Ravindra Prasad Singh, District Development Commissioner of Hazaribagh has ordered the BDOs and panchayat supervisors to submit utilisation certificate of the grant amount they have received under the 13th Finance Commission by January 4.
Singh stated this while reviewing the progress of works in different schemes going on with the financial assistance given on the recommendation of 13th Finance Commission. He was astonished to know that not a single gram panchayat or panchayat samiti of block level has submitted utilisation certificate so far. Singh showed his unhappiness when he found that the block development officer of Chalkusha had not turned up in the meeting, neither has he sent any representative. He immediately ordered to issue a show-cause notice to BDO and to stop the salary of panchayat supervisors.
In the meeting it was found that many panchayat and panchayat samitis have not spent a single pie from the grant they have received. The panchayat samitis and gram panchayats of Barkattha, Chalkusha, Barhi, Dadi and Katkamdag blocks were in this group where entire amount was yet in the bank accounts. DDC found that in few blocks some amounts have been spent but it was not up to mark and satisfactory. There was not a single panchayat in the district where entire amount has been utilised. DDC took it seriously and directed the BDOs to organise meeting with the mukhiyas and members of panchayat samitis to make them aware with the guidelines of finance commission. He also advised to organise workshops about rules and regulations of the finance commission.
As per information, panchayat and panchayat samitis have got Rs26.89 crore and Rs5.96 crore respectively as grant amount for the development of villages. This amount is from fiscal year 2010-11 to 2013-14. Till date only Rs11.63 crore have been spent while 15.26 crore is still in the bank accounts of panchayats. Similarly out Rs5.96 crore the panchayat samitis have spent only Rs1.51 crore.