The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), in its recent report, has found lacunae in the implementation of financial allocations as suggested by the Gender Budgeting Cell (GBC).
The cell identifies the quantum of resource allocation and expenditure for women and proper translation of policies into commitments. The report, tabled in the Legislature recently, indicated that the Department of Women and Child Development has not conducted any impact analysis on the performance of schemes aimed at improving sex ratio in in the State and promoting gender equality.
Speaking to Express, Gurmeet Tej, Director of the department, accepted gaps in the monitoring of schemes. “Some schemes are not working clearly and they will have to be phased out, if needed,” she said.
In its findings, the CAG report revealed that during 2009-10, the GBC was not involved in assessing and working out budgetary requirements of Category A and B. Category A has schemes which benefit women 100 per cent and those under B benefit women to a minimum extent of 30 per cent. A few schemes that fall under the first category are the Sabala, Bhagyalakshmi, Udyogini, Devadasi rehabilitation programme and Santhwana.
Taking Forest and Tourism Departments as a sample, the report revealed that most programmes and schemes were not reaching its intended beneficiaries.
A meeting was held here on Saturday with the Additional Chief Secretary and Department of Women and Child Development to immediately assess the performance of schemes shown in the Gender Budget document of 2011-12.