Cabinet sets target of 60 pc Plan fund utilisation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 16 2013:
Taking a serious view of the poor expenditure of Plan fund, the State Cabinet which met today has set a target of utilising 60 percent of the fund by the end of December this year.
At the moment only 12.8 pc of the total Plan fund allotted to the State for the present fiscal has been utilised or spent.
Speaking to reporters today evening, after the Cabinet meeting, Government spokesperson, M Okendro said that the Cabinet today decided that at least 60 pc of the Plan fund should be utilised by the end of December this year.
The Cabinet has also decided to direct all Government Departments to submit the Utilisation Certificates and progress reports of the 12.8 percent of the Plan fund that has been expended so far by December 20 .
Explaining the factors for the low utilisation of the Plan fund, Okendro said that one of the primary reasons for the low utilisation rate of the Plan fund was the huge deficit incurred by the State Govern- ment in the last fiscal year.
The Cabinet has also decided to constitute district level committee for the effective implementation of National Food Security Act.
Towards this end, the process of identifying the beneficiaries will be kick started and cards will be distributed to them under the Food Security Act on or before January next year so that the Act can be effectively implemented across the State by March next year.
Law and order was another agenda during the Cabinet meeting, he said and added that discussions were held on how to improve the overall law and order situation in the State.
Significantly a series of bomb blasts had occurred in Imphal and Ukhrul in the last few months, claiming a number of lives and injuring others.
Abductions for ransom continue and unidentified gunmen had recently attacked the shed of labourers engaged in the construction of the Imphal-Jiribam rail line.
Rival armed groups continue to confront each other, especially in Tamenglong district in the recent past.
The Cabinet also decided to upgrade the Shahamphung SDC circle in Ukhrul district to an SDO circle.