A parliamentary standing committee recently pulled up the Textile Ministry for spending just 39 per cent of the outlay approved for the 12th Plan period (2012-17) in the first three years, and sought a concrete plan of expenditure for the next two years. The committee sought to know why the ministry hasn’t been able to spend the allocated amount and asked if it would be able to utilise the remaining 63 per cent of the approved outlay in just two years. The ministry has blamed the step-wise procedures and time-lag in the implementation of schemes from concept stage to in-principle approvals to consultations with states, among others, for the delay. It said it had been able to firm up all the major schemes after due procedures at the end of the third year of the current plan and expenditure has been accelerated since 2014-15.

When the committee wished to be apprised of the concrete plan of action to optimally utilise the plan outlay in the next two years, the ministry said weekly monitoring was being done by the secretary (textile) in the presence of all senior officers, which has led to higher expenditure under most schemes.

The ministry also said for schemes which require proposals from states, regular interactions with chief secretaries of those states are being done. States have also been told to expedite fund transfer to the implementing agencies for various schemes, among other things.