CAG slams UP for unviable projects for SC/ST, women

Lucknow, Mar 12 (UNI) The latest report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has slammed the Uttar Pradesh government for failing to provide financially viable projects to women, SC/ST and minorities through the UP Schedule Castes Finance and Development Corporation (UPSFDC).

The report, tabled in the state legislature, claimed the despite emphasis by the state government, UPSFDC fell short of improving their eonomic status.

The objective of the scheme was to provide income generating and economically viable projects to improve the socio-economic status of the beneficiaries living below the poverty line.

''UP government, while analysing the economic viability of the projects financed under the scheme, observed -- in June, 2000 -- that low cost projects financed earlier to beneficiaries had failed to improve their economic status. It was, therefore, emphasised that projects be financed at an average cost of not less than Rs 25,000 per beneficiary from 2001 onwards,'' the report observed.

Slamming the Corporation, the report observed the company provided economically unviable projects to over 5.11 lakh SC beneficiaries at an average cost of Rs 21,923 per beneficiary during the last five years ending March 31, 2005, ''Which defeated the scheme's objective to improve their economic status.'' The UPSFDC had been working as a channelising agency for implementation of schemes financed by National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) and Rashtriya Safai Karmachari Vitta Avam Vikas Nigam Ltd (RSKVVN).

The company was required to make repayment of loan quarterly to NSFDC and RSKVVN irrespective of actual recovery from beneficiaries.

The company was also required to devise and strengthen the system for recovery of loan from beneficiaries so as to make repayments to NSFDC and RSKVVN out of the recovered amount.

''The company made repayment of loans amounting to Rs 29.64 crore to NSFDC (Rs 24.34 crore) and RSKVVN (Rs 5.30 crore) during the five years upto 2004-05 in excess of the amount recovered from the beneficiaries,'' the report added.

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