Delhi government struggles to spend funds after CWG allegations

NEW DELHI: Hit by allegations of corruption in CWG projects, the Delhi government is now struggling to implement fresh projects and spend plan outlay of Rs 13,600 crore.

In the first six months of the fiscal, the government could only spend Rs 1,800 crore which is just 13 per cent of the total plan outlay, a top official said.

The government now has the onerous challenge of spending the remaining Rs 11,800 crore by March 31, next year, if it wants to ensure full utilisation of the plan outlay in the current financial year.

The spendings by various departments have not picked up any momentum despite directions being issued to them from time-to-time.

Admitting slowing down of the decision making process, the official attributed it to apprehensions among officials about facing scrutiny of agencies like Comptroller and Auditor General in future.

"We are really struggling to spend the money in this fiscal as decision making process has slowed down following probe by various agencies into the CWG projects," the official said.

While presenting a Rs 27,067-crore budget in March, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had set aside Rs 13,600 crore for plan expenditure for 2011-12.

The official said bureaucrats are particularly jittery about taking decisions as some of the decisions taken in the run up to the Commonwealth Games to ensure speedy implementation of certain projects were severely slammed by CAG as well as Shunglu Committee.

Dissatisfied with the pace of various developmental schemes and utilisation of funds, Dikshit had written a letter to all her ministerial colleagues last week asking them to expedite utilisation of the funds.

In September, Chief Secretary P K Tripathi had also asked departments to ensure speedy implementation of various developmental schemes.

A senior PWD official, asked about reason for slowing down of implementation of various projects by the agency, said the allegations levelled by CAG and Shunglu Committee have seriously dented the confidence of engineers.

"It is fact. We did all the hard work in the run up to the Games to complete the projects. The extraordinary situation warranted certain decisions...but see how we were being targeted," the official said.

The bureaucrats are apparently unhappy about government's position that the Ministers were not at all involved in any alleged wrongdoings in award of contracts or in tender process for Games projects as all such decisions were taken by officials and technical experts.

Washing her hands off any alleged irregularities, Dikshit speaking in the Assembly in August had sought to put the onus on the babus saying various technical committees having officials and experts were set up to take decisions on award of contracts and tender process.

The CAG as well as Shunglu Committee had severely slammed the Delhi government for alleged irregularities in certain CWG projects.

The Central Vigilance Committee had also pointed out irregularities in certain CWG projects.