Mumbai: The State government has been pulled up by the Centre for its poor implementation of the Tejaswini Rural Women’s Empowerment Programme. The scheme, supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has received no financial support from the State government and could force the Centre to hold back the financial component from its side.
The Central government had reminded the State government on July 25 of the ‘non-availability of adequate and timely counterpart funds for the Tejaswini scheme’, which has had little effect. “IFAD has taken a serious view of the non-availability of timely release of budget for the project and has advised partial cancellation of the loan,” Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Union Ministry of Finance, said.
Senior State government officials said no allocation had been made when the State budget was presented, but Rs. 10 crore had been sanctioned in supplementary budget in September 2016. However, IFAD said the scheme has not received any money from the State government. Mr. Kumar’s note said, “IFAD has highlighted the need to ensure that adequate and timely funds are made available to MAVIM (Mahila Aarthik Vikas Mahamandal), failing which the remaining loan will not be disbursed.” The note also urged the State government to intervene with urgency and save the scheme.
The Tejaswini Rural Women Empowerment Programme aims to empower rural women for them to fully utilise economic, social and political opportunities for their betterment. It is based on the State government’s policy for women and its experiences in empowerment through Self Help Groups (SHG), develop and connect them to micro-finance facilities.
Senior officials said they have taken note of the Centre’s red flag. “MAVIM received ₹19.35 crore in 2015-16, and an expenditure of ₹12.86 crore was also incurred till December 2016. It is a good medium for economic revival of rural women, and we will do everything to bring it back on track,” a senior finance department official said.
“These files are mostly dealt with by department officials, but I will certainly find out and do the needful,” State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar told The Hindu .
