(Representational photo: PTI)
New Delhi: The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, under the Ministry of Agriculture, returned Rs 44,015.81 crore of its budget during the last three years as it failed to fully utilize its allocation, according to the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee tabled in the Lok Sabha on Monday. could not do.
The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by PC Gaddigoudar, in its report on the Demands for Grants (2023-24) of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has asked the government to return the amount received under the budget, according to the Indian Express report. Have asked to avoid the work of.
The report states, ‘The Committee notes from the reply of the department that during 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 (provisional) an amount of Rs 23,824.54 crore, Rs 429.22 crore and Rs 19,762.05 crore has been surrendered (provisional) respectively. back) has been done. This means that a total of Rs 44,015.81 crore has been surrendered by the department in these years.
The report states that the funds refunded by the ministry are mainly due to ‘less need’ for schemes meant for the welfare of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.
“The committee has been informed that the withdrawal of funds is mainly due to less requirement under the North Eastern States, Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Areas Sub-Plan (TASP),” it said.
It added, ‘The committee feels that the practice of surrender of funds allocated in the budget should henceforth be avoided at all costs, so that the tangible benefits accruing from the schemes are allowed to be implemented in the best possible manner at the grassroots level Could.
It also said, ‘The committee, therefore, recommends the department to identify the reasons for withdrawal of the allocated funds and take corrective measures to ensure that the funds are fully and efficiently utilised.’
It has also been told in the report that the budgetary allocation of the department in the total budget of the Center has come down from 4.41 per cent in 2020-21 to 2.57 per cent in 2023-24.
As per the report, the committee has observed that the department in its reply has accepted that the budgetary allocation made in favor of the department has consistently decreased out of the total budget of the Government of India. It has been 4.41 percent in the year 2020-21, 3.53 percent in 2021-22, 3.14 percent in 2022-23 and 2.57 percent during 2023-24.
It states, ‘The total budget outlay of the central government in 2020-21 was Rs 30,42,230.09 crore, which increased to Rs 45,03,097.45 crore in 2023-24. Keeping in view the major role played by agriculture in rural livelihood, employment generation and food security of the country, the Committee recommends the Department to take up the issue of budgetary allocation with the Ministry of Finance and ensure that the budgetary allocation is sustained from the next budget onwards. Do not continue to decline.
The committee has also asked the department to look into the reasons for the delay in settlement of claims by insurance companies under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. It has asked the department to take necessary measures and make concerted efforts to resolve them in the best possible manner, so that the credibility of the scheme can be increased among the farmers.
