May 23, 6:32 PM
A Group of Ministers, GoM, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, on Thursday approved merging of 147 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) into 70 across various sectors for efficient implementation and monitoring in the 12th Five Year Plan. The GoM decisions are in line with the recommendations of the Chaturvedi committee, which had suggested bringing down CSS to 59 from 147 to avoid overlap.
It has approved setting up of a flexi-funds system in each scheme, under which state governments can use 10 per cent of the Budget allocated for Centrally Sponsored Schemes within the broader framework of the flagship programme.
For better utilisation of funds under the central schemes, the panel of ministers approved transferring of funds from the centre to the state consolidated funds and not directly to the implementing agencies.The panel has also approved setting up of state specific guidelines in each central sponsored scheme.
