What Centre Said About Delay In Fund Release To Tamil Nadu
New Delhi, March 19, 2025: The Central Government has responded to concerns regarding the delayed release of funds to Tamil Nadu under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), stating that fund disbursement is subject to compliance with financial norms set by the Ministry of Finance. The clarification came in response to an unstarred question raised in the Rajya Sabha by MP P. Wilson, who sought an explanation for the non-release of the central share for the years 2023–24 and 2024–25 and asked when the pending ₹184 crore would be disbursed.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, outlined the procedural requirements for fund allocation under the ministry’s three key missions: Mission Saksham Anganwadi and POSHAN 2.0, Mission Shakti, and Mission Vatsalya. She stated that funds are allocated based on Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP) or Programme Approval Board (PAB) proposals submitted by states. However, actual disbursement occurs only after adjusting unspent balances, accounting for excess expenditure, and ensuring compliance with the State Nodal Agency (SNA) norms set by the Department of Expenditure.
According to these norms, states must utilise more than 75% of the previously allocated funds, maintain an unutilised balance below half of a quarter’s grant, deposit any interest earned on central funds, and ensure there is no shortfall in transferring funds from the state treasury to the SNA account. The ministry clarified that fund release is contingent on Tamil Nadu meeting these financial conditions.
Addressing the specific issue of fund release under PMMVY, the minister confirmed that the Centre had disbursed ₹47.81 crore to Tamil Nadu for the financial year 2024–25 upon the state’s compliance with SNA norms. However, she did not provide a specific timeline for the disbursement of the remaining funds.
The delay in fund release has raised concerns about the effective implementation of PMMVY, a scheme aimed at providing maternity benefits to pregnant women and lactating mothers. Tamil Nadu has been awaiting ₹184 crore in pending central share, leading to questions about the scheme’s continuity in the state.
