Guwahati, May 18 (IANS): The Assam government was complying with all norms for maintaining transparency in utilising central funds, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said on Monday.
Gogoi alleged that there have been sustained efforts by people with vested interests to malign the image of the government by spreading canards.
Gogoi's statement came in the wake of recent criticism by a section of BJP leaders, including Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Sarbananda Sonowal, who alleged that the government had failed to provide utilisation certificates (UC) against funds received from the Centre.
"As against the allegation that Assam has been paying dearly for non-submission of UCs to the tune of Rs.11,000 crore central funds, the startling fact remains that there has always been a mismatch between the UCs submitted by the implementing agencies and the AG (auditor general) due to the dynamic process of continuous flow of funds and ongoing schemes," said a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office here on Monday.
"Recognizing this fact, accounting procedure provides for a system of reconciliation. After the recent reconciliation in March 2015 itself, it has been reconciled with AG for the UCs already submitted earlier for Rs.5,042.19 crore, and for the next few months, the balance figures would also be reconciled.
"Further, substantial part of the balance UCs which are yet to be reconciled are related to the state's own funds such as grants-in-aid provided to universities, colleges, medical colleges, development councils/autonomous councils, roads, irrigation, flood control etc.," it said.
The statement said the allegation of non-submission of UCs resulting in a cut in central funds also does not hold good, because non-submission may lead to delayed release of subsequent instalments for the sanctioned ongoing schemes within the same financial year. It does not have any adverse effect on the schemes of the new financial year.
It said the issue of UCs was of the previous years up to 2013-14, and not for the funds allotted in the budget of 2015-16.
It also said 12 central Schemes were struck off by the union government not only for Assam but also for all the 29 states and seven union territories.
The statement said the reduction of allotment of funds in the union budget 2015-16 to Assam to the tune of more than Rs.7,000 crore "is no way linked to fund utilisation of previous years as the central government discontinued some important programmes and changed the funding pattern to the disadvantage of special category states".
It asserted that the state government's financial position was stable enough to pay salaries and pensions of employees regularly without any hindrance.
Though it said all developmental schemes announced by the chief minister "will also be implemented during the current year", it said the state government was "deeply concerned" about various field functionaries and voluntary personnel, as the central government either discontinued such programmes or downscaled them in terms of funds.