Not a single penny allotted under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) was utilised by 21 gram panchayats in Kendrapada district, for which show-cause notices have been issued to the concerned sarpanches and panchayat executive officers.
The district administration has served the notices four days ago and given the panchayat authorities 15 days’ time to reply as to why they could not spend the funds for implementing the Central Government’s flagship poverty alleviation project.
The administration has resolved to expedite completion of the pending projects. Those found negligent in executing the works would be taken to task. The errant officials and sarpanches are being penalised, according to Kendrapara Collector Niranjan Nayak.
These 21 gram panchayats are Bagada, Dashipur, Shilipur, Bachara, Balipatana, Baluria, Nilakanthapur, Penthapala, Mangalpur, Koranda, Pradhanpada, Pegarapada, Aragala, Attala, Badambila, Bhuinpur, Kuladiha, Narendrapur, Nuapada, Padanipala and Sansida, sources said.
In fact, the implementation of the poverty alleviation project is left much to be desired in the entire district having 230 gram panchayats where only 50 per cent of funds allocated for 2012-2013 financial year could be spent. An estimated Rs 8.81 crore is still unspent during the current fiscal, the sources said.
There is every possibility of the Central fund allocation being stopped for the district as utilisation certificates of 60 per cent of the projects are yet to be submitted, official
sources said.