be compelled to make cut in the next releases under this Centrally Sponsored Scheme to the State.
The National Rural Drinking Water Programme was started by the Union Government in 2009 with a major emphasis on ensuring sustainability of water availability in terms of portability, adequacy, convenience, affordability and equity on sustainable basis while adopting decentralized approach involving Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and community organizations.
One of the components of NRDWP deals with natural calamity and under this head 2% of the total funds released to the State are earmarked for providing assistance to mitigate drinking water problems in rural areas in the wake of natural calamities.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that during 2014-15 financial year an amount of Rs 2,000 lakh was released to Jammu and Kashmir under NRDWP Natural Calamity component that too on the request of the State Government for utilization to benefit the natural calamities hit people.
However, the utilization status of the funds was not conveyed to the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for three consecutive years (2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17) and taking serious note of the same the Union Minister vide Letter No. G-25012/3/2017-Water-II-Part (8) dated September 6, 2017 asked the Administrative Secretary of PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the State to either submit Utilization Certificate or refund unspent funds under NRDWP-Natural Calamity component.
Astonishingly, there was no response to this communication of the Union Ministry from the concerned authorities of the State Government, sources said.
In the meanwhile, Union Cabinet in its meeting held on November 10, 2017 under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered restructuring of the NRDWP to make it outcome based, competitive and better monitored with increased focus on sustainability (functionality) of schemes to ensure good quality service delivery to the rural population.
During restructuring of NRDWP, Natural Calamity Component was kept out of its purview and States were given more flexibility in utilization of Programme funds. Soon after restructuring of NRDWP, the Union Ministry asked the State Government to furnish utilization status of Rs 2,000 lakh, sources further informed. However, once again the communiqué of the Union Ministry was taken casually by the concerned authorities of the State.
Now, V Radha, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation vide Letter No.W-11032/3/2018-Water-I dated October 26, 2018 has asked the Administrative Secretary of the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department of J&K to either send Utilization Certificate if an amount of Rs 2,000 lakh has already been utilized or refund the unspent funds immediately.
“Top priority shall be accorded to either submission of Utilization Certificate of refund of unspent funds otherwise the Ministry may have to recover the amount from next releases under NRDWP”, read the communication of Union Joint Secretary, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
Expressing concern over non-serious approach of all those who remained at the helm of affairs in the PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department of the State since 2014-15, sources said, “non-adherence to the repeated directives of the Union Ministry has raised many questions vis-à-vis utilization of funds”, adding “even if the State had diverted the funds for other activities it should have reported the same to the Union Ministry so as to avoid tough stance of the latter”.
“As Union Ministry has already reduced funding to J&K under NRDWP during the past two years, the State should immediately respond to the latest communication so as to avoid cut in next releases which would not auger well for the State”, sources said.
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