With only four more days left for the current fiscal to draw to a close, Chief Secretary P.K. Mohanty left for Delhi on Thursday to canvass for funds under Centrally-sponsored schemes due to the State.
Though the State may end the year on a comfortable note with revenue accruals improving during the month of March, it is yet to get its full share of Central funds for 2013-14. Mr. Mohanty spent the day in Delhi going to various ministries to ensure that the funds are released before March 31.
The funds are due to the State under VAT compensation, JNNURM, National Rural Health Mission, Sarva Siksha Abhayan, among other heads. The Centre also withheld grants given to the local bodies as elections could not be held for the last three years. Now that the elections are being held to both the urban local bodies as well as panchayat raj institutions, the State would also pitch for release of these funds before the financial year ended, sources said.
Mr. Mohanty dashed off to Delhi with time running out to secure Central funds to the extent possible so that by the appointed day, the treasuries of both the successor States will have a comfortable balance to begin their new innings.
The State is expected to net a VAT revenue of Rs. 50,000 crore by March 31 against the target of Rs. 54,000 crore thereby meeting 93 per cent of the target, according to official sources.
