Nirbhaya Fund underutilised, panel worried

New Delhi, February 10

The standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports in its 316th report has expressed concerns over underutilisation of Nirbhaya Fund and asked the government to bring states on board for faster implementation of projects and schemes under it.

“The panel notes that the underutilisation of Nirbhaya Fund has remained a cause for concern. Of the Rs, 9,549 crore allocated, Rs 4,241 crore has been released and around Rs 2,989 crore utilised,” it said.

The committee recommended that the factors responsible for the underutilisation of funds needed to be identified.

“State governments need to be brought on board in ensuring that projects and schemes, in which they are the stakeholders, get implemented effectively,” it said. The committee further suggested that ministries concerned must develop a robust mechanism for constant monitoring of projects and schemes. —