Biswajit blames Finance Dept for failure to submit UCs
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 01 2019:
Rural Development Minister Th Biswajit has blamed Finance Department for his department's failure to submit utilisation certificates in time with respect to funds sanctioned under NREGS.
Claiming that NREGS works are being implemented in the State without any flaws or lapses, Th Biswajit asserted that no wrongdoer would be spared whether they be Zilla Parishad Members or Pradhans or Gram Panchayat Members in case any wrongdoing is detected in the course of the social audit which is going on.
Speaking to media persons this evening, Biswajit said that there are around 5.4 lakh NREGS job card holders in the State and primary duty of the department is to ensure that the wages entitled to them are sent to their bank accounts.
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The department's responsibility ends with transfer of wages to the personal accounts of job card holders and there is no complaint so far from any quarter that wages transferred to the bank account of a job card holder have been withdrawn by another, Biswajit said.
Works executed under NREGS are being monitored at block level, district level and State level.
Moreover, a social audit has been going on, he said.
NREGS wages are paid within two/three days of releasing NREGS fund by the Finance Department.
There is no case of the Rural Development Department holding back NREGS money even for 10 days.
As per guidelines, utilisation certificates should be sent on spending 60 per cent of the sanctioned amount.
But the department is unable to submit utilisation certificates as NREGS funds are held back for protracted periods by the Finance Department and restricting the amount released to just around 50 per cent of the sanctioned amount, Biswajit said.
The matter has been raised with Finance Department repeatedly but to no avail so far and such non-responsive attitude of Finance Department has projected Rural Development Department in the wrong light.
At present, Rs 90 crore is still pending.
Playing blame games would not help.
The Government can achieve greater heights only when there is unity and all stake holders work under an understanding, Biswajit asserted.