Concerned over the lack of spending by states, tourism ministry plans to tighten monitoring norms and cut off funding for projects sanctioned before 2004-2005 that have not been completed so far. The ministry is also planning to set up prioritization meetings with states from February expedite spending.
“We are planning to closely monitor state spending and have put in place mechanisms to ensure compliance,” tourism secretary Sujit Banerjee said.
The review will monitor progress of projects sanctioned. While the ministry has decided to cut off spending for any incomplete projects sanctioned before 2004-2005, it has also introduced stricter norms to ensure future compliance. The ministry sanctions Rs 600 crore to states annually. However, sources said that utilization certificates from states were not forthcoming .In the tenth plan, the ministry had an outlay of Rs 2,900 crore of which it spent 91% of its allocation while in the first three years of the eleventh plan the ministry was allocated Rs 2953 crore of which over Rs 2638.33 crore have been spent.
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