"The committee is not satisfied with the performance of the ministry in so far as its overall expenditure during Eighth Plan is concerned," said the committee in its report which was laid before Parliament on Tuesday.

The ministry has not been able to fully utilise its Plan allocations in disability and social defence divisions during the Plan period, it said.

"During the financial year 1997-98 out of Rs 1840.20 crore allocated at Budget estimate stage, the ministry has been able to utilise only Rs 1247.94 crore," the committee noted.

The ministry had told the committee that it spent only Rs 1247.94 crore as the Budget was reduced to Rs 1255 crore at revised estimate stage.

"The above reason clearly indicates the level of planning theministry is having over its Budget formulation," the committee said.

The committee recommended that "the ministry should strengthen its planning and enhance Budget allocations substantially." The committee suggested that the ministry should make strong efforts to ensure that funds allocated for schemes at the Budget estimate stage were not slashed down subsequently at the revised estimate stage.

It advised the ministry to take up the matter with Planning Commission, department of economic affairs and expenditure finance committee in advance.

"The ministry should improve its monitoring mechanism and coordination with state governments so that funds allocated in the Budget estimates for the year 1998-99 are utilised fully and ensure that the new schemes become functional in the current financial year," the committee felt.

For the year 1998-99, the Budget estimate for the ministry was Rs 2045.65 crore.

The ministry had failed to utilise most of the allocated amount in the disabled welfare and socialdefence and child welfare category.

For the welfare of disabled, while the budget estimate was Rs 125.37 crore, the ministry actually spent Rs 78.12 crore.