abatement: Par panelNew Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) A parliamentary panel has askedthe environment ministry to focus on initiating necessarysteps to avoid underutilisation of funds for pollutionabatement.
The recommendation came after the ministry in its actiontaken report said that the reasons for underutilisation underthe scheme were non-receipt of competitive proposals meetingcriteria for funding, duplication of schemes in otherministries and funding being "not attractive" to investorsamong others.
The ministry also said that in order to address the issueof underutilisation, it has reviewed and revamped the schemes.
"The committee notes that reply of the ministry and hopesthat the steps taken would help address the challenges ofenvironmental pollution in a holistic manner.
"The ministry should also focus on initiating necessarysteps to avoid underutilisation of funds," the department-related parliamentary standing committee on science andtechnology and environment and forest in its 308th reportsaid.
The ministry said that it had reviewed and revamped thescheme by merging Assistance for Abatement of Pollution, CETPand Clean Technology (CT) into 'The new proposed scheme ofpollution abatement'.
The ministry said that the new proposed scheme also laysemphasis on awareness, capacity building activities,demonstration projects for upcoming technologies, resultoriented and time bound R&D studies for control and abatementof pollution.
"The reasons for underutilisation under the pollutionabatement scheme are as under - non receipt of competitiveproposals meeting criteria for funding under the scheme,duplication of schemes in other ministries"Funding under the scheme was not attractive to investorsand non receipt of utilisation of state organisations andstate boards," the ministry said.
The ministry also said the during 2016-17, the scheme wasunder restructuring and the focus was on completion of ongoingprojects which could not funded due to non-receipt of completedocuments and utilisation certificates and the previousreleases.
"The cumulative impact resulted in less than 50 per centexpenditure resulting in reduction of Revised Estimate (RE)2016-17," the ministry told the panel chaired by Congressleader Anand Sharma.
The ministry in its action taken report also listed thesteps taken by it along with those by Central PollutionControl Board (CPCB) to deal with the challenges of pollution.
PTI TDSRT.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.