Jammu, August 16
With a shortfall of around 82 per cent in meeting targets, the J&K scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other Backward Classes Development Corporation has failed to achieve objective of bringing socio-economic uplift of these weaker sections of the society.
Funds being provided to the corporation by various national level organisations for the purpose were either unutilized or diverted to other projects.
Against the target of covering 2745 persons belonging to these categories, the corporation extended the benefits to only 482 persons resulting in a shortfall of 82 per cent during 2004-05. The shortfall was to the extent of 83 per cent during 2002-03 when against the target of 3817, the benefits of various schemes were provided to only 655 persons.
The performance of the corporation was not up to the mark during the past five years. The shortfall was 73 per cent during 2002-02 and 81 per cent during 2000-01.
According to an official report, the National Safai Karamchari Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) sanctioned a grant of Rs 5.97 crore to the state corporation between 1999 to 2004 to fund income-generating units for scavengers and safai karamcharis, but the latter failed to forward even a single proposal.
The corporation unauthorisedly diverted to carpet weaving units a sum of Rs 1.15 crore that was sanctioned by the National Minorities Finance and Development Corporation (NMDFC) for various schemes of the minorities.
The 50 dairy units financed by the corporation in the Rajouri district with the funds provided by the National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) were untraceable.
These are some of the irregularities of the corporation that was set up with the purpose of uplifting the weaker sections. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) has taken a serious note of the corporation having failed to fulfill its obligations.
The report has pointed out that coverage of beneficiaries under the National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation (NBCFDC) was poor as only 6 units were assisted against the target of 547. Out of the grant of Rs 61.87 lakh received from the NBCFDC, the state corporation refunded Rs 35.65 lakh.
The NMDFC released Rs 5.77 crore to the corporation during 1996-97, 1998-99 and 2000-02 that it failed to utilise.
In view of the poor fund utilisation, the NMDFC issued a red card to the state corporation and did not release any funds till 2005 thereby depriving the beneficiaries of various central schemes.
The report has pointed out that signboards worth Rs 15.79 lakh that were got prepared by the director, social welfare, for being installed outside the anganwari centres, were lying in stores. No nutrition was provided for the period ranging between 150 to 225 days to children in the anganwari centres during 2003-04. Such lapses were defeating the objective of improving nutrition and health status of children in these centres.
