New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel today
pulled up the Ministry for Information and Broadcasting for
under-utilisation of its annual outlay allocation and asked it
to meet all financial and physical targets.
The Standing Committee on Information and Technology,
in its report on the ministry, noted that during 2009-10 the
ministry was allocated Rs 800 crore against the proposed
allocation of Rs 1,466.17 crore.
"The committee concludes from the aforesaid scenario
that the allocation provided during each year of the 11th Plan
is less than the proposed outlay... The I&B secretary during
the course of oral evidence acknowledged that there have been
slippages in the usage of allocations.
According to the ministry, one of the reasons for
under-utilisation of funds is non-approval of its schemes. The
committee strongly recommends that all efforts should be made
to ensure that financial and physical targets under each of
the projects are fully achieved," it said in its
recommendation.
The panel also pointed out that some major schemes of
the ministry, namely conversion of Indian Institute of Mass
Communication (IIMC), setting up of Centre of Excellence for
Animation Gaming and Special Effects, digitalisation of
transmitters and setting up of transmitters at border areas
of J&K, are still awaiting requisite approval.
"Out of the total 37 new schemes included in the
Annual Plan for 2009-10 of the ministry, 12 schemes
(including the above mentioned ones) are still awaiting
requisite approval... The committee disapproves the way the
projects are being planned by the ministry. There is an urgent
need to analyse the position critically and streamline the
whole planning process," the panel said.
It further asked the ministry to coordinate with
finance ministry so that these schemes are cleared
immediately.
-PTI
