(a) whether State Governments and other implementing agencies have often raised the issue with the Government for not releasing the funds on time for various Urban Development Schemes;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the manner in which the Government proposes to tackle the issue?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) to (c): Ministry of Urban Development has many schemes and programmes for providing financial support to States/UTs to take up activities in the area of Urban Development like Swachh Bharat Mission, National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY), Urban Infrastructure Development in Satellite Towns around seven Mega Cities (UIDSST), 10% Lum sum for North Eastern States, Metro Rail project etc. All the schemes and programmes have their own guidelines and mechanism for efficient working both at Ministry of Urban Development level as well as at State/ULB level.
The projects approved by the Central Government are implemented by the State Governments and ULBs/ Parastatal Bodies. The projects for various Urban Development Schemes are sanctioned and 1st installment of Additional Central Assistants (ACA) are released subjected to their technical appraisal, conformity with the guidelines of the Scheme, approval from the competent authority and availability of funds. Subsequent installments of ACA are released after submission of Utilization Certificates (UCs) by the States/UTs, achievement of prescribed reforms and conditionalities and upon receipt of complete documents as per the guidelines.
A number of States/UTs have requested for release of balance ACA under ongoing projects of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) sanctioned before 31.03.2012. Since JnNURM has come to an end on 31.03.2014 and such projects are to be completed by State’s own resources, these funds cannot be released. There is no delay on the part of the Government of India in releasing of funds.