Centre delays allotment of funds: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister  Pinarayi Vijayan has lamented  the central government’s delay in allotting funds for centrally- sponsored schemes. Replying to an adjournment motion in the Assembly on Thursday,  he said that there was no lapse  on the part of the state in utilising central funds. "During 2016-17, we have made budget allocation of Rs. 6,534 crore for various programmes expecting central funds and spent about Rs 6,800 crore. Even after submitting the utilisation certificates, the centre was not disbursing the funds in time. The reason for this has to be examined," he  said.

The government would try other options to ensure that disbursements under various programmes were not affected due to the centre’s delay, he said. Mr  K. Muraleedharan, Congress,  who gave the notice for the adjournment motion, said that disbursements under various centrally- sponsored schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme were  affected due to the state’s government’s lapses. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said that the government should press  the centre for releasing the funds.