An amount of about Rs 4,500 crore under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) of the Ministry of Minority Affairs is lying “unutilized” with the states, officials said on Monday. Until the state governments utilize the funds and submit “utilization certificates”, the Center will not be able to provide them with more funds under the scheme, they said.
Officials also said that more than 58,000 “units” under infrastructure projects that were part of the PMJVK sanctioned between 2008 and 2018-2019, which were declared non-viable by states, were scrapped or scrapped after the Ministry of Minority Affairs spoke to the states.
Officials said around Rs 12,000 crore was spent on the welfare of minorities during the UPA government, while Rs 31,000 crore was spent for the purpose in the nine years of the Narendra Modi government.
PMJVK, a centrally sponsored program, is an area development program under which community infrastructure and basic amenities are created in identified areas. The infrastructure built as part of the program is for the benefit of all people living in the area.
The scheme was restructured and rolled out with effect from May 2018 as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) to reduce any gaps in socio-economic parameters in 1,300 identified areas of the country.
The projects are implemented on the basis of a fund-sharing agreement between the Center and the States and Union Territories in the ratio of 90:10 for North-Eastern States, Hill States (Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and Union Territories with Legislature, 100 per cent for Territories Union without a legislature and 60:40 for all other states and Union Territories.