Funding for Centrally sponsored schemes declining: Karnataka CM

The Hindu

14-05-2025

The Congress government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, which will be completing two years in office next week, on Wednesday reviewed the progress of various Centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) and said the Centre's funding to the National Health Mission, Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat, and many other schemes had declined by 40-50%, from the 100-90% range to 50-60%.
Mr. Siddaramaiah chaired the State-level meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) and reviewed the utilisation of funds under the Centrally sponsored schemes during 2024-25. The Chief Minister said that as of March 2025, both the Central and State governments had spent ₹46,859 crore on the Centrally sponsored schemes. As against the mandated release of ₹22,758 crore, the Centre released only ₹18,562 crore to the State, which constituted about 82%.
The Chief Minister told the MPs from all parties representing the State to pressurise the Union government to release allocated funds. He directed officials to ensure 100% utilisation of funds during the year.
He said currently the Centre and the State share the funding of the Centrally sponsored schemes in the ratio of 60:40. However, the State contributed significantly to schemes such as midday meals by providing milk and eggs, and this increased the State's share to 70-80%, he said.
The Centre did not release funds for the Upper Bhadra Project, social security schemes, and computerisation of primary agricultural cooperative societies during 2024-25, he said.
Under the MGNREGA scheme, the Narendra Modi-led government allocated ₹2,200.4 crore during 2024-25, of which the State received ₹1,933.48 crore. A sum of ₹266.92 crore was yet to be released by the Centre to the State, he said.
Referring to the shortfall in the Jal Jeevan Mission, the meeting noted that the Centre had not released ₹10,889 crore during the last two years. In 2024-25, an allocation of ₹3,804 crore had been earmarked for the State, out of which only ₹570.7 crore was released. A sum of ₹3,234 crore had not been released, he said.
Similarly, the Centre had kept pending ₹65.82 crore under the Swachch Bharat Mission. Of the allocated ₹215.82 crore, the State received ₹150 crore during 2024-25. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, too, of the allocated ₹100 crore, only ₹34.21 crore was released to the State during the same year, Mr. Siddaramaiah said.
The situation was not different under the National Rural Livelihood Mission. The Centre released ₹298.73 crore as against the sanctioned ₹398 crore, he said.