Lok Sabha Question No. 114 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-20
Subject: Namami Gange Programme
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rama Devi, Locket Chatterjee, Sunil Kumar Pintu, Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 114

ANSWERED ON 20.07.2023

## NAMAMI GANGE PROGRAMME

†114.

SHRIMATI RAMA DEVI

MS. LOCKET CHATTERJEE

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR PINTU

SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the funds allocated and utilised for National Mission for Clean Ganga and construction of Ghats (piers) under Namami Gange Programme;
- (b)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  ensure  the  optimal  use  of  allocated  fund  and  monitoring thereof; and
- (c)  the  works  completed  at  ghats  (piers)  in  West  Bengal  and  Bihar  till  date  under  Namami  Gange Programme?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

- (a) Namami  Gange  Programme  was  launched  in  2014-15  for  a  period  up  to  31 st March,  2021  to rejuvenate River Ganga and its tributaries. The programme was subsequently extended up to 31 st March, 2026.

The details of budgetary provisions, funds release by Government of India to National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and funds released/expended by NMCG to State Governments, State Missions for Clean Ganga and other agencies for implementation of projects under the programme from FY 201415 up to FY 2022-23 are as under:-

| F.Y.    | Budget Provisions (RE)   | Funds released by Government of India toNMCG   | Released/ Expenditure by NMCG   |
|---------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|         | (Rupees in crore)        | (Rupees in crore)                              | (Rupees in crore)               |
| 2014-15 | 2,053.00                 | 326.00                                         | 170.99                          |
| 2015-16 | 1,650.00                 | 1,632.00                                       | 602.60                          |
| 2016-17 | 1,675.00                 | 1,675.00                                       | 1,062.81                        |
| 2017-18 | 3,023.42                 | 1,423.12                                       | 1,625.01                        |
| 2018-19 | 2,370.00                 | 2,307.50                                       | 2,626.54                        |
| 2019-20 | 1,553.40                 | 1,553.40                                       | 2,673.09                        |
| 2020-21 | 1,300.00                 | 1,300.00                                       | 1,339.97                        |
| 2021-22 | 1900.00                  | 1,900.00                                       | 1,900.00                        |
| 2022-23 | 2,500.00                 | 2,220.00                                       | 2,258.98                        |
| Total   | 18,024.82                | 14,337.02                                      | 14,259.99                       |

An  amount  of  Rs.910.50  crore  were  expended  for  construction  of  ghats  and  crematoria  under Namami Gange Programme from FY 2014-15 to 31 March, 2023.

## (b) Various measures have been initiated to improve the financial discipline:

In  order  to  minimize  the  cost  of  Government  borrowings  and  to  enhance  the  efficiency  in  fund flows, Government of India introduced Treasury Single Account (TSA). NMCG transited to Treasury Single Account (TSA) system in Financial Year (FY) 2021-22, marking an important landmark in the budgetary  process  and  fund  flow  mechanism  of  Namami  Gange  Mission  (NGM).   99.9%  of  the transactions  in  NMCG are now through TSA system, which ensures no parking of funds and its full utilization.

Quarterly  Audit  Review  Committee  (ARC)  and  Budget  Review  Committee  (BRC)  meetings  are being held in every quarter at the level of NMCG and State Mission for Clean Ganga (SMCGs). Till date 20 such meetings have been held at the level of NMCG in which  discussions held on budgetary allocation and utilization of funds.

Internal audit is now being held regularly. The key timelines for the C&AG audit as mandated by the GFR 2017 and Authority Notification are being complied with.

Monthly project-wise expenditure is being monitored now. Fund release is being done project-wise, instead of a consolidated release to SMCGs, as was being done earlier. The project-wise expenditure is now  part  of  the  utilization  certificates.   These  financial  discipline  measures  resulted  in  significant reduction in the pending utilization certificates (UCs).

Empowered Task Force (ETF) meetings held under the chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister of Jal Shakti with all stakeholders including central ministries, State Governments for effective implementation of the programme, apart from the periodic review meetings held by Senior officials.

To  ensure  decentralized  monitoring  and  improved  transparency,  Ganga  District  Performance Monitoring System for District Ganga Committees 4M (Monthly, Mandated, Minuted and Monitored) meetings were launched by Hon'ble Minister of Jal Shakti, on 6th April 2022. As on June, 2023, over 1715 monthly meetings were held under the chairmanships of District Magistrates.

Field visits for close monitoring of ongoing projects are taken up regularly.

## (c) The details of works completed at ghats (piers) in West Bengal and Bihar till 30 th June,2023 under Namami Gange Programme are as follows:

|   Sl. | State       |   No. of Ghats Sanctioned |   No. of Ghats Completed |
|-------|-------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
|     1 | West Bengal |                        17 |                       11 |
|     2 | Bihar       |                        56 |                       49 |