Cong criticises govt over census delay, under-used MHA funds

Whereas acknowledging that the Covid pandemic had disrupted census plans, Maken criticised the federal government for not utilising allotted funds in subsequent years.

He famous that 66 per cent of allotted census funds lapsed in 2022, 85 per cent in 2023, and 58 per cent in 2024. “There was no promise of conducting the census on the earliest,” he added.

The Congress chief additionally highlighted issues relating to border safety and police modernisation. In keeping with Maken, roughly Rs 225 crore remained unutilised beneath the Border Infrastructure Growth Programme for 2023-24.

“About Rs 70,697 crore (price of) funds for border infrastructure and police modernisation allotted within the final seven years was returned,” he mentioned, noting that about 22.93 per cent, practically one-fourth, of the finances allocation went unspent.

Maken additionally raised alarms about safety implications, stating: “Medication, weapons like AK-47 and grenades are illegally getting into by way of the borders and the federal government has not been in a position to hold a test on this”.

He known as for filling vacancies in paramilitary forces and rising finances allocations for catastrophe administration citing the rising frequency of pure disasters as a consequence of world warming.