The Collectors-cum-District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of at least 11 districts are yet to submit utilisation certificates (UCs) for `50,05,000 provided to them by the State Government during 2015-16 for the rescue of migrant labourers from outside the State.
This was revealed in the reply to a Right to Information (RTI) query submitted by activist Pradip Pradhan with the PIO of the labour Commissioner.
Documents obtained under the RTI Act show that all the eleven DMs and SPs have not submitted expenditure details and certificates for funds utilised, a mandatory procedure.
The reply revealed that the SPs of four districts, Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Nuapada which witness rampant migration of labourers during summer to neighbouring States, were allotted Rs 12 lakh each.
Similarly, the Collectors of 11 districts, Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi, Gajapati, Rayagada, Khurda, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Ganjam, Subarnapur and Nuapada, were provided Rs 2.05 lakh for rescue of migrant labourers while the Collectors of Balangir, Bargarh, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts were provided `25,000 each for the purpose. The Collectors of Gajapati, Rayagada, Khordha, Nawarangpur, Koraput, Ganjam, Subarnapur and Nuapada districts were allotted Rs 15,000 each.
According to the RTI reply, the fund allotted to the SPs was meant to support rescue of labourers and other expenses like transport, collection of secret information, illegal drafting of inter-state migrant workers and appointment of special police officers.
The fund placed with the Collectors was to be spent for emergency situations for rescue of migrant labourers. However, though one year has elapsed, it is yet to clear how the funds were spent as UCs are to be produced.
Of the total allocation of `50,05,000, `48,000,00 were placed with the SPs
while Rs 2,05,000 were provided to the Collectors during 2015-16 fiscal.