The state government has managed to utilise only 32 per cent of the allocated Rs 15,000 crore for various central government programmes and Rs 12,000 crore was left unused, Fernandes told a press conference here.
"It's unfortunate that the benefits could not reach the tribals, the poor and the minorities. They have been deprived of developmental programmes," he said and appealed to the people to vote for the Congress candidate in the June 12 Hatia assembly bypoll.
Fernandes who was here to campaign for Congress candidate Sunil Kumar Sahay for the bypoll, said Jharkhand had also failed in devolving power to the panchayats even after holding elections to the local bodies after 32 years.
Unless the state initiated devolution of power and empowered women at panchayat level, he said development process could not reach its goal.