Now onwards, the Department of Panchayati Raj would implement the developmental works up to Rs 10 lakh in the villages “departmentally” and not by the village level leaders (Vlls).
Bringing sweeping changes in the Panchayati Raj system, the State Government has abolished the system of selection of Vll for execution of developmental works in the Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti levels.
The Department of Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water has issued revised guidelines for taking up developmental works up to Rs 10 lakh which shall be done by “departmentally”.
The existing system of selection of Vll for execution of developmental works up to Rs 5 lakh is done away with immediate effect and all works in which project cost is up to Rs 10 lakh shall be taken up “departmentally”, said the new guidelines.
Principal Secretary Panchayati Raj Deo Ranjan Kumar Singh has issued the revised guidelines saying that the works costing more than Rs10 lakh shall be taken up through transparent and competitive tender process following due procedure as laid down in Odisha Public Works Department (OPWD) Code, Odisha Panchayat Samiti Accounting Procedure Rules (OPSAPR) and Odisha Government Financial Rules(OGFR).
The officers working in the blocks like Extension Officers, Junior Engineers, Gram Panchayat Technical Assistants (GPTA)s and Panchayat Executive Officers (PEOs) shall be assigned with the works to be executed departmentally.
For the projects, where the work order has already been issued in the name of Vll, but the work has not been started within agreement period, it shall be cancelled by giving 15 days’ notice and the work will be taken up departmentally for ensuring timely execution.
Where the work order has already been issued for departmentally execution of work, the procedure as laid down in the guidelines shall be followed, said a senior official of the Department of Panahcyati Raj and Drinking Water.
And in case of departmental execution of works executed by issuing work order in the name of the Government employee, the provision of Goods and Services Tax (GST) is not applicable.
Similarly in case, the work order is issued in the name of JE or JPTA, another technical officer will undertake measurement and check measurement of the work.
Guidelines stipulated that all works must be technically sanctioned, administratively approved and measured and check measured by the competent authority as per rules.
For maintaining transparency, photographs of the projects prior to taking up the work, during execution and after the completion of the work, shall be taken and kept in the case record before release of final payment.
Now the power of according technical sanction by the Assistant Executive Engineer, which was limited to Rs 6 lakh is enhanced up to Rs 10 lakh for smoothening and expediting the process.
Accordingly, the power of technical sanction of the Executive Engineer in the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) was revised and all projects costing beyond Rs 10 lakh and up to Rs 50 lakh would be technically sanctioned by the Executive Engineer DRDA, the new guidelines said.