Bhubaneswar: State government Thursday directed all the Collectors to ensure timely completion of the development projects undertaken in mining areas under District Mineral Foundation (DMF) and Odisha Mineral Bearing Area Development Corporation (OMBADC).
Rural Development (RD) secretary Pradeep Jena has issued a letter to the Collectors and executive engineers in this regard when Supreme Court appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) on mining is in state to review development projects undertaken under OMBADC.
RD department is executing the projects either directly sanctioned by district administration or through various line departments
“The works under both DMF and OMBADC are being regularly reviewed at the highest level including by the Empowered Committee of Supreme Court as well as by Justice AK Pattnaik for OMBADC work. Works under DMF and OMBADC are required to be executed with utmost seriousness and within the time frame fixed by government,” Jena said in his letter.
As per rules, no time overrun and cost escalation will be allowed for all the works to be taken up under health and education sectors.
Therefore, the secretary asked the Collectors to make estimates in time and get administrative approval with utmost promptness and ensure that works are executed in time.
Jena asked the officials not to issue any tender nor sign any agreement with any contractor before the sites are duly handed over to Rural Works division.
The agreements with contractor without a site would only lead to delay in execution of the work and further contractual complications involving cost overrun, he added.
Since such additional cost under normal circumstances cannot be allowed under DMF/OMBADC, the government urged the Collectors to personally look into the matter of identifying the suitable land and handing it over to the EE concerned before preparation of the estimate.
