Jharkhand govt may end non-essential welfare schemes due to low funds

RANCHI: Non-essential schemes in Jharkhand are likely to be closed due to dearth of funds after the budget session of Jharkhand Assembly.  Chief Minister Hemant Soren has repeatedly said that financial condition of the State is really in bad shape and will soon release a white paper so that people could know what his government has inherited from the previous regime.

Finance Minister Rameshwar Oraon met Soren on Tuesday and discussed the current financial status of the State at large, during which, they also talked about running the welfare schemes in the given circumstances. Sources in the state government said that looking at the poor financial condition, the budget has been decreased from `81,345 crore to `85,429 crore.

“A review meeting with departmental secretaries will be conducted on the welfare schemes in the state before the budget session of Jharkhand Assembly. Non-essential schemes are likely to be closed after a thorough review,” sources said, adding that officials have been strictly directed not to take up big budget schemes and any decision in this regard will be taken only after the budget session.

Meanwhile, almost all the tenders awarded earlier to the contractors have been cancelled and officials have been directed not to start new schemes. Tenders for the proposed new secretariat building involving `1,500 crore has also been cancelled looking at the dearth of funds. All schemes related to roads and bridges have also been put on hold by the state government.