Pb failed to utilise funds for 'beti bachao' scheme: CAG

Punjab government failed to properly utilise the funds allocated under the Centre's flagship 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao' scheme for girl child during the last two years despite the adverse sex ratio in the state.

Out of Rs 6.36 crore released by the Centre to the state government during 2014-16, only Rs 0.91 crore was utilised up to March 2016, according to Comptroller and Auditor General which also found that Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) had further declined in 2016 in at least four of the districts.

"Infrequent state task force meetings adversely affected the implementation of the scheme in 11 districts while the scheme could not be started in nine districts," said the report tabled in the Assembly here on Wednesday.

In January 2015, the Centre had launched the BBBP scheme with 100 per cent central funding to address the issue of decline in Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in 100 gender critical districts of India.

The report said that although the State Task Force (STF) was constituted as per notification issued in September 2015 for monitoring the activities of BBBP, no quarterly meetings of STF were conducted for convergence and coordination between concerned departments as required under the guidelines.

It also said that initially, 11 districts of Punjab were included in April 2015 under the scheme.

Subsequently, nine other districts were added by the central government.

The scheme was implemented by Punjab government through its Department of Social Security and Women and Child Development (DSSWCD) and district administration in convergence with Departments of Health, Education and Panchayati Raj.