Concerns Raised Over PM-VIKAS Scheme Implementation in Assam
Serious Issues Identified in PM-VIKAS Scheme
Guwahati, Dec 4: The Congress party in Assam has raised alarms regarding significant irregularities in the execution of the Pradhan Mantri Vikas Ka Samvardhan (PM-VIKAS) scheme. This comes after Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju provided a written response in the Lok Sabha, highlighting major deficiencies in project completion, oversight, and execution.
In reply to an unstarred question posed by Congress MP Pradyut Bordoloi, Rijiju indicated that while the initiative aims to foster socio-economic growth among six designated minority communities through skill development, entrepreneurship, and educational support, a majority of the sanctioned projects in Assam are still in the early stages of implementation.
According to the Minister's statement, the rollout of the PM-VIKAS scheme has only recently begun, with all allocated projects in Assam remaining in preliminary phases.
Rijiju also confirmed that there has been no outcome-based assessment, policy evaluation, or third-party monitoring conducted to date.
The annexure accompanying the response revealed that Assam has been allocated a total project budget of Rs 2,30,057.56 lakh under the PMJVK component.
Out of 1,40,018 sanctioned units, only 12,594 have been completed, while 4,028 are still underway.
Additionally, 3,738 units have yet to commence, and 5,858 have been removed from the implementation list. Another 14,289 units are slated for removal, and 99,511 have been categorized as non-functional.
Data categorized by type also shows significant disparities. For example, under the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) housing component, 89,887 units were sanctioned, but only 3,849 have been finalized, with 74,285 remaining non-functional. The sanctioned budget for this component is Rs 36,199.95 lakh.
In a social media update on Wednesday, Bordoloi emphasized that these statistics indicate a trend of poor execution and inadequate oversight.
“I found out that under PM-VIKAS in Assam: 3,738 units have not even started, 5,858 units were dropped, and 99,511 units are non-functional. No policy evaluation system has been established to supervise such arbitrary dropping,” the Nagaon MP stated.
The Ministry noted that proposals for PM-VIKAS are solicited through a centralized portal from eligible institutions nationwide, with projects allocated after thorough scrutiny of the proposals.
“Consequently, no specific regions in Assam have been earmarked for inclusion in future phases; however, proposing institutions may suggest implementing the scheme in any district without exception,” the response clarified.
Rijiju also mentioned that the Ministry has integrated PM-VIKAS with the Skill India Digital Hub to facilitate real-time monitoring, although he acknowledged that actual field evaluations are still pending.
Bordoloi is expected to escalate the issue, arguing that the data highlights systemic failures in the use of central funds and the execution of minority welfare initiatives in the state.