UP government asks Centre to release grant for Bundelkhand region

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh government today requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release the central assistance funds for Bundelkhand region as the state may face problems in implementing a number of important schemes for the public.

" Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav has written a letter to the PM requesting that in accordance with the commitment with Uttar Pradesh, he should direct the ministry concern to provide additional central assistance of Rs 421.88 lakh," an official spokesman said here.

In his letter, Yadav said Bundelkhand was the most economically backward region and the state government was making all efforts to remove the disparity. The Centre has sanctioned a Bundelkhand package in the year 2009-2010.

The CM said the Central Planning Commission (now Niti Ayog) has fixed an amount of Rs 3,521 crore for the state to run various development schemes in the region.

Against the fixed amount of central assistance only Rs 1,845.83 crore has been released, Yadav said, adding that several works approved under the package were still incomplete and despite in principle approval, an amount of Rs 421.88 lakh has not been released.

He said in the Budget 2015-16, Backward Region Grant Fund has been delinked from the central assistance.

The CM said due to discontinuation of central assistance under Bundelkhand region, the state would face problems in implementing a number of important schemes directly related to the public interest.

Yadav had written a similar letter on March 24 this year in this regard.