Delhi, Bihar don?t utilise money for education

When it comes to Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA), there is not much difference between Delhi and Bihar. They are the worst in the country in utilising money for specific projects building infrastructure for school education.

In an internal assessment of the money utilised under SSA, the ministry of human resource development has found that till end of December 2005, Bihar had spent only 43.5 per cent of the money allocated.

Delhi was a notch better with 44 per cent. While Bihar has a logical explanation for poor utilisation, Delhi has relied more on bureaucratic reasons.

In Bihar, the long period of model code of conduct because of two assembly elections resulted in very less time for actual utilisation of money, in Delhi, it was the delay in getting project approvals.

Barring these two states, officials say, the SSA is doing well elsewhere, with a 65 per cent utilisation of funds till December end.