Guwahati, July 21: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur received 60 per cent, 78 per cent and eight per cent less flood assistance respectively from the Centre between April 2007 and March 2016, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report placed in Parliament today has revealed.
The CAG came across the shortfall in central flood assistance during its performance audit on schemes for flood control and flood forecasting sanctioned during the Eleventh and Twelfth plans from 2007 to 2016. The CAG reviewed the projects to have an overview of flood management in the country. The report examines whether the schemes were efficient and effective.
In Assam, the CAG noted that the Centre was to share Rs 2,043.19 crore with the state for implementing 141 projects between 2007-08 and 2015-16 fiscal. Of this, it released Rs 812.22 crore, a shortfall of Rs 1,230.97 crore or 60 per cent. Further, the state government did not release 84 per cent of the allocated budget provision. "Insufficient flow of funds adversely affected implementation of the schemes," the CAG report says.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days ago on the two waves of floods in the state that have affected more that 25 lakh people across 29 districts, prompting the state administration to set up 1,098 relief camps and distribution centres. More than 65 people have died in the floods.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the CAG found that 10 flood management projects were approved in 2010-11 and were meant to be completed within two to three financial years. "There was a shortfall in release of central assistance by 78 per cent. This led to a delay in the commencement of the projects. Hence, they remain to be completed," it says.
In Manipur, the Centre was to release Rs 96.81 crore of which it released Rs 89.31 crore, a shortfall of Rs 7.42 crore or eight per cent.
The Union ministry of water resources has stated that release of the first instalment of central assistance for some of the schemes got delayed because of late submission of proposals with requisite documents by the state governments.
"The delay in release of central assistance to state governments from the date of approval of empowered committee resulted in delay in commencement and completion of works," the report says.
India is highly vulnerable to floods. Of its total area of 329 million hectares, about 45.64 million hectares are flood-prone.
