Nine government departments, which were mandated to spend at least 25 per cent of Plan and non-Plan funds in the April-June quarter under the revised guidelines of Cash Management System (CMS), have fallen short of expectations.
These departments with their actual spending achievement in the stated period (in brackets) include commerce (18.91 per cent), works (11.26 per cent), housing & urban development (8.96 per cent), panchayati raj (18.48 per cent), water resources (12.03 per cent), transport (10.22 per cent), forest & environment (18.93 per cent), agriculture (20.64 per cent) and women & child development (24.13 per cent).
With spending of allocated funds being the top priority, the Cash Management System (CMS) guidelines were tweaked by the finance department for these departments in June this year. For all other departments, CMS mandates at least 15 percent spending in the first quarter of any fiscal.
CMS was introduced in the state budget of 2010-11 to ensure even flow of expenditure throughout the year and prevent rush of expenditure towards the fag end of any fiscal. While the administrative departments are free to enhance spending in the first three quarters, they are required to cap the expenditure at 40 per cent in the last quarter and 15 per cent in the last month (March) as per CMS.
Overall Plan and Non-Plan spending by all departments in the April-June period of this fiscal stood at Rs 8,327.57 crore, meaning an achievement of 15.79 per cent of the budgeted Rs 52,755.15 crore.
While average expenditure in April-June quarter by all departments was in sync with CMS guidelines, several departments failed to spend the bare minimum of 15 per cent- general administration (12.28 per cent), revenue (5.57 per cent), law (14.41 per cent), Odisha legislative assembly (12.04 per cent), food supplies & consumer welfare (0.69 per cent), ST & SC development (9.41 per cent), sports & youth affairs (4 per cent), industries (6.62 per cent), information & public relations (14.38 per cent), excise (14.29 per cent), science & technology (7.19 per cent), rural development (10.33 per cent), energy (9.10 per cent), fisheries & animal resources development (13.76 per cent), information technology (0.20 per cent), higher education (11.78 per cent), employment, technical education & training (11.22 per cent) and micro, small & medium enterprises (12.06 per cent).
Out of Plan outlay of Rs 17,684.35 crore, the departments have spent Rs 2,722.20 crore by June-end, recording achievement of 15.22 per cent.
