Gujarat govt's 23 of 28 depts "fail" to utilize budgeted funds in 2016-17; spending on development "shrinks"

By A Representative
While the Gujarat government has claimed that the 2016-18 budget seeks to “optimize inclusive development of human resources”, a state-based non-profit budget analysis centre has revealed that, in the outgoing financial year, 2016-17, out of 28 departments, just about five – education, finance, water resources (including Narmada), panchayat and rural housing, and revenue – would spend (or overspend) the funds allocated to them.
Pathey’s figures are based on estimates made by the state department for the current financial year, which ends on March 31, 2017.
The departments that would top the list in failing to utilize funds would be youth and sports (shortfall of 30.64%), followed by woman and child (27.16%), food and civil supplies (22.35%), industries and mines (21.64%), information and broadcasting (21.16%), science and technology (18.64%), roads and buildings (18.64%), and climate change (17.75%).
Other important departments with a relatively smaller shortfall in utilizing budgeted funds would include agriculture and cooperatives, energy and petrochemicals, forests and environment, health and family welfare, home, labour and employment, ports and transport, social justice and empowerment, and tribal development.
The department-wise on funds utilization takes into account both developmental and non-developmental expenditure. What is worrying, Pathey suggests, is that the shortfall in developmental expenditure is particularly glaring.
Choosing economic services for analyzing the shortfall, Pathey says, a whopping Rs 5,764.14 crore, meant to be spent for rendering different types of economic services, would remain unutilized in 2016-17.
The analysis has found that out of ten different heads of economic services, only under two – special area programme, and science, technology and environment – has the state government been able to fully utilize its budgetary allocation for developmental needs. All other services have failed in funds utilization.
The areas where the state government would particularly fail to use up the allocations include – agriculture and allied services (allocation: Rs 6,977.25 crore, untilized funds: Rs 787.84, or 11.29%); rural development (allocation: Rs 5,634.58 crore, unutilized funds Rs 784.55 or 13.92%); industry and mines (allocation: Rs 2,604.82, unutilized funds Rs 303.83 or 11.66%); and transport (allocation: Rs 8017.77 crore, funds: Rs 566.25 crore or 7.06%).
Pointing out that the state government’s expenditure is divided into three sections, out of which two are developmental (economic services and social services), and one (general services), non-developmental, Pathey says, there has been a progressive deceleration of allocation vis-à-vis the overall budget for both economic and social services over the last two years. This has further going down in 2017-18.
Thus, the economic services formed 29.31% of the total budget in 2015-16, which slightly increased to 30.28% of the budget for 2016-17, but went down to 27.03% in the revised estimate for 2016-17. In the new budget, 2017-18, this has further gone down to 25.83%.
As for the social services, things are no different. It was 38.27% of the budget in 2015-16, which went down to 37.42% of the budget in 2016-17, and further down to the revised estimate for the year -- 36.68% per cent. In the new budget, 2017-18, it is further down to 25.83%.
Only general services, which according to the Pathey mainly include “non-developmental” spending like payment of debts, pensions and other such “essential” expenditures, the allocation increased – it was 32.42% of the total budget in 2015-16, which slightly decelerated to 32.29% in the 2016-17 budget, but was revised in the same year to 36.28%. Now, in 2017-18, has gone up to a whopping 39.42%.

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

When a lake becomes real estate: The mismanagement of Hyderabad’s waterbodies

By Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava* Misunderstood, misinterpreted and misguided governance and management of urban lakes in India —illustrated here through Hyderabad —demands urgent attention from Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), the political establishment, the judiciary, the builder–developer lobby, and most importantly, the citizens of Hyderabad. Fundamental misconceptions about urban lakes have shaped policies and practices that systematically misuse, abuse and ultimately erase them—often in the name of urban development.

Search This Blog