Late submission of utilisation certificates costs State Rs 220 Crore
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 12 2012:
Even as Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has asked the Finance Ministry as well as the Planning Commission for financial assistance to help the State tide over the current financial difficulties, a total of Rs 220 crores sanctioned for different irrigation projects has been forfeited due to late submission of utilisation certificates.
An official source informed that the State ran into an overdraft of Rs 400 crores after Rs 700 crores was drawn on the last day of the last fiscal year.
To tide over the financial crunch being faced by the State, the Chief Minister has approached the Centre for additional financial assistance.
In a written representation, Chief Minister O Ibobi asked Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for financial assistance to make up for the financial shortages in non-plan sector.
In another letter, the Chief Minister asked the Planning Commission to provide normal plan assistance on monthly basis.
As reported earlier, Reserve Bank of India may ban the State Government from drawing any amount in case it does not pay back the overdraft amount of Rs 400 crores on or before April 19 .
On the other hand, on account of failure on the part of Irrigation and Flood Department to submit utilisation certificates in time for the funds utilised in the last fiscal year, the Centre has refused to sanction Rs 220 crores which was sanctioned for execution of some major irrigation projects in the State.
For the funds sanctioned for Khuga Dam, Maphou Dam, Dolaithabi Project and the funds entitled to Flood and Minor Irrigation Department under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), the department submitted utilisation certificates in January and March this year.
At the time, when the State submitted utilisation certificates, the Ministry of Water Resources had already released funds to other States, and Manipur's question was never considered.