HYDERABAD: At a time when the governments of the two states -- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh -- are making all out efforts to get maximum funds from the Centre, the officials of the department of Archaeology and Museums are certain of returning crores of unutilised funds, granted to them from 2011-2015, to the Centre.
Further, it is learnt that the two departments have sent fresh proposals to the 14th Finance Commission demanding Rs 100 crore for Telangana and Rs 115 crore for Andhra Pradesh as funda for 2016-20 period.
The department in Telangana is required to complete pending works worth `22.81 crore whereas their Andhra counterparts are expected to utilise `36.52 crore before March 15, 2015. Senior officials of both the departments, citing uncertainty in the wake of bifurcation, said it was impossible to utilise such huge amounts and complete works by April next.
Under the 13th Finance Commission (2011-15), the department in the united state was granted Rs 100 crore to take up 249 works related to conservation and development of monuments and upgradation of museums. After division, a total of Rs 45.7 crore was allocated to Telangana and Rs 54.3 crore to Andhra Pradesh. As of May, the government had been able to spend Rs 22.9 crore towards projects in Telangana and Rs 17.6 crore in Andhra Pradesh.
“We ourselves are uncertain about our responsibilities at the moment. Files have to be reworked. A technical committee has to be constituted to clear proposals pertaining to works. Things will fall into place following the Cabinet expansion and a minister being assigned to the department,” a senior official of the Telangana Archaeology and Museums department said. Another official, his Andhra counterpart added, “Getting an extension for utilisation of central grants will not be a problem. Moreover, the sanctioning of the amount was delayed for over an year.”
The commission had released Rs 25 crore in 2013 and another Rs 25 crore in 2014. The remaining funds, in two instalments, are expected to be released in the coming months.
Executive engineer G Uma Maheswara Rao said of the total works, as many as 40 have been completed in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. “Most of the works are in progress and about 100 are yet to start. Once tenders are finalised, things will pick up pace,” he added.
Why the Excess
13th Finance Commission granted Rs 100 crore to the department in undivided AP
After spilt, Rs 45.7 cr went to T and Rs 54.3 cr to AP
Funds to be used before March 2015
Impossible to utilise such huge funds, officials say
249 projects designated in undivided AP
40 of them completed, 100 yet to begin
