Rs 2 cr Agri Award remains idle in bank
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, July 07 2013:
The State Agriculture Department has been unable to utilize a sum of Rs.2 crores of Krishi Karman Award 2011-12, which was given by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries for the Best Performing State in overall food grain production among Category-III States whose annual production is less than one million tonne.
The Award was presented by the President of India to State's Chief Minister Okram Ibobi and Agriculture Minister Abdul Nasir in a grand ceremony held in New Delhi on January 15 this year.
The award money was transferred timely into the accounts of various committees under the Agriculture Department.
However, the officials could not take discretionary decisions for utilization of the money.
Thus, the sum of Rs.2 crores has remained idle in the bank while the officials are waiting for the Government's consent to utilize the money.
Citing limited funds for agriculture in the annual budget of the State, the officials of Agriculture Department have sent a proposal to the Government for utilization of the award money for digging ponds and purchasing vehicles and other equipments for agriculture.
But, the Government has not given the green signal for utilization of the award money till date, an official told Hueiyen Lanpao.
It may be noted that Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur and Nagaland received the awards for special contribution to total foodgrains production.
Bihar received the award for contribution to production and productivity of rice, Haryana for wheat, Jharkhand for pulses and Uttar Pradesh for coarse cereals.
Punjab, Uttarakhand, Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh received commendation awards.