Hyderabad: Deputy CLP leader in Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir has demanded an explanation from the State Government over non-release of funds allocated in Telangana's budget for the year 2014-15.

Speaking to media persons in Assembly premises here on Saturday, Shabbir Ali said that as against the budget provision of Rs 100,637 Crore for the year 2014-15, so far, only Rs 21,728 Crore have been released. Furnishing the details, he said that the government has so far issued 1,125 Budget Release Orders for 114 Heads of Departments releasing an amount of Rs 21,728.99 Cr. He said that the Telangana's budget was meant for 10 months from June 2014 to March 2015. However, the government released only 22 % of the funds. He sought to know when and how the remaining 78 per cent of the allocated funds would be released.

Shabbir Ali said that the Congress party had expressed doubts when the TRS Government introduced over Rs 1 lakh Cr budget. But Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao gave an assurance that his government would release the allocated amounts. However, the statistics clearly show that the apprehensions of Congress party were not wrong. He expressed doubts over the release of remaining 78 per cent funds before the end of financial year 2014-15 in March 2015.

The Congress leader said that the government did not adopt a clear strategy for planned release of funds and their effective utilisation. Except for Agriculture, Rural Development and Energy, no other department got adequate funds. Of Rs 4,763.33 Cr released for Agriculture Department, Rs 4,250 Cr was meant for payment of first installment of crop loan waiver scheme. Therefore, the real spending on agriculture sector was a mere Rs 513 Cr. Similarly, as against the allocation of Rs 2,022 Cr for BC Welfare only Rs 473 Cr were released. Likewise, of Rs 1,030 Cr for Minorities Welfare, only Rs 174.84 Cr were released; of Rs 7579.45 Cr SC Sub-Plan, only Rs 590.34 Cr have been released and the government has so far released only Rs 293.23 Cr for Tribal welfare although the allocation under ST Sub-Plan was Rs 4559.81 Cr.

Shabbir Ali said that even after one month of passing of Appropriation Bill, several departments are still waiting for the allocated funds to be released. He asked Finance Minister Etala Rajender to either issue a White Paper or an explanation for the delay in non-release of funds and the plans to spend remaining 78% funds in the next three months.

The Congress leader also pulled up the government for delay in releasing the list of drought-hit mandals in Telangana. He said that the State Government has already admitted in the Assembly on November 20 that 332 out of 459 mandals in Telangana have received deficient rainfall. A committee was also constituted to seek recommendation for declaration of mandals as drought hit. However, no follow up action was taken, he alleged.

Shabbir Ali said that the declaration of drought-hit mandals would enable help the affected farmers to get required assistance, claim insurance and seek re-scheduling of their loans. Claiming that lakhs of farmers have lost their crops due to drought conditions, he cited the instance of Kamareddy Ganj where no auctions were held for the last two months due to non-arrival of crops like maize, soyabean or paddy. He urged the government to expedite the process of declaration of drought affected mandals.