Release funds in a time-bound manner for Centrally sponsored schemes, Stalin urges Union Minister

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday wrote to the Union Minister for Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi to release funds for the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) “within the stipulated time frame” to enable the State government implement the welfare programmes more efficiently.

Mr. Stalin’s request to the Union Minister was made in response to the former’s statement last month that a sum of ₹716.05 crore was lying unspent in the Single Nodal Agency (SNA) accounts as on January 29 this year. The funds were allocated for schemes such as Mission Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0, Mission Shakti and Mission Vatsalya, among others.

“You may appreciate that it is not possible to utilise such huge amounts within the closure of the financial year and hence the funds have to be carried over to the next financial year 2024–2025. The cascading effect of the above trend is observed in every quarter,” Mr. Stalin said in his letter. Underlining the significance of releasing funds in a “time-bound manner”, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Government of India’s share was being released “only at the end of the quarter or in the subsequent quarters.”

The major share in the unspent balance in the SNA account was for Mission Saksham Anganwadi & POSHAN 2.0 (₹409 crore of the total ₹576 crore), he said. The release for the fourth quarter during 2023–2024 was made only on March 26, 2024, he pointed out. As for Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakthi, major chunk of the fourth quarter release for the year 2023-2024 was made only during April and May of 2024, he said.

The outlay for Pradhan Mantri Mathru Vandhana Yojana (PMMVY) was ₹304 crore, including a share of ₹184 crore (60%) from the Union government and State share of ₹120 crore. “As per the guidelines of PMMVY Scheme, the State’s share shall be deposited after credit of the Central share. However, for the last two years (2023–2024 and 2024-2025), not even a single release has been done towards the Central share,” he pointed out.

As on date, an amount of ₹30.65 cr. is available in the SNA and this amount could not be credited to the beneficiaries “due to API issues,” he pointed out. Of the ₹576.22 crore available in the SNA accounts as on date, “it is expected that a sum of ₹482.80 crore will be utilised before the end of this financial year and the balance, along with the Government of India share to be released, will be carried forward to the next financial year,” he said.