Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, May 28: The state-level vigilance and monitoring committee members, in the first meeting of the panel since 2013, Thursday criticised the poor implementation of different schemes in the state.
The meeting, which was chaired by panchayati raj minister Arun Kumar Sahoo, discussed schemes being implemented by seven departments, including panchayati raj, SC / ST development, rural development, women and child development, agriculture, energy and revenue and disaster management.
Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patasni said development projects have been affected as the Centre has reduced funding to the state. “We have to find some solution so that the development works will be implemented,” he said.
Dhenkanal MP Tathagata Satpathy, who is a member of the committee, suggested that the House organise the state level and district level vigilance and monitoring committee meetings regularly. Sahoo assured that the meetings would be held four times a year.
The state has not been getting the expected funds as ultilisation certificates are not being submitted in time and central funds are not being fully spent, Satpathy said. “So we have to spend the sanctioned funds quarter-wise like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and other states do. It would also reduce the burden the state is facing in the last quarter to utilise the sanctioned fund,” he said.
The Dhenkanal MP also urged the officials to ensure security and safety of girl students in schools run by the SC / ST development department.
Bonai MLA Laxman Munda alleged junior engineers are asking for bribe to sanction rural development projects at the block level and urged the officials to devise a mechanism to check it.
The members pointed out that the projects undertaken under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana have been abandoned. Rural development department secretary PK Mohapatra clarified that “though the state has the potential to spend more than `1,800 crore every year, the Centre is not releasing that much of funds.
Implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, different pension schemes, Indira Awas Yojana, National Rural Livelihood Mission and other rural development schemes were also discussed.