The Rajasthan State Assembly normally doesn’t rock. But earlier this week it nearly erupted. The single issue that is dominating all conversation in the state today — drought, the worst ever in decades.For two days Ashok Gehlot’s ruling Congress party slugged it out with opposition leaders across the well of the assembly. Gehlot set the ball rolling with a speech about how ‘‘the Central government was not coming to the rescue of the state in combating what everyone agrees is the worst drought of the century’’.With an eye on the impending elections, they are threatening a protest march in Delhi and squarely placing all the blame at the Centre’s doorstep. The opposition launched a blistering attack. ‘‘The government is hesitating to declare the state drought-hit because it will mean that they will have to fulfil people’s basic needs. They will have to provide work, food, health facilities, and employment. They don’t want to do that. All they do is complain about the centre,’’ says the soft-spoken opposition leader Gulab Chand Kataria.Politicians talk aside, the real story is lies in bare facts. In the battle between the centre and the state the issue has been money. Gehlot and his ministers have relentlessly talked about how little they are getting from the centre. But their balance sheets tell a different story.In departments like women and child development, rural development, public health and engineering department which deals with supply of drinking water and agriculture, the state has failed to spend the allocations by the centre last year.The state government has more unutilised funds than the minimum 15 per cent allowed. As a result, this year, the government will be allocated less money. Demanding an explanation, opposition MLA Rajender Rathode says: ‘‘The constant crib is that the Centre is not giving money. But what about using what the centre had already given?’’PHED minister C P Joshi is quick to question: ‘‘How can we spend all the money when we get it so late’’. ‘‘The Centre releases these funds as late as January. We have to give our closing balance by April end.’’Rajasthan’s share of the funds from the centre has been reducing consistently. The allocations work on a simple formula, under which unutilised funds of more than 15 per cent result in a slash in allocation.In 2001-2002, the total allocation under the Accelerated Rural Programme (Desert) scheme was Rs 5794.65 lakh, of which the state government was left with a closing balance of Rs 2151.19 lakh. Promptly, the allocation for 2002-03 was slashed to Rs 4770.66 lakh. While the MLAs argued inside, outside the assemblybuilding, hundreds of people gathered to demand a basic right to work, food and security. Their complaint: between all the bickering, they are being short changed.
