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The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, on Monday pulled up the state government for not producing the utilisation certificates of central funds for minorities in Bihar.
Siddiqui censured the government after minority welfare minister Shahid Ali Khan said it had sent utilisation certificates of Rs 237 crore out of Rs 522 crore approved for different projects under Multi-Sectorial Development Scheme during 2011-12. Reminding the government that the Union minority welfare ministry had written to the chief minister complaining about the non-availability of funds utilisation certificates from Bihar, he accused the government of diverting funds allocated under the head.
In response, Khan said: “Sending utilisation certificates is an ongoing process. We have instructed district magistrates to send them for the remaining projects.”
On what would happen to unused funds, parliamentary affairs minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said it could be carried over to the next financial year. Not satisfied with the answer, Siddiqui said he would demand a special debate on the issue.
In response to another question of JD(U) MLA Jai Kumar Singh, law minister Narendra Narayan Yadav said the process of setting up special courts for speedy trial of vigilance cases was in the final phase.
Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi said banks had improved their lending in Bihar. Responding to a question of BJP MLA Awnish Kumar Singh, Modi said the total lending of banks was Rs 32,415 crore in 2011-12 against only Rs 13,547 crore during 2008-09.
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