Every state government presents its annual budget which contains assurances and budgetary provisions for development projects in various areas. While provisions are made in the budget and finance is made available as and when necessary, the actual implementation depends on the administrative action and political will of the elected representatives. But what happens if both are lacking? It becomes apparent with figures in a Marathi daily Lokmat which has published the percentage of budget expenditure used for development projects as against the allocated amount, disclosing a lacuna in the political and administrative wings of the
According to the published figures, the State Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has spent only 35.8 percent of the budget allocation for housing projects in the state while the Deputy Chief Minister, R.R.Patil has spent 65.9 percent for his own home department. Narayan Rane who has left Shivsena and joined Congress with aspirations of being the next Chief Minister has spent 57.5 percent for his revenue portfolio. Dr.Vimal Mundada who holds the important portfolio of public health has spent only 8.6 percent of the total allocation of Rs.1161 crores thereby making it the weakest implementation of projects in this area. Finance Minister Jayant Patil who prepares and announces the budget in the state legislature has spent only 20.8 percent for his planning portfolio for which he himself has made an allocation of Rs.1161 crores and 98 lakhs. The Minister for Social Welfare, Chandrakant Handore has only spent 42.8 percent out of the allocated Rs.1038 crores and 80 lakhs provided for various social welfare schemes.
For agriculture only 23.9 percent out of the total allocation of Rs.364 crores and 54 lakhs have been utilized by the Minister for Agriculture, Balasaheb Thorat while for public works department only 24.9 percent are spent by the Minister from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chagan Bhujbal. The NCP’s Ajit Pawar who holds the portfolio of irrigation has spent only 44 percent out of the total allocation of Rs.4456 crores and 61 lakhs. The Minister Ashok Chavan has spent only 43.4 percent for his industry portfolio while Vansant Purake has spent 41.2 percent for his education portfolio. Even though electricity is an important portfolio, only 26.8 percent out of the allocated Rs.1323 crores has been spent by the NCP’s Dileep Valse-Patil. For construction of roads in the state, the Minister Anil Deshmukh has spent 58.2 percent while for employment guarantee schemes the Minister Harshwardhan Patil has spent only 54.2 percent out of the total allocation of Rs.1104 crores and 99 lakhs.
The expose by the paper has revealed as to how allocations are made and assurances are freely given both on the floor of the assembly and public platforms but an effort is not even made to spend the maximum amount on developmental schemes in various areas and departments of the government’s administration. The exposure made at the time of this year’s budget session has now sent a warning signal for almost all ministers that they should posses the political will to streamline their administrative departments so as to maximize the efficient use of budget allocations for various developmental schemes in public interest.