Derek O’ Brien Flags “underutilisation” of funds by MHA 

Trinamool Congress leader raises concerns over underutilisation of funds by Union Home Ministry, seeks clarity on action plan.

Flagging the “underutilisation” of funds by the Union Home Ministry under several heads, Trinamool Congress leader of Rajya Sabha Derek O’ Brien in a letter to chairperson of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs Radha Mohan Das Agarwal has sought more clarity on action that the Centre plans to take for “effective utilisation” 

In a two-page letter, Mr. O’Brien pointed out that ₹2.44 crore under the central scheme for assistance to victims of terrorism and communal violence was unspent, which resulted in “inability to reimburse” the States. “This poses a serious concern regarding the effective utilisation of the funds and the assistance that should have been provided to the victims,” he said. 

He also pointed out that ₹6.5 crores of National Disaster Response Force was unspent due to the non-filling of vacant posts within the organisation. “This raises concerns about the adequacy of personnel to handle disaster responses, especially when timely action is crucial during emergencies,” Mr. O’ Brien said. 

Mr. O’ Brien also pointed out that the entire provision for helicopter services in Ladakh remained unutilised. He also expressed concern that the budget for the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project which was at ₹4.33 crore slashed to zero.