Mumbai: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has rapped Maharashtra State government for not spending Rs 460 crore meant for the development of minorities in the state. The CAG also slammed the state government for not preparing any long term strategic plans to ensure integrated development of minorities. The minorities in the state are around 20 percent of the total population of the state. The Minority Development Department (MDD) did not obtain any reliable data on employment generated through schemes, CAG said while pulling up the department.
MDD was set up as a separate and independent department after Justice Sachar Commission exposed the poor condition of minorities in India. As per Maharashtra government orders, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis (Zorashtrians), Jains and Jews are minorities. As per the 2011 Census, Muslims are 11.54 percent , Buddhists are 5.81 percent, Jains are 1.25 percent, Christians are 0.96 percent, Sikhs are 0.20 percent and other religions are 0.16 percent which adds to 19.92 percent population of the state.
The state government has allocated Rs 1838.18 Crore for minorities development during 2013 to 2018. Out of this 460.63 Crores were not spent. If we take into consideration the tenure of Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government into consideration, around Rs1513 crore were allocated for minorities development but Rs 353 crores was not spent by the government. The major reason for non-utilisation of funds is that Madrasas are not demanding funds from state government. In 2014-15, 536 Madrasas got Rs.17.39 crore but in 2017-18 only 144 Madrasas got Rs.5.20 Crore. Another reason is delay in sanctioning of the loan proposals by Maulana Azad Alpasankhyak Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAAAVM).
Lack of independent offices
“The MDD did not have offices at District and Regional levels and therefore the schemes were implemented through various implementing agencies. The present organisational structure was therefore not an efficient and effective structure for implementation of schemes,” CAG said while passing the strictures. CAG has recommended setting up of regional filed offices under MDD as envisaged in the Vision 2020 document. It has also asked the state government to prepare the strategic plan. CAG has also asked MAAAVM to dispose of loan applications in a time bound manner.
