BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has requested the Centre for restoration of Central assistance for schemes which have been delinked and take up transfer of the human resource component of flagship schemes gradually in a staggered manner over a longer time frame.
The issue was taken up by the State Government at the recently concluded Regional Consultation Meeting for Eastern and North Eastern States organised by NITI Aayog at Kolkata, Finance Minister Pradip Amat told this paper.
The meeting was organised to elicit views of State Governments on issues relating to implementation of Central Sponsored Schemes (CSS). Sources said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has already requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore Central assistance for area development programmes like Special Plan for KBK districts, Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) and Integrated Action Plan (IAP), besides allocating additional assistance for Naxalite affected districts.
The State Government maintained at the meeting that it will be difficult for Odisha to make the required fiscal adjustment on account of change in the sharing pattern of CSS in view of reduction of Central share. The Centre has proposed transfer of human resource component of the flagship schemes like Sarva Sikhya Abhijan (SSA), National Health Mission (NHM) and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to the States as a result there are chances that its implementation will be affected.
Besides, the State Government pointed out that linking increased devolution for financing the CSSs will create problems for the State Government to utilise funds for addressing the local needs and priorities. The Centre should fund these schemes to the extent of 90 or 75 per cent, Amat added.