Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa has written to Union Rural Development, Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Jairam Ramesh, demanding that funds be made available to Tamil Nadu immediately, under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP). She pointed out that Ramesh had promised that the funds for the project would be made available by June 5, but that was yet to materialise.
Jayalalithaa recalled the praise that the Tamil Nadu Government had received from Ramesh and his Ministry, for its implementation of the NRDWP, for having spent 60 per cent of the total funds allocated for the project. “Tamil Nadu also came in for high praise during the Conference of State Ministers and State Secretaries on 24th and 25th May, 2012, which you had chaired. You had, in fact, commended the Tamil Nadu model in accounting and auditing for emulation by other States,” read Jayalalithaa’s letter.
“In the meeting you had also pointed out that States should not be held responsible for NRDWP Funds released at the fag end of the financial year, resulting in higher opening balance and directed that the first instalment should be released to all eligible States by 5th June, 2012,” the letter added.
Jayalalithaa told Ramesh that following his statement, the State had been expecting the funds early. Apart from the delay in releasing funds to TN, the State government has been shocked by the release of substantial funds to other States that have similar expenditure levels.
“Such differential treatment and discrimination against Tamil Nadu leads me to wonder whether the release of funds is being done on a purely objective basis. Against this background, given the fairly high level of expenditure incurred by TN till date, I request you to ensure that Tamil Nadu’s first instalment of Rs 138.58 crores is released without further delay,” the Chief Minister’s letter said.
Comments
0 comment