(a) whether the Supreme Court has ordered to
furnish the details of misuse of funds provided
by the Union Government for `Natural Disasters`
to the state Governments as reported by the
Tamil Daily `Dinamani` dated March 27, 2000;
(b) if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
(c) whether any special Committee exists in the
Union Government to monitor such misuse by the
State Governments; and
(d) if not, whether there is any proposal to
set up such committee; and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE
SHRI BALASAHEB VIKHE PATIL
(a) No, Sir.
(b) Does not arise.
(c),(d) & (e): Funds released for calamity relief
are to be spent according to prescribed norms and
on approved items. These items/norms are based on
the recommendations of an Expert Committee and they
have been communicated to all the State Governments
by the Union Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry
of Agriculture also call for periodic reports from
the States (in a prescribed format) regarding
utilisation of funds released for calamity relief.
The Accountant Generals of the States have been
requested to ensure that only expenditure on items
approved by the Ministry of Agriculture for relief
and rehabilitation in the wake of natural calamities
is booked under the head `2245-natural calamities`.
The Accountant Generals have further been requested
that instances of diversion of funds from 1990-91
onwards which might have come to their notice be
intimated to the Ministry of Agriculture in order
to devise appropriate methods to ensure that relief
in the wake of natural calamities is reaching the
affected people. These steps are intended as
safeguards against misuse of funds.