Expressing concern over the tardy progress in various projects under the District Rural Development Agencies, Panchayati Raj Minister Arun Sahu on Wednesday asked the Project Directors to make efforts to bring economic order and transparency in project implementation.
Addressing a two-day conference of DRDA PDs here, the Minister said concerned officers play a vital role in successful implementation of various projects being undertaken in gram pancyayat levels to enhance economic standards of rural people. He said the State Government is emphasising on providing pucca houses under both Indira Awas Yojana and Biju Pucca Ghar Yojan to the rural poor.
The State Government has targeted to construct 45,000 pucca houses in the first phase in the current year, he said. There is no dearth of funds for taking up various rural house construction programmes, he informed.
Stating that there is provision of giving award to good performing officers and punishments to the negligent ones, Sahu resented saying that the progresses achieved so far in the project implementations are not satisfactory.
He told the DRDA PDs that while 68,468 Indira Awases were completed by October this year, 7,07,865 IAY houses were not completed by March-end. Similarly, a process is going on for construction of 6,39,397 more IAY houses. It has been targeted that 1,52, 966 IAY houses would be constructed in State during 2014-15.
The State Government has targeted to construct 36,235 houses under the Biju Pucca Ghar yojana during 2014-15. So far, only 279 houses have been completed, the Minister said. He directed the PDs to review the projects at both DRDA and block levels every week and submit reports. He asked the PDS to ensure that all the targeted Biju Pucca Ghar and IAY houses would be completed by March 2015.
During the conference, progress in the implementation of the National Rural livelihood Mission was also reviewed. It was revealed that banks are not cooperating self-help groups in most of the districts. Among others Panchayati Raj Secretary DK Singh, NRlM Director NBS Rajpur and Director (Special Project) Nitin Vanudas Jawale were present.