Only ₹1.20 lakh spent out of ₹2.35 crore meant for Mecca Masjid renovation work The Telangana Minorities Welfare Department has spent only 43.5% of the total budgetary allocation of FY 2020-21. The expenditure for salaries constitutes around 33% of the total amount spent.

According to data obtained by means of the Right to Information Act from YouRTI.in, the total budgetary allocation for FY 2020-21 was ₹1,151.46 crore out of which a total of ₹ 658.43 crore was spent. Data under the head ‘budget details for salaries’ shows an expenditure of ₹ 217.66 crore.

A majority of these funds spent on salaries were given to the Telangana Minorities Residential Education Institutions Society, over 200 schools across the State which provide free education and boarding to students from minority communities.

The remaining went to the Telangana State Minorities Finance Corporation, Telangana State Christian Minorities Finance Corporation, Urdu Academy and other heads such as the Wakf Tribunal.

No funds allocated for the T – Prime, which was modelled along the lines of the T Pride scheme to encourage entrepreneurs, and T SEZ, a scheme for businessmen belonging to minority communities, were spent.

As per information, the guidelines for both schemes have not been framed, resulting in no expenditure. Interestingly, data shows that the same reason was given for not spending funds since FY 2018-19.

As much as ₹300 crore was allocated for the Shaadi Mubarak scheme. Data shows that there are 14,381 beneficiaries of this scheme. The amount spent was ₹142.98 crore. Further, while a budget of ₹ 28.31 crore was allocated for bank-linked subsidies, only ₹12 crore was spent.

The Mecca Masjid, which is in need of conservation work, was allocated ₹2.35 crore. Out of this, ₹1.20 lakh was spent.

“It is understandable that the pandemic threw a spanner in the working of all departments. However, not finalising guidelines for T Prime and T SEZ for the past few years in not right. We can see that a large sum was spent on salaries, especially for staff the TMREIS. This says a lot about where funds are going. The expenditure in the previous financial year was much better. Now offices are working and the situation is not as bad as it was since March to October of last year, I hope expenditure and utilisation will be better,” said an activist associated with YouRTI.in.

The last financial year saw a budgetary allocation of ₹1,344 crore and expenditure of ₹1,266.94 crore.

In FY 2018-19, government allocated a budget of ₹1,973.41 crore and spent ₹1,214.73 crore.