Expressing anguish over delay in use of fund given to Uttarakhand under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Uttarakhand Rural Development Minister Preetam Singh flayed the senior officials when he came to know that merely Rs 94 crore were spent out of total fund Rs 471 crore released under PMGSY for the State. He asked the officials as to why there was delay in utilisation of funds.
He was reviewing the status of PMGSY at his office. As the fact — funds remaining unutilised — came to the light, the Minister lost his cool. He turned towards rural development secretary Vinod Fonia, sitting besides him, and said, “This is not a good trend. Start process on a war footing level to utilise the released fund for construction of the roads in the state so that the villagers could get advantage of the scheme.”
He said that process for tendering for construction of roads should be completed as soon as possible. He warned the officials that strict action would be taken if quality of construction was compromised. “The quality construction should be carried out,” the Minister said.
He directed that the chief development officers should carry out inspections of the road under-construction in rural areas to check quality. He said that the CDOs should monitor the construction work at district level and should ensure the construction of quality roads. He also passed instruction to complete the work of the scheme at a fast pace.