How can DOC manage to manage and allocate scheme's funds for a number of purposes in which some of them belongs to other Ministry's activities? How can size of the fund be formulated? What could be levels of cooperation between DOC and other Ministries in implementing ASIDE?
Reply: ASIDE scheme involves the States in the export effort by providing incentive-linked assistance to the State Governments. ASIDE Fund allocation by Planning Commission is on yearly basis. The outlay of this scheme has two components. 80% of the funds (State component) are earmarked for allocation to the States on the basis of the approved criteria. Funds, are earmarked to the Department of Commerce by the Central Planning agency i.e. Planning Commission. The projects under ASIDE are then sanctioned as per decided criteria of Department of Commerce (DoC). Since the agencies under the Ministries and State Governments, are the implementing agencies, DoC's role is that of the supervisor which oversees that the projects relate to infrastructure improvement for international trade. Thus, there is no conflict of operations. In fact, agencies under other Ministries seek funds under ASIDE, to supplement their requirements to take up projects which have not been catered to in their own budget.
