Rajasthan Forfeits Tribal Development Funds Over Unsubmitted Utilization Certificate
The state of Rajasthan has failed to receive any financial allocation under the Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme, also known as the Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana, for the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. This significant shortfall is directly attributed to the state government's failure to submit a mandatory utilization certificate (UC) for Rs 20.73 crore, as confirmed by an official reply presented in the Lok Sabha.
Central Ministry Highlights Administrative Lapse
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in a starred response tabled on Thursday to a query from Karauli-Dholpur MP Bhajan Lal Jatav, disclosed that the pending UC of Rs 20.7 crore remains unresolved and will continue to affect funding into the 2025-26 financial year. The ministry explicitly stated that "zero bills have been closed" on the SNA-SPARSH portal for the relevant period. SNA-SPARSH is the central government's dedicated online platform designed to facilitate the real-time disbursement of funds for centrally sponsored schemes.
Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram provided this critical information, confirming that no utilization certificates were received from the Rajasthan state authorities for the two consecutive financial years. On a broader policy note, the Centre clarified that there is currently "no proposal under consideration" for instituting a special development package specifically targeted at tribal-dominated regions.
Widespread Impact on Tribal Welfare Schemes
The funding blockage has precipitated severe disruptions across multiple tribal welfare initiatives in Rajasthan:
- Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme for Scheduled Tribe Students: The implementation gaps are stark. In 2023-24, the state recorded 76,272 beneficiaries, yet no funds were either released or utilized. For 2024-25, Rs 22.36 crore was successfully released and utilized for 57,037 students. However, in 2025-26, despite 59,888 beneficiaries being registered, no funds were released or utilized, indicating ongoing systemic issues.
- Support to Tribal Research Institutes Scheme: Rajasthan received no financial support under this scheme in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. A partial allocation of Rs 3.7 crore was made for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
- Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS): In response to MP Jatav's inquiry, the ministry confirmed that no EMRS has been approved for Dholpur district, as none of its blocks satisfy the prescribed eligibility criteria.
Broader Implications and Unanswered Queries
MP Bhajan Lal Jatav's comprehensive questions also covered hostels and ashram schools for tribal populations in Karauli and Dholpur, skill development schemes, district-wise allocation and utilization under the Scheduled Tribe Sub-Plan, and the potential for a special development package. The ministry's reply underscores a critical administrative bottleneck, where the absence of a single utilization certificate has cascaded into a multi-year funding freeze, adversely affecting educational support, research funding, and broader tribal development projects across the state.
This situation highlights the stringent compliance requirements attached to central funding and the operational challenges faced by state governments in meeting these deadlines, ultimately impacting the delivery of essential services to tribal communities.
