Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: The Union Government has released Central assistance of Rs 5,416.77 lakh on September 22 as part of first instalment under PM POSHAN Scheme, and Rs 5,416.77 lakh on November 17 as the balance of recurring grant in aid for FY 2023-24 to Kerala, according to a statement tabled in Rajya Sabha recently.
Under the PM POSHAN Scheme, the state Government submitted the proposal for release of the first instalment of recurring Central assistance for the year 2023-24, Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Education Annpurna Devi informed the Upper House on December 6.
She was answering an Unstarred Question from CPI(M) John Brittas. The proposal for release of a second instalment of recurring grant in aid for FY 2023-24 under the scheme has so far not been received from the State, informed the MoS.
Earlier, the Central assistance was released in two instalments i.e., 60 per cent and 40 per cent under the PM POSHAN Scheme, she said, adding that at present, the release of funds under the scheme is subject to the guidelines/ instructions issued from time to time by Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance.
These instructions were issued for better monitoring of availability and utilisation of funds released to the States and UTs under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and with a view to have more effective cash management and bring more efficiency in the public expenditure management.
As per the recent instructions issued by Department of Expenditure, the Ministry of Education is obtaining administrative “approval of competent authority and financial concurrence of the Financial Adviser in one go for release of two instalments of not more than 25 per cent each.
The next instalment will be released upon transfer of the stipulated State Share to the Single Nodal Account (SNA) under Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and utilisation of at least 75 per cent of the funds released earlier, she further informed the House.
