Starting the process to finalise the possible Central grant size during 2015-16 to 2019-20, the State Government on Saturday constituted a core committee to identify broad areas for formulation of projects and schemes to seek State specific grants from the 14th Finance Commission.
Chief Secretary Jugal Kishore Mohapatra, who presided over a high level meeting at the State Secretariat relating to formulation of strategies for availing maximum award from the 14th Finance Commission, asked all the departments to focus on non-plan areas for which generally plan funding is low or inadequate. Besides, he asked the Secretaries to submit revised project proposals along with funds involved within next fifteen days.
The meeting discussed preliminary project proposals submitted by various departments to be recommended for grants under the 14th Finance Commission. Sources said that a core committee had been constituted to identify areas in which specific intervention is required from the 14th Finance Commission during the period from 2015-16 to 2019-20.
Reviewing the preliminary project proposals submitted by various departments, Chief Secretary Mohapatra told all the Secretaries to focus on infrastructural areas for which plan funding was inadequate.
The broad areas identified include infrastructural constructions for judicial administration, police, fire, health, ICDS, particularly constructions of AWC buildings, pipe water supply, school, MDM service, promotion of bio-diversity, eco-restoration, eco-tourism and heritage conservation.
Strengthening of revenue administration, preservation and development of wetlands, critical gaps in ST and SC development projects, development of embankment roads and projects to check coastal erosion also are the focus areas, official sources said. The Chief Secretary stressed the need to prepare infrastructural projects for human resource development, training institutes, wild animal research and training institute and projects for river front development. The departments were advised to avoid proposals involving establishment cost, land acquisition charges, vehicle and contingency expenditure.
During the meeting, various departments suggested around 125 preliminary project proposals involving the cost of around Rs15,000 crore. The Chief Secretary directed the departments seeking grant under the 14th Finance Commission to revise the projects and suggest final list of proposals within 15 days.
Secretaries of respective departments were asked to look into the formulation of the project proposals at their level.
Development Commissioner Injeti Srinivas, Additional Chief Revenue & Disaster Management Secretary Taradatt, Forest & Environment Principal Secretary Raj Kumar Sharma, Home Principal Secretary Vipin Kumar Saxena, Water Resource Principal Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, Panchayati Raj Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh along with other secretaries and senior officers participated.