The meeting of the District Plan Committee turned noisy with the committee members raising problems of their areas and demanding prompt approval of funds for developmental projects. The media persons were kept at bay. Dehradun District Minister in-charge and District Planning Committee president Yashpal Arya chaired the district planning committee meeting at Manthan in Dehradun on Monday.
Arya said that the committee has unanimously approved Rs41.38 crores in the second installment of total approved schemes of Rs74. 61 crores for the year 2014-15. On approved fund of Rs41.38 crore, 50 per cent will be spent on new schemes while remaining on the proposed pending schemes. It should be mentioned here that the committee had earlier approved Rs33.22 crore for first installment under the district plan and departments.
The committee has proposed an expenditure of Rs84.56 crore for district plan 2015-16. Committee members will send proposal for the next year district plan soon. Out of Rs2.05 crore, Rs17 lakh has been approved for government irrigation, Rs15 lakh for establishment section, five lakh for agriculture and Rs15 lakh for animal husbandry department.
District Development Officer Alok Kumar said that Rs34 lakh has been approved for social welfare department, Rs1.51 crore for Indira Awaas Yojana and Rs58 lakh for DRDA administration section. Arya said that funds on approved roads of PWD will be spent after being selected by the high level committee. The high level committee consists of district Panchayat president, Mayor, DM, MlA Rajkumar and MlA Harbans kapur.
The committee members are empowered to delete outdated proposed schemes and they would receive proposals from district Panchayat members and councilors for approval. The committee members will give final shape to approved PWD roads involving Rs24.92 crore. Arya expressed disappointment with officials for not spending the released funds on time. Funds released on approved schemes should be spent without delay and officers found negligent will be punished, he warned.
District Panchayat chairperson Chaman Singh stressed on increasing funds on minor irrigation and Jal Sansthan. Among those present were Rajya Sabha member Manorama Sharma Dobriyal, Mayor Vinod Chamoli, MlA and member secretary Rajkumar, Umesh Sharma, Nav Prabhat, Ganesh Joshi, Sahdev Singh Pundir, Premchand Aggarwal, Harbans Kapoor, DM Ravinath Raman, CDO Alok Kumar Pandey and other district officers.