By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAY 16, 2017: TO fund the Swachh Bharat Mission the Union of India had set up Swachh Bharat Kosh which has received Rs 471 Crore from the corporate sector and Rs 27 lakhs from the general public so far.

To spend this money, the Govt has approved renovation of 2.46 lakh dysfunctional toilets in Govt schools for Rs 428 crore.

As per the Department of Expenditure, as recommended by the Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC), the Union Government on 06.04.2016 has approved the year-to-year flexibility for additional fiscal deficit to States for the period 2016-17 to 2019-20 to a maximum of 0.5% over and above the normal limit of 3% in any given year to the States subject to the States maintaining the debt-GSDP ratio within 25% and interest payments-revenue receipts ratio within 10% in the previous year. However, the flexibility in availing the additional fiscal deficit will be available to a State if there is no revenue deficit in the year in which borrowing limits are to be fixed and immediately preceding year.

The Centre has also rationalised both Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes in consultation with the line Ministries. The number of Central Sector Schemes (CSS) was brought down to 300 from around 1500 earlier, and the number of Centrally Sponsored Schemes was brought down to 28 from 66 earlier. The same was highlighted in the Para-113 of Budget Speech 2016-17. This has enabled us to better allocate our existing resources and improve the efficiency of government programmes.

For more effective and transparent utilisation of resources, the Government has embarked upon DBT in respect of Government programmes. Public Financial Management System (PFMS) is facilitating DBT payments in various social sector schemes. An amount of Rs. 1,02,786.77 crore has been paid using PFMS in various programmes of Government viz. MGNREGA, NHM and food subsidy etc. till February 2017.