Lok Sabha Question No. 2493 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-03
Subject: Non-utilization of Funds under PMJVK
Ministry: MINORITY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Imtiaz Jaleel Syed

## Non-utilization of Funds under PMJVK

## 2493. SHRI SYED IMTIAZ JALEEL:

Will the Minister of MINORITY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether a total sum of Rs. 4500 crore has remained unutilized by several States under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  the steps taken by the Government to encourage State Governments to utilize these funds and submit proper utilization certificates to unlock further funds under PMJVK;
- (c) whether 58,000 units of infrastructure projects sanctioned between 2008 and 2018-2019, as part of the PMJVK, were deemed unviable and subsequently cancelled or dropped;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the measures being implemented to ensure that future infrastructure projects sanctioned under the PMJVK are financially viable and effectively implemented?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF MINORITY AFFAIRS (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) & (b)  The Government implements various schemes for the welfare and upliftment of every strata, including minorities, specially the economically weaker and lesser privileged sections of the society, through various schemes of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Ministry  of  Textiles,  Ministry  of  Culture,  Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  and Ministry  of  Rural  Development.  Ministry  of  Minority  Affairs  specifically  implements  various schemes  across  the  country  for  socio-economic  and  educational  empowerment  of  the  six  (6) Centrally notified minority communities.

Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Vikas  Karyakram  (PMJVK),  a Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  (CSS),  is  an area  development  programme  under  which  community  infrastructure  and  basic  amenities  are being created in the identified areas. The scheme is being implemented under the aegis of the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations (UTAs) on a fund sharing pattern and the projects are implemented and managed by the concerned State Government/ UT Administration. The  scheme  has  been  approved  with  effect  from  financial  year  2022-23  with  the  revised guidelines, for implementation in all districts of the country during the period of 15th Finance Commission Cycle. As per the expenditure reported by the States/UTs from time to time, a total of Rs.4816.48 crore is lying unspent under PMJVK with the various States/ UTs. The State/ UTwise details of unspent balance is available on the website of the Ministry www.minorityaffairs.gov.in.

For effective implementation of PMJVK and to ensure optimum utilisation of funds, the States/ UTs have  been  given  flexibility  to  use  the  funds  released  under  PMJVK.  As  per  the  revised procedure of Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, now the release of funds under PMJVK are not tied to the individual projects. The amount available in the bank account of State Nodal Agency (SNA) of PMJVK forms a common pool, which can be utilised by the States to complete  the  ongoing  projects.  The  Ministry  also  reviews  the  progress  of  submission  of utilisation certificates  and the unspent balance under the scheme, with the State Governments/ UT Administrations from time to time.

(c) & (d)  A detailed review of projects already sanctioned in the States/ UTs under PMJVK was undertaken in the Ministry during the year 2022-23 and 58,465 units approved under the scheme from the year 2008-09 to 2018-19 in all the States/ UTs, which were not started by the States/ Union Territories (UTs) and had become unviable, were cancelled/ dropped by the Ministry. The States  have  been  advised  to  utilise  the  amount  of  Central  share  already  released  for  those unviable units, on other ongoing projects under PMJVK, thereby ensuring that the funds released by the Centre for the closed projects are optimally utilised for projects which are under progress.

(e)     As per the revised PMJVK guidelines, approval of new projects and release of funds has been linked to the progress of implementation of projects already approved in the States, pace of expenditure,  pending  Utilisation  Certificates  (UCs),  unspent  balance  available  with  the  State Governments and geo-tagging of PMJVK assets. The proposals under PMJVK are recommended by  the  State  Level  Committee  (SLC)  headed  by  the  Chief  Secretary  of  the  respective States/Union Territories (UTs) based on demand for infrastructure development in the identified areas. The proposals recommended by the SLC are considered and approved by the Empowered

Committee (EC) of PMJVK in the Ministry after due consultation with the concerned Central Ministries. Under revised guidelines, SLC is required to certify the location of the project being in a minority area, no duplication of the proposed project with any other schemes of the Central or  State  Government/  UT  Administration  and  also  to  ensure  that  the  recurring  expenditure/ maintenance cost would be borne by the concerned Department, and that on completion of the infrastructure  it  would  immediately  forthwith  be  made  functional.   While  submitting  the proposals,  the  States/UTs  are  also  required  to  prioritise  the  projects  to  be  undertaken  in  a financial year. The entire process of proposal submission by the States has been digitised and the PMJVK Portal has been upgraded as per the revised guidelines for submission of consolidated annual  plan  proposals  by  the  States/  UTs.  Besides  the  above,  for  effective  monitoring  of  the projects and getting real time information regarding status of the projects, a mobile app has been developed to geo-tag all the assets approved under PMJVK.

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