Baleswar MP Rabindra Jena expressed strong dissatisfaction over the non-utilisation of funds and non-implementation of projects despite availability of funds at a district level vigilance and monitoring meeting here on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by MlAs Gobinda Das, Nityananda Sahu, Aswani Patra, Jyotiprakash Panigrahi, Sukanta Nayak and ZP president Umilata Das, besides district Collector Sanatan Mallick, PD DRDA Abdul Alim Khan and other line department officials.“During the review, it was found several projects were lying incomplete although adequate funds were available. It was solely due to lack of initiative and responsibilities of the concerned officials.
Once the funds are lying unutilised it is difficult to bring further funds for projects. Despite communications from the concerned departments to submit utilisation certificates, the same was not carried out,” Jena said, expressing concern over the functioning of the district administration.It was learnt that Rs122 crore still remains unspent out of the funds received under the head of the IAY since 2001 in the district. It couldn’t be done owing to lack of proper planning and interest. The meeting decided to form a task force to expedite the work.
Under the NRlM scheme, while other districts received crores of rupees, Baleswar got a meager Rs15 lakh in fiscal year 2014-15 because of inefficiency in spending amount, the members pointed out in the meeting.In the district while 187 Rajiv Sewa Kendras have been constructed, it was instructed to complete the left-out 104 by March next. Similarly, the meeting also expressed displeasure over the performance of SHGs and Watershed Missions works. Out of 17,517 SHGs, the performance of 8,834 was not satisfactory, the meeting observed. Stress was laid on the electricity supply, drinking water projects, adequate sapling production and their plantation by the Horticulture department.