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LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh government appears concerned over the low utilisation of funds earmarked in the state budget (2022-2023) and has asked many of its departments to ensure that these allocations are used by March 20, 2023.
“Till December 31, 2022, many departments have been able to use only half of the budgetary provisions. We have asked them to ensure that the funds allocated in the state budget for 2022-2023 are used by March 20, 2023,” said those aware of the developments in the finance department.
Though UP government has consistently monitored the utilisation of funds, the low expenditure has remained a cause of concern for many departments. Allocated funds, if not used within a given financial year (when the budget is passed), are not carried over to the next financial year. “The situation is monitored at various levels of the state government almost every month and steps are taken to ensure that the maximum funds are used before the end of year,” said a functionary associated with the review process.
A close scrutiny of the budgetary provisions and allocations indicates that the expenditure incurred by different departments was nearly 50% or even less than 50% of the budget in the first three quarters (up to December 31, 2022) when the last review was conducted early in January 2023.
The departments, which have not been able to use funds up to satisfactory levels, include the PWD, medical and medical education, vocational education, social welfare, women’s welfare, tourism, environment and civil aviation.
The state government’s progressive expenditure (as indicated on the koshvani.up.nic.in on January 19, 2023) indicates that many departments have not been able to make improvement in the situation after the last review. The PWD (special area programme) was able to spend only ₹175.67 crore against budgetary provision of ₹700 crore and allocation of ₹113.60 crore. A sum of ₹6118.47 crore has been used under PWD (roads) head against the budgetary provision of ₹26594.41 crore and allocation of ₹12827.80 crore. A sum of ₹4980.69 crore has been used against budgetary provision of ₹10390.76 crore and allocation of ₹7974.44 crore) for medical (allopathic medicine) while ₹801.27 crore and ₹386.41 crore have been used against budgetary provision of ₹1784.94 crore (allocation ₹975.11 crore) and ₹684.55 crore (allocation ₹540.09 crore) for medical (Ayurvedic and Unani) and medical (homeopathy).
The vocational education department used ₹608.70 crore against budget provision of ₹1222.98 crore and allocation of ₹781.76 crore. The social welfare department utilised ₹5647.29 crore against the budget of ₹12158.09 crore and allocation of ₹9820.93 crore. The women’s welfare department used ₹2341.95 crore against budget provision of ₹4643.86 crore (allocation of ₹4227.77 crore).
A sum of ₹528.22 crore has been used by the tourism department against budgetary provision of ₹1104.20 crore and allocation of ₹594.73 crore. The environment and civil aviation departments used ₹5.78 crore and ₹577.71 crore, respectively, against budgetary provision of ₹18.20 crore (allocation ₹11.90 crore) and ₹2315.68 crore (allocation ₹622.08 crore), respectively.