State Governments not using Central funds effectively, claims Shriprakash Jaiswal
By ANIThursday, October 28, 2010
NEW DELHI - Coal Minister Shriprakash Jaiswal on Thursday said that some State Governments are not using the funds allocated by the Centre for regional development effectively.
Speaking at the National Review meeting of the Twenty Point Programme here today, Jaiswal said that the motive of the annual meeting is to give the message of working effectively to all the State Governments and the Ministries of the Central Government.
“The motive of the review meeting is that wherever the programme is not being implemented properly, the funds allocated by the Central Government are not being effectively used,” said Jaiswal.
“We want to give this message to all the State Governments and to all the Nodal Ministries of the Central Government through this meeting that they should improve their standards of working. Funds should be used effectively and it should reach the poor man for whom this Twenty-point programme was launched,” he added.
The Twenty Point Programme (TPP) was a scheme formulated by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 with a view to improve the living standards of the people.
Jaiswal further said the Government is planning to make this meeting an annual event to review the situation more closely and regularly, and stated that the problem does not have a political reason but depends on each State.
“We do not think that the reason here is political, but we feel that there are some states which do not perform up to the mark in every field. This does not have a political motivation behind it. I feel that the people of the state and the administration are not that dedicated to their work,” he said.
TPP was first revised in 1982 and then in 1986. It was again revised in 2006 after which it came into effect in April 2007.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation says that although TPP has been in existence for the last 30 years, the desired objectives of eradication of poverty and improvement in the quality of life of the common man have yet to be completely attained.
The TPP is contained in the National Common Minimum Programme (NCMP), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations, and the SAARC Social Charter. (ANI)
