CAG raps Raj govt for zero spend on women schemes
JAIPUR: The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pulled up the Rajasthan government for not spending a single rupee from the funds allocated for three gender-based schemes aimed at empowering women in 2015-16.
Two schemes — the Mission Gramya Shakti (MGS) and Dhan Laxmi Mahila Samridhi Kendra (DLMSK) — fall under the women and child development department, while the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) comes under the rural development and panchayati raj department. The CAG report says no expenditure was incurred under the MGS scheme, aimed at strengthening self-help groups, against the provision of ₹16.60 crore made for the fiscal year.
In its response, the women and child development department told CAG officials that the scheme could not be implemented due to non-approval of the MGS’ work plan by the finance department.
The DLMSK scheme, for its part, was introduced with the objective of effecting socio-economic empowerment of women by training self-help groups and providing platforms for marketing products. However, the CAG noted that no expenditure was incurred against the programme’s budgetary provision of ₹11.89 crore during 2015-16. Department authorities said this was due to non-receipt of documents required for constructing buildings for the Centre.
The CAG report further noted that there was zero expenditure under NRLM, despite the allocation of ₹129.60 crore. The rural development and panchayati raj department blamed non-receipt of funds from the Centre for this.
The National Rural Livelihood Project (NRLP) also found a mention, given that only ₹8.23 crore of its total allocation of ₹31.19 crore was used. “Nil expenditure on three gender-based schemes, and 26% expenditure on one scheme, show lack of emphasis on implementation of gender budgeting,” the report concluded.
Reacting to the findings, Kavita Srivastava of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties said, “It is shocking that so much funding remained unutilised. This goes to show that women empowerment is not a priority for the Rajasthan government.”