Odisha struggles on spending Plan outlays

Plan spending only 52% of the budgetary provision till January-end

The government departments in Odisha continue to struggle on spending Plan outlays. In the April-January period of this financial year, actual plan expenditure stood at Rs 9,312.29 crore, only 52.08 per cent of the budgetary provision of Rs 17,881.34 crore.

The departments of excise and pension grievances and public administration have not been able to spend even a single rupee in the period.

The Cash Management System (CMS) formulated by the finance department mandates at least 60 per cent spending by all departments in the April-December period. The system was introduced to check rush in expenditure towards the fag end of any financial year.

The departments where spending has been tepid are commerce (25.17 per cent), cooperation (26.23 per cent), general administration (24.82 per cent), industries (20.19 per cent), information & public relations (29.80 per cent), information technology (28.25 per cent), steel and mines (11.79 per cent) and transport (19.84 per cent).

Barring agriculture, housing and urban development, labour and employees state insurance, law, public enterprises, ST & SC development department and tourism and culture, all other departments have failed to register the mandated 60 per cent spending.

Plan and non-Plan spending stood at 82.92 per cent of the overall provision in 2011-12. Of the total Plan and non-Plan provision of Rs 50,772.37 crore for the previous financial year, 38 departments have clocked expenditure totalling to Rs 42098.74 crore with 13 departments recording spending level beyond 90 per cent of the allocated funds.