Aiming to get additional funds from the finance ministry at the time of revised budget estimates and thus claw back on key schemes that have been transferred to the states, Union home minister Rajnath Singh has asked his bureaucrats to fully utilise the budgetary allocations.
Following 14th finance commission recommendations for devolution of taxes, the government in 2015-16 budget had given four schemes of crime and criminal network system (CCTNS), integrated action plan or special infrastructure scheme (SIS), police modernisation of states and counter insurgency and anti-terrorist (CIAT) schools to the states to run.
The decision was met with resistance by the home ministry as it feared that the money would not be put to use for similar purposes by the states that in turn will hit the security interests of the country.
Terming the finance ministry's move as unfortunate, union home secretary LC Goyal has already conveyed his strong objection against transferring the four centrally-sponsored schemes to the states.
"Only then the home ministry would be in a position to use its leverage and instrument with the state governments in getting various security situations managed," Goyal told the parliamentary panel on home ministry.
Ministry maintains that the anti-Naxal and counter terrorism efforts are going to take a hit if the status is not reverted.
Singh a meeting called to review budget after the first quarter asked his bureaucrats to speed up expenditure as in the last financial year by ensuring, the union home ministry budget was reduced because of non-utilization of allocated funds.
"Thanks to judicious planning, 30% of the budget have already been utilised in the first quarter of the financial year which is up by 4% as compared to the first quarter in last financial year. The aim is to utilise full budget well in time so that we can assert for more money not only the next year but also raise additional demands this year itself at the time of revised estimates," a senior home ministry official said.
The official added that the union home minister has asked his officer in-charge of various divisions to ensure that all approval and sanctions are conveyed well in time and the money is properly utilised when he sits again for the mid-term review in September end.
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