New Delhi (NVI): Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have become the first group of states to complete 3 out of the 4 citizen centric reforms and received Rs 1,004 crore additional financial assistance, the Finance Ministry said.
The two states have completed the One Nation, One Ration Card Reforms, Ease of Doing Business Reforms and Urban Local Bodies Reforms, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.
It added that, “Consequent upon completion of reforms, the Department Of Expenditure decided to provide additional financial assistance of Rs 1,004 crore to these states under the newly launched Scheme of Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure.”
Andhra Pradesh will get an additional amount of Rs 344 crore while Madhya Pradesh has become entitled to receive Rs 660 crore for capital projects.
The scheme was announced by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on October 12, 2020 as part of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat package. The additional financial assistance for the capital expenditure is in addition to the permission of Rs 1,4694 crore issued to these States for extra borrowings for completing the reforms.
It is aimed at boosting capital expenditure by the state governments who are facing difficult financial environment due to the shortfall in tax revenue arising from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry also said, “Capital expenditure has a higher multiplier effect, enhancing the future productive capacity of the economy, and results in a higher rate of economy growth.”
Therefore, the government had decided to extend the special assistance to the state governments despite the adverse financial position of the Centre.
“The scheme has got very warm response from the state governments. So far capital expenditure proposals of Rs 9,880 crore of 27 states have been approved by the Ministry of Finance. An amount of Rs 4,940 crore has already been released to the states as the first instalment under the scheme,” the statement noted.
The capital expenditure projects have been approved in diverse sectors of economy like, health, rural development, water supply, irrigation, power, transport, education and urban development.
Meanwhile, the scheme has three parts and Part–I of the scheme covers the north-eastern and hill States. Under this part, Rs 200 crore is allocated to each of the 7 north-eastern States (Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) and Rs 450 crore is allocated to each of the hill States (Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand).
The next part of the scheme is for all other states not included in Part-I, the ministry said, adding that, an amount of Rs 7,500 crore is earmarked for this part.
This amount has been allocated amongst these states in proportion to their share of central tax as per the interim award of the 15th finance commission for the year 2020-21.
“Part-III of the scheme is aimed at pushing various citizen-centric reforms in the States. Under this part, an amount of Rs 2,000 crore is earmarked,” the statement further said.
This amount will be available only to those states who carry out by December 31, 2020, at least 3 out of the 4 reforms specified by the ministry in its letter dated May 17, 2020 regarding reform linked additional borrowing permissions, it added
Furthermore, the four reforms are – One Nation One Ration Card, Ease of doing Business Reform, Urban Local Body/ Utility Reform and Power Sector Reform.
-RJV
